Chapter Seven: Networks of Hidden Fortresses

The two organizations described in this chapter control many sites scattered about the Tribunal which, by coincidence, all share the form of a hidden fortress. These two networks help troupes to design sagas about highly mobile magi, who visit many areas of the Tribunal, so that full use can be made of all the material presented in this book.

These fortresses differ from mansiones, the network of rest stops maintained by members of House Mercere. These accommodations are designed for travelers, much like coaching houses, and troupes telling highly mobile sagas may wish to include them among the options for shelter and chance encounters on the road. Mansiones are described in greater detail in the Shrouded Bay section of Chapter 5 in this book.

The Hospital

The Hospital is neither a covenant, nor an oppidum. Instead, it is a service provided by the Transylvanian Tribunal, to the magi of the Transylvanian Tribunal. The intent is that, if any magus falls ill or is wounded while traveling in the Tribunal, then he may find his way (or be brought by his grogs) to a safehouse. These traveler's safehouses, referred to as zenodochia, contain enchanted items that either help the magus to heal, or cure him directly. As zenodochia are intended to be used by magi who are far from their oppidum, few are actually constructed near oppida.

The Zenodochium

Each zenodochium contains magical items, casting tablets, mundane supplies, and up to two rooks of Corpus vis that can be used by magi in need. The magical items and casting tablets are not supposed to be removed, and the vis and other supplies must be replaced as soon as the magus is able to. Stealing vis from a zenodochium is a Low Crime. However, a magus who takes vis and then finds himself unable to repay is usually offered the chance to pay his debt by working for the Tribunal. Damaging or destroying a zenodochium is a High Crime, but a magus who arranges without prompting to repair a zenodochium he has accidentally damaged would not be prosecuted. It is important to realize that the Tribunal wants magi to use this resource. So, the Tribunal will not create unnecessary hurdles to the use of a zenodochium, and will not impose strict or harsh penalties on those magi who make mistakes. On the other hand, deliberately damaging a zenodochium deprives all the other magi of their magical resources. This is unforgivable.

Casting Tablets

Zenodochia contain a number of spells written on casting tablets. Full rules for casting tablets are given in Covenants, page 89–90. Briefly, any magus may cast a spell from a casting tablet. A casting tablet may be used multiple times. Generate a Casting Total as if the magus knew the formulaic spell or ritual, and remember to include Wound and Aura Penalties. The magus cannot vary the spell in any way, and cannot expend vis on the Casting Total, although he must spend the required vis for a ritual spell.
If the Casting Total equals or exceeds the Spell Level, then the spell is cast and the magus loses one Fatigue level. If the Spell Level is up to 10 levels greater than the Casting Total, the spell is still cast, but the magus loses two Fatigue levels. If the Spell Level is up to 20 levels greater than the Casting Total, the spell is cast and the magus loses three Fatigue levels. If the Spell Level is up to 30 levels greater than the Casting Total, the spell is still successfully cast, but the magus loses four Fatigue levels and gains a Warping Point. Finally, if the Spell Level exceeds the Casting Total by more than 30, the spell is not cast; the magus loses five Fatigue levels, and gains Warping Points equal to the magnitude of the spell.

Story Seed: The Plague House

Fresh from a hard fought battle against faeries or other enemies, the grogs bring their heavily wounded master to a rural zenodochium. When they arrive, they discover a young woman in the main hall, sleeping the deep sleep of the nearly dead. Her breath is very light, her pale skin is blotched and covered in an angry rash, and she smells of vomit and excrement. The woman has a plague.
Although it may not be immediately obvious, the woman, named Lucia, is from a nearby village. The villagers have discovered the zenodochium, and have learned that sick and injured characters who rest in its hall have a good chance of recovering from almost any ailment. The villagers have since been using the zenodochium as a kind of quarantine. At the first sign of any sickness, the strong men of the village carry ill villagers to the zenodochium, leaving them there and returning after one month to see whether they have survived, or left a corpse to bury.
The Tribunal is unlikely to care if the villagers are making use of the zenodochium, as long as they leave it in good repair. However, the grogs may not be aware of this, and they may take exception to the presence of this unknown woman. Then again, they may assume that she is a servant, or even a maga, of another oppidum.
However, when the village men return to check up on Lucia, they will be surprised by and suspicious of the presence of the magus and his grogs. The plague house is a valuable resource for the villagers, and they will assume that the Gifted magus is trying to damage or interfere with the house in some way. Whether or not Lucia has survived may also help the men decide whether the magus means ill or well.

Story Seed: The Disease Trap

The characters travel to a zenodochium carrying a heavily wounded companion. Unbeknownst to the characters, the Hippocratic Staff has been removed from the zenodochium and replaced with an Ague Staff, which causes disease. This trap may have been laid by the character's enemies, or it may be intended for someone else. If the characters survive, can they discover what has happened, and identify and prosecute those responsible?

The Ague Staff

This enchanted item has been made to look superficially similar to a Hippocratic Staff. It contains two effects, one that causes disease, and the other shrouds the sigil of the item maker. The staff also has a magnitude 8 Shell of False Determinations (see ArM5, page 157) cast upon it, which makes the staff appear to be a Hippocratic Staff when magically investigated. The Shell of False Determinations is also shrouded.

Disease Effect

PeCo 33
Pen +0, 1 use per day
R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Structure
This effect activates every dawn and inflicts the ague upon any character in the Room. This has no effect on a character who already has the ague, but if a character is cured or recovers, the disease he will be re-infected if the staff affects him again. The ague causes a Heavy Disease Wound.
(Base 15, +1 Touch, +3 Structure; +3 Environmental Trigger)

Unfinished Work?

The zenodochia network was devised during the Schism War. The Tremere generals reasoned that a single hospital oppidum, even if hidden, would eventually be discovered and destroyed. However, although the nodes of a network of tiny hospitals would be individually quite vulnerable, the whole network would be much harder for enemies to destroy. The original logic was also that individual Tremere would only know of the location of a few zenodochia, reducing the risk posed by captured Tremere or traitors.

Unfortunately, the ambitions of the wartime Tremere generals may have proven greater than the subsequent resources and dedication of the Tribunal. In theory, there are hundreds of zenodochia. In reality, many were never built. Precisely how many zenodochia exist, and whether the Tribunal is still enthusiastic in 1220 to maintain and expand the network, is left as a decision for your saga. There could be as few as a dozen functioning zenodochia, or there might be hundreds.

Placement of Zenodochia

Most zenodochia are in rural or wilderness areas, although a few are in large towns. Although the coverage of the zenodochia network is incomplete, it is rare for a magus to be very far from a zenodochium. Few magi know the precise location of every extant zenodochium, although Tremere are generally better informed. Grogs are permitted to use the facilities, and a magus is held responsible for any damage that his grogs cause. Redcaps often stay in zenodochii, and leaving a message in the nearest zenodochium is a good way to contact the Redcap network.

Zenodochia usually contain no staff. Some zenodochii are empty wooden houses beside lonely forest paths; others are caves on quiet mountainsides, or isolated hovels in a field of wheat. The few urban zenodochia occupy basements of buildings with other purposes, often controlled by the agents of a nearby oppidum.

Obviously, characters in your saga who have been to a zenodochium can usually find their way back to those safehouses again. However, to check whether a character knows the location of a close zenodochia, which he has not been previously visited in your saga, make an Intelligence + Order of Hermes Lore roll. This is against an Ease Factor of 9, if the character has lived in the Transylvanian Tribunal for at least 1 year; for visitors, the Ease Factor is 12. In either case, Tremere characters have a +3 bonus to the roll. Alternatively, you may make an Intelligence + Area Lore roll against an Ease Factor of 12. However, if the Area Lore is particularly narrow — say, a single village — then there may be no zenodochia within its remit. These Ease Factors assume that zenodochia are relatively common. Increase the Ease Factors by 3 if zenodochia are rare in your saga.

Minor Covenant Hook: Zenodochium

There is a zenodochium within a day's travel of the covenant. The covenant may freely make use of the zenodochium, but must replace any vis or other items that are used or removed. The covenant will be visited once every few years by the Curantis while on his tour of inspection of the zenodochia, and if the nearby zenodochium is found to be damaged, the covenant will surely be the first point of inquiries.
The zenodochium will be periodically used by other magi who are injured while passing through the region near the covenant. An injured magus or his companions might visit the covenant during his convalescence, either out of curiosity or for assistance in dealing with whatever peril befell him.

The Curantis

A special officer of the Tribunal, the Curantis, is appointed at each Tribunal meeting, for a term that lasts until the next Tribunal meeting. The Curantis' duty is to travel among the network of zenodochia, checking that each is in order and making repairs, and he is expected to construct at least one new zenodochium during his term of office. The Curantis spends about a season each year traveling the zenodochia network.

