Covenant

The Covenant is to be founded at the Hill of Uisneach. This is one of Ireland's most potent mystical sites and was home to at least one former covenant, now vanished.

Boons and Hooks

  • Magical Aura 5 (+2 Boon): The Aura on the Hill is noted in The Contested Isle. Aura 5 is ideal for most covenants, as it is the highest Aura possible without the covenfolk being subject to Warping. It is possible that smaller parts of the Hill might have even more powerful Auras.

  • The Stone of Division (+1 Boon): Uisneach is home to the Cat Stone, or "the Stone of Division," a massive and crumbling boulder which is an Arcane Connection to each province in Ireland and which may have other mythical characteristics. It was frequently used for the swearing of oaths.

  • Hidden Resources x2 (+2 Boon): The Druid MacRuder showed the magi several vis sources around the Hill, and they have discovered many more since. These vis sources currently amount to 54 pawns/year, for 270 build points. These boons are worth a combined 500 build points, so there is still some unused.

  • Vast Aura (+1 Boon): The Hill's magical aura is about two miles in diameter and comparatively large, centered on the summit of the Hill and including a great many mystical features.

    • Superior Fortifications (+3 Boon): The castle constructed by the magi does not violate physical laws, but is made of seamless stone and rivals Trim Castle as the most formidable stronghold in Ireland. Built literally in a day, it inspires awe and fear.

  • Tower Keep (+1 Boon): The central keep is 40 feet square and houses the library, the council chambers, and the great hall.

  • Important Buildings (+1 Boon): The gatehouse of the castle is three stories and highly formidable. It counts as an additional building.

    • Veteran Fighters (+1 Boon): The covenant is home to the Black Cloaks, a squad of elite soldiers trained by House Tremere and fanatically loyal.

  • Hedge Tradition (+3 Boon): The Beast-Mages of Hibernia recognize one of the magi, Cernunnos of the Younger House, as their chief.

  • Roads (-3 Hook): Uisneach is near to three important Faerie trods. About half a day's ride north is the Slighe Assail, a High Road which leads from Tara to Rathcrogan in the west. Half a day's journey to the south is An tSlighe Mhor, the Great Road. And finally, the Esgir Riadha, a line of mounds which divides the island into northern and southern halves, comes very close to the southern base of the Hill. The High Road and Great Road have Faerie Auras of 2 and faerie Guardians. The Esgir's properties are unknown, but what is certain is that Faeries and mundane travelers will often be passing to and fro.

  • Site of Power (-3 Hook): Uisneach is about a day's ride west of the town of Trim, which is the seat of power for Walter de Lacy, Lord of Meath. Trim Castle is the most formidable and awe-inspiring castle in Ireland. The magi are almost certain to attract the attention of de Lacy, and any fortification will be seen by him as a potential threat.

  • Castle (-3 Hook): The magi dwell in a castle constructed via casting tablet, Terram vis, and Polumeta's Art.

    • Divided Loyalty (-3 Hook): The covenfolk are divided into two groups: those who are native to Hibernia, and those who come from abroad. The latter group includes most of the fighting Turb and the magi's personal servants, and are represented on the Council by Sir Blane, Samson, and Alfeva. The first group includes all the laborers, most of the craftsmen, and the remaining servants, and is represented on the council by Colin and Cernunnos. The Irish want to do things in the traditional Irish fashion, while the "English" are European and see the Irish as well-intentioned, but poor and simple. The English faction is actually slightly more loyal to the magi, because they come from covenants in the Alps where they were issued expensive equipment and got used to dealing with wizards. The Irish are less trustful of magi due to the Gift, and have made do with what humble belongings they brought with them.

  • Legendary Site (-1 Hook): Uisneach is home to a host of legends, all of which might complicate the lives of the magi. To list only a few of them: this is where the god Lugh is said to have died and be buried, where the goddess Eir is said to be buried, where St. Brigid became both a nun and a bishop. St. Patrick cursed the stones here, to make them useless for building. Merlin stole the stones for Stonehenge from this site.

  • Festival (-1 Hook): Uisneach is the site of a number of seasonal festivals that have been held irregularly for centuries, most notably Beltane. Commoners and hedge magicians are going to come to the Hill expecting to participate in these festivities.

  • Missing Expedition (-1 Hook): In the 8th or 9th century, magi of the Order founded a covenant here. It vanished one summer without a trace.

  • Faerie Court (-1 Hook): The Hill of Uisneach is home to three faerie mounds, each of which houses a noble Tuatha and his or her retinue.

  • Suffrage (-1 Hook): Women among the covenfolk are given rights equal to the men. This is considered odd and even sinful behavior by those outside the Order.

  • Vis Salary (-1 Hook): While technically the magi can ask for vis at any time, they are required to work one season out of every year for the Covenant, so this amounts to a vis salary.

As you can see, the covenant currently has more Hooks (-18) than it has Boons (+15). That just means the "surplus" Boons are Unknown, lying in wait for the magi to discover. It's also important to note that Boons and Hooks change over the course of the Saga, sometimes drastically. This list should be considered a "snapshot" of the covenant as it might exist in the first year of play.

Governance

The charter of the covenant can be found here. The magi appointed Otto Rufus as Seneschal. Suffrage, equal rights for women among the coven folk, is presumed.

Vis Sources

The magi came to Hibernia with no knowledge of vis sources. According to the Hibernian Peripheral Code, their covenant lands are defined by "all the land a magus can encircle between sunrise and sunset, without enchanted items or spells." Whatever vis sources exist within this circle will belong to the covenant, though it is traditional in Hibernia to leave vis where it gathers in the field and collect it only when it is about to be used. Locating vis sources will be a major task for the covenant in its first few years.

On the May 1, the summer solstice, the sun was up for 16 hours and 50 minutes. During that time, Samson walked an eliptical path around the Hill that was 70 miles long. This created a boundary about 22 miles in diameter, roughly centered on the covenant. All vis sources within that boundary are officially the property of the covenant.

As vis sources have been discovered, they have been placed on their own page.

Covenfolk

An incomplete list of everyone in the covenant includes:

  • Seven magi: Victor, Innocentius, Samson, Polumeta, Alfeva, Myrna, Lucien, and Cernunnos

  • Profundus, Teacher of Apprentices and scholar

    • Colin, the covenant's Factor

    • Coleman Cahir mac Aland, Irish bard

  • Otto Rufus, the Last Pueri, former monk and failed Crusader

  • Sir Blane, Turb Captain and Faerie Knight

    • Maedoc, the Cowherd with a Secret

  • Klara, Innocentius's wife and daughter of a village elder from Novgorod

    • Brother Cormac, a monk who provides for the spiritual needs of the coven folk and tends the bees.

    • Colette, a chef from France, reputedly exiled for having attempted to murder the King via witchcraft

    • Lindsey, a pickpocket from Scotland. Lindsey is a friend of Bradach the Bastard and is strangely familiar to Sir Blane.

  • The Black Cloaks (9), shield grogs trained by House Tremere: Lucius (Cernunnos), Titus, Cornelius (Samson), Gaius (Sander), Cassius, Claudius (Myrna), Tiberius (Polumeta), Nero (Lucien), and their leader Decanus Marius.

  • Grogs (28): Andel, Benedict, Bradach the Bastard, Constance, Dobbins, Frederick, Gregory, Henri, Stelios the Centaur, seven Black Cloaks, eight Irishmen, and four Scottish knights including Sir Hamish of Carrick

  • Craftsmen (7): Gero, Polumeta's Gnome companion; Jenny (seamstress), a journeyman stonemason, journeyman silversmith, master scribe, master bookbinder, and master illuminator

    • Laborers (10): 5 cattle herders and 5 hunters, all male

  • Servants (17): Mostly female, including Haifa, Irene, Karolina, Maria, Perdita, Peter, Wilhelm, Yanick

    • (Teamsters, 9): The covenant will need to hire someone to bring food and supplies to the Hill. These teamsters are not presumed to be members of the covenant (though they could be). They are included here for economy calculations, and are probably hired out of the town of Delvin, about half a day's ride northeast of the Hill.

Wealth and Poverty

The magi have come to Hibernia with no particular store of silver. Between them, they can probably scavenge about 7 mythic pounds.

The covenant has two major sources of income at present.

  • A Herd of 220 Cattle: The entire herd is valued at 54£ (1 mythic pound buys 4 cows). It qualifies as a Lesser Source of Income, generating 48£ mythic pounds a year. The Hibernian Peripheral Code requires that all covenants keep cattle, and the Uinsneach herd is tended by half a dozen laborers, including Maedoc, an experienced cowherd.

    • Lynx of Virtue: Cernunnos brought a breeding pair of Lynx of Virtue, whