Against the Dark - The Transylvanian Tribunal Chapter Four: The Bulgarians

In 1220, the Second Bulgarian Empire under Tsar Ivan Asen II rules most of the Balkans, from the Black Sea to the Morava River, and includes Wallachia north of the Danube. The capitol is at Tarnovo, and the empire also includes the great cities of Niš, Sredets, Silistra, and the ports of Varna and Nesebar. Tsar Ivan is an aggressive ruler determined to restore his ravaged empire to its former glory, and if your saga follows history, in the next ten years, he extends his dominance over Thrace, Macedonia, and Epiros, and encroaches on Serbian territory in the west, adding Belgrade and Vukovar to the Empire.

Geography of Bulgaria

Bulgaria has always been important with respect to trade routes. On land, Bulgaria links the Bosphorus with Central Europe, either via the Danube and Romania or else the ancient route through Adrianople, Plovdiv (Philippopolis), Sredets, Niš, and Belgrade.

The Danube

The Danube River flows through the enormously fertile northern region of Bulgaria, and is the breadbasket of the empire. The Danube delta forms an enormous wilderness of swamps and marshes extending over about one thousand square miles, largely covered with tall reeds. The Dobrudja Plain to the south of the delta is characterized by sandy steppes and low mountains rich in copper; although prone to droughts, the Dobrudja is remarkably fertile when irrigated.

The Bulgarians

Tarnovo The capital city of the Second Bulgarian Empire is located on a loop of the Yantra River, a tributary of the mighty Danube. The city is built on two hills divided by the Yantra. On the right bank of the river is Trapezitsa Hill; on the left bank is Tsarevets Hill. Both hills are surrounded on three sides by the Yantra, and between the hills on the banks of the river is Nov Grad (New Town). Each hill has a fortified settlement, and the river provides natural protection, running through a gorge between the two massifs that is often 300 feet below the city walls. On top of Tsarevets Hill, a curtain wall 30 feet tall and 10 feet thick surrounds a roughly triangular settlement. This wall has three gates: the Sechena skala (main gate) is protected by a drawbridge, the Malka porta (small gate) has a covered tower and faces Trapezitsa, and the Frankish Gate in the south east enters into the Frankhissar (Frankish quarter), where foreign merchants are housed. The Tsar’s palace has a second fortress wall around it. The highest point of Tsarevets is occupied by the Patriarshiya, the Church of the Patriarch of the Bulgarian Church. Tsarevets contains a dozen other churches, many of them funded by Tsar Ivan II Asen. At the far north of Tsarevets is Lobnata skala (Execution Rock), where traitors to the crown are pushed to their deaths in the river below. The second hill, Trapezitsa, is also surrounded by a curtain wall which follows the edge of the hill, although this wall is less formidable than that of Tsarevets. The principle gate is on the south side of the hill, and leads to a road cut into the rock and across a bridge over the Yantra, passing through the New Town before meeting up with the Malka porta of Tsarevets. Within the walls of Trapezitsa is the monastery of Saint Ivan Rilski, which holds the relics of the patron saint of Bulgaria (see later). On the north slope of Trapezitsa is the Church of Saint Dimitar (Demetrius) of Thessaloniki, where the Asens proclaimed their rebellion against the Byzantine Dominion and the formation of the Second Bulgarian Empire (see Bulgarian History, later). The Nov Grad and the neighborhood of Assenova on the right bank are home to the artisans and craftsmen of Tarnovo, whereas it is principally the noblemen who maintain residences on top of either hill.

The Stara Planina

The Old Mountains (Stara Planina) dominate the heartland of Bulgaria. Called Haemus by the Ancients, the narrow range stretches nearly 400 miles westward from the Black Sea. These mountains are covered in meadows, offering lush grass to flocks of sheep and herds of cows. Below the pasture is a forest zone dominated by beeches, and below that the foothills are well-suited to arable farming. The mountains form a climatic barrier, sheltering the Thracian Plain to the south from the worst of the cold winters suffered by Romania. Ivan Rilski’s Cave Saint Ivan Rilski (John of Rila) was a hermit, healer, and mystic who died in 946. He

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The Galleries of Tarnovo

In Roman times, the great city of Nikopolis ad Istrum was situated about 12 miles north of Tarnovo. When it was sacked by the Huns in 447, legend tells that the Roman inhabitants fled to a settlement built on Trapezitsa Hill with the fabulous wealth of Nikopolis. They built galleries deep into the hill, and hid the treasure within, guarded by many dangerous traps and pitfalls. Treasure hunters have been searching for the Roman hoard ever since. Visitors to Tarnovo are approached by a resident who is looking for brave men to explore a tunnel he has discovered under his house. He knows he cannot ask locals for help, because they are all afraid of the traps and supposed curse that protects the treasure. However, foreigners will not know of these, and he hopes to trick them out of the gold once they have found it.

|] spent twelve years living in a cave, followed by three years in a hollowed out oak tree, and seven years on a high rock above the cave. His fame spread during his life, and disciples came from far and wide, forming a monastic community that persists to this day. The cave, tree, and rock bear a Divine aura of 4, separate from the Dominion aura of 3 possessed by the monastery. Saint Ivan is the patron of Bulgaria, and his body — miraculously uncorrupted since his death — is currently in Tarnovo. The Seven Lakes Lying in the Rila Mountains to the south of Sredets, the Seven Lakes are a series of interconnected lakes, with the highest at over 8,200 feet and the lowest at 6,900 feet. Through some quirk of the faerie magic of this region, the water does not simply flow from the highest to the lowest, but in an entirely illogical sequence. The area has a Faerie aura of 3, and each lake has a Faerie regio of aura 6. Each lake is home to a vila (of the water maiden variety, see Chapter 8: Creatures) named after the lakes; which are (from highest to lowest): Salzata (“The Tear”), Okoto (“The Eye”), Babreka (“The Kidney”), Bliznaka (“The Twin”), Trilistnika (“The Trefoil”), Ribnoto Ezero (“The Fish Lake”), and Dolnoto Ezero (“The Lower Lake”). The seven vilas are rival sisters, and offer those who bathe in their waters a faerie gift if they will spend a year and a day in their underwater homes. However, the vila is bound to kill their guest on the last day of his stay.

The Plains

South of the Stara Planina are two great plains, the Sredets Plain to the west, and the Thracian Plain to the east, separated by the Gates of Trajan. The wide Sredets Plain is dominated by the peak of Mount Vitosha, the northernmost of the Rila Mountains. The Thracian Plain is best known for its horses and its grapes. Sredets One of the main cities of the First Bulgarian Empire, Sredets is famous as a center for

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Baldwin’s Tower

Baldwin’s Tower overlooks the Frankhissar, and was built to house Emperor Baldwin of the Latin Empire of Constantinople, who was captured in battle by Tsar Kaloyan in 1205. Baldwin was initially treated as a valuable hostage and treated well, but the Frankish nobleman sealed his own fate by trying to seduce Kaloyan’s Cuman wife (or, according to some, the Bulgarian empress accused Baldwin of rape after he spurned her). Baldwin was walled up in the tower and the screams were heard over the Frankish quarter for months until they abruptly ceased one night. The tsar announced Baldwin’s death to the pope. Some say that the tsar had his enemy decapitated and his skull made into a drinking cup. They claim to have seen the headless corpse of the emperor around the tower, denied a Christian burial and seeking revenge on the Asen line. However, there are others who claim that Emperor Baldwin is still alive, held captive by the current tsar for some unknown purpose. Based on these rumors, at least one group of foreigners has attempted to gain entrance into the tower and free their leader, but the tower remains resolutely impregnable.

Story Seed: The Trials of Saint Ivan Rilski

The brothers of Saint Ivan Rilski’s monastery are highly influential in Bulgarian politics, since they are perceived to speak for the people’s patron saint. When the player characters need some help with the local bolyeri (noblemen), they might turn to the monks for a favor. Before they will help, the monks demand they seek the favor of the saint by spending twelve days in the cave, three days in the oak tree, and seven days on a high rock. During this three-week ordeal, the characters are tested by the saint for their purity of purpose. If they pass, the characters may acquire the monastery as an ally. A similar procedure might act as Initiation into a Holy Tradition dedicated to the saint. Saint Ivan Rilski, Patron of Bulgaria Divine Might: 50 Areas of Veneration: Bulgarians, inhabitants of Sredets and Tarnovo, monks, hermits Feast: October 19th Attributes: Holy Cross and a scroll or open book showing Cyrillic characters Powers (see Realms of Power: The Divine Revised Edition, pages 88–89): Apparition, Expel Demons, The Faithful Made Whole, Grant of Serenity, Strike Dumb Strike Dumb, 1 point, Init +8, Corpus: The target of this power is rendered entirely mute. This situation persists until the saint chooses to lift the curse.

Story Seed: One Groom for Seven Sisters

It is possible to gather all seven gifts from the seven vilas, although dangerous to say the least. Each sister provides the means to escape the death offered by one of her sisters. Local wisdom suggests that Babreka is the best lake in which to start, as its vila grants the ability to pierce faerie illusions, which is useful to foil the death offered by Dolnoto, who is the most skilled in manipulating glamour. Reportedly, Dolnoto’s gift of a lesser immunity to poison is useful in foiling the death offered by one of the other sisters, who typically poisons her guests. Each gift is equivalent to a Minor Virtue, and is accompanied by a Faerie Charm. A clever magus or sufficiently motivated mundane could discover the order in which water flows between the seven lakes, thus revealing the order that the sisters must be visited. It is said that a man who can claim all seven gifts becomes the lord of the seven sisters, and they are forced to pay him homage and follow his commands.

|] artisan craftsmen, particularly goldsmiths. The Church of Saint Sofia was built during the Byzantine occupation of Bulgaria in the sixth century, and it has recently become the seat of a bishop of the Bulgarian Church. As a result, people have started to refer to Sredets by the name of the diocese — Sofia. Sredets is home to the Boyana Church, a remarkable edifice and testament to the artisanship of the city’s craftsmen. The interior of the church is decorated with frescoes, many of which are still being completed by Vasiliy, the “Boyana Master.” He has completed the dome, with depictions of Christ, the Evangelists, the major feast days, the Passions, and ten warrior saints. He is now working on a depiction of the life of Saint Nicholas in 18 panels in the church’s narthex. Starosel Starosel is a tomb temple sacred to Bendis, the Thracian earth-goddess. It is encircled with a wall of massive hewn rocks carved with representations of the sun. The tomb itself is in a mound, the entrance to which has a grand stone staircase leading to a large landing. The entrance to the cavelike tomb is framed in dressed stone. Inside there are two chambers, a simple antechamber and a magnificent domed sanctum, the vaulted ceiling of which is painted with a colorful frieze. The Madara Horseman The Madara Plateau rises suddenly from the Thracian Plain in an almost vertical cliff over 300 feet high. 75 feet from the ground is a massive carving of a horseman. He is thrusting his spear into the body of a lion beneath the horse’s feet, while an eagle flies ahead of him, and a dog follows on behind. The plateau itself has long been a place sacred to the Bulgar shamans, and the Horseman represents one of their gods. The whole plateau has a Faerie aura of 3, which rises to 5 in immediate proximity to the Horseman. With the correct faerie rite, the Madara Horseman can be brought to life. His horse, dog, and eagle are part of his glamour, and come alive with him. The lion is a separate faerie entity that comes alive at the same time as the Horseman, and while he is alive, he must fight and defeat the lion. The Madara Horseman is a fierce defender of the local populace whom he has sworn to protect, and he immediately responds to what he believes to be the biggest threat to his chosen people. Neither the Lion or Horseman can be permanently killed; the local legends are so strong that other faeries in the region simply assume their glamour, allowing them to be summoned once again. At the foot of the plateau is a path winding up to a large cave, which is a natural amphitheater beneath a huge overhang of rock. The cave is draped in greenery, and is the source of a small spring. The ancient Bulgars worshiped the three nymphs of the waters at this site.

The Southern Mountains

The Rhodopes Massif are a maze of ridges and valleys offering summer pasture above forests of pine and fir. To the north and west are the Pirin and Rila mountain ranges, which almost join up with the Stara Planina at the Gates of Trajan.

Bulgarian History

Bulgaria is a land shaped by invasion. From the time of Augustus (63 BC-14 AD) it was an integral part of the Roman Empire, occupied by Thracians. The Goths invaded Thrace in 250, and again in 376, slaying Emperor Valens in a great battle near Adrianopolis and settling the region. The Goth settlers adopted the Christian faith of the Thracians, and Bulgaria was an important center of Christianity right up to the invasion of the Slavs during the reign of Emperor Justinian (527-565). The Slavs poured over the entire Balkan peninsula as far as the Adriatic and the shores of the Aegean, and a large proportion of the native population were slaughtered, led away

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The Boyana Master

Vasiliy is a Maestro (Art & Academe, page 133), and his frescoes quite literally make men weep with their beauty. The Boyana Master has already attracted the attention of an angelic patron. Unfortunately, the priest of Boyana has become the target of a demon’s interest, thanks to his own native pride in the work being completed in his church. The congregation of Boy ana have become pawns in the battle for souls between the angel and the demon. It may be that Vasiliy himself recognizes the spiritual turmoil and asks for help from the characters, but like most Maestros, he is somewhat oblivious of anything other than his art. Instead, the characters might be asked by the angel or manipulated by the demon into finishing off their rival.

Story Seed: Starosel

Starosel would be an excellent site to locate an oppidum — it has a strong Magic aura of 6, and has a ready-made and excellently defensible structure. Both Terram and Herbam vis can be collected within a few yards from the tomb temple. However, Starosel is guarded by a magical spirit who is the genius loci of this place, and is strongly resistant to change. The spirit manifests as a vaguely defined female figure formed from black soil and red clay, and has extensive powers over elemental earth. It can call upon the local plants to assist it in defending the tomb temple from those who would despoil it. Characters who wish to claim this site to live here must somehow overcome or permanently pacify this spirit; those who visit solely to collect vis may be able to come to some temporary arrangement in return for defending the temple grounds. The spirit may or may not be the entity once worshiped as Bendis, but its Magical nature suggests not. If this is the case, characters might be inclined to discover what disaster befell Bendis before they settle here.

|] into captivity, or else assimilated into the invaders’ culture. The ancient Thracians, admixed with the remaining Roman settlers, formed the Vlach people who persist in Illyria and Romania. The confederation of the Seven Tribes of the Slavs ruled the Balkans for about a century. They were a strong and vigorous race whose dominance over other nations was halted only by their dislike for hierarchy, preferring their democratic clan system to a single nation under a common ruler. The Slavs were a pagan people, worshiping Perun, Svarog, Dazhbog, Khors, and Veles, along with a host of subsidiary deities. The well-organized and massive immigrations of Khan Asparukh and his Bulgar followers, from north to south of the Danube between 679 and 681, heralded the formation of the First Bulgarian Empire, a mighty Slavo-Bulgar state that persisted until 1018. The Bulgars introduced to the chaotic Slavic world the notion of an imperial destiny backed by a rigid military and social hierarchy answerable to a single chief, the Sublime Khan. Despite its strong start, the First Bulgarian Empire was riven with internal strife and wars with the Byzantine Empire to the south. Krum the Conqueror was one of the empire’s most famous (and most feared) leaders, adding Hungary and Transylvania to the empire in 803, and defeating two Byzantine Emperors in battle and besieging Constantinople before his sudden and mysterious death in 814. Christianity was accepted in Bulgaria some 70 years later under Khan Boris, who took the baptismal name of Michael. Boris’ son Symeon was the first to call himself “tsar” (emperor) rather than “khan,” and was also the creator of the autonomous Bulgarian Church in 926. The First Bulgarian Empire finally succumbed to Byzantine rule in 1018, and only ended it in 1185 despite a series of rebellions. The 11th century brought further invasions: first the Pecheneg nomads from the east, then the Magyar from the north, followed immediately by the Tatar Uzes from Russia. Three brothers — Teodor Petar, Ivan Asen, and Kaloyan — eventually led the Bulgarians to freedom from the Byzantines. Kaloyan, who reigned from 1197 to 1207, restored the Bulgarian Empire, and his nephew Ivan Asen now rules as tsar. Kaloyan’s marriage to a Cuman bride brought the Bulgarian tsars a strong alliance with the nomad tribe, but one which has to be ritually renewed every summer. Ivan Asen II has occupied the throne for only two years, but already shows promise, starting with his marriage to the daughter of the King of Hungary.

Bulgarian Society and Culture

Bulgarians are sturdy and compact in build, often with dark hair and tanned complexions. The men favor baggy trews tucked into high boots and the women wear colorful skirts; both sexes wear embroidered shirts and waistcoats or bodices. Considered less volatile and flamboyant than their Serbian neighbors, Bulgarians are industrious, tolerant, and hospitable, but are dogged fighters in pursuing a just cause. The Bulgarians are ruled by a tsar, who claims the title of “Emperor and Autocrat of all Bulgarians and Vlachs,” implying sovereignty of the people rather than the lands. He rules through the bolyeri (noblemen, sing. bolyar) who are divided into 100 noble families, both bolyeri veliki (great bolyars) and bolyeri mali (minor bolyars). The great bolyars, along with the Patriarch of the Bulgarian Church, constitute the Bolyar Council, or Sinklit, which advises the tsar on matters of policy. Administratively, the empire is divided into horas, ruled by a kefaliya, a title equivalent to duke. Each kefaliya has one or more vassal katepans (equivalent to count) who rule katepanikons.

The Bulgarian Church

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church traces its descent from Saints Cyril and Methodius, who were welcomed to Bulgaria by Boris I in 886. When Bulgaria and Constantinople signed a peace treaty in 927, the patriarch

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Story Seed: The Madara Horseman

A local bolyar, with whom the characters have had previous contact, begs them for shelter from a terrible spell cast upon him by a faerie wizard. He is being hunted by the Madara Horseman, who will not let up until the bolyar is dead. The involvement of a wizard might be sufficient incentive to meddle with mundanes in this instance. The truth of the matter is that the bolyar himself paid the wizard to summon the Horseman hoping to set it against his enemies. However, the Horseman had been listening to the whispered prayers of his people, and saw the bolyar’s ambition and pride as the biggest threat in the region. The wizard’s only real crime is to know that this was likely to happen, but not warn the unpopular bolyar of the consequences. Having discovered this, the characters must decide whether to help the bolyar, or allow nature to take its course. In the latter case, there is a chance that the lion who opposes the Horseman might interfere with what some would consider justice. The Madara Horseman should have a Faerie Might of at least 20, although this could be more depending on the needs of the people and the success of the rite which awakens him. The Lion should have a Faerie Might to match that of the Horseman.

The Mysterious Asens

Ivan Asen I was the first ruler of the Second Bulgarian Empire, followed by his brothers and nephews. However, their origins are shrouded in mystery; no one questions their right to rule, but none know from what authority it derives. Asen and his brothers came from nowhere to lead the rebellion against the Byzantines on behalf of the Bulgarian people, and many assume that they are of Bulgarian origin. However, some suggest a Vlach or even Cuman origin, and the fact that their history is obscure is troublesome to some sectors of society, not least the Order of Hermes. Their mysterious — and apparently heritable — ability to sway the opinions of the masses is something to be feared...or exploited.

|] of Constantinople recognized the independent status of the Bulgarian Church, which soon established its own patriarch. However, when Bulgaria came under Byzantine domination in 1018, the church was deprived of its autocephalous status and reduced to an archbishopric (at Ohrid), and the upper echelons were populated with Greek clergy. One of the first tasks of the Asen dynasty in the Second Bulgarian Empire was the restoration of the autocephalous Bulgarian Church, and they established a new archbishopric at Tarnovo, the capital of the new empire. The Patriarch of Constantinople remained resolutely against the independence of the Bulgarian Church; and the Asens turned toward the Church in Rome to gain political purchase against the obdurate patriarch. In 1203, Pope Innocent III proclaimed the Archbishop of Tarnovo the “Primate and Archbishop of all Bulgaria and Wallachia”; aligning the Bulgarian Church with the Roman Catholic Church, although Ohrid remains an Eastern Orthodox diocese. It is thought that Tsar Ivan Asen II and the Archbishop of Tarnovo are still attempting union with the Orthodox Church, but only on their own terms.

The Bogomils

Bogomilism is a dualistic religion that came to prominence in the tenth century. The word “Bogomil” means “dear to God” in Bulgarian, and despite attempts to exterminate the sect by both state and church, the religion not only persists, but has achieved some Europe-wide notoriety. The Bogomils teach that God had two sons, Satanael and Michael. The elder Satanael rebelled against God and created the lower heavens and the earth. He also created mankind, but had to appeal to God to supply the souls. Satanael made a covenant with Adam, permitting him to till the soil as long as he and his descendents paid homage to Satanael. Eventually, Michael was sent forth in the shape of a man, and was called Jesus. He broke both the covenant and the hold that Satanael had over mankind, and for this, the elder brother engineered the crucifixion and built the institutions of the Christian Church to control man through a new covenant. The Bogomils therefore hold that everything which is socially created does not come from God but rather Satan, and they refuse to pay taxes, work as serfs, or enlist in armies. They do not worship in churches, but instead gather in homes to offer praise to God. Each Bogomil community has its viarvashti (“believers”), who eschew all pleasures of the flesh, including wealth, meat and wine, and procreation in the hope of achieving spiritual perfection and becoming a Christ (or Chiust). However, the Bogomil congregation also consists of the slushateli (“listeners”), who need not live the strict life of the elect, but who can graduate to this rank in time. Community leaders and teachers are called savarsheni (“perfects”). Bogomilism does not discriminate by sex. They hold the four Gospels as sacred texts, along with various epistles, and the Psalms of David and the books of the Old Testament prophets. Bogomils reject the importance of sacraments and symbols of faith. The Bogomils are lead by the Protos (“Notable”), and there are four main obshtini (or fraternities) — the Romana, the Macedonian Dragometsia, the Serbian Meliniqua, and the Bulgarian fraternities. Each of these fraternities is lead by a dedets (a sort of bishop), who is assisted by the starets (“elders”). The Bogomils see themselves as the champions of the poor against feudal oppression, and against the monopoly of wealth and learning held by the Church. They seek to subvert the royal and Church authorities through both passive resistance and the spreading of philosophical anarchy right up to militant action. It is an evangelical faith, and its members travel far and wide to bring its doctrines to others, along with miraculous healing and the driving out of demons. These missionaries have given rise to similar movements in distant lands, not least of which are the Cathars in Provence. Bogomilism is a non-Christian Divine religion. When Bogomils gather to pray, they usually generate a Dominion aura (Realms of Power: The Divine Revised Edition, page 11), and it is usually granted a Calm temper (Realms of Power: The Divine Revised Edition, page 39) by the starets. However, the Dominion aura of the Bogomils is in schism with that of the Orthodox Church, and usually fades in between services. Bogomil dedets and starets have the Wise One Social Status Virtue; the former usually have the Temporal Influence Virtue as well. Bogomil missionaries are often members of a Holy Tradition or Mythic Companions — use the template for the Cathar Perfecti (Realms of Power: The Divine Revised Edition, page 94), but exchange Transcendence for either Intervention or Adjuration.