It is also the Curantis' responsibility to investigate the cause of any damage to the zenodochia and, if magi are the culprits, to bring prosecutions against them. The Curantis thus has the same legal powers, within the Transylvannia Tribunal, as a Quaesitor, but limited to investigations involving zenodochia.

The Curantis receives a generous vis salary from the Tribunal, and he may requisition vis from Tribunal stocks to discharge his duties. The troupe should set the Curantis' salary to reflect the availability of vis in your saga. The salary should be high, to reflect the fact that the Curantis needs to be a powerful character who is capable of fulfilling the office.

Although the Curantis is technically voted into his office by the Tribunal, the election is often unopposed. The Tribunal elders meet prior to the formal Tribunal meeting and usually agree among themselves who will be proposed and supported as the single candidate for election. A character may not serve two successive terms as Curantis.

The Curantis is accompanied by his Notary. The Curantis' Notary is a magus, selected by the previous Curantis, who acts as aedile to the Curantis. The Notary is often a Redcap. Freshly gauntleted magi may also serve this function.

Zenodochium Items

The following enchanted items and casting tablets are stored in zenodochia. Occasionally, some items may be missing, but this is rare, as it means that a previous occupant has stolen something.

The Hippocratic Staff and Bowl of the Honest Traveler are high power, constant effect items that affect every human within the zenodochium. So any human character who remains within a zenodochium for a season accumulates 6 Warping Points (there are two effects in the Hippocratic Staff). It takes a bit more than a season to recover totally from Incapacitating or Heavy Wounds. Generally, to recover from Light or Medium Wounds requires only a week or month respectively, which will both only incur 3 Warping Points.

If activated, some of the other items and casting tablets will also cause Warping.

Chest of Good Food

CrAn(He) 24
Pen +0, constant effect
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Group

This enchanted item is a large chest carved with scenes of feasting. Food made from animal or plant products, when placed in the chest, is preserved while it remains in the chest. The food will not putrefy, rot, or decay in any way. When it is full, the chest contains one man-month worth of food.

It is expected that characters who eat from the zenodochium's supplies will restock the chest before leaving.

(Base 2, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +2 Group, +1 Herbam Requisite; +4 Constant Effect)

Vermin Ward

ReAn 24
Pen +0, constant effect
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Structure

This enchanted item, a carved statue of a mutilated rat, keeps all animals without Magic Resistance out of the Structure. This means that an unoccupied zenodochium will not be ruined by marauding animals.

(Base 2, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +3 Structure; +4 Constant Effect)

Arms of the Salamander

CrCo 30
R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual, Ritual

This ritual, written on a casting tablet, instantly restores a character's lost limb. If the character has been without the limb for more than a season, it takes him about a week to become used to its presence again (rolls that require the limb are at a –3 penalty for the week). Casting this ritual requires 6 pawns of vis. Note that, unlike The Severed Limb Made Whole, this ritual does not need the original limb. If the target is missing several limbs, the most recently detached is restored by this ritual.

(Base 25, +1 Touch)

The Hippocratic Staff

This enchanted staff of twisted hyacinth, encasing an amber gem, is usually mounted above the inner lintel of the hall of the zenodochium. It is enchanted with an effect that gives the character a +9 bonus to Recovery rolls.

Obviously, a magus character must also lower his Parma Magica in order to be affected. Note that magi who are unconscious cannot cast their Parma Magica, and so it automatically falls at the next sunset or sunrise.

Recovery Effect

CrCo 34
Pen +0, Constant Effect
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Structure

This effect gives characters within the Structure a +9 bonus to Recovery Rolls. (Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +3 Structure; +4 Constant Effect)

The Rite of Healing

CrCo 50
R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Group, Ritual

Zenodochia contain a casting tablet for this ritual, which heals the targets of all Wounds the user may have. Casting this ritual requires a rook of vis.

(Base 35, +1 Touch, +2 Group)

Universal Poultice

CrCo 50
R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Group, Ritual

Zenodochia contain a casting tablet for this ritual which cures the targets of any disease they may have. Casting this ritual requires a rook of vis.

(Base 35, +1 Touch, +2 Group)

Ankh of Moving Forward

CrCo 60
Pen +12, constant effect
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual

When this silver ankh is placed around the neck of a character, all of her wounds are instantly healed and she no longer suffers any Wound Penalties.

