Chapter 2: Grogs in the Covenant

"No-one is to be kept in your household if you have not reasonable belief that they are faithful, discreet, painstaking and honest, and of good manners ... if they are disloyal, unwise, filthy in person, unprofitable, gluttonous, quarrelsome, or drunken, they should be turned out."

— Robert Grosseteste, Rules

The majority of grogs in service to magi live and work at the covenant, and spend most of their lives within its walls. This chapter discusses the life of a grog at a covenant: what their roles are and how they are organized and governed.

Types of Grogs

The inhabitants of a covenant — excluding magi and companions — can be split into three broad categories. First are the servants, who contribute to the day-to-day operation of the covenant; next are the specialists, who are concerned with the personal demands of the magi; and finally the soldiers, who assist in its defense.

Servants

A covenant's servants are those essential personnel who keep the covenant running. Much of the time, they go about their labors unremarked by the magi, but without them, meals would not be cooked, chambers would not be cleaned, and crops would go unharvested in the fields. The in-house servants are the cooks, bakers, maids, stablehands, errand boys, and so forth. Craftsmen also belong to the servant class: stonemasons and carpenters maintain the physical structure of the covenant; blacksmiths, weavers, leatherworkers, and chandlers contribute to the consumables; armorers, weapon smiths and bowyers create and maintain the equipment of the soldiers; and glassblowers, potters, parchment-makers, and binders support the laboratories and scriptoria of the magi.

In addition to the indoor servants, there are the outdoor servants: the farmhands, fishermen, hunters, and herders who provide food for the covenant; and the teamsters who procure and transport provisions and supplies.

In the Covenants supplement for Ars Magica Fifth Edition, the number of servants and teamsters required by a covenant is determined by the total number of inhabitants of the covenant (Covenants, page 64). Broadly speaking, in a Spring covenant, two servants and one teamster are needed to support two magi, three companions, or ten soldiers. Laborers and craftsmen are not essential, but without them, the covenant has to buy all its food and supplies. Laborers can reduce expenditure on Provisions, and craftsmen can reduce expenditure on a wide range of covenant costs (Covenants, page 66).

Story Seed: Understairs Rivalry

The serving folk have grown sick of the airs and graces put on by the personal servant of one of the magi, and feel she needs to be brought down a peg or two. They plot to cause her to look incompetent and foolish in front of her master by sabotaging her efforts. This might begin as simple teasing, but could easily progress into something dangerous without meaning to. For example, the serving folk might switch the contents of two containers, not realizing what effect this will have on the magus's lab work. This might force a roll on the Experimentation Table, and if the season of work is wasted or ruined, the magus will want to know why.
The player characters could be the targeted servant and her friends, the saboteurs, or the characters trying to resolve the situation, such as the chamberlain and the turb captain.

Personal Servants

Many covenants assign a personal servant to every magus. Each magus may have preferences for the type of food he is served, when and how his sanctum is cleaned, how his clothes are tailored, and so forth. Furthermore, this servant eventually grows used to her master's Gift (see Chapter 4). Some personal servants become specialists of some kind, or even laboratory assistants if they have sufficient intelligence. Other magi prefer their personal servants to be their agents outside of the covenant. Of course, the extreme example of such a servant is a companion character, although most magi have a personal servant as well as a companion. On the other hand, there are some magi who barely register the presence of a personal servant.

Despite having many similarities to specialists or even soldiers (see later), a personal servant is still very much responsible for day-to-day tasks around the magus's sanctum. He ensures that his meals are provided on time, and are to his liking, perhaps even preparing them himself. He lays out his clothes for each day, sees to mending any rips and tears, and assists in his bathing routine. He may assist in shaving, cutting hair, and trimming nails, and understands the importance of destroying any remnants in sight of his master. He has a daily routine of tidying the living quarters and possibly the laboratory, and is certainly apprised of what he may and may not touch, although if the magus has an apprentice, the cleaning of the laboratory may be part of the apprentice's duties rather than the manservant's. Performing all these services for a magus is the mark of the personal servant; if he is exempted from these in lieu of other duties, then he is probably a specialist rather than a servant.

Being the personal servant of a magus holds a certain cachet in the "understairs" hierarchy of the covenant, and personal servants form a privileged elite among the covenfolk. This might qualify them for the Custos Virtue, or the improved status might be more subtle than this. The personal servant might hint at — or possess in reality — the ear of his master, and use this to secure better food or quarters for himself. He typically aggrandizes his master among the covenfolk (even if secretly he terrifies him), and the fortunes of a personal servant track the status of the magus within the covenant.

Personal servants make good grogs to play. Unlike companion characters, a personal servant can easily be run by the player of the magus he serves, but it is often more fun if a different player is involved to assist with the dialogue between the two. The Abilities of a personal servant should complement those of his magus; some concepts are given here:

TYPE OF MAGUS	PERSONAL SERVANTS
Aquam specialist	sailor
Astrologer	instrument-maker
Healer	nurse, apothecary
Herbam specialist	gardener
Holy magus	cantor, acolyte
House Flambeau	squire
House Guernicus	scribe, advocate
House Jerbiton	artist, model, muse
House Verditius	forge companion*
Monster hunter	tracker
Necromancer	grave robber
Theurgist	worshiper/cultist

\* See Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults, page 113.

The Chamberlain

The chamberlain coordinates the activities of all the servants in a covenant. Every covenant has a chamberlain of sorts (although the position is not always officially recognized); without one, the day-to-day running of all but the smallest covenant would grind to a halt. In small covenants, a character can take on the role of chamberlain while performing other tasks for the covenant, but most medium-sized covenants require a dedicated person in this role. Large covenants may grant the chamberlain a personal staff of officials: one in charge of the food, another in control of the clothing, another overseeing the craftsmen, and so forth (see "A Noble Household," later). Governing the servants of a covenant is covered by the Profession: Chamberlain Ability, and chamberlains are usually treated as specialists.

Although it is not absolutely necessary, most chamberlains can read and write and know basic arithmetic (all covered by the Artes Liberales Ability); this permits them to keep the covenant accounts, and a schedule for planning the harvests and other seasonal events, and to learn from the covenant rolls (see insert).

A conscientious chamberlain can improve the overall attitude of the servants in the face of The Gift, by acting as an intermediary between the magi and the servants. The chamberlain mediates the effects of The Gift and boosts the Prevailing Loyalty of the covenfolk (Covenants, page 38, and Chapter 4 of this book). However, the chamberlain could just as easily poison the minds of his staff against the magi, and can reduce the Prevailing Loyalty instead of increasing it. Magi are usually careful to choose a trustworthy individual as their chamberlain, and to keep him happy.

The chamberlain often has to contend with the personal servants of the magi, who seek to reserve particular resources or services for their masters that are needed elsewhere. These personal servants often treat the chamberlain as an equal rather than a superior, and in some covenants this is explicitly permitted. This is a very good way to alienate the chamberlain.

The Covenant Rolls

The covenant rolls are the records of the accounts from previous years, and are an invaluable aid to the chamberlain. He can consult the rolls of previous years to plan ahead for the coming season, and if they are of sufficient age, the rolls allow him to make predictions for the harvest.
The rolls serve as a summa for the Profession: Chamberlain Ability, typically with a Quality of 6. The Level starts at 2, but increases by 1 for every two decades of the covenant's existence. A character could, in theory, learn the whole job of a chamberlain from reading the rolls of an old covenant. The rolls are also usually a tractatus of Area Lore: Covenant, of Quality 6. However, if chamberlains have made a habit of using the rolls as a diary, these tractatus build into an encyclopedia of Area Lore: Covenant. Every decade, a new volume is added to the encyclopedia, and every five volumes comprise a new tractatus of Quality 6 (for more on encyclopedias, see Art & Academe, page 27). A chamberlain cannot learn from the material he has personally contributed to the covenant rolls, so gets no benefit from any level increases during his tenure.
If removed from the covenant, the rolls constitute an Arcane Connection to the covenant lasting weeks (ArM5, page 84), and even when the connection has expired, they are a sympathetic connection to the covenant with a bonus to the Penetration Multiplier of +1. Like other encyclopedias, the rolls can be used to look up specific facts about the covenant: make an Intelligence + Area Lore: Covenant roll with an Ease Factor related to the obscurity of the information sought. The character need not have the Area Lore: Covenant Ability to make a research attempt, and receives a +1 bonus per tractatus in the rolls.
Of course, not all covenants have an unbroken series of rolls, and not all past chamberlains may have contributed material of equal value. There may be a gap where a chamberlain was not able to read or write, or scribed her records in a different language or in a cipher. Furthermore, some of the rolls of parchment may have become lost, damaged, or stolen. The storyguide should determine the effects that this has on the Level and Quality of the rolls; in general, rolls missing volumes have a lower Level, whereas damaged rolls have a lower Quality.
The rolls may also contain longlost secrets about the covenant, as chamberlains occasionally use the rolls as a personal diary as well as an accounts book. They are of potential interest to an enemy, since the rolls might have all sorts of details about the covenant that could be exploited, such as a record of the building of secret passages, locations of vis sources, and special requirements of the magi. It is quite possible that the magi are totally unaware of the existence of the covenant rolls, and may be horrified at the level of detail innocently added by chamberlains over the years.

Story Seed: Undercover Accounts

The covenant rolls go missing, and the chamberlain places the player characters in charge of finding them again. This must be done without the magi discovering what they are doing, since the rolls contain all sorts of embarrassing observations about the magi made by the former (or current) chamberlain, and perhaps even secrets about the covenant itself. The location of the missing rolls could be innocent (the parchment-maker has scraped them clean, not realizing their importance) or potentially damaging (an enemy agent has taken them).

Specialists

The specialists are those covenfolk who do not contribute to the day-today running of the covenant, or to its defense. It is a catch-all category that covers a wide range of skills, from mundane professions such as scout, huntsman, and merchant; through skilled professions such as scribe, trainer, and translator; to exotic professions such as animal trainer, alchemist, and bard. Specialists are generally quite focused on a few key Abilities, and are retained by the covenant because they are good at their jobs. Individuals who are good all-rounders, or skilled in multiple areas of expertise, are usually companion characters. Because of the enhanced capacities they offer a covenant above and beyond its normal business, specialists are bought with covenant build points (ArM5, page 72).

Craftsmen often straddle the line between servants and specialists with respect to how they fit into the covenant's hierarchy. A smith who works for the covenant is considered a servant if his daily labor is to make tools for the covenant, sharpen agricultural tools, and repair broken metal items. However, if he makes unique items for the magi, or crafts fine goods for sale, then he is classed as a specialist. Both are "craftsmen" according to Covenants, and may reduce the outgoings of the covenant, but the master craftsman claims the privileges of a specialist, whereas the more menial workers are paid and fed as servants. For example, a specialist craftsman is an artisan, a master of his craft, and is in charge of a workshop in which his journeymen and apprentices are the covenant's servants.

Many of the personal servants of the magi (see earlier) would also fall into the specialist role, if they did not apply their talents specifically in the service of a single magus. Nevertheless, a personal servant might command the same salary, food, and accommodation privileges as a specialist, and cost the same in terms of covenant finances (Covenants, page 63).

Agents

Agents are specialists who, rather than working within the covenant itself or in its immediate vicinity, are to be found further afield. An agent could be as simple as a merchant or craftsman maintaining a business in a nearby city. However, most agents have been carefully placed to maximize their use to the covenant, as sources of information or remote assistance. A cautious covenant might have agents in the local bishop's palace, among the staff of an important nobleman, or even in a rival covenant. The steward (see later) is usually responsible for coordinating the agency of a covenant, although covenants with large agencies often employ a factor to manage their agents. The factor is usually placed under the direct command of the steward.

Agents still need to be bought with covenant build points like any other specialist, but they need not be included in the covenfolk roster when it comes to determining finances. Their salary is subsumed into the general budget of the covenant, unless the covenant maintains an unusual number of agents. Rules for recruiting and using agents are to be found in Houses of Hermes: Societates, pages 140–144.

The Steward

The steward is an appointed officer of the covenant charged with seeing to the needs of the specialists. This role differs from that of the chamberlain in that the steward is not normally in charge of the specialists, but he is ultimately responsible for ensuring that they perform the job for which they are employed. The steward therefore makes sure that an artisan has the raw materials that he needs, that the animal trainer has sufficient cages, and that the forester has arrows made for him by the covenant's fletcher. He also arranges purchasers for the goods made by specialist craftsmen. In most covenants, the role of steward is not subordinate to the specialists (although he himself may be treated as one); he must marshal the resources of the specialists so that they provide the services demanded by the magi, and he is responsible for discipline. The role of steward is governed by the Profession: Steward Ability, and they often have the Leadership Ability in addition.

A good steward ameliorates the effects that The Gift has on the covenant's specialists by ensuring that the magi are aware of the contributions of their skilled covenfolk, and suggesting occasional rewards or singling out particular individuals for praise (Covenants, page 38). Much like the chamberlain, a poorly-treated or overworked steward may have the reverse effect, causing the covenfolk's reaction to The Gift be heightened, and encourage disloyalty and rebellion.

The Autocrat

Arae Flaviae combined the position of chamberlain and steward into a single role, called the autocrat. Many covenants since have followed their example. The role of autocrat is an important one; he is in command of all the non-military covenfolk, and is therefore perhaps the most influential member of the covenant who is not a magus. Autocrats are occasionally permitted to attend meetings of the covenant's council, and asked to provide reports. Some autocrats are even allowed to comment on matters brought before the council, although if the matter is inconsequential to the covenant's structure or inhabitants, their opinions might be ignored.
The liber gregis has a lot to say about the role of the autocrat, all of it positive. Rather than being Beorhtric's words, these sections are generally believed to derive from interpolations by the scribe, who reported directly to the autocrat.

Rivalry between the steward and the chamberlain is quite common. Some covenants explicitly place the chamberlain as a specialist under the command of the steward, whereas others make them equals. Both branches of the covenant's covenfolk perform important functions, but each branch chief elevates the importance of his staff over that of the other branch. This rivalry can seethe beneath the surface for many generations of covenfolk, while the magi remain blissfully ignorant of it, since it rarely impinges on their sphere of interest. The "Organization" section later in this chapter presents some ideas as to how such rivalries can generate stories. Many covenants avoid this potential rivalry through an autocrat who plays both roles (see insert).

Soldiers

The soldiers are those grogs whose duty is to defend the covenant and its members from physical threats. Combat-capable companions are rarely considered to be soldiers; they are more likely to act as heroes and champions than as common footsoldiers. Furthermore, soldiers need to train together and have roughly equal Combat Totals to fight effectively as a trained group; companion characters are either too busy to attend drill practice or too skilled (or both) to take part. It is unusual for a covenant to have no soldiers — Mythic Europe is a sufficiently dangerous place that even the most pacifistic magi need protection.

Due to the restrictions of the Code of Hermes, magi are not permitted to provide feudal service to local lords in terms of manpower; and yet it cannot have escaped the attention of the local nobility that the "scholars" on the hill have a standing army. They might interpret this as a threat or an opportunity to fulfill their own feudal obligations to their liege without risking their own men in a war. Indeed, some covenants may even hire out their soldiers to the nobility as a source of income. Every saga needs to consider the attitude of the mundane powers toward magi employing soldiers; some ideas for this interaction can be found in Lords of Men.

Troop Types

Those who perform military service, either as conscripts or as volunteers, are usually trained so that they can serve in certain military units, rather than given an overall education in many different weapons and Martial Abilities. The most common troop types in Mythic Europe are described in this insert.

Infantry

Archers: The English longbowman is a comparatively new troop type and still used principally in a defensive configuration. Archer units armed with short bows are occasionally used in warfare, but the short bow is considered principally a hunting weapon. The Saracens have employed archer units since the first Crusades, and Western armies are beginning to copy them.
Crossbowmen: Lacking the accuracy and shooting rate of the longbow, but more powerful and requiring less training, crossbowmen are deployed with javeliners and archers, and also used to protect the command staff. The Genoese crossbowmen are famous as mercenaries throughout Mythic Europe. Rules for crossbows can be found in Covenants and Lords of Men.
Heavy Infantry: The basic foot-soldier, clad in the heaviest armor that can be afforded — usually metal scale — and armed with long swords or maces, and round shields. The heavy infantry usually composes the greater part of an army; cavalry units can only be overcome with weight of numbers or with missile fire.
Javeliners: Where longbows are not employed, the javelin is the principal missile unit. Javeliners are occasionally skirmish units, but are usually combined with standard infantry.
Mounted Infantry: These are units that ride to battle and then dismount to fight; this tactic does not risk valuable horses, and lends superior mobility to the otherwise slow-maneuvering heavy infantry.
Pikemen: These troops employ the long spear in a "hedgehog" formation of densely-packed men. These troops are commonly urban militia or peasant levies, but the Scots, the Flemish, the Swabians, and the Bavarians specialize in this unit type. The length of the weapon prevents men-at-arms from engaging, and can effectively break up a cavalry charge.
Skirmishers: Light infantry armed with javelins, slings, short swords, or spears, and sometimes light shields. Skirmisher units are lightly armored to provide battlefield mobility, and are usually used to harry the enemy from the flanks or defend the heavy infantry.

Cavalry

Heavy Cavalry: The preeminent military force in the 13th century, knights are employed as shock troops at the beginning of combat. Lances are used for the initial charge, and the knights then switch to long swords, maces, or mace-and-chain. Chain mail is almost ubiquitous. Further from the heartland of Mythic Europe, conscripted heavy cavalry troops are employed in the Byzantine armies (the famed kataphractoi), and by the Bulgarians, Lithuanians, and Russians.
Light Cavalry: Deployed principally in scouting, communication, and reconnaissance roles, and to join battle with enemy reconnaissance units. Light cavalry use swift horses and light armor, and usually carry spears or long swords. Occasionally, they carry missile weapons.
Lancers: More lightly armored than the heavy cavalry, yet armed with long spears and used to support infantry in the absence of other cavalry units.
Mounted Archers: Employed in Roman times but since then have lost favor; however, mounted archers are common in the east of Mythic Europe.

The Turb Captain

The turb captain is the leader of all the soldiers at a covenant. Only covenants with very unusual organization structures do not have a single leader for all their warriors, since an army cannot be effectively led by a committee. Of the three executive officers of a covenant (chamberlain, steward, and captain), the turb captain is the most likely to be a companion character. Even though the captain may be too skilled with his weapon to fight in a trained group with his men, his leadership and tactical knowledge are invaluable. A turb captain is provisioned as a specialist at least, and may be treated as a companion character even if he is designed as a grog, in recognition of his importance to the covenant.

Unit Sergeants

The captain often selects sergeants to command smaller units of the turb. This is particularly important if the soldiers consist of specialized troops, such as cavalry, archers, or infantry. In these cases, one sergeant is placed in charge of each unit of troops. Sergeants are usually selected based on their demonstrated loyalty and dedication to the covenant, in addition to having the Leadership Ability. Sergeants are rewarded by being treated as specialists with respect to wages, food, and accommodation.

The Drill Sergeant

In addition to unit sergeants, most covenants also have a drill sergeant, whose principal role is to train the grogs to fight as a trained group. This involves providing a season of teaching in a Martial Ability (usually Single Weapon) over the course of each year. The drill sergeant is also responsible for maintaining order in the turb, and administering punishments as warranted. He may be responsible for inflicting punishment on other covenfolk, such as servants, specialists, or even apprentices. Drill sergeants follow a more regular duty pattern than most other soldiers (see "Duty," later); their duty watches are through the day when they can train the off-duty soldiers. A drill sergeant is only asked to be on duty during the night to fill in a gap in the schedule.

Most drill sergeants are older grogs, those who have substantial experience in battle. Their prime Abilities other than Martial Abilities are Leadership and, particularly, Teaching. Leadership is useful to accelerate the group's training (see insert) and to maintain discipline. Drill sergeants benefit from good Communication, and their Martial Abilities need to be higher than those of the soldiers they are teaching. Like other sergeants, the drill sergeant is accounted as a specialist, although he remains under the command of the turb captain.

Accelerated Group Training

Any group can learn to fight together by spending a season practicing together. A good leader can shorten this training time, either in an emergency (to prepare for an upcoming adventure or battle), or in order to train more than one group in a single season. These rules were first printed in Lords of Men, Chapter 9.
Shorten Training Time:
Stress die + Communication + Leadership
The Ease Factor depends on the amount of training time available. If the roll fails, then the group cannot become a trained group until the end of the season. If it botches, then the season's training is wasted. Some Virtues, such as Inspirational, may provide a bonus if the storyguide sees fit; the Difficult Underlings Flaw most likely provides a penalty.

TRAINING
TIME EASE
FACTOR

Two Months 6

Six Weeks 9

One Month 12

Fortnight 15

One Week 18

The characters being trained gain experience only at the end of the season; there is no experience point bonus for participating in this accelerated training. When the training period is complete, they can function as a trained group (see ArM5, page 173).

Other Military Ranks

Medium-sized turbs do not usually need any other ranks beyond the captain and his sergeants, at least with respect to organization. However, covenants often reward their particularly loyal or heroic soldiers with an intermediate rank between the common soldiers and the sergeants, roughly equivalent to corporal. The name used varies from covenant to covenant; the liber gregis suggests "decurio" or "decurion," the leader of 10 men in the Roman army. This rank is represented by the Custos Social Status Virtue. The Custos is usually offered a double ration of wine or ale each day, and an improved pension when he retires from the covenant's service; in addition, custodes are often promoted to sergeant before their military career ends. Large turbs usually require a rigid hierarchy to maintain discipline; see "Military Hierarchy," later.

Depending on their organization, soldiers may retain the temporary ranks and roles granted on missions (see Chapter 4), although it is more usual that these roles are kept fluid, and are for expeditions only. Nevertheless, a decurio often fulfills the Optio role, and a sergeant is often chosen for the Dux role, making these ranks semi-permanent.

Organization of Covenant Grogs

The organization of grogs in a covenant may have been arranged when the covenant was founded and reorganized deliberately as the covenant grew in size, or it may have developed organically over its history. This section presents a few concepts around which a covenant organization can be built. Naturally it is possible to mix-and-match; for example, a covenant's soldiers might be organized in a hierarchical fashion, but its servants and specialists might be divided into nations. The manner in which the grogs are organized can be an important determiner of the mood and feel of a covenant, and the troupe should put a bit of thought into which system they prefer.

Hierarchy

A hierarchical organization of a covenant's grogs is perhaps the most commonly found. It is the least work for the magi, as they have a small number of officials reporting to them, who then marshal their subordinates to complete the tasks at hand. The two most significant hierarchical models adopted are those of the noble household and the military.

A Noble Household

Covenants who employ a large number of servants and specialists often adopt an organizational structure that mimics that of the noble household. This is a natural model to adopt, since examples of how well it functions can be found throughout Mythic Europe. However, the level of complexity is only really needed if the covenant is a large one, or is masquerading as a lord of the manor. At its most basic level this organization approximates the norm for covenants — perhaps due to the influence of the liber gregis — since the three chief officials in a noble household are the steward, the chamberlain, and the marshal.

The steward (or seneschal) is in control of the lord's lands and the keep, and is often a knight. The steward sometimes has an under-steward called the steward of the household, or fills this role himself in smaller households. Any miscellaneous specialists, such as craftsmen employed directly by the household, fall under the steward's purview.

The bailiff is in control of the lord's manors. He has a subordinate reeve in each village, who is responsible for the direct oversight of the daily work of the villeins.
The verderer, or forest warden, maintains the hunting preserve of the household. He is often in control of the huntsmen.
The chief buyer is responsible for acquiring goods and services needed by the household.
The auditor keeps the accounts relating to the income of the land.
The cook is in charge of preparing and cooking all food for the household. Under him are the saucier, the baker, the poulterer, and any number of other kitchen menials.
The butler is the wine steward, and responsible for supplying the household with food. Under him are the pantrymen and brewers.

The chamberlain (or treasurer, or wardrober) is the chief clerical officer, and is occasionally a subordinate of the steward. The wardrobe is a special room where valuables are kept, and serves as the noble's treasury.

The clerk of the offices is the chamberlain's deputy, and the chief scribe.
The chaplain is the household's personal priest. His first duty is to the household's master, but he occasionally hears confession for the servants as well.
The almoner is responsible for distributing wealth to the poor, and hiring temporary staff.
The usher is in charge of the master's chamber. Under him are the porter, who keeps the keys to the household, the servants of the chamber, the laundresses, and the barber.

The marshal is the leader of the household knights or men-at-arms. He is also in charge of the horses and needs of the stables. In some households, he is considered subordinate to the steward, but in most covenants using this model, this is not true.

The mesnie are the household knights of the lord, who form his bodyguard. These knights are responsible for training the squires and pages.
The men-at-arms are the lord's personal fighting force, and are the equivalent of the turb.
The smith, farriers, and ostlers care for the horses of the household.
The carters also fall under the purview of the marshal, since he is responsible for all the household's horses.
Messengers may be hired on at a daily rate, or else employed directly.

Underneath these servants with named jobs is a great mass of scullions, grooms, boy attendants, and helpers. More information on the disposition of a noble household is given in Lords of Men.

Story Seed: Tough at the Top

A grog character has recently been promoted to a higher rank, and he is still finding his feet. His biggest problem is not the new responsibilities; but instead his friends — now part of his command — and his rival for the position. The latter is eaten with jealousy toward the player character, and in a moment of weakness turned to a witch to secure his revenge. The grog is now under a curse which, whether real or imagined, is blamed for the misfortune that dogs every step he makes. The grog may need his friends to help him get the curse lifted and expose the malfeasance of his rival.

Military Hierarchy

Rather than dividing the covenfolk by role, a covenant can take a more military approach. In this organizational system, the covenfolk are divided into squads, each of which consists of soldiers and their auxiliary staff. An army in Mythic Europe is largely free of intermediate ranks. The marshal is in charge of his lord's household troops, including the knights and men-at-arms. If his lord goes to war, the marshal takes charge of the men-at-arms, while the lord commands the knights; otherwise, he leads the knights himself (in lieu of the tenant-in-chief, thus the later rank "lieutenant") and appoints a captain to command the men-at-arms.

This model is appropriate for military-minded covenants, but not necessarily only them. In a similar way to dividing covenfolk into nations (see later), this structure can fill a role where, for example, the covenant is divided over several geographically separate sites. The difference to the system of nations is that, in a military hierarchy, each squad is not independent of each other.

Exempli gratia: Traditional covenants like to follow the early Roman model, where the manus ("hand," singular and plural), comprised of a squad of four men plus their leader (the quincurion), is the basic unit. A decuria is made of two manus, with the leader of one manus, the decurion*, superior to the other. Up to 10 decuriae make up the* centuria*, commanded by a* centurion*.*

Nations

Another method of organizing grogs is by nation. A nation of grogs consists of servants, specialists, and soldiers — possibly even companions and magi. The identifying feature of a nation is that it cuts across roles. One's nation may be determined by a number of methods. Sometimes new members are assigned at random, either by lot or in order to fill gaps in the ranks. Otherwise, a recruit might join the nation of the person (magus or otherwise) who inducted him into covenant life. Alternatively, the nations themselves might decide, holding an auction or contest whenever new recruits join the covenant, perhaps having recruits be members of no nation until sufficient numbers of unplaced grogs are accrued. Finally, recruits could be born to a nation, either as the child of a grog, or a member of a specific ethnic group.

Nation-level organizations are common in covenants where magi are relatively independent of each other. Each nation might be dedicated to the service of a single magus, or led by a companion instead. Members of nations often have a Loyalty Personality Trait specific to the nation as well as to the covenant.

Family Groups

The most natural nations form around familial bonds. Old covenants, in particular, have covenfolk who were born in the covenant and have served the magi all their lives. These families can stretch back generations, each one tracing its ancestry back to one of the original servants of the covenant, or even one of the magi. Alternatively, a covenant might, at its foundation, have incorporated folk from the local area who were already strongly divided along family lines. It is usual for a woman to join her husband's family when they marry, but this is not always the case: in Irish clan structures, for example, the man may join the woman's family.

Family-based nations usually have a clear leader, who is often the eldest living member of that family, although some have a council of elders, or an elected head, or a clear line of succession. Families often share distinctive physical features or character traits, and may even inherit particular patterns of warping.

Exempli gratia: When founded, a covenant employed four brothers, who all went on to have prodigiously-sized families. Three of these families still persist (the fourth has since perished), called Rufus, Flavus, and Fuscus, since the families tend to be red-headed, blond, and brown-haired, respectively.

Story Seed: Family Business

At the deathbed of a family member, the grog characters discover that their family hides a dark secret. One of their ancestors pledged his soul to a demon, along with one soul from every subsequent generation. The player grogs are among the eligible members for the demon's appetites, but to secure help from the rest of the covenant, they must betray the darkest secret of their family, condemning them to unbearable shame and dishonor. And how will the magi react if they discover that they have diabolic covenfolk?

Ethnic Groups

The student bodies of some universities in Mythic Europe are divided into nations, with each nation responsible for the conduct and protection of each of its members (Art & Academe, page 94). These nations are usually loose geographical groups; the closest ethnic groups are well represented, whereas more distant students are lumped into much wider categories. Some covenants, particularly ones that straddle borders or have been formed from the merging of two or more turbs with distinct racial identities, use this structure.

Exempli gratia: A covenant on the border between France and Spain might have the nations of Castellan, Occitan, Francian, and German, based on the native language of the members. The German nation takes anyone who doesn't speak Spanish, Occitan, or French.

Exempli gratia: A covenant in the Holy Land might have been founded as a joint venture between Hermetic magi and non-Hermetic wizards. It therefore has two nations: Occidens, consisting of the Western covenfolk who accompanied the Hermetic magi; and al-Mashriq, consisting of the Arabic covenfolk who serve their eastern masters.

Divided By Location

Nations may also form where a covenant is split over several geographically separated sites, or has deliberate spatial separation of its turb. There may be some separation of function in these nations; the nation that lives offshore probably has more sailors and fishermen than the nation that occupies the nearby hills, but both nations need their own specialists, soldiers, and servants.

Exempli gratia: A covenant occupying an isolated fort high on a mountain has the nations of Castellum, Moenia, Montes, and Silva. The Castellum grogs live in and defend the fort, the Moenia nation guards the outer walls, the Montes patrol the tundra above the treeline, and the Silva grogs hunt in the woods below the treeline. Each nation consists of servants, specialists, and soldiers with skills appropriate to the habitat in which they dwell.

Exempli gratia: A covenant occupies a number of small islands on a lake. None of the islands is big enough to support sancta for all of the magi, so each island is home to a single magus, and the staff he needs form independent nations, governed as their master dictates. There is also a nation answerable only to the council of magi, which provides, supports, and protects the ferry service linking the islands.

Guilds

An alternative to nations is guilds; that is, organizing the grogs by their function. Many covenants simply divide their covenants into servants, specialists, and soldiers, and consider these three "guilds" sufficient — and often they are. However, the larger covenants get, the more need there is to divide the grogs into smaller guilds with more defined functions. A covenant that has more than one source of income often institutes guilds as a means to organize collecting the revenue and conducting the necessary business that keeps the income sources operational.

There is also a tendency for grogs to self-organize. If there are a lot of craftsmen, then they tend to band together to mimic the guild structure of the outer world. If the covenant uses light cavalry as an elite unit, then these individuals may not want to fraternize with common foot soldiers.

Note that the division of grogs into guilds does not necessarily mean literal guilds; that is, a political unit that can arrange simultaneous withdrawal of services in order to coerce better conditions for their masters. However, the Guild Covenant Hook (Covenants, page 19) can be bought if this situation is desirable.