The Oppidum of Evredika

Evredika is an oppidum found scattered throughout the Rhodopes Mountains, guarding several sites associated with the legend of Orpheus. The oppidum is named after the Bulgarian name of Eurydice, the doomed lover of the legendary Orpheus.

History

The southern Rhodopes Mountains have been an important cultic center for the worship of Orpheus since classical times. The two great deities of Thrace were Orpheus and Zagreus (Dionysus, to the Greeks), and both were extensively worshiped in the Rhodopes. When the Cult of Orpheus (Houses of Hermes: Societates, page 120) joined the Order of Hermes, their two most important sacred sites on Lesbos (see The Sundered Eagle, Chapter 6) and in the Rhodopes became part of the Hermetic landscape. Evredika was formally instituted as an oppidum in 1001, although it had existed as an informal religious cult for many decades prior to this.

Setting and Description

The sancta of Evredika’s magi are scattered throughout the Rhodopes Mountains, each one living alone and rarely visiting the other magi. They occupy an assortment of caves, sturdy houses, and well-hidden stone towers. The members of Evredika meet once a year in a green meadow near Gela (see later), a spot surrounded by mountains, when the silivriak is in blossom. Gela This small village in the central Rhodopes Mountains is the legendary birthplace of Orpheus. The Cult of Orpheus maintain a sanctum here, which is usually occupied by a magus with the Gentle Gift. In return for an annual grant of vis from the oppidum (amounting to a Personal Vis Source), the magus in residence is obliged to teach music and performance to those who ask. Consequently, Gela has developed a reputation for its musicians, and attracts pupils — both magical and mundane — from all across the region. The Devil’s Throat The sanctum maintained at Diavolsko Garlo (“The Devil’s Throat”) is by tradition the home of the oppidum’s aedile, a member of House Tremere. This spectacular cave, where a massive waterfall plunges deep into the bowels of the earth, is reputed to be the entrance to Hades used by Orpheus in his attempt to retrieve Eurydice from among the dead, although there are other claims to this site. At the bottom of the cave, the water gathers into a dark, still lake, on the shores of which, amid the roar of the waterfall, is the sanctum of the aedile. There is a Magic aura of 4 here. In ancient times, the bodies of Thracian kings were cast down the waterfall to hasten their journey to the afterlife. The Cult of Orpheus holds no great reverence for this site, recognizing the descent of Orpheus into the Underworld to be a spiritual rather than physical journey. However, the oppidum maintain a sanctum here out of historical interest in the site, and for the Corpus vis that is occasionally washed up on the shores of the underground lake in the form of fragments of ancient skeletons. Perperikon This magical site consists of a stone city atop the summit of a hill in the eastern Rhodopes. The ancient city, once an important site of worship of Zagreus, has been abandoned by mundanes for several centuries, although a small town has grown up at the base of the hill, which refers to their ancient neighbor as the “City of Ghosts.” Evredika’s covenfolk dwell among the ruins, although this is not commonly known by the locals and may be the source of some of the ghost stories that surround the city. The central feature of Perperikon is an oval hall, in the center of which is a round altar on a stone platform. This is the famed oracular temple of Zagreus-Dionysus, in which Alexander the Great learned that he was destined to conquer Asia. A tradition of minor hedge wizards still practice augury here in the ancient fashion, pouring wine over the altar and causing it to catch fire, divining the future from the height and character of the flames. Perperikon has a Magic aura of 3. Nearby is a cave shaped like a woman’s womb; at its far end is a carved rock altar. At midday, as the sun reaches its highest point, a shaft of light is admitted through a carved hole in the ceiling to project the shape of a phallus onto the cave’s floor. In January and February, the sun is low enough in the sky to project the phallus onto the altar itself, and the Rock Womb becomes flooded with a powerful Magic aura aligned with fertility. Barren women have been known to seek congress with strangers within the cave in order to conceive. The offspring of such couplings often bear magical blood. Those seeking the forgotten Fertility Magics (Ancient Magic, page 54) would do well to study here for sources of Insight. For example, magically observing the entire gestation of a child conceived under the auspices of the cave might offer an insight into aligning children to Supernatural Virtues or Abilities.

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Why Not Thebes?

Evredika seems better suited to the Theban Tribunal than the Transylvanian Tribunal, but when overtures have been made, they received a hostile reception from Theban Jerbiton magi. They look down on the musical nature of the Cult of Orpheus as “peasant reels” devoid of beauty. Furthermore, most Jerbiton magi are offended by the pagan nature of the Cult. Evredika’s magi would rather be ignored by House Tremere than scorned by House Jerbiton.

The Silivriak

Formed from the blood of Orpheus when he was slain by the Maenads, the silivriak — otherwise known as the Orpheus flower — has delicate pink bellshaped blossoms. It can be thoroughly dried, even scorched in a fire, and yet will still grow afresh each year. The first flowers of the year are a source of Imaginem vis for the oppidum. The flowers that contain vis are Plants of Virtue that can be Enriched (Realms of Power: Magic, page 124) by composing a poem every day for 90 days, and reciting those poems to the plant. The plant is then crushed, and three strings of a traditional lyre are anointed with the juice. The lyre grants its player the Enchanting Music Ability with a score of 3, although it can only affect those who are bereaved of a loved one. This Ability cannot be increased with experience, and replaces any score in the Enchanting Music Ability that the player might have. Once a string breaks (such as on a botch when played) it loses its magic forever, decreasing the score in Enchanting Music by one per string.

Story Seed: Territorial Dispute

The Rhodopes Mountains where Evredika maintains its sancta are far to the south and east of the Theban covenant of Gigas. However, Gigas is House Tremere’s poorly disguised cat’s paw in the Theban Tribunal (see The Sundered Eagle, Chapter 5), and have been told not to contest the resources claimed by Evredika. When a hunting party, lead by a nobleman with a “pet” white wolf, takes vis from all of Evredika’s sources, Gigas seems to be the most likely perpetrator. Assuming their protestations of innocence are true, who is trying to set Gigas up, and why?

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Culture and Traditions

Evredika is first and foremost an oppidum of magi from the Cult of Orpheus, a societas within House Ex Miscellanea. House Tremere is usually careful to chose an aedile who is sensitive to the practices of the Cult of Orpheus, and usually one who has some appreciation for music.

Magi

All Evredika’s magi except Yekaterina have a foederatus privilege. There are six magi here, five of whom are members of the Cult of Orpheus. Oeagrus Ex Miscellanea Age: 109 (apparent age 68) Personality Traits: Devout +3, Misogynist +3, Domineering +2. Privilege: Foederatus Oeagrus is the senior member of the Cult of Orpheus in the Transylvanian Tribunal, and likes to consider himself the leader of the whole tradition, although this is a fantasy that has no basis in fact. Unlike many of the Cult, Oeagrus is openly a pagan worshiper of Orpheus, and his vocal allegiance has won him no favors within House Tremere. His most important possession is the mummified arm of Orpheus, who was torn apart by the Maenads. Oeagrus seeks a way to recreate Orpheus by grafting the dismembered god’s body parts onto his own. He suspects that the Cult on Lesbos possesses Orpheus’s head, and that they are deliberately hiding this from him. Needless to say, Oeagrus is quite mad. Some — mostly members of the Cult — interpret his madness as a sign of divinity, whereas everyone else considers him simply insane. Oeagrus is rarely seen by anyone outside the oppidum. He typically wears nothing but a loincloth. He cares little for his physical appearance, and his hair is wild and his beard tangled with twigs. Bozhidar Ex Miscellanea Age: 54 (apparent age 38) Personality Traits: Easily Enraptured +3, Tolerant +1, Brave –2. Privilege: Foederatus Bozhidar is the incumbent music teacher at Gela, and usually has two or three pupils at any one time. He has the Study Bonus Virtue, and has grown powerful in the Art of Imaginem thanks to his pupils’ efforts. However, he now needs to find better and better musicians from which to learn. Bozhidar is a handsome man with curly dark hair and an indulgent smile. He is developing a thickened waist since moving to Gela, thanks to the gifts of honeyed treats the single women constantly bring him. Yekaterina of House Tremere Age: 48 (apparent age 32) Personality Traits: Tenacious +2, Morbid +1, Passionate –2. Privilege: Cives Yekatarina is the latest in a series of aediles to Evredika. Oeagrus usually manages to alienate “the Tremere overseer” (as he calls them) sufficiently that they request redeployment after a decade or so. He considers Yekaterina a double insult by the House, due to his well-known antipathy for women. Despite these adversities, Yekaterina is (for the moment) determined to stay. From the relative isolation of her sanctum in the Devil’s Throat, she has been able to expand her knowledge of necromancy. Yekaterina is slim and blond, and typically wears a mask made from a skull that she has begun to make into her talisman.

Covenfolk

In the ancient Orphic tradition, women are excluded from sites of cultic importance, and must remain in the unhallowed buildings occupied by the oppidum. The priests of Zagreus-Dionysis at Perperikon are initiates of Divination & Augury (The Mysteries Revised Edition, page 58), using principally the pyromancy method.

The Oppidum of Seuthopolis

Seuthopolis is a fortified town in the southern extremities of the Tribunal. It is a hoplite base, placed on the border between Transylvania and Thebes. Its magi try, with some success, to prevent tensions between the two Tribunals from erupting into crossborder raiding. It also oversees the Tribunal meeting site for the Transylvania.

History

Seuthopolis was the capital of the Thracian tribes at the time of the Roman invasion. The Thracians were ruled by a priest king dedicated to chthonic gods. After the Roman conquest, these cult activities were suppressed. They were revived by a small sect of Verditius magi, who formed a covenant in the Theban Tribunal. The Covenant of the Four Divinities was always populated by precisely two senior Verditius magi and two junior magi, one of whom was sometimes not a Verditius. The number has a mystical significance in the Cabeiri cult. Following a period of friction, the covenant’s members sought sanctuary as foederati of the Transylvanian Tribunal. In the centuries since, the oppidum has lost its cultic character and become the base for this Tribunal’s Quaesitores and hoplites. House Guernicus has forbidden its members from worshipping the chthonic gods of the ancient Thracians. Three members of the House have, at various times, been removed from office for irrationality, and their membership of the cult seems the likely link. Initiates of their Mysteries gain hubris (like Verditius magi; see House of Hermes: Mystery Cults for details) and the attendant tendency to vendettas.