This enchanted item does not permanently heal the character; it actually suspends her natural healing, and when the ankh is removed all her wounds return. The intended use is that grogs may place this ankh around the neck of their grievously injured mistress, who can then cast spells and direct the grogs as to the best course of further action without penalty.

Note that, as this item has low Penetration, a typical maga needs to suppress her Magic Resistance when she puts this item on, in order to be affected by it. Recall that if a maga is unconscious, then her Parma Magica will automatically cease at the next sunrise or sunset when she does not renew the ritual, leaving her protected only by her Corpus Form. The item's Penetration is often enough to defeat that Magic Resistance, but not always.

(Base 35, +1 Touch, +2 Sun; +4 Constant Effect; +6 Penetration)

Bowl of the Honest Traveler

ReMe 29
Pen 0, constant effect.
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Structure

This enchanted pauper's bowl, resting on a shelf in the zenodochium, inclines all who are within the structure to scrupulous honesty. This is usually enough to prevent opportunistic thieving from the zenodochium, in much the same way that The Shrouded Glen (ArM5, page 152) prevents casual discovery of a location. If a character is determined to steal from the zenodochium, make a Personality Roll (using a suitable Personality trait) against an Ease Factor of 12. If the Personality Roll is failed, the character's conscience prevents him from stealing from the zenodochium.

Obviously, as this item has no Penetration, it does not prevent magi and other characters with Magic Resistance from stealing from zenodochia.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 Sun +3 Structure; +4 Constant Effect)

Ward Against the Infernal Agents of Disease

ReVi 35
Pen +12, constant effect
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Structure

This enchanted cross is hung above the entrance to the zenodochium. It prevents minor disease demons (and other types of demons, too) who have a Might of 10 or less from entering the zenodochium.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 Sun +3 Structure; +4 Constant Effect, +6 Penetration 12)

Ward Against Mad Dreams

ReVi 35
Pen +12, constant effect
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Structure

This enchanted iron horseshoe is hung above the entrance to the zenodochium. It prevents faeries of Might 10 or less from entering the zenodochium.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 Sun +3 Structure; +4 Constant Effect, +6 Penetration 12)

The Oppidum of Kezdö Válasz

Kezdö Válasz is a commitment rather than a physical site. Its members swear to be the first to respond to threats and promise to abandon laboratory work and personal study at a moment's notice. The oppidum is not located in a single place; rather, it is a series of forts. All of the members are citizens of the Tribunal, cives, including foreign magi who would otherwise be considered foederati. Joining Kezdö Válasz can be viewed as instant citizenship to the Tribunal, but it is not a guarantee. Tremere magi permanently keep this privilege, but magi of other Houses must renegotiate this privilege if they leave Kezdö Válasz.

History

Originally named Primum Responsans, Latin for "initial response," this oppidum is better known by the Hungarian name Kezdö Válasz. In 1008, the Tremere magus Norsius established an oppidum to defend the Tribunal's borders during the Schism War. More historian than military expert, Norsius was inspired by the defensive features of the Roman Empire, particularly Trajan's Wall. The wall allowed troops to be rapidly deployed from one section to another. Realizing that it would be impossible to construct a wall entirely around the Tribunal, Norsius focused on fast deployment. He constructed a handful of forts throughout the Tribunal, each placed in a magic aura found somewhere near the Tribunal's extensive border. Each fort would be staffed by two magi, who would live there and react to any nearby threat. In the meantime, each magus would work to improve his magic, either through study, creating enchantments, or other arcane experiments. The battlegrounds of the Schism War never reached Transylvania, though, and Norsius' defensive network was never tested.

As the kingdoms of the Balkan Peninsula emerged, Norsius' filius, Gasparus, took his parens' idea one step further. He spread the forts throughout the Tribunal, allowing the magi of Kezdö Válasz to live near any potential problem area, internal or external. So as not to become static and immobile, each pair of magi promised to move after every Tribunal meeting, relocating every seven years to a new fort. Forts were created as necessary and magi moved, taking their sanctum markers and laboratories with them. Sometimes old forts were destroyed but other times they remained, with some few being reused over the decades. The entire operation was organized by the oppidum's leader, who traditionally lived in the first fort Norsius created.

Setting and Description

Currently there are four active forts in the Tribunal, each home to two magi. All the forts are physically the same: a twostory stone building with a single entrance, pierced by narrow arrow slits, and a taller watchtower rising from one of the corners. The ground floor holds a kitchen and great hall, where most of the daily routine activities happen. Two circular stairways are built in the thick walls, one leading up to the second story and watchtower, and one leading down to the basement, where supplies and

Active forts are staffed by approximately a dozen people: men-at-arms, cooks, animal handlers, servants, various craftsmen, and an autocrat. Spouses and children were originally restricted from living on the premises, but this rule has been relaxed over the years. The staff moves when the magi do, and it is their responsibility to move the possessions, provisions, and equipment from the old fort to the new. The magi readily delegate this duty to the autocrat. Depending on how distant the new location is from the old, establishing the fort can take one to two seasons.

The first fort created by Norsius is located in the ruins of Sarmizegethusa, the former palace of the second-century Dacian king Decebalus. Located near the center of the Tribunal, Sarmizegethusa Fort is the only fort that isn't abandoned every seven years. It retains a permanent staff and two Hermetic laboratories, although the labs are not always occupied. Traditionally, the two labs are for the leader and his partner. However, both magi have other labs located elsewhere, and it is in those that they hang their sanctum markers. Sarmizegethusa Fort is the only permanent location of Kezdö Válasz, and it is here that the oppidum stores its many casting tables, stockpiles of vis, and equipment that isn't immediately needed.

After the Transylvania's Tribunal meeting, the magi choose new locations for the next seven-year stint. If a fort doesn't already exist at the desired location, a new one is made. Kezdö Válasz has several casting tablets containing the ritual spell necessary to create a fort, and other casting tables to create generic laboratories. If a magus has a specialized lab, it is up to him to move it, naturally with assistance. If the lab isn't specialized, the magus can simple create a new one. Old forts are left where they are or destroyed, depending on other factors. If the fort has drawn mundane attention, it will be removed. The members like to keep the forts fairly secret, within the House at least, and if too much supernatural attention has been drawn to the fort, it will be destroyed. Casting tables exist that can reduce a fort to rubble. Abandoned forts are generally left empty.

Fort Locations

Kezdö Válasz's forts can be anywhere, placed specifically for adventures in your Tribunal. While not movable, a fort is easily created and destroyed with magic, so that locations can easily change. As mentioned, the only permanent fort is located near Sarmizegethusa. Other possible locations for forts are:

The Bran Pass.

The Madara Plateau.

North of Varna on the Black Sea coast.

Near the border of Serbia and the Despotate of Epirus on the Adriatic coast.

The Iron Gates on the Danube River.

West of the Carpathian Mountains on the Pontic-Caspian steppe, an area notorious for large gatherings of Cuman warriors.

North of Adrianople on the Bulgarian-Byzantine border.

The Treasure of Decebalus

In 105, the Roman Emperor Trajan invaded Dacia because the Dacian king Decebalus had broken the terms of a treaty. As the superior Roman army marched toward his palace, Decebalus hid his kingdom's treasure. He ordered captive Roman soldiers to divert the Sargetias River, and hid the majority of his and his nobles' wealth in the river bed, sealing the vast quantities of gold and silver in place with stones, and then allowed the Sargetias to return to its regular course. More treasure was hidden in the many grottoes and underground caverns along one stretch of the river. Killing every captive involved in the effort, Decebalus thought his treasure secure.
Captive Dacian nobles proved otherwise, and told their Roman conquerors where the treasure was. According to a Byzantine official's report, Decebalus' treasure contained unparalleled amounts of gold and silver, and thousands of priceless heirlooms of the Dacian nobility. The official's report also says that the treasure wasn't recovered, nor does it mention finding the caves that hid Decebalus' personal goods. Was the treasure buried under the river discovered and then moved, or was it located but not retrieved?
The ruins of Decebalus' palace, Sarmizegethusa, have been found and, in 1220, are used as the foundation for one of Kezdö Válasz's forts. The Sargetias River and the caves have not been discovered. There is a small river flowing from the western slopes of the Hargitta Mountains that the local Vlachs call the "Vargyas River" which might be the Sargetias. The magi of Kezdö Válasz have not specifically looked for the treasure because it pales beside the amount kept at Lycaneon. But there might be another reason the magi haven't looked for it: dragons. Slavonic dragons love lining their lairs with gold and silver, and a horde of this size is very likely to have attracted a dragon over the years.

Culture and Tradition

Most of the time the magi of Kezdö Válasz lead lives much like their fellows. Seasons are spent in the laboratory or library, studying Arts, improving Arcane Abilities, and enchanting items. Different from their fellows, however, is the pledge to leave the fort immediately if a threat arises. As they wait, poised to act, the magi focus on spells and enchanted devices that allow long-distance communication and instantaneous travel. To ensure that they are the first on the scene, the oppidum keeps a network of spies and mundane agents in key positions throughout the Tribunal.

Kezdö Válasz has approximately 55 grogs in total. Not all of the mundane staff live at one of the active forts. Many live apart, operating as field agents in courts, cities, and religious centers. Their duty is to keep the magi informed through regular reports. Each magus has a number of rings, bracelets, and small charms that can be used to contact one another. Many of these devices have been enchanted personally, but others have been invented by Leona. Each charm affects the magus in a specific way, and each is constructed with enough Penetration to pass through the magus' Parma Magica. The magical effects are minor, and are used as signals. For example, Essedarius has a ring that when activated changes his left thumbnail blue. He has given the ring to a custos living in the city of Niš on the Serbian-Bulgarian border, who uses the ring to signal Essedarius if anything is amiss. Other agents who report to Essedarius have similar communication devices, but the minor magical effect is slightly different. If Essedarius' thumbnail turns blue, he knows that his agent in Niš needs him. Every magus of Kezdö Válasz has a handful of such devices given to his agents and colleagues.

Speed is essential and every member of the oppidum has developed ways to move rapidly to distant locations. Norsius originally thought magi should ride horses, a romantic yet impractical notion, and invented spells and enchanted devices that suppressed the horse's revulsion to a Gifted rider. Some current members ride — it is traditional for the leader to ride a horse, and some of the younger members enjoy being in the saddle — but horses are not the quickest means of moving around the Tribunal. The oppidum owns several enchanted devices that instantly transport a magus to different locations using Arcane Connections to those places, and the members are encouraged to learn Rego Corpus spells to accomplish the same method of transportation. While they can't suddenly appear anywhere, they can instantaneously travel to designated locations.

Once a year, on the anniversary of the founding of the oppidum (August 12), the oppidum's magi meet at Fort Sarmizegethusa to exchange information and ideas, and to generally catch up with each other. The meeting usually lasts a week. New members are introduced, if they have not been already, and assigned to a fort. When there are an odd number of members, a fort that normally holds two magi will hold three, the meeting room being replaced with a third Hermetic laboratory. Magi who want to form a vexillation announce their intentions at the annual meeting.

Magi

Kezdö Válasz's current membership is eight. Only two of the four pairs of magi are described, leaving you room to detail the other members of Kezdö Válasz. The oppidum readily accepts new members, especially recently gauntleted Tremere magi. Kezdö Válasz can easily provide players who enjoy mission-based adventures with a home for their characters.

Story Seeds for Kezdö Válasz's Magi

Kezdö Válasz readily accepts young magi as members, both newly gauntleted Tremere and foreign magi who would otherwise be coloniae. It is one of the easier oppida to join, and is an ideal way to introduce new magi to the Tribunal. New members might be paired with other new members or with older magi. They will be placed in a fort, and each receives an equal share of the oppidum's privileges and responsibilities. New members are not free agents exactly, and must follow the commands of Essedarius, the oppidum's leader. His agenda is always full, and he will never run out of errands and missions for the younger members.

New Foundations

Worried that hostilities between the Hungarians and the Bošnjanin could result in military action, Essedarius equips the young magi with vis and casting tablets, and tells them to create a fort at the Iron Gate, a gorge that separates the upper and lower Danube valleys at the junction of the Carpathian and Balkan Mountains. Remnants of the Bridge of Apollodorus, built during Emperor Trajan's reign and destroyed 100 years later, remain. Rumors say that ghostly legionnaires still cross the bridge on nights of the full moon. Essedarius wonders if a magical version of the bridge still exists in a regio, which might explain the ghosts, and tells the characters to investigate that as a possible location for the fort.

Rushing to the Rescue

The museum oppidum Tablinum calls for help. A zmaj has entered one of the hidden exhibits, arriving through a previously unknown entrance, or by some power possessed by the dragon. It is destroying the contained items and must be stopped immediately. The hidden exhibit is called "The Bones of the Founders" by the curator, but he will not say more, telling the magi that they should only kill the zmaj, not explore the regio.