Story Seed: Lack of Guild Funds

The leader of a soldiers' guild is either incompetent or corrupt, and as a result, the guild has insufficient funds to subcontract other covenfolk for the basic needs of his guild, such as repairing clothes and armor. The soldiers begin to look shabby, and their equipment is of substandard quality. Keen to hide his mistakes, the guild leader is open to "outside contractors," and when approached by a mysterious stranger who seems to ask for very little in return, he is eager to employ him. This stranger could be a faerie, demon, or spy from another covenant seeking to worm his way in to the covenant.

Professional Guilds

Clearly a good model for covenant organization is the craft guilds, service guilds, and merchant guilds that are becoming more widespread in Mythic Europe in the 13th century. Once confined to big cities, guilds can now be found almost anywhere, at least in the West, and they regulate the quality of the goods produced by their members. A guild consists of all craftsmen that use the same or a group of closely allied Craft or Profession Abilities. However, at a covenant, a guild might exist for each Martial Ability, or perhaps even for select groups of Arcane or Supernatural Abilities. The guild provides incomes for the destitute and disabled, pays for the funeral services of deceased members, holds its own religious ceremonies, and sometimes even provides schooling for their members' children.

At the head of a guild is the dean, elected by the guild members from among their number. The dean is supported by the aldermen (guild officials), who police the guild, ensure the quality of the work, and enforce the guild rules. Below the aldermen are the senior masters and masters. A master has sufficient skill to run his own shop, and has the right to attend meetings at the guildhall and have a say in the running of the guild. Senior masters have been masters for ten or more years, and may run more than one workshop, which can prove very lucrative. Each master might have one or two journeymen and several apprentices, who form the lowest rungs of the guild ladder. More information about guilds can be found in Chapter 3 of City & Guild.

The difference between a professional guild and other forms of governance is that the guild exists because its members want it. They have an expectation of advancement through the guild's ranks, and to one day have a say in how it is run. A guild might be a more familiar system for players who are used to concepts of social mobility and providing benefits for the hard workers, although this is an anachronism for much of Mythic Europe outside of the professional guilds.

Exempli gratia: A covenant has three guilds of soldiers: the Red Lions, the Golden Hawks, and the Green Horses. The Red Lions provide the infantry, and are also responsible for guarding the residences of the magi. The Golden Hawks are archers, and man the gate and walls of the covenant. The Green Horses are a cavalry unit, and maintain all the covenant's stables, not just their own. These guilds are permitted to train their own junior warriors, and select their own sergeants and captains. The covenant grants the captain a lump sum each year, which is distributed among the soldiers as wages, with some kept in reserve for funeral expenses, rewards, and so forth. Each captain is in charge of the discipline of its own men. Each guild must subcontract the covenfolk for any services, such as care of the sick and injured, or repair of armor or weapons.

Exempli gratia: A large covenant has seven guilds named after their patron saints. The Guild of St. Peter consists of the bakers, cobblers, and masons of the covenant; the Guild of St. Luke consists of the glassmakers, physicians, and bookbinders; and the Guild of St. Matthew contains the personal guards of the magi, their servants, and the senior staff. The Guild of St. James supports the cavalry, laborers, and tanners; the Guild of St. Michael contains the soldiers, sailors, and merchants; and the Guild of St. George contains the archers, armorers, and farmers. Finally, the Guild of St. Andrew cares for the fishermen and all the unmarried women (once they marry, they join their husband's guild; if they are widowed, they return to St. Andrew's patronage).

Story Seed: The Guild Contest

Every three years, the guilds of a covenant hold a contest that determines the precedence of the guilds. The leader of the winning guild becomes the steward for the next three years, and his guild is accorded many petty privileges: they are seated first for dinner and receive better bread and cleaner salt; they have first pick of new tools; they get the quarters farthest from the pig-sties; and so forth. Suffice to say, it is a serious business.
The contest consists of a series of physical and mental trials set by the magi, and for as long as anyone can remember, one particular guild has won. This year, however, another guild has a chance, thanks to a secret weapon — the player grogs. They have either acquired some magical item that will assist the guild in winning, or else have good relations with the magi who might be persuaded to help. Naturally, the incumbent guild does not sit idly and permit their rivals to gain the upper hand and break their hegemony.

Monastery

A monastery is designed along a guild structure. Unlike the clear hierarchy of the noble household, the abbot of a monastery designates officials to manage each aspect of the daily life of the monastery. These officials are then responsible for meeting the monastery's needs in their department, and can requisition manpower and finances as needed. This is a good model for a small covenant, where staff need not be permanently designated as a cook or a chambermaid, but instead take on such roles as requested.

The abbot is the secular and spiritual leader of a monastery. He appoints various senior obedentiaries to care for different departments, so the terrar is in charge of the estate, the cellarer in charge of food, the bursar in charge of money, and so forth. Rather than having a staff or workforce assigned to each, these positions permit their holder to request the assistance of the other monks in the completion of their tasks. For more information on the internal structure of monasteries, see The Church, Chapter 4.

Exempli gratia: The covenfolk of a small covenant have been divided into four "guilds," one serving each of the four magi (the magistri*). The prefect works for the* magister militaris*, and is tasked with maintaining the covenant's soldiers in a battle-ready state. The cellarer works for the* magister aedificius and is in charge of the covenant's mundane resources: its money, food, and consumables. The sacrist works for the magister flaminis and is responsible for the magical resources of the covenant: the laboratories, the library and scriptorium, and gathering the vis. The herald works for the magister legatus*, and deals with all outside relations with other covenants and with the local dignitaries. None of the grogs are permanently assigned to any of the four magi, but if vis needs to be collected, the sacrist pulls together a team of the most appropriate grogs and sends them off on a mission. At harvest time, the cellarer gathers most of the available personnel to bring in the wheat.*

No Formal Structure

Some covenants have never instituted any sort of structure at all among their covenfolk. This is usually only possible for very small numbers of covenfolk; without some sort of organization, important tasks are likely to be forgotten or neglected. In fact, if left to their own devices with no formal organization imposed upon them, covenfolk usually seek some sort of structure by themselves; it is natural for humans to seek social order.

If the covenfolk form a strong cohesive group, they can all work together toward the common good without needing a formal social structure. This is not to say that everyone does not know who is in charge, but there are fewer differences between servant, soldier, and specialist since everyone lends a hand in each task.

Exempli gratia: Members of a single family supply nine-tenths of a covenant's workforce. The MacKars are an ancient clan with a strong leader, and while they might have rivalries with other clans in the region, they also have several alliances. Every member of the covenant knows his place, and is trained in the roles to which he is best suited by an older relative. The clan has even produced one Gifted child, of whom they are inordinately fond, and who is now apprenticed to one of the masters.

Rivalries and Tension

Any sort of social structure can lead to rivalries among the covenfolk. One nation may have deep-seated prejudices against another (perhaps arising from racial or cultural incompatibilities), or a guild might consider its tasks more important than those of the other guilds, and seek an improved status for its members.
In addition to tension between groups of covenfolk, there can also be tension between prominent individuals. If the covenfolk are split into families, there may be a longstanding feud between the leaders of two families; or there could be a power struggle within the turb over who deserves to be captain, once the present incumbent has retired. A common rivalry occurs between the steward and the chamberlain over precedence; many stewards believe that they should be the superior of the chamberlain. The turb captain need not be excluded from such rivalries; it is common for the captain to think himself more important than either, and he uses the armed men under his control to enforce this point.

Minor Residents Hook: Warring Covenfolk

The covenfolk are divided into at least two factions, who cannot see eye-to-eye, and this rivalry has gone beyond petty annoyances to a situation where it can occasionally interrupt the smooth running of the covenant. The magi are either unwilling or unable to resolve whatever started the conflict, although their attempts might also lead to stories. This is not the same as either the Divided Loyalty or Rebellious Covenfolk Hooks (Covenants, page 19); the different factions of covenfolk can be equally loyal (or disloyal!) to the magi.

The Life of a Grog

Living at a covenant usually offers better prospects than most peasants or townsfolk can otherwise expect. They have a job for life, so long as they prove useful. Food is provided communally, and the buildings are maintained at the covenant's expense. Covenfolk can expect the soldiers and masters of a covenant to protect them from the usual perils of life, such as bandits, marauding armies, plague and pestilence, and natural disasters such as flood and fire. Furthermore, it is likely that one's children will also have a job for life, should they want it, and a pension is provided in one's dotage. The biggest downside is living in close proximity to magi, not only because of their dubious reputation, but also due to all the bizarre phenomena that they tend to attract. This section deals with some of the day-to-day issues faced by grogs at a covenant.

The section on duties applies mostly to soldiers, rather than servants or specialists. However, the serving staff tend to follow similar watch patterns to the soldiers, since they must provide food for the soldiers when their watches are complete, and they must arrange their cleaning schedules around their duties. The remaining part of this section applies equally to all grogs — what they do on their free time, how they are rewarded and punished, and what the covenant provides for them in terms of accommodation and pension.

Watch Patterns

It is sometimes necessary to know what patrols certain members of the turb are assigned to at any one time. The following charts should help; randomly determine what patrol (night or day) and watch (first to fourth) a character is in, then cross-reference the time to determine the type of duty. You may instead wish to divide all soldiers into watches ahead of time, so that when an event occurs, you can randomly determine which of the watches is on duty, letting you know which grogs have to deal with that event first.

Single Duty

The grogs are divided into four watches. The day and night patrols vary as to when they take their off-duty and free shifts. One-quarter of the covenant's fighting force is combat ready at any time, and another three-eighths can be mobilized quickly; the rest are asleep.

SHIFT 1ST WATCH 2ND WATCH 3RD WATCH 4TH WATCH

(NIGHT/DAY) (NIGHT/DAY) (NIGHT/DAY) (NIGHT/DAY)

Eventide Duty Off / Free Off / Free Off / Free

Nighttide Off / Free Duty Off / Free Off / Free

Midnight Off / Free Off / Free Duty Off / Free

Foredawn Off / Free Off / Free Off / Free Duty

Morntide Duty Free / Off Free / Off Free / Off

Forenoon Free / Off Duty Free / Off Free / Off

Afternoon Free / Off Free / Off Duty Free / Off

Foredusk Free / Off Free / Off Free / Off Duty

Double Duty

The grogs are divided into two double-watches; as before, the day and night patrols have different assignments when not on duty. One half of the covenant's grogs is combat ready, and another quarter can quickly support them; the remaining quarter is asleep.

SHIFT 1ST AND 2ND WATCHES 3RD AND 4TH WATCHES

(NIGHT/DAY) (NIGHT/DAY)

Eventide Duty Off / Free

Nighttide Duty Off / Free

Midnight Off / Free Duty

Foredawn Off / Free Duty

Morntide Duty Free / Off

Forenoon Duty Free / Off

Afternoon Free / Off Duty

Foredusk Free / Off Duty

Duties

A soldier's time is divided into three periods: duty (or watch duty), off-duty, and free time. He actively guards the covenant when on duty, does other jobs around the covenant when off duty, and has self-governed time to himself (usually reserved for sleeping) when free. The turb is usually divided into two patrols (the day and night patrols), of roughly equal size. Both patrols pull a duty during the day and the night, but the day patrol has its off-duty during the day and sleeps at night, whereas the night patrol sleeps during the day and has its off-duty during the night. The two patrols swap duties periodically, so that the day patrol becomes the night patrol and vice versa. This typically occurs every one to three months.

A patrol may be split further into different areas of the covenant, so that each patrol might consist of a wall patrol, a gate patrol, a keep patrol, and so forth. However, an individual might not perform the same service in each of his duties: on one duty, he might be on wall guard, and on his next duty, he may be patrolling the tower or the forest. The liber gregis suggests that a minimum of two grogs constitute each sub-patrol if possible.

The turb captain is responsible for keeping track of the duties and patrols, but a sergeant usually issues orders and assignments to the men. The grog's mess hall usually has a peg board, letting a grog know where and when, and with whom, he is on duty. Each column on the board indicates a different patrol, and a grog finds his mark on the side of the board and reads across to discover what patrol he's been assigned.

The Watches

The liber gregis sets out the expected pattern of sentry duty, both on expedition and while stationed at the covenant, and the system it adopts is broadly based on the Roman model. The 24 hours of the day are divided into eight watches of three hours each: four day watches and four night watches.

WATCH	COMMENCES
Eventide, 1st night watch	6 pm
Nighttide, 2nd night watch	9 pm
Midnight, 3rd night watch	Midnight
Foredawn, 4th night watch	3 am
Morntide, 1st day watch	6 am
Forenoon, 2nd day watch	9 am
Afternoon, 3rd day watch	Noon
Foredusk, 4th day watch	3 pm

Times of watches are approximate, based on the height of the sun during the day, and the rising of the moon or stars at night. On overcast nights, watch durations are even more approximate, and are usually estimated from the time it takes for a log the diameter of a man's arm to burn: approximately one hour. During the day, the sergeant on watch is responsible for determining shift changes; at night, this is left to the grogs on duty.

Each patrol is divided into four watches. In normal sentry duty, a patrol spends one watch on duty, then three watches off-duty. It then spends another watch on duty, and the next three watches are free time. The first watch of each patrol is assigned the eventide watch as their duty watch, followed by three watches free (if the day patrol) or three watches off-duty (if the night patrol). The two second watches take the nighttide watch as their duty watch, the third watches commence with the midnight watch, and the fourth watches commence with the foredawn watch. The pattern then repeats itself starting at the morntide watch. In double duty, a patrol spends two watches on duty, then two off-duty, then two on duty, then has two free watches. The first and second watches of both patrols start duty with the eventide watch, then are relieved by the third and fourth watches at midnight.

Sentry Duty

One of the most important and most onerous duties of a soldier is to stand guard over the covenant. This duty generally consists of standing out in the elements, trying to remain alert while absolutely nothing happens. This tedium is punctuated every few months or years by brief moments of excitement and violence. While on sentry duty, a grog's patrol is assigned an area — the gate, a section of the wall, the bailey, and so forth — and he must be aware of anything unusual that he sees or hears. Of course, at a covenant, "unusual" has a different connotation than it does elsewhere; he may be on the lookout for a faerie infiltration, invisible thieves creeping in, anything up to and including a full-on assault by a dragon!

A grog on watch duty is not permitted to eat, or drink undiluted wine or ale. He is usually permitted a small fire, unless ordered otherwise. He must remain in his armor at all times, and must keep at least one hand on his weapon. His purpose is to remain alert and aware of any potential dangers, and, depending on his station, to patrol across his designated area. If he hears or sees anything suspicious, he should first alert the other grogs of his duty, then the duty sergeant. Obviously, he should raise the alarm for any immediate threats.

Characters can regain Short-Term Fatigue while on duty or off-duty. Normal sentry duties do not incur the loss of Long-Term Fatigue, as long as they are maintained in a regular fashion. If a grog's sleeping time is interrupted, or he chooses to spend it carousing or gambling with his comrades, then he loses a Long-Term Fatigue level which can be regained from normal sleep when he is next permitted.

It may be important to determine whether a grog can remain awake during his duty watches. This involves a Stamina + Concentration roll; failure indicates that the character is dozing or asleep. It is not necessary to roll for every grog on every duty — only if something happens during a shift is this absolutely necessary — but the storyguide should ask for occasional rolls anyway, to keep the players on their toes! Characters who are asleep have a –9 penalty to any Awareness rolls. A character who is woken up suddenly, in addition to still suffering from any Fatigue loss, has a –1 penalty to all actions for a number of rounds equal to (6 – Stamina).

Remain Awake on Duty:
Stamina + Concentration + simple die

Ease Factor:
3 (single duty); 6 (double duty); +3 for night time

Penalty to Awareness for Being Asleep:
–9

Time to Recover from Being Woken Up:
6 – Stamina rounds

Double Duty

Double duty is ordered when trouble is expected; grogs work longer shifts, and more of them are active at a time. When on double duty, the turb is divided into two duties, and a grog is on watch for two watches, with two watches off-duty. As before, sleep is permitted after two active duties. If possible, it is arranged so that half of each duty is asleep and half is resting. So, if four grogs are on sentry duty, two take the first duty while one sleeps and the other is off-duty. After two watches, the duties switch; one of those who has just been on duty sleeps, while the other remains awake. In this pattern, there are always three-quarters of the grogs awake at any one time, and half of them are alert, armed, and ready for trouble.