Setting and Description

Seuthopolis is, superficially, a fortified town, following the plan of many similar small towns in Bulgaria. It does not pay homage to any nobleman, and is publicly ruled by a council of five elderly men who represent the carpenters, shepherds, weavers, and potters of the area, with a leader selected from the group of four, then immediately replaced by his guild. It has a charter it claims goes back to the Emperor Diocletian, which is a cunning forgery. Local nobles know that no one has ever conquered Seuthopolis . Those who try die in horrible, miraculous ways. The Quaesitores point out that no local nobleman has been transformed into a puddle of boiling gold since they have been in charge of the oppidum. They are more subtle than the Verditius before them were. The folklore, however, persists. Beneath the town lie the caverns of the ancient Thracian cult. These have a Magic aura of 5, with a few exceptions, such as the Crypt of the Martyred Virgin, which is Divine. The magi use some of this underground space for their laboratories and libraries. The magi and their servants live scattered about the town, in houses much like those of wealthy merchants. The Valley of the Thracian Kings Four years ago, a Tremere necromancer, then serving as a hoplite, discovered the burial site of the kings of Ancient Thrace. It’s very close to Seuthopolis, their ancient capital. House Tremere’s necromancers were overjoyed at the news. House Verditius has also expressed interest in an excavation, since the Thracians worshipped smithing gods. Benilda, the leader of this oppidum, recalls an ancient aphorism about never trusting happy necromancers, and is currently blocking access to the site. Eventually, however, House Tremere will get its way, and she’s hoping to either conduct a preliminary investigation before this occurs, or shape the excavation’s purpose and personnel. Shipka Pass Regio and Tribunal Site The Shipka Pass is the best route through the mountains in Bulgaria. It was the site of a skirmish between the Founder Tremere and a group of Theban magi in the early years of the Order. Near the battle site is a regio. Some magi believe it already existed, and was used by Tremere to plan an ambush. Others say it was formed by a Twilight incident that occurred due to the stress of the battle. For many years afterwards, the regio served as a site for meditation between, and the signing of treaties by, House Tremere and the Theban covenants. House Guernicus has accepted responsibility for the maintenance of the Tribunal site from the Praeco of Transylvania. House Guernicus was, at the same time, asked to convene annual Tribunals for the swifter delivery of justice, and more rapid acceptance of trained apprentices. The Quaestiores selected the Shipka Pass regio as the Tribunal site. It is conveniently close to Seuthopolis and already had some facilities constructed with it. The facilities in the regio have been expanded somewhat, but attendance at Transyl

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Saga Seed: The Valley of the Thracian Kings

Characters sent to excavate the valley of the Thracian kings face many interesting challenges. Stories include: • Keeping excavation hidden from mundanes. • Dealing with intricately trapped tombs. • Pacifying guardian spirits, left by the magician-kings of the Thracians, but set free by the “grave robbers.” • Assessing the magical items recovered from the grave goods of the kings. • Determining if Original Research can be aided by the recovered items. • Discovering more about the Cabeiri, the gods of the Thracians, and the powers they granted their servants. • Trips to the Magical or Faerie Realms to seek the Cabeiri, or more research to discover Initiations into their Mystery Cult.

|] vanian Tribunals, held every seven years, is mostly social, rather than political, so the Tribunal hall need not be large. Groups of magi are encouraged to create fabulous temporary structures on the terraced sides of valley, within the regio. These serve as accommodation, storefronts, and entertainment venues. The first some magi hear of new coloniae is when they raise a tent on the Western Promenade, the road that winds along the terraces to the west of the Tribunal hall. Covenants from other Tribunals often send representatives, particularly if they export interesting items. These cluster on the Eastern Promenade. Newly arrived magi from other Tribunals are cautioned to bring a comfortable pair of boots to Tribunal meetings. Promenading — walking with friends and commenting on the many delights to be experienced at Tribunal — is considered a great pleasure. Many magi promenade several times, to share the experience with members of different groups: their Housemates and fellow oppidum residents, for example. The ends of the Promenades, at the regio’s limit at either end of the valley, are marked with two huge sculptures of the winged feet of Hermes. The Redcaps run footraces between these statues, either along the valley floor or along the Promenades, which some competitors take very seriously. Between the two Promenades is the Hall of the Tribunal. The Hall is basically a vast roof, held up by columns in a vaguely Greek style. The vast majority of the columns are unadorned, but a few have been carved in commemoration of magi who have performed great deeds for the Order. Beneath the magically illuminated and beautifully adorned ceiling there is a designated seat for every magus in the Tribunal, but it is so spacious that an additional hundred magi could be added with no difficulty. These seats form a series of horseshoes about a dais, which holds the Throne of the Praeco. The Throne is carved from oak, and many myths surround its origin.

Culture and Traditions

It’s an axiom of Transylvanian law enforcement that in other Tribunals, crime happens between covenants, while in this Tribunal, crime happens within oppida. The Quaesitores of this Tribunal have grappled for centuries with ways of investigating crimes between magi who live together. This has spurred Transylvania’s Quaesitores in radically new directions, and made them mainstays of the Transitionalist movement within their House. Lictors Magi who have agreed to serve as hoplites for a prolonged period are referred to in some Tribunals as lictors. Lictors have a duty to protect Quaestiores and follow their instructions. In this Tribunal, lictors have a right to expect reasonable aid from any cives, soci, foederatus, or colona. The amount of aid considered reasonable is determined, after the fact, by the Tribunal, and varies according to the magnitude and imminence of the problem they are facing. Lictors wear a sash of office, the color of which varies by covenant in other Tribunals. Since all lictors in Transylvania are of the same covenant, they all wear a red and silver sash on formal occasions. The sash is held with a silver brooch, which is called an astraea in this Tribunal. This is usually a magic item. In this Tribunal, the sash brooches of lictors all have the same general shape. Each is at least three inches long, and is shaped like a pair of wings, fanning out to either side of a forked lighting bolt. Every badge also includes a unique variation, so that they can be told apart. For example, the badge of the senior lictor, Saturnino of Criamon, has this symbol etched into an oval six inches long and has a series of gemstones in the shape of the constellation Virgo on the surface. Carrying a facsimile of a lictorial badge is a serious crime. Red and Black Libraries Benilda is the keeper of the Red and Black Libraries, two controversial tools of law enforcement. The Red Library began with the Red Book. This was originally a compilation of the sigils of Diedne magi, made after the Schism War, so that if any members of the Renounced House tried to re-enter the Order, their distinct magical signatures could be recognized. The Red Book expanded over time to include the sigils of all Renounced magi. The Red Book, by itself, is not a source of controversy, but Benilda and her predecessors have taken this a step further, a step her opponents believe is dangerous. The Red Library contains copies of many spells that are notorious for being developed to commit Hermetic crimes. It has, for example, the only known copy of The Sleep of the Muses, a Perdo Mentem effect which makes magi temporarily forget how to cast spells. It has been confirmed to hold copies of The Curse of the Unportended Plague, which destroys cities, and The Trivialization of the Forgetful, which plants a command in a magus’ mind so that he drops his Parma Magica when given a verbal command. Benilda justifies having these spells because they are evidence of past crimes, from which young Quaestiores can learn. Most troubling of all, there are rumors that the Red Library contains magic items which cast many of the Red Spells. It is said that these were seized during Quaesitorial investigations, but not destroyed. If House Guernicus does have magic items that cast Red Spells, they might justify them on the basis that they are not illegal to own, and sometimes they are legal to use. The Code only protects other magi of the Order of Hermes; these spells can be cast with impunity on hedge magicians, members of the Order of Odin or the Order of Solomon, or Renounced magi. The Black Library contains copies of each of the very few books that the Order has decreed it is a crime to own. It was created after the Corruption of House Tytalus. Tasgilla, the corrupted Prima of Tytalus, worked infernal influences into spells and instructions on magic theory, which were then distributed to other members of the Order. The Quaesitores and their allies destroyed these books after the cleansing of the House. A few exemplars were kept, so that if new copies were discovered, the investigators would have something to compare them to. Some members of the Order believe that these seeds of corruption should be destroyed. The Red and Black Libraries are stored in a vault consecrated by the bones of a virgin martyr, with a Divine Aura of 3. Around this are layers of mystical defences. Even magi who accept the need for the Red and Black Libraries question housing them together. The Quaesitores respond that the storage facility was incredibly expensive, and not readily replicated. Mundane Culture The mundanes of this area have bowed repeatedly to the Byzantine and Bulgarians crowns, as the border shifts in accordance with the respective fortunes of the two states. Currently, and for the foreseeable future given the weakness of the Latin Empire, Seuthopolis is under theoretical Bulgarian suzerainty. Its people are a mixture of Greeks, Bulgars, and mountain Slavs who sought inaccessible places as a way to avoid the wars of the other two. This settlement’s people are perhaps the least affected by Hermetic service of any of the oppida. They do not conform to the Tremere ideal found in many other oppida: loyalty, literacy, militancy, meritocracy. They are not seeded with ex-Redcaps. Seuthopolis is old-fashioned in the sense that it, like many Western covenants, is staffed by people who have fled the mundane world, seeking, if not a better life, then at least a different one. The Quaesitors find this gives their community a useful set of skills, including some that are a little shady, which they can utilize in their work.

Magi

There are eight Guernicus magi at the oppidum, assisted by six lictors. Benilda, the leader of the oppidum, is most interested in research, crafting magic items, and matters of Hermetic law. By preference, she sends Vigila to deal with “domestic matters,” investigations of crimes within oppida, Scipio to deal with mediation between oppida, and Caledonia to deal out punishments or “investigate forcefully.” Each is usually supported by a pair of lictors and a younger Guernicus, giving Benilda three distinct teams with different skills. As a matter of security, only two teams are ever deployed at once. The section that follows describes the four senior Guernicus magi and the lictors of the enforcement team. The lictorial members of the mediation and domestic investigation teams change regularly, with most lictors only serving for three years. Terencia and Saturnino are more durable members of the lictorial service. The undescribed hoplites are usually members of House Tremere, but recently the Prima has redeployed some of the Tremere from this oppidum to Lycaneon. This creates space for player characters at the oppidum. Benilda of Guernicus Age: 78 Personality traits: Assertive +3, Stubborn +2. Specializes in investigation. Privilege: Soci Benilda is the chief Quaesitor of the Transylvanian Tribunal. She is one of the leaders of the Transitionalist Movement within House Guernicus. She believes that the Tremere may be correct: the way magi live will change in future. This will pose great challenges to those charged with meting out justice. Benilda is a legal innovator, who hopes to prepare her House for the challenges ahead. This view does not make her popular with the Traditional faction of House Guernicus. They see her style of Transitionalism as collaboration with House Tremere to corrupt the Code. There is very little they can do to her, however — she has the support of House Tremere. Without the military aid of House Tremere, the Quaesitores might find it difficult to force Autumn covenants, in some other Tribunals, to abide by the Code. The current Prima of Guernicus has tried to make peace between the Traditional and Transitional factions by noting that their battles will be won not through intramural debate, but on the floors of various Tribunal meetings. Benilda thinks that abandoning internal conciliation was weak and silly. She accepts, however, that her rivals have been told by their leader to abandon conciliation and fight public battles, Tribunal by Tribunal, case by case. Given that she has no choice, and that the future of the Order is at stake, Benilda is willing to play political games just as savage as any of her Traditional sodales. Benilda is the Quaesitor characters are most likely to see when they require assistance with the administrative elements of the Tribunal’s culture. She is the Quaesitor who presides at Tribunals and, while there, witnesses oaths and binds contracts into the Peripheral Code. She is also the person before whom they accuse others of crimes, to trigger investigations. Caledonia of Guernicus Age: 65 Personality Traits: Determined +3, Interested in Faeries +2. Specializes in magical self-defense. Privilege: Soci Caledonia is an older maga, and is the Quaesitor sent to investigate dangerous situations. As her name suggests, she was raised in the Loch Leagan Tribunal. She has an odd kind of faerie blood, The Blood of the Washerwoman of the Ford, which grants her visions of her own possible death, and those of her enemies. Caledonia’s investigative spells are poor, but she’s an unpredictable and skilled opponent in Wizard’s War. Characters are most likely to meet Caledonia while she is on an investigation. They are probably required to give her all reasonable assistance as she pursues her duties, depending on their covenant with the Tribunal. Caledonia often asks for accommodation and supplies, but she may also borrow companions and grogs who possess useful local knowledge or other skills needed by her investigative team. She also attends all Wizards’ Marches. Caledonia tries to cultivate friendships with Merinita magi, which was considered an unwise display of bias in Scotland, but doesn’t matter in Transylvania. Saturnino of Criamon, Marshal of Transylvania Age: Unknown Personality Traits: Determined to do “evil” by doing the sorts of things other people think are good +5, Likes being spooky and enigmatic +3. Specializes in surprising enemies, and mystical swordplay. Privilege: Hospes This magus is a member of the Path of Strife. This group of extremists within House Criamon (described more fully in Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults) believe that they should do evil things, so that the rest of their Housemates can remain morally untainted. Unlike other Criamon, they are perfectly willing to get engrossed in the world, and thereby be made morally unclean. They seek moral degradation out, so that others don’t have to. Saturnino is one of the most senior members of this sect. Saturnino is dedicated to doing “evil.” His House’s division of good and evil is so unusual from the perspective of other magi that much of the time he seems a perfectly normal magus, far more ordinary than other Criamon magi. Eating meat, for example, is evil. Having a wife is evil. He does both. It is only when characters realize that he sees no moral difference between eating a bacon pie and incinerating a child, and that he’s perfectly willing to do either if necessary, that his alien mentality becomes obvious. Saturnino knows the difference between right and wrong, and when it’s necessary he selflessly chooses “wrong.” In this he is completely remorseless, regardless of how great a wrong he is perpetrating. There are, fortunately, some things he will not do. He will not perform random, chaotic acts of vileness; “necessary” acts of evil are done so that others do not need to perform them. He will not become a diabolist, because demons are expressions of personal weakness. He will not betray his sect or his wife, because those betrayals would be “right” and he has sworn to take the other path. House Guernicus employs Saturnino as its chief hoplite for the Tribunal, and leader of Wizards’ Marches. He has a talent for killing other magi and, within his strange way of explaining things, he’s dependable. Saturnino serves as a hoplite because it lets him dirty his hands on behalf of others. He serves in Transylvania because he thinks that collecting the Red and Black Libraries was a profound mistake, and because he wonders if the strange faeries of this Tribunal are an effect of Criamon stealing the World Tree. Player characters can meet Saturnino in many different kinds of story. Beneath the teachings of his Path, he is a Criamon magus, and so is just as likely as they to turn up with odd riddles, strange quests, and missions to magical sites. He’s just more likely to have bloodstains up to his elbows at the time. Scipio of Guernicus Age: 44 Personality Traits: Likes untangling problems +3, Sociable +2. Specializes in communication and Mentem magic. Privilege: Soci Scipio’s talent is as a mediator. Mediation is a popular alternative to cases at Tribunal in Transylvania. The usual Tribunal process involves each side of an issue putting forward its case, and the remaining magi voting democratically for a winner. This doesn’t suit either those opposing House Tremere, who always lose, or House Tremere itself, which wins but only by alienating useful people. Mediation, with Scipio as go-between, allows a character to come to a settlement with an individual magus, or with an oppidum, without forcing House Tremere to pick sides. Scipio is a middle-aged magus. He would like to serve the House in another Tribunal where, without the benefit of his skills, real violence might erupt. This, to him, seems like the best use of his talents. His superiors agree that, eventually, he’s likely to be very useful in more turbulent Tribunals. They’d prefer he continued perfecting his talents, because he isn’t ready yet for a Tribunal when even tiny mistakes might have serious consequences. Scipio is the most approachable of the four Quaesitors in the Tribunal. His style is non-confrontational, and his task is basically getting magi to forgive each other’s slights, so he’s not as black-letter about the law as his superiors. He can be sought for legal advice. He is also able, sometimes, to reduce the tensions between the player characters and non-player characters that they have angered, although he may need the player characters to make concessions. Terencia of Tremere, Lictor, Aedile Age: 21 Personality Traits: Humble due to inexperience +2, Ambitious +1. Specializes in scouting. Privilege: Cives Terenecia is trained as a military scout; her magic allows her to swiftly travel through areas and assess dangers. She has been assigned to Caledonia’s team because her Guernicus lacks many of the investigative spells required by her role. Terencia is not as militarily potent as other lictors, but Caledonia is far more dangerous than the average Quaesitor, and her co-lictor Saturnino is one of the most fearsome fighters in the Order. Terenica is a young maga, and feels a rotation with the Quaesitores will aid her if she later seeks a place in the foreign Tribunals. Terencia is a Rego Corpus specialist, but like many of her Housemates, she has developed some skill in Terram. She is seeking the appropriate vessel for her talisman, but wants it to be something that she wins as part of a famous case which she aids Caledonia to solve. Terencia knows she needs to build up contacts with other young magi if she is going to be an effective member of her House when she is older. This makes her very approachable. She has valuable skills that can help player characters combat the threats they face. She also really wants some friends her own age. She enjoys her duties, and wants to improve her skills, but sometimes it feels like she never has time for herself. Vigilia of Guernicus Age: 76 Personality Traits: Annoyed by people +3, Hates Redcaps +2. Specializes in spying on magi. Privilege: Soci Vigilia is an old and bitter maga, no longer surprised by the tremendous effort magi will make to hurt each other. She has spells that are focused on finding out what magi have done, without breaching the Code. She is always supported by two hoplites with enough power to cut her out of a camp that’s in on a plot, because she once lost both legs in an ambush by a couple of dark Merinita magi. She grew them back with Corpus vis, but watching two suspects eat her feet has taught her caution. Vigilia is the only active Quaesitor in this Tribunal to have been censured for breach of the Code, by inadvertent spying on another magus while using Forceless casting. She was not cast out from the Order because her accuser asked the Tribunal to show leniency. This indiscretion means she can no longer be assigned investigations concerning the Histrian oppida, because she cannot be seen as a neutral witness. Characters, rightly, are unlikely to trust Vigilia — she’s on her way to becoming a problem for her House. Before she gets there, she has a talent for understanding and subverting magical defences that player character may find useful. She is the Quaesitor called to determine if a magus has died in his lab. She is also the magus called to assess ancient magical sites.

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Story Seeds: The False Kabeiros

One of the potent faeries of the area has decided to rekindle the Cabeiri cult, and it does this by suggesting that it is Kabeiros, the leader of the ancient Cabeiri, the guide to kings, the giver of justice. This role is designed to particularly appeal to the servants of Quaesitores. The faerie appears in the form of a tall man of brass, with a huge crab claw instead of a left hand. This claw is used instead of tongs when the creature is smithing metal, but is also used to punish the unjust. The degrees of initiation in this cult are called Interrogator, Invader, Observer, and Liberator. The cult is non-hierarchical, but Kabeiros is its leader. He can withdraw the Eyes of Theseus Virtue from any character not showing him sufficient loyalty and respect. Initially, he acts as its mystagogue. Kabeiros has a Presence of 3, and a Cult Lore Pretense (like an Ability) of 6. As his humans develop greater Mystery Cult Lores, Kabeiros will be able to duplicate them, and his skill as a mystagogue will increase. A skilled Merinita magus may be able to assist him in this. Kabeiors would like his cult to teach Second Sight, but he hasn’t managed to steal that ability from a human, and so cannot teach it yet. Each of the cult Virtues is Minor. The Initiation Scripts assume that the mystagogue provides combined scores of 9 to the Initiation total (as per Mysteries: Revised Edition, pages 13–14.) All Initiations occur at the Valley of the Thracian kings, on a holy day (+3), although the precise day varies by Virtue. All members of the Cult are required to take a mystically enforced Vow, to deliver impartial and swift justice. This is a Minor Ordeal which reduces the Target Level of the Initiation Total slightly. Piercing Gaze This Virtue is described in Ars Magica Fifth Edition, on page 47. It makes intimidation easier, and those attempting to mislead the initiate feel uncomfortable. (Minor Virtue (18) – Minor Ordeal (3) = Mystagogue (9) + Special time and place (3) + Quest (finding justice in a particularly heinous crime. (3)) Invasive Eyes A character with Invasive Eyes can tell a person’s state of mind just by looking at them. This has several useful effects. The initiate can pick out suspicious people in crowds, by the way they move. A character with Invasive Eyes cannot usually explain what it is about a person that makes them suspicious, just that the person feels out of place. This use of the Virtue does not require a dice roll; it provides an automatically successful Awareness roll in suitable situations. The effect is more powerful if the initiate makes eye contact with the person being read. A character with invasive eyes can sense the discomfort of a lying character with a secret subjected to Piercing Gaze. In conjunction with questioning under Piercing Gaze, the initiate can gain insights into the personality and motivation of the target. This does not force the interviewee to tell their secrets, but it does allow the initiate to know when, and how emphatically, the interviewee is lying. This is not true mind reading: thoughts are not transferred. Invasive Eyes are not blocked by Magic Resistance, since it’s an observational, rather than magical, process. It provides no information on most supernatural beings, and a tiny proportion of humans with some mental illnesses give out bland and reassuring signals, regardless of their mental state. Some other mentally ill people send out random signals. This makes their condition obvious but has no value for interviewing suspects. (Minor Virtue (18) – Minor Ordeal (2) = Mystagogue (9) + Special time and place (3) + Quest (finding justice in a particularly heinous crime. (3) + Sacrifice of wealth (A life-sized statute of a bull in bronze, sprinkled with the ashes of a criminal executed after detection by the initiate, and dedicated to Kabeiros. (1)). Bright Eyes An initiate of this degree can see in darkness, even complete darkness, as easily as in sunlight. The character’s eyes adjust automatically to differing light levels. (Minor Virtue (18) – Minor Ordeal (1) = Mystagogue (9) + Special time and place (3) + Quest (finding justice in a particularly heinous crime. (3) + Sacrifice of wealth and time (A small golden statute of a bull, filled with the humor drained from the eyes of at least three criminals executed after detection by the initiate, enchanted so that the humor never dries out (or, for non-magi, prayed over devoutly for an entire year), and dedicated to Kabeiros. (2)). Eyes of Theseus When the initiate concentrates, this Virtue creates an illusionary string, which leads away from the initiate to any object in the room that has the power to cause a known human to express vitality. Vitality, which faeries crave, is expressed in heightened states of emotion, or when phases of life come to an end. This means that the string will often lead to objects which are linked to the secrets of nearby people. These secrets do not necessarily have anything to do with the crime the initiate is investigating, however. (Minor Virtue 18 = Mystagogue (9) + Special time and place (3) + Sacrifice of talisman (or something of equal value to a non-magus) +6: A clew is a ball of string. Theseus used a ball of string to lead him out of the labyrinth of Knossos. Initiates to this degree are expected to have clews as their talismans. Kabeiros has not yet developed a way to translate this bit of glamour for non-magi.) Vengeful Asmodeus Faeries rarely have original ideas and cannot usually train humans in abilities, unless they have stolen those abilities from somewhere else. Skilled Infernal researchers studying the Black Library may discover where Kabeiros stole his idea and abilities from. Many centuries ago a small group of servants at a Quaesitorial House covenant were found to be worshipping Asmodeus as the patron of the sin of invading privacy. Asmodeus is a powerful demon, and if he discovers that his ideas have been recycled by this cult, he may harass its members.