Wrangling a Few New Steeds

Forever horse-lovers, the magi of Kezdö Válasz desire new mounts. Adulio has heard that a renowned faerie horse called "Golden Sunshine" has been spotted on the plain of horses, a vast area along the upper Danube. He asks the player characters to capture the faerie horse for him, as he is otherwise committed. Actually, Adulio has heard that faerie horses can be more trouble than they are worth, and wants to see what happens if the steed befriends one of the player magi first, before becoming property of the horse's new owner.

Essedarius of House Tremere

Age: 85 (apparent age: 38)
Personality Traits: Steadfast +3, Thoughtful +2, Cheerful +1.
Privilege: Cives

Essedarius, filius of Macrobius, is the leader of Kezdö Válasz. Tall and stocky, with brown eyes and a bald head, Essedarius appears confident and relaxed. He usually dresses in dark-colored riding clothes and always carries his talisman, an enchanted sword instilled with several powers that inflict wounds and affect things at a distance. A Corpus specialist, Essedarius looks the same as he did years ago, when he underwent his first longevity ritual.

Essedarius is the fourth leader in Kezdö Válasz's history, a direct descendent of the founder, Norsius, through Gasparus and his filius Macrobius. Born into the Order of Hermes, the son of a warrior who lived at Laniena, he was trained at the Scholomance and has never known of a life outside House Tremere. A determined if not brilliant student, he was selected as Macrobius' apprentice and has followed in his parens' footsteps. When Macrobius was slain in 1215, rent to pieces in an accidental encounter with an angry griffin, Essedarius accepted the position of leading the oppidum.

New in his position, Essedarius has not faced any real threats yet. He is keenly aware of the growing conflict between Bosnia and Hungary, and fears the widespread slaughter that a crusade might bring. He has identified several Hungarians knights who frequently cross the border searching for heretical Patarians to kill. He warns his agents to stay out of their way, but will defend his Bosnian spies if they are attacked. To prove his leadership capabilities, Essedarius has not been living in his fort but in the field, staying at a camp with six armed grogs. He believes this display shows his commitment to the oppidum, while others complain that it is a waste of his time and he should be working to improve his Arts instead.

Leona of House Tremere

Age: 106 (apparent age: 56)
Personality Traits: Quick-tempered +3, Competitive +2, Naturalist +2.
Privilege: Cives

Leona is currently partnered with Essedarius, her former partner Macrobius' replacement. Of average height and overweight, she also dresses in riding clothes like most of her sodales. An expert at Herbam magic, she gains most of her information from the local flora, asking questions directly from the trees and shrubs in the various areas she visits. Her magical sigil is the scent of lilac, which is stronger with higher magnitude spells. Many assume she is slow-moving and ponderous, but in truth she is quick to act and easily angered.

Leona was not with Macrobius when he was slain by a griffin, and she still blames herself for her partner's death. Tracking down and killing the beast did little to quell her rage, and she persists in hunting the magical creatures. When she can, she prowls the southern Dinaric Alps, focusing on the Prokletije range in southern Serbia. The locals call the Prokletije the "Accursed Mountains," a name she finds particularly apt since it is where Macrobius fell. She has recently built a fort there, near the source of the Erenick River. Remote and difficult to access, her sodales complain that it is a misuse of Kezdö Válasz's casting tablets and vis. Essedarius has assured them that it is only a phase, and the fort will be abandoned as soon as Leona's anger cools.

Adulio of House Tremere

Age: 41 (apparent age: 36)
Personality Traits: Ambitious +3, Restless +3, Loyal +2.
Privilege: Cives

Adulio joined Kezdö Válasz in 1204, two months after the city of Constantinople fell to the Latins. This climatic event at the end of his apprenticeship led Adulio to believe the Transylvanian Tribunal was also in danger, and that joining Kezdö Válasz was the most effective use of his abilities. The magi of Thebes have seen the harm that crusading armies can do to their Tribunal, and Adulio means to prevent a similar event in Transylvania. Reedthin and dark-haired, Adulio has a perilous look to him, as if he is ready to launch into violence at the slightest provocation. His familiar is a Eurasian lynx named Ucigas (Romanian for "Killer"), a restless creature that adds to Adulio's dangerous appearance. Adulio prefers Auram spells that destroy things.

In the 16 years since his joining, Adulio has been mostly disappointed at the lack of a large threat to the Tribunal. Infrequent runins with giants have only momentarily abated his desire for combat, but he still hopes for greater challenges. The most vocal warmonger at Kezdö Válasz, Adulio sees danger at every corner. He has been censured twice by the Tribunal's Quaesitors, once for needlessly antagonizing the local faeries, and a second time when he intentionally slew a band of Latin knights raiding from Epirus. Neither reprimand changed his nature; Adulio remains a strung bow ready to shoot.

Like Essedarius, Adulio likes to ride. He has a magic bridle crafted by Essedarius that soothes a horse and allows the beast to carry the magus. Adulio's father was a horse breeder and the magus has a good eye for well-bred mounts.

Neculai of House Bjornaer

Age: 47 (apparent age: 39)
Personality Traits: Observant +3, Agile +2, Grumpy +2.
Privilege: Socius

Neculai is a Hungarian native, born in the Carpathian foothills. Found by a migrating Bjornaer magus, he was apprenticed and raised in the Stonehenge Tribunal. Once gauntleted, he yearned for his homeland, and petitioned several Transylvanian covenants for membership. Needing an aedile at the time, Kezdö Válasz quickly accepted his application, to which he reluctantly agreed. Neculai is small-framed and hawkish, with a beak-like nose and hair so black that it seems tinted blue. An Intellego specialist, Neculai can magically speak to almost any bird, beast, and fish.

Neculai is a member of Clan Sirnas, the branch of magi within House Bjornaer who serve as protectors and guardians. Always suspicious of House Tremere, and being one of the few non-Latin Houses of the Order, Clan Sirnas keeps a watchful eye on the Tremere magi. Neculai serves these interests well, and the clan expects him to return useful reports on the machinations of House Tremere. Personally, Neculai resents this role almost as much as he resents being paired with Adulio. He refuses to act covertly, either for his House or his oppidum sodales. He does not repeat what happens at the Gathering of Twelve Years to his oppidum members, but informs them that he may recount his personal observations at the Gathering, which he has twice attended since joining Kezdö Válasz. These observations may or may not contain Tremere business. Essedarius is unconcerned, saying that House Tremere has nothing to hide and House Bjornaer has nothing to fear.

Neculai's heartbeast is a pern, also called a honey buzzard: a kite-sized, migratory raptor that usually preys on wasp and hornet larva, but will also eat small reptiles, birds, and mammals. Flying is an ideal mode of transportation for the Tribunal's rugged terrain. Recently, Essedarius has asked Neculai to visit Leona at the remote Prokletije fort, ostensibly to keep her informed of the oppidum's business but also to keep her under observation.

Story Seeds for Kezdö Válasz's Environs

Every seven years, Kezdö Válasz's magi leave their old forts for new forts. Not every fort is destroyed when the magi leave, and if they think they may use it again, the magi let the fort stand. Even if they never intend to return, if the casting tablet with the Destroy the Fort spell isn't handy, the magi may just abandon the fort. A few forts lie scattered about in locations that no longer interest the magi of Kezdö Válasz. While all were originally constructed in Magic auras, things change. Some remaining forts rest in Magic auras, a few in Faerie auras, and one or two sit in Infernal auras.
Abandoned forts could house new inhabitants. Wandering coloniae who know the operations of Kezdö Válasz might temporarily move into a fort, hoping that the oppidum won't come visiting anytime soon. While it once belonged to the oppidum, they left it. Who owns it now? A story could involve a powerful colonia taking up residence in a fort that the magi of Kezdö Válasz want to re-occupy. Elder magi might ask the oppidum's newest members (the player characters) to figure out a way to deal with the interloper.
Wandering magi are not the only possible squatters. Transylvania is thick with faerie creatures. Giants are always on the watch for a new home, especially if that home is near a local village. Unattended forts in remote mountain locations might suddenly become home to a magical dragon. Forts near human settlements could be taken over by wandering knights seeking refuge or local bandits seeking a hiding spot.

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.

Open License Markdown version by YR7 & OriginalMadman, https://github.com/OriginalMadman/Ars-Magica-Open-License

See Also

Chapter Seven: Networks of Hidden Fortresses

The Hospital

The Zenodochium

Casting Tablets

Story Seed: The Plague House

Story Seed: The Disease Trap

The Ague Staff

Disease Effect