Double duty is tiring, and cannot be maintained for extended periods. At dusk, make Fatigue rolls for every grog. The Ease Factor is three, but increases by one for every double duty watch endured since the character's last normal duty (thus it increases by two every day). Failure results in the loss of one Long-Term Fatigue level. Characters on double duty cannot regain Long-Term Fatigue levels until they change to a normal shift pattern, or they sleep uninterrupted for at least ten hours.

Double Duty Fatigue Rolls:
Stamina + simple die versus Ease Factor 3 + number of double duties

Duties for Specialists and Servants

The working day of most specialists in the covenant is from forenoon until eventide (approximately 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.). If they are entitled to food provided by the covenant, they eat after the soldiers at dawn and dusk, and with them at noon. Other than that, they toil under their own recognizance, or under the command of their workshop master or the steward.

Servants need to fit their duties around the other inhabitants of the covenant, but tend to keep similar hours to the specialists. Kitchen staff rise earlier since breakfast needs to be cooked and bread prepared for the whole day. There is usually someone in the kitchen at all times, even if it is just a scullion stoking the fires under the ovens and guarding the stores against hungry soldiers coming off a watch. Chambermaids must often be opportunistic about when they can gain access to the magi's quarters to clean, and become experts at slipping in and out without being noticed.

Off Duty

A grog off-duty is not necessarily free to do what he wishes, it just means he does not have to patrol the covenant. Off-duty time is usually welcomed by the grogs as a relief from the tedium of being on watch. Off-duty grogs may divest themselves of their armor if it restricts them in their tasks, but are encouraged to wear at least their under-armor padding if possible. For some tasks, like drilling, wearing armor is mandatory.

In common with most of Mythic Europe, two hot meals are provided each day: dinner is the larger meal and is served midway through the forenoon watch, and supper is served at the end of the foredusk watch. Grogs on off-duty gather in the mess hall after taking bowls of food to those on duty. At other times, the ability for a grog to get hot food depends very much on their personal relationship with the servants. However, a daily ration of bread, cheese, and ale is provided to each grog.

If a grog is off-duty during the daylight hours, then he is usually occupied on the drill ground with the other off-duty shifts. The drill sergeant puts them through their paces, improving their general fitness and providing Teaching in Martial Abilities. Grogs must drill together regularly if they are to be able to fight as a trained group.

Not all of a character's off-duty time is occupied with drills, however. A soldier is expected to take care of his arms, armor, and kit. He must clean the armor and make repairs, sharpen any edged weapons, and smooth out nicks and dents. Any repairs he cannot perform himself must be seen to by the covenant's weapon-smith. Grogs may also be assigned to work crews: assisting the teamsters in unloading provisions; cleaning the latrines; and, during the autumn, helping with the harvest. Furthermore, if a magus needs an errand boy or a test subject, the sergeant assigns an off-duty grog. If he gets time to himself with all this going on, a grog can put in some Practice with a particular Ability.

A grog whose off-duty watch is during the night has an easier time of it. He is usually left to catch up with some sleep (as long as he remains in minimal armor), and may be able to entice his buddies into an illicit dice game, as long as the sergeant doesn't catch them.

To specialists and servants, off-duty is much the same as free time. Servants work a particularly long day, and tend to sleep when not on duty; specialists usually have more energy to join the soldiers in their leisure pursuits.

Free Time

Free time is precious to all grogs; it is when they sleep. A grog's daily routine is physically and mentally demanding, and, as mentioned earlier, a grog who does not sleep in his free time suffers a Long-Term Fatigue level until he manages to sleep for at least two continuous watches. Strictly speaking, grogs are not permitted to sleep at any other time, but many manage to sneak a nap, at the risk of getting caught by the sergeant.

Grogs do not have to sleep in their free time; they may choose to spend it how they like. If they want to drink their wine or ale ration rather than save it for the meals, they may do so in their free time, but only in the watch immediately after they come off duty. Being drunk on duty is grounds for punishment. Grogs often gamble with each other during their free time, either on dice or coin games, on tests of skill such as quoits, or on dog fights or cock fights. Finally, a grog assigned punishment duties (see later) must perform them in his free time.

Rewards

A grog's life might seem a hard one, but he is recompensed with food, accommodation, and a promise of a pension in his old age. Compared to the life of a serf, grogs have it easy. Nevertheless, it is good for morale if the covenant is seen to reward skill, good behavior, initiative, and uncommon bravery. A maga who commends a grog to the turb captain, steward, or chamberlain does not usually concern herself with the nature of the reward, and rarely bestows it herself. Instead, the official himself determines an appropriate remuneration, and announces the reward in front of the rest of the turb. However, magi do not always recognize the importance to turb discipline of maintaining a chain of command, and sometimes hand out ad hoc rewards.

Improved Rations

The fare of a grog is usually pretty plain, so a simple and effective way of rewarding a grog for a well-done job is to give him a one-off or temporary elevation in his provender. Typical improvements in rations include a private cellar of salt, wastel bread (the best bread available), fresh meat, or a double ration of wine or ale. This improvement in rations might last a day, a month, a season, or a year, depending on the magnitude of the rewarded behavior. A grog spending a year on improved rations receives a –1 improvement to his Living Conditions Modifier when making aging rolls. A grog receiving one of the other rewards listed here often also receives improved rations as well.

Pay and a Half

Monetary rewards to grogs are not that useful; they have little opportunity to spend hard coin. Nevertheless, grogs sometimes hoard what coin they can with a particular purpose in mind: perhaps a favor for his love, or a superior weapon. Pay and a Half can last for a season or more, or it might be permanent.

Improved Equipment

Covenants often gather superior arms and armor, either scavenged from the battlefield, received as gifts, or left behind by former companions or grogs. They might also acquire tools of superior quality from former covenfolk or from outside the covenant. This equipment is often given out as rewards. This is a little backhanded, since the covenant is rewarding a grog by making him more efficient at what they pay him to do, but most grogs do not complain. This equipment might be Expensive rather than Standard cost, or it might be particularly wellcrafted and provide actual bonuses (see City & Guild, pages 67–71). In rare circumstances, a grog might be granted a lesser enchantment or even an invested item, although this usually requires great heroism to provoke such a gift. All gifts are permanent, but a grog who is demoted as a punishment must usually surrender any such equipment in addition to any other punishment.

Promotion In Rank

The highest reward offered by most covenants is a promotion. A standard grog can be promoted to custos, and a custos may be promoted to sergeant, or the equivalent for servants and specialists. They may even aspire to be captain, chamberlain, or steward one day. Increased rank has several privileges — better food, better accommodation, better pay, and often a better pension.

Punishments

The liber gregis devotes a whole chapter to punishments, but it is clear that Beorhtric was a just captain and only used these punishments when warranted. Without punishments, discipline cannot be maintained. It is also important that the covenfolk know that the covenant is prepared to inflict these punishments, so they are handed out in public before the rest of the covenant. These punishments are applied to all covenfolk, not just the soldiers, although it is rare for one of the servants to have the opportunity to commit an offense that warrants a severe penalty. One individual, often the drill sergeant, is usually responsible for inflicting the punishments on all of the covenfolk. This presents the covenant as a coherent body of law to its inhabitants.

Corporal punishments are normally reserved for poor discipline. A grog who is insolent, disobedient, or insubordinate is subjected to physical punishment appropriate to the crime. These sorts of punishments are short, sharp shocks that are over with as soon as the wounds heal. Punishments involving the withholding of privileges are usually applied for failure in a duty, and the degree of failure determines the severity of the punishment. This does not mean that, every time a mission fails, the grogs are punished; only if it fails because of their actions or inactions is discipline applied. These punitive measures are usually long term, or even permanent. The two types of punishment are often combined: for example, if insubordination leads to failure in a mission.

Punishment, if inflicted in an appropriate manner for clear reasons, does not usually result in a loss of Prevailing Loyalty (see Covenants, page 36, and Chapter 4), even if the majority of the covenfolk do not agree with the punishment. Naturally, it is appropriate for the punished individual to suffer a reduction in personal Loyalty, but this may only be temporary, and if the punishment is correctly applied, then the overall effect may actually be an increase in loyalty. However, if punishment is frequent, inconsistent, or disproportionate to the infraction, then the magi can expect the covenfolk to become more hostile toward them. Punishment is not usually inflicted by a magus, and using magic is specifically advised against due to the danger of alienating the covenfolk.

The punishments of the liber gregis are listed later, in order of severity. The crimes for which they are inflicted have been purposefully omitted; every covenant places different importance on infractions, and it is impossible to generalize. Most covenants do not have a definitive list of crimes and their associated punishments (although some do); those with access to the liber gregis assign punitive action based on the type of crime and its severity.

Castigation

This is the lowest level of punishment, consisting of a single blow to the face, hand, or thigh with a rod. The drill sergeant usually carries such a rod specifically for this purpose (traditionally made from the virile organ of a bull), and the punishment is usually applied immediately.

Relegation to Inferior Duties

Every covenant has duties that are considered to be the most unpleasant of all; these are usually drawn by lot, but are occasionally assigned as punishment. Typically, emptying the latrine pits is the worst of all jobs, but at a covenant, worse jobs can doubtless be found — feeding Master Hygwald's familiar, removing the rotting corpses from Master Lucas's laboratory, or accompanying Master Orsinio on a mission to the Black Bog of Doom.

Reduction of Rations

Grogs usually receive basic but nutritious fare of good grain, occasional meat or fish, and a daily ration of ale or wine. The threat of being reduced to barley (rather than wheat), having the meat ration removed, and/ or the ale exchanged for small beer (or worse, milk!) for a month is a good incentive to avoid bad behavior. A character who spends one or more season a year on reduced rations suffers a +1 penalty to his Living Conditions Modifier; if he is on reduced rations for three or four seasons, the penalty is +2.

Flogging

This punishment usually takes place in front of the entire covenant; the offender takes one, five, or ten blows to the back from a strap. 1, 2, or 3 Light Wounds are inflicted by this punishment, and the offender takes 1, 3, or 5 Long-Term Fatigue levels as well.

Reduction in Rank

Rank has its privileges: the wages are higher, the ration of food is better, and the accommodation is superior. Furthermore, rank has implications for one's pension once one is too old to serve the covenant (see later). Reduction in rank is permanent; all grogs have the capacity to re-earn the rank they once held, but a captain will be reluctant to promote someone who has lost his rank through punishment.

Whipping

Much more brutal than simple flogging, miscreants are sentenced to a number of lashes (usually a multiple of 10), made with either the long whip or the short whip, with the latter being the more severe punishment. 10 lashes inflicts a Light Wound, 30 lashes a Medium Wound, and 50 lashes a Heavy Wound. If the short whip is used, 2 wounds of each type are inflicted. The punished grog is permitted just one week to recover from his lashes (just one day if ten or fewer are inflicted); if he cannot work after this time has elapsed (which is likely if he received more than ten lashes), then his pay is docked for the time he takes to recover.

Dismissal

Being dismissed from the service of a covenant is a step rarely taken lightly. Covenants value their privacy, and dismissing a grog from a steady job is likely to leave that individual harboring a great deal of resentment that could be used against the covenant. Of course, magi have ways of securing silence, from simple threats and sham curses, to more direct magical measures, such as mutilation of the tongue and modification of the memory.

Fustuarium

The most extreme punishment suggested by the liber gregis is for the malefactor to be beaten to death with clubs or stones. This form of justice is often meted out by the rest of the turb, who wear blindfolds. This is so that the character who inflicts the death blow cannot be identified, absolving him from any personal responsibility, and instead leaving the whole group accountable for the death sentence. Very few covenants actually have the legal right to order the death of their men, so this group responsibility can be important if the death becomes known in the wider community. However, since many grogs are misfits or outcasts, their death often goes unnoticed and unremarked. Beorhtric writes that he has only ever heard of this punishment being applied once, and never ordered it himself.

Accommodation

Grogs usually have a section of the covenant set aside for them. This is usually divided into servants' quarters, soldiers' quarters, and specialists' quarters, more for practical reasons than anything else. Soldiers in particular, with irregular watch duties, can easily disturb the sleep of others. These quarters usually consist of a large room; each grog is assigned a bunk and a chest in which to keep personal belongings. Custodes and higher ranks occasionally have private rooms, or at least bunks further from the drafts and closer to the fire. Married covenfolk often have a separate room.

There is usually a single mess hall set aside for all grogs to eat together, but because of watch patterns not everyone eats at the same time.

Families

It would be a very unusual covenant that didn't actively encourage its covenfolk to get married. It is the duty of all Christian men to marry, and have children; and it is certainly useful to the covenant to raise the next generation of covenfolk. After all, being exposed to The Gift at an early age means that, by the time adolescence is reached, the child will have grown accustomed to the adverse effects of the magi's presence.

Because of a general reluctance to bring outsiders into the closed community of a covenant, matches between the covenfolk are encouraged. Describing the courtship and eventual marriage of a favored grog is an excellent way to add depth to these characters, and have the players invest deeply in the sense of community that their covenant should engender.

Retirement

As a grog gets old, and decrepitude sinks its inescapable claws into him, there might come a time when the troop decides to retire him. Old grogs are valued by magi because they are usually exceptionally competent and less likely to react badly to The Gift, and yet as a character ages, he may be inclined toward lighter duties. The decision to retire often comes suddenly, after a serious aging crisis that leaves the character crippled or weakened.

Assuming that a covenant cares for its retired members, the grog is still counted as a member of the covenant as far as its finances go. Some covenants move retired grogs to a secondary location where they can live out their final years in peace, but others prefer to keep them around to act as babysitters, sources of information or training, and perhaps to still ply a trade if it does not impose strenuous demands.

Pensions

A grog's pension is one of the enticements that keeps a grog at the covenant. Few professions allow their members to continue to draw a wage after their working life has ended, but ever since Rome, this has been the prerogative of the professional soldier, and many covenants have extended this right to all of their grogs. Pensions are usually half to three-quarters of their former pay. Covenants occasionally charge rent for the accommodation of their retired members (and thus avoid having to pay them any pension), but still provide food free of charge.

A widow is normally granted the pension that would have been owed her deceased husband. In any case, the widow of a grog is usually cared for by the other grogs who worked with her husband.

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 KelpTheShark, Tugdual & OriginalMadman, https://github.com/OriginalMadman/Ars-Magica-Open-License

See Also

Chapter 2: Grogs in the Covenant

Types of Grogs

Servants

Story Seed: Understairs Rivalry

Personal Servants

The Chamberlain

The Covenant Rolls

Story Seed: Undercover Accounts

Specialists

Agents

The Steward

The Autocrat

Soldiers

Troop Types

Infantry

Cavalry

The Turb Captain

Unit Sergeants

The Drill Sergeant

Accelerated Group Training

Other Military Ranks

Organization of Covenant Grogs

Hierarchy

A Noble Household

Story Seed: Tough at the Top

Military Hierarchy

Nations

Family Groups

Story Seed: Family Business

Ethnic Groups

Divided By Location

Guilds

Story Seed: Lack of Guild Funds

Professional Guilds

Story Seed: The Guild Contest

Monastery

No Formal Structure

Rivalries and Tension

Minor Residents Hook: Warring Covenfolk

The Life of a Grog

Watch Patterns

Single Duty

Double Duty

Duties

The Watches

Sentry Duty

Double Duty

Duties for Specialists and Servants

Off Duty

Free Time

Rewards

Improved Rations

Pay and a Half

Improved Equipment

Promotion In Rank

Punishments

Castigation

Relegation to Inferior Duties

Reduction of Rations

Flogging

Reduction in Rank

Whipping

Dismissal

Fustuarium

Accommodation

Families

Retirement

Pensions