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The Oppidum of Tablinum

Tablinum is an oppidum located on the coast of the Black Sea among the dunes and wetlands of the Danube delta. Tablinum’s purpose is to store information, including records, spell texts, and artifacts. It is a kind of Tribunal museum and storehouse. Little of the oppidum exists in the mundane world, merely a few grogs of Slavic descent, living in a small village with a palisade, who spend their days fishing in small boats surrounded by vast scavenging flocks of white pelicans and graceful egrets. The only thing that distinguishes the site is a magnitude 8 Aegis of the Hearth surrounding the village palisade, and a magical bell that can be rung to attract the attention of the magi of Tablinum. Curiously, the bell does not make a sound—the sound can only be heard in the regiones of Tablinum.

History

Tablinum was founded in 878 (that is, in the years following The Sundering), and located at the site because of the large number of regiones that lie superimposed upon each other here. As the Tribunal was limited to five covenants, by the terms of The Sundering, Tablinum had no real official status or officially recognized permanent residents. It was just a place where magi stored artifacts. However, when the concept of oppida became widespread, Tablinum reinvented itself as a oppidum with permanent resident curators. The curator of Tablinum is an office appointed by a vote in the Tribunal. The curator must have the privilege of cives, and must be considered a master at the time of his appointment. The curator’s badge of office is a chain of stones. The curator usually serves for life (or until apparent Final Twilight), although two have resigned while in office.

Setting and Description

The oppidum of Tablinum is quite different from the typical residences of magi. Exhibition Halls Tablinum is divided into dozens of exhibition halls, each occupying a separate regio. Most of the regiones are superficially identical, consisting of several stone buildings connected to each other with enclosed wooden walkways. The buildings hold large vaulted halls, hung with convoluted brass chandeliers, and threaded by small, dark passages lined with stacked scroll cases. Despite this similarity, the precise number and configuration of the buildings varies from regio to regio. Most of the regiones at Tablinum are normally inaccessible. A character can sense the presence of the regiones with appropriate effects (see ArM5, page 189), but in this case, this is not sufficient information to allow the character to cross the regio border. There are also no special paths that can be walked, or sequences of actions, to allow entry to the regiones. However, Nestor, the curator, has fixed Arcane Connections to most (if not all) of the regiones. The great advantage of this is that it means that different (possibly dangerous) exhibits can be safely stored in each regio, and by controlling access to the Arcane Connections, the curator can control who has access to the various exhibits. The Arcane Connections are used to target Leap of Homecoming and similar effects to allow travel to the different regiones. Quite how this fortunate superposition of numerous inaccessible regiones arose is unclear. Tablinum’s records merely note its foundation in 878, and apparently the regiones and the corresponding Arcane Con nections to them were present by 900 at the latest (when they are first mentioned in The Chronicle; see later). One explanation is that it was originally possible to enter all of the regiones by following a ritual path through a labyrinth or similar mechanism. It is said the original founders of Tablinum followed this path collecting and fixing Arcane Connections to each of the regio levels, and destroying the labyrinth as they progressed. The founders of Tablinum thus ensured that possession of the requisite Arcane Connections would be the only way to travel into the regiones. Studying from Exhibits Except where noted otherwise the exhibits at Tablinum may be studied as realia. Covenants presents Rules for realia on page 102; the most relevant are repeated here. Realia are collections of objects that embody a particular Art (or Ability). Characters may study from realia exactly like any other study source, and a character may study from a realia multiple times. The number of times that a character may study from a particular realia is equal to its Source Quality. If several characters study simultaneously from the same exhibit, the Source Quality is reduced; effectively, the collection of objects is split between the studying characters. If two characters study the effective Source Quality of the realia is reduced by 1; up to four characters studying reduce the Source Quality by 2; up to eight characters reduce the Source Quality by 3, and so forth. If the character studies from a fragment of a realia in this way, the season still counts against the total number of times that the character may study from the complete collection. Outside the Exhibits Little exists outside the oppidum buildings and in many regio levels the buildings have no external openings. If a character does manage to leave the exhibition halls he finds that the outside light is thick and red like a late summer evening (or maybe early morning). However, no sun can be seen in the darkening sky. The buildings are surrounded by large featureless dunes, beyond which, to the east, can be seen the undulating surface of the Black Sea. The temperature is warm and the taste of the sea is carried to the oppidum by a salty breeze. Over centuries, the sea’s breath has left a pale foam-flecked crust on the eastern faces of the stone buildings. A character who tries to travel into the sand dunes finds that he can neither ap proach the water, nor walk along the coast, nor walk further inland. All paths through the dunes lead back to the grey stone buildings. There are rumors of other stone buildings (possibly ruined) hidden in the dunes, but if they exist at all, these other buildings are very difficult to find and/or only exist in some regio levels.

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Curators of Tablinum

878-900 Akilina. The First Curator, she is said to have discovered the site for Tablinum in the mid-800s. Akilina appointed Potitus (her apprentice) as her successor, resigned, and disappeared in 917. She is presumed dead but, as recently as 1137, magi studying at Tablinum have reported meeting her (or someone claiming to be her) in the labyrinth of regiones. 900-948 Potitus. The first Curator to officially live at Tablinum. Potitus opened Tablinum for study; previously the site was a closed storehouse. 946-1007 Tiberia. Appointed by Potitus and briefly sharing the office of Curator with him. Tiberia was a Tremere general, and she was killed during the Schism War. 1007-1018 Anatolus. The first Curator to be appointed by the Tribunal, rather than his predecessor. Anatolus was also a Tremere general. He is noted for the use of exotic battle magic, supposedly sourced from Tablinum. Killed during Wizard’s War. 1018-1020 No Curator. 1020-1027 Silus. Accused of infernalism and Marched. 1027-1080 Justius. Reportedly dismantled a number of exhibits dealing with the infernal and exorcised demons from many regio levels. 1080-1102 Scribonius. Author of the first “complete” catalogue of exhibits. Resigned as Curator and left House Tremere to join House Jerbiton in the Theban Tribunal. Died 1137. 1102-1170 Calpurnius. Vastly expanded the Faerie collection. 1170Nestor. Noted for research on regiones.

Leap of Homecoming and Regiones

Leap of Homecoming, and similar Rego Corpus spells, instantly transport the caster to a location to which he has an Arcane Connection to. In general, nothing prevents the caster from crossing a regio boundary in this manner. On the other hand, some regiones cannot be entered or left via Rego Corpus effects. Some magi have theories about why this is so, but there seems to be no reliable way to predict how a regio will interact with Rego Corpus magic. Unless otherwise noted the regiones at Tablinum can be entered and left with Rego Corpus magic (assuming that the caster has suitable Arcane Connections).

Exhibit Source Quality

The Source Quality of an exhibit depends on the number of items in the exhibit. Defining the exact Source Quality of each exhibit is left to the needs of your troupe’s saga. Each exhibit may have a dif ferent Source Quality, and you may like to use the following guidelines: Unparalleled: Source Quality 11+ Comprehensive: Source Quality 8-10 Cursory: Source Quality 5-7

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Magi

Four magi currently live at Tablinum. Nestor, Curator of Tablinum Age: 93 (Apparent age 48) Personality Traits: Reclusive +3, Paranoid +3 Privilege: Cives Nestor of House Tremere is a tall, skeletally thin man, who dresses in a monk’s habit dyed a bright yellow. His fast stride is angular and bent, and his elbows and knees protrude from beneath his robes at insect angles. This curious gait is accentuated by his alarming tendency to disappear, only to reappear a fraction of a second later, half a pace away. Nestor’s temporal convulsions, a sort of teleportation tic, are his casting sigil, terrifically exacerbated by his Twilight experiences. Nestor has been the curator of the museum at Tablinum for 50 years. He pretends to live aloof, isolated from the politics of the Tribunal, and for many years this was the blissful truth. However, in the last decade, Nestor has become concerned at his isolation at the museum, and fears that other members of House Tremere are plotting against him. Quite what this mysterious plot is Nestor has not yet discovered. On the other hand, Nestor is aware that lack of evidence of a specific plot suggests he may have, in fact, gone mad. Of course, the possibility that the plot is real means he is unprepared to discuss his fears of either plots or madness to anyone. And it’s always possible that Nestor may be both mad and the target of other magi’s plots — they’re not mutually exclusive. Nestor owns several sets of Arcane Connections to the regiones of the museum exhibits. The Arcane Connections take the form of stone bead necklaces that have been inherited through the generations of curators. Each bead is a Fixed Arcane Connection to the halls of a different museum region, and Nestor usually only carries the necklace leading to the most commonly accessed regiones. The remaining necklaces he keeps hidden. Nestor is particularly interested in what he has calculated to be the apparent movement of regiones relative to each other, and he has created a sort of orrery illustrating the movement (see Laboratory insert). Although he will not broach the subject himself, if another magus happens to mention similar interests, Nestor will be keen to learn and compare notes. Demetrius, Aedile of Tablinum Age: 32 (Apparent age 32) Personality Traits: (Too) Friendly +6, Nervous +2 Privilege: Hospites Demetrius is of House Bonisagus and trained in the Theban Tribunal; he is Tablinum’s aedile. He is young, eager to learn, and fluent in Latin, Greek, and Arabic. Demetrius was born (and named Basem) in the Saracen lands, and his Blatant Gift led to him being ostracized by his village. When discovered by a Bonisagus Seeker passing through the region, Demetrius was living like an animal in the wastes near his village. He had spent more than a year scuttling over the dry rocks, always within earshot of village life, always within earshot of laughter, always within the aroma of cooking spices, but never able to join in. The nights of the month of Ramadan had been the worst part of his exile. Driven away from the cool night-time feasts with his cousins and brothers and parents and uncles and aunts, the village midden heap had been his table. Demetrius now understands The Gift He gave him, and holds no grudges toward his birth family for their fear and ignorance. However, scarred by abandonment, he is strongly predisposed to enthusiastically fawn over newfound friends. Demetrius is aware of his foibles, and does his best to behave less like a nervous puppy. However, it is typically only after he has made some dreadfully desperate plea or offer that he realizes what a fool he appears. Demetrius’ casting sigil is a faint popping sound. It is as if, whenever he casts a spell, something small departs from the world. The sound is practically inaudible for low magnitude spells, but increases in volume with the magnitude of the spell. Demetrius spends many hours working on updating the existing catalogues, which he notes are shamefully inaccurate. He plans to send copies of his completed catalogues to the other Tribunals, as he believes that sharing information throughout The Order is an important part of Bonisagus’ vision. Demetrius suspects that the other magi at Tablinum do not share this noble sentiment. Theodora and Theodore Age: 58 (Theodora, Apparent age 28; Theodore, Apparent age 60) Personality Traits: (Theodora) Wild +3, Loud +3; (Theodore) Aloof +3, Sober +2 Privilege: (Theodora) Cives, (Theodore) Cives. The twins Theodora and Theodore of House Tremere are the apprentices of Nestor. They arrived at the museum as screaming babies, and he kept them secret and safe, with two nannies, in a hidden regio until they were old enough for their Gifts to be Opened and claimed as apprentices. There is a strong family resemblance, and due to their apparent ages, Theodore

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Story Seed: Collection

The magi are contracted by Nestor to gather objects for exhibits. Nestor offers two sorts of contracts: contracts for objects from a particular place (Arcadia, Durenmar, Pompeii, etc.); and contracts for objects for a particular exhibit. The second contract is rare, merely because experience has shown that the first type tends to produce more new and unique objects. Nestor can offer either vis or access to the restricted exhibits as payment. He can offer objects from the exhibits as payment, but only if there are duplicates of the object. Grog and companion characters can be offered contracts as collectors, too; for them, the usual payment is wealth. Of course, the current owners of potential exhibits (who may well be magi) will likely consider “collection” theft. If the magi are Tremere, they might be assigned to the vexillation ConvectorisTablinum, which is tasked with adding to the exhibit collection.

|] appears to be Theodora’s father (or grandfather). However, this similarity is obscured slightly, as the twins do not behave and dress similarly. Theodora is loud, with long tangled hair and revolting personal hygiene. She is prone to screaming, spitting, and hurling objects when she does not get her own way. On the other hand, she quickly forgets insults and is tolerant of the animal inside everyone. In contrast, Theodore is very quiet. He speaks little, except to his two nannies. The nannies are now elderly women in their seventies — one nearly blind, the other bedridden — who still live together in the nursery regio, quietly filling the empty spaces with senile clucking. Theodore certainly never raises his voice, and he keeps his laboratory, clothes and person immaculate and spotless. However, Theodore has some very odd ideas. He once confided in Nestor that many of the exhibits should be destroyed. He has long believed that body hair harbors disease, and he magically keeps his entire body hairless. Theodore even eschewed the longevity ritual for many years, not imbibing his potion until his fiftieth year; it is possible that this was just an obscure attempt to taunt Theodora, who vainly drank her potion in her early twenties, and then almost immediately regretted her consequent sterility. Recently, Theodore told Demetrius that The Order had outlived its purpose.

The Open Exhibits

All Tremere characters have right of access to any of the open exhibits. Characters from other covenants are usually granted access by the curator. The exception is any character who damages, steals, or otherwise interferes with the exhibits. Vandals (even Tremere) are expelled from the oppidum and never allowed access again. At least, that is the theory — characters may rehabilitate themselves in the eyes of the curator, particularly for minor offenses. Most characters use the exhibits to study (see insert) and while several characters can study from a single exhibit, this reduces the effective Source Quality of the exhibit. This means that certamen (for love) is often used to solve disputes over study access to an exhibit. If a character wants to study from an exhibit, roll a stress die against an Ease Factor of 3. If the roll is successful, then no other character wants to use the exhibit that season. If the roll fails, then one other character wants to use the exhibit. If the roll is a botch, then many characters want to use the exhibit that season. Roll a further (simple) die. The number on this die is the number of other characters wanting to use the same exhibit. The Art Exhibits There are 15 of these exhibits, one for each Hermetic Art. Each Art Exhibit is in a different regio level, and they each contain numerous objects that embody aspects of the Art. For example, the spaces of the morbid Corpus exhibit are stacked with skeletons and preserved organs; the Aquam exhibit contains dozens of sample flasks containing liquids both foul and pure; and the halls of the Animal exhibit echo with the screeching of exotic creatures (fed by grog keepers and trapped within Circles of Beast Warding; ArM5, page 120). Each Art Exhibit contains hundreds of objects and is considered a realia about its Art. The presence of the realia also means that the exhibit counts as a suitable environment for characters with the Study Requirement (or Study Bonus) to freely study (or receive their bonus), up until they reach an Art Score of 15. The Art Exhibit regiones all have a Magic aura of 5. The Arcanum Exhibit This exhibit contains hundreds of objects that embody Finesse, Magic Theory, Parma Magica, and Penetration. For example, there are delicately drawn maps of the celestial sphere, which indicate the influence of horoscopes on Magic Resistance; intricate exemplars of glassware assemblies; and a sequence of magical shells, arcane eggs with slippery surfaces covered in runes that writhe and change (controlling the twisting runes demonstrates Finesse). The Arcanum Exhibit is considered to be four separate realia, one each on Finesse, Magic Theory, Parma Magica, and Penetration. Characters can study each of the separate realia without interfering in the study of the other characters. The Arcanum Exhibit has a Magic aura of 6. The Scriptorium The Scriptorium is not a true exhibit. Instead, in this regio are living quarters for a number of guest magi and servants. Most magi who travel to Tablinum to study live in small living quarters, which are themselves in the exhibit they are studying. However, servants and companions accompanying the magi can be accommodated here. The Scriptorium also has a permanent staff of six scribes. They work in a hall that smells faintly of burnt tallow, the silence only

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Maintaining the Exhibit Halls

Exhibits composed mostly of books and other texts need little maintenance, but other exhibits require periodic checking of wards, special preserving spells, or even feeding (as with the Animal exhibits). The curator, and the other permanent magi, ensure that any such maintenance is conducted, assisted in this task by the servants who live in The Scriptorium. Supervising maintenance occupies one magus full-time, although much of the actual work is performed by about a dozen grogs housed in the Scriptorium. Nestor is the curator but, currently, the four magi who live at Tablinum share the maintenance responsibilities. This occupies each magus for a season per year. Everbright Chandelier CrIg 24 Pen +0, constant effect R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual The chandeliers in the exhibits are enchanted items that continuously create bright light. The light appears to emanate from lit candles, but there is no actual flame. Thus, there is no danger of the chandeliers igniting flammable exhibits. (Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Sun; +4 constant effect)

|] broken by the scratching of quills on vellum. These scribes are usually hunched over their writing desks making copies of The Chronicle (see later). However, up to two scribes can be hired by visiting magi to copy books. The scribes each have a Profession: Scribe Ability Score of 6, and a Magic Theory Ability Score of 1, which is sufficient to allow them to copy books about Hermetic Arts without corruption. It costs 2 pawns of vis to hire a scribe for a season, and the commissioning magus must provide (or pay for) writing material too. A Tremere magus may requisition a scribe without needing to pay; however, doing this for two consecutive seasons is frowned upon. Any character may make use of a free writing desk without paying. The Scriptorium includes one guest lab oratory, and has a Magic aura of 4. There is a small door in one corner of the scribe hall which connects the Scriptorium regio with the Spell Hall regio. The Spell Hall This exhibit hall contains hundreds of neatly filed scroll cases that contain archive copies of Laboratory Texts. There are further writing tables in this hall too. Any Tremere character can freely copy spells (or other Lab Texts) from here, and magi of other covenants may copy texts if they donate an original Lab Text (in a form that is usable by other magi) in return. Generally, donating a Lab Text allows the character to copy a number of other texts equal to the magnitude of the donated spell. So, donating a magnitude 3 Creo Herbam Lab Text allows the character to copy three other Lab Texts. Alternatively, a magus may donate a number of pawns of vis equal to the total magnitude of the Lab Texts he wants to copy. It is usually cheaper to pay for access via donation of a spell, and that is, of course, the aim. Note that the Spell Hall does not contain a Laboratory, and Lab Texts may not be removed from the exhibit hall. A character may only copy the texts; he may not invent spells or item effects directly from the Lab Texts. Despite the general prohibition on removing Lab Texts from the Spell Hall, the permanent residents of Tablinum do actually frequently take the Lab Texts to their laboratories.

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The Laboratories at Tablinum

Nestor’s Laboratory The laboratory of Nestor, the curator, is actually in another otherwise empty regio level. He also occupies a faux Laboratory constructed in the Curator’s Sanctum regio, but he only pretends to work beyond that locked sanctum door. These characteristics are for his true Laboratory, which is magnificently appointed, and has been used by the curators for hundreds of years. A central feature is an enormous, odd, brass orrery. Nestor purports to have discovered that although spells like Leap of Homecoming appear to transport the target instantly, there is a tiny but measurable delay between departure and arrival. The length of this transition time changes not according to the physical distance traveled, but according to what regio the journey begins and terminates in, and this time changes from journey to journey between the same regiones. The spheres at the ends of the arms of the orrery represent not planets but regiones. The jittery clockwork of the orrery maps out what Nestor has calculated to be the apparent relative motion of the regiones, but Nestor has not yet determined a practical use for his discovery. Of course, Nestor may also be mistaken — the movement of regiones he thinks he observes may be either something else entirely, or merely an error. Virtues and Flaws: Greater Feature (orrery; +2 Aesthetics, +1 Vim, +2 Rego), Palatial (+1 Vim); Extensive Stores, Specimens (+1 Vim); Missing Sanctum Marker, Regio; Impregnable, Predecessor Characteristics: Size +3, Refinement +3, General Quality +1, Upkeep +4, Safety +1, Warping +2, Health +2, Aesthetics +4 Specializations: Experimentation +1, Teaching +2, Rego +2, Vim +3 Demetrius’ Laboratory Demetrius is a dedicated, almost obsessive, collector, and when not working in his laboratory, he is often walking the exhibit halls, slate in hand, adding to the catalogue of collections. New additions to the exhibits are often kept in a small studio outside Demetrius’s laboratory until he and Nestor have decided where they should be permanently displayed. Demetrius also keeps a small collection of specimens in his laboratory that correspond to whatever project his currently working on (currently Aquam). Due to the large number of easily available specimens, it only takes a few days for Demetrius to change the Form that the specimen collection is associated with. Unfortunately, all these specimens take up a lot of space in the laboratory, which actually tends to negate their utility. Virtues and Flaws: Greater Feature (desk; +2 Aesthetics, +3 Texts); Specimens (+1 Aquam); Studio (+2 Aesthetics); Cramped (+1 Texts) Characteristics: Size 0, Refinement +3, General Quality –1, Upkeep 0, Safety 1, Warping 0, Health 0, Aesthetics +4 Specializations: Texts +4, Aquam +1 Theodora’s Laboratory Theodora has an extravagant, theatrical, almost reckless edge to her magic, and this is true of her laboratory too. The laboratory’s central feature is a large continually boiling cauldron, to which Theodora is always adding new ingredients, seemingly at random. This, she confidently claims, makes her magic “better,” and there must surely be some insight behind her insanity, as frequently her laboratory produces works that seem beyond her capacities. One of her most useful sets of ingredients is a collection of faerie rocks. Virtues and Flaws: Greater Feature (cauldron; +2 Aesthetics, +3 Experimentation); Faerie Ingredients (+1 Terram), Dirty, Disorganized; Chaotic Characteristics: Size 0, Refinement +2, General Quality +1, Upkeep –1, Safety –1, Warping +2, Health –1, Aesthetics –1 Specializations: Experimentation +6, Muto +2, Perdo +1, Terram +1

|] All spells in the ArM5 book are available in the Spell Hall. Spells in other Ars Magica Fifth Edition supplements are usually available, but the availability of individual spells is at the discretion of the troupe. Original spells are not usually available. The majority of spells in the Spell Hall are in a form that does not include idiosyncratic notation, and so can be used by other magi without translation. The Spell Hall has a Magic aura of 4. The Chronicle This exhibit hall contains dozens of neatly written and lushly illustrated volumes of The Transylvania Chronicle. The Chronicle is purportedly a complete record of events that have occurred in the Tribunal. However, skeptics note that The Chronicle is relatively silent on events leading up to the Schism War, and there is little information about the foundation of House Tremere. On the other hand, regardless of whether it is exhaustive, The Chronicle is the pre-eminent source of Peripheral Code rulings and Hermetic history in the Tribunal. In terms of game mechanics, The Chronicle is treated as an encyclopedia (see Art and Academe, page 26). There are two volumes for each decade, and every 50 years of records (set of ten volumes) is considered as an Order of Hermes Lore (Transylvania) tractatus and a Code of Hermes tractatus (both tracta tus are of Source Quality 6). A character may also look up a fact in The Chronicle. Looking up a fact takes about an hour (or perhaps longer for detailed information), following which an Intelligence + Order of Hermes Lore (or Code of Hermes) + stress die roll against an Ease Factor is made. The troupe must determine the Ease Factor depending on the obscurity of the fact. The character receives a +1 bonus to the roll for every complete 50 years of The Chronicle to which he has access. A character with access to the complete Chronicle, which dates back to the foundation of the Order in 767, therefore receives a +9 bonus. The bonus for extra volumes only applies if the character is researching something that spans several volumes. For example, to discover how many

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The Laboratories at Tablinum, cont’d

Theodore’s Laboratory Theodore keeps his laboratory clean and well-organized. He is reluctant to allow anyone to enter his laboratory, especially his sister who keeps her laboratory in a disgusting state. Theodore employees several grog guards, on a continuously rotating shift, who ensure that no one disturbs his work. A shallow pool of pure water occupies the center of the laboratory, and Theodore spends many hours contemplating its stillness. The laboratory is very simply appointed, but Theodore’s laboratory equipment is of a very fine quality, crafted by dwarf artificers and purchased at great expense. Virtues and Flaws: Greater Feature (pool; +2 Aesthetics, +3 Intellego); Superior Heating; Flawless Equipment, Grand Entranceway, Guard, Highly Organized, Spotless; Undecorated Characteristics: Size 0, Refinement +3, General Quality +3, Upkeep +2, Safety +3, Warping 0, Health +2, Aesthetics +6 Specializations: Vis Extraction +1; Creo +1, Intellego +2, Ignem +1 The Vim Distillery This laboratory is not occupied by any one magus, but is instead shared by the magi of Tablinum. The laboratory is especially designed for the extraction of Vim vis from the aura, and whenever a magus wishes to perform this task, he uses this laboratory instead of his own. The features of the laboratory include an enormous still for concentrating vis and a balance for carefully weighing the vis. Virtues and Flaws: Greater Feature (vis still; +2 Aesthetics, +3 Vis Extraction), Lesser Feature (vis balance; +1 Aesthetics, +1 Vis Extraction); Missing Ingredients (halve Intellego Lab Totals), Missing Ingredients (halve Muto Lab Totals), Missing Ingredients (halve Perdo Lab Totals), Missing Ingredients (halve Rego Lab Torals), Missing Sanctum Marker, Superior Equipment; Cramped; Greater Focus (vis still; –2 General Quality, +4 Vis Extration) Characteristics: Size 0, Refinement 0, General Quality 0, Upkeep –3, Safety –1, Warping 0, Health 0, Aesthetics +1 Specializations: Vis Extraction +10 The Empty Laboratory This laboratory is unoccupied and has been stripped of most of its equipment and supplies. It is haunted by the ghost of a previous occupant, a magus who was assassinated in the Laboratory during Wizard’s War, and in one wall is an open window that looks out into an empty void — which is rumored to be the space between the regio levels (or maybe just another regio level). Unbeknownst to the current magi of Tablinum, the void window can be utilized as a vis source. Periodically, a frost forms on the sill of the window which can be harvested as Mentem vis before it melts (2 pawns per season). The ghost knows of the vis source. Virtues and Flaws: Vis Source; Empty; Undecorated, Abyss, Haunted Characteristics: Size 0, Refinement 0, General Quality 0, Upkeep -1, Safety –3, Warping +2, Health –1, Aesthetics –3 Specializations: Perdo +1, Mentem +3 The Guest Laboratory in the Scriptorium This spartan laboratory is available for the use of guests. It contains a gallery that allows the visitor to be observed in his work. Virtues and Flaws: Gallery; No Stores, Undecorated Characteristics: Size 0, Refinement 0, General Quality 0, Upkeep –1, Safety –1, Warping 0, Health 0, Aesthetics 0 Specializations: Teaching +1

|] apprentices a magus has Gauntleted, access to volumes that predate the magus himself are unlikely to be of value. The complete Chronicle consists of 90 volumes in 1220, and there are three copies of each volume in the exhibit hall. The curator permits up to one copy of each volume to be removed from the exhibit hall at a time. Any character can freely study The Chronicle. The exhibit hall has a Magic aura of 3. The Chapel A soft light hazily illuminates the silent halls of this exhibit. The light emanates from the cavernous hall’s heights, where glowing crosses are suspended instead of chandeliers. As it falls, the light slowly drifts over intricate mosaics: bloody, obsessive, and awesome depictions of the life of Jesus. Finally, the light is lost with the holy dead in the numerous alcoves and quiet corners of the exhibit. In these secret spaces, the light gently caresses the gold and gem-encrusted reliquaries that hold treasured fragments of the dismembered saints. The Chapel is the Divine exhibit, and it may be studied as a realia in Divine Lore. There are dozens, maybe hundreds, of holy relics among the exhibits, and even rumors of an (off-catalogue) fragment of true cross, but note that not all of the exhibits are necessarily relics. Rules for relics are given in ArM5 (pages 188–189), with more complete rules in Realms of Power: The Divine Revised Edition (pages 43–46). The Chapel has a Divine aura of 6. This Divine aura (presumably engendered by the large concentration of holy relics in the exhibit) probably swamps an underlying Magic aura in this regio. However, the exhibits have been here so long that the original aura is no longer known. The Curator’s Sanctum This exhibit hall contains the living quarters, sanctums, and laboratories of the magi who permanently live at Tablinum. Access to this regio level is nominally open, but the usual Hermetic laws apply to entering the areas actually marked as sanctums. Of the six laboratories in this regio, currently four are occupied (see insert). The Curator’s Sanctum has a magic aura of 5.

The Restricted Exhibits

These exhibit regiones definitely exist, and the curator of Tablinum is certainly prepared to discuss their contents, but access to the actual exhibits is restricted. Usually Tremere are granted access if they have good reason. Requests from magi who belong to other covenants are sometimes granted, depending upon the circumstances; fees are sometimes charged. The Mirrored Hall The centerpiece of this exhibit is a great hall hung with hundreds of enchanted polished metal mirrors. Each mirror has a circular frame made of iron that is enchanted with wards that each keep a faerie imprisoned in the reflection. This exhibit is a realia in Faerie Lore. The Mirrored Hall has a Magic aura of 6. The Dungeon This exhibit hall is filled with dark winding passages. The secret spaces, dead-ends, and cold crossroads of this maze are filled with horrific displays of cruelty and suffering. Behind each corner waits a new terror: a cruel blood-stained knife, a meaningless set of phrases carefully printed over and over again in dozens of different hands upon the flayed flesh of an innocent child, or the ritually mutilated sex organs of a chapter of corrupt cathedral canons. This terrible exhibit is a realia of Infernal Lore. This exhibit is controversial within the Order, with many magi believing that it should be destroyed. The Dungeon has an Infernal aura of 3. The Empty Halls There are many, many empty regiones that contain only vacant halls, standing among the sand dunes. There are tales of unfortunate characters marooned in a few of these regiones — either deliberately imprisoned there, or accidentally trapped. Most of the Empty Halls have Magic auras of 3 or 4.

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Story Seed: Church Rites

While the magi are studying at Tablinum, a delegation arrives from the Church. The Latin Church has recently (since 1204) taken control of large portions of Constantinople (south of Tablinum), and church scholars have found, among the records of the Greek Church, mention of Tablinum’s hoard of relics. A papal legate has been sent to Tablinum to discover whether Tablinum and the relic hoard really exist, and if so, to relocate the relics to Rome. Nestor approaches the visiting magi for help in dealing with the church delegation.

Story Seed: Limitless Temptation

Curiously, the labyrinth of The Dungeon exhibit contains the largest number of objects of any of the exhibits. This fact is not immediately clear, as the convoluted twists and turns of the exhibit disguise its true extent. However, any character that spends a season studying the exhibit becomes aware that the exhibit is much larger than the catalogues would suggest. Two possible explanations for this discrepancy are: • Infernalists are secretly using the infernal exhibit as a place to safely cache occult paraphernalia associated with their hellish cult. The cultists have their own Arcane Connections to the exhibit hall, which they use to secretly enter via Leap of Homecoming equivalent effects. • Hell has infiltrated the exhibit. Some of the objects on display are possessed by demons who are secretly summoning more demons into the exhibit hall.

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Against the Dark The Hidden Exhibits

The hidden exhibits are regiones whose existence is merely speculated upon by the majority of the Tribunal. Some magi do claim to have visited the hidden exhibits, but such magi might be either liars or madmen. Whether any of these exhibits exist is a matter for your saga. It is possible that some of these exhibits may have existed in the past but have long since been dismantled. If they do exist, then access to the hidden regiones is certainly a closely guarded privilege. Possibly even the curator does not have access. The relevant Arcane Connections may be instead controlled by a cabal, Mystery Cult, or even lost altogether. The Founder’s Exhibit Apparently this exhibit contains realia related to the lives, original traditions, and demise of the Founders of The Order of Hermes. Some even claim that the bodies of several Founders are exhibited in the halls of this regio. The Lower Dungeon The Lower Dungeon is said to be a complex web of wards that imprison hundreds of demons. Should this exhibit actually exist, the magi responsible for maintaining it surely run the risk of being prosecuted for infernalism. The Refuge This is not an exhibit. Instead, it is said to be a network of regiones that contain well-stocked laboratories and living quarters. These, according to rumor, have been prepared for House Tremere to flee to in the case that catastrophe befalls the House, the Tribunal, or even the entirety of Mythic Europe. The Tremere could isolate themselves in these hidden regiones, and the House could secretly continue through the centuries while plague, war, or possibly even Armageddon itself tore at the world outside. There may be a small seed of truth to The Refuge, as certainly there are hidden laboratories at Tablinum (the curator, Nestor, uses one, for example). However, whether the hidden laboratories are mere small, petty secrets or a part of a grand strategy is unclear. In any case, the rumors are strong enough that if, in your saga, some calamity does befall the Tribunal (such as a Mongol invasion) then desperate magi are likely to arrive at Tablinum seeking refuge. The Schism Exhibit This exhibit is said to contain a complete record of the events of the Schism War. In particular the exhibit is said to contain a book called Expurgatio. This book is purportedly a catalogue of all the evidence against the Diedne collected by House Tremere in the decades prior to the Schism War. If it exists, this exhibit probably also contains the artifacts and Lab Texts that are mentioned in Expurgatio. This exhibit would be extremely interesting to descendants of House Diedne, who wished to rehabilitate their House or merely to learn Diedne’s lost mysteries. There is plenty of other open information available about the Schism War. The Chronicle contains a history of the war, for example. However, history is written by the victorious rather than the virtuous. Many magi thus suspect the public record of being Tremere propaganda. The Schism Exhibit, if it is real, is said to be “the truth.” The Seeker’s Forum This exhibit is rumored to contain realia that relate to other powerful, extinct (and not so extinct) magical traditions which have been recovered by Tremere throughout Mythic Europe. Should it exist, The Seeker’s Forum would be a valuable source of insights into ancient magical traditions (see Ancient Magic), as well as other traditions in Mythic Europe (see Hedge Magic Revised Edition, Rival Magic, and the various Tribunal books for Ars Magica Fifth Edition). The Warehouse of Ares This exhibit purportedly contains a vast array of magical weapons. Many of the exhibits are said to have been created by both sides during, and immediately prior to, the Schism War. The Warehouse is said to be a Tremere contingency against the day The Order is once more split by warfare. 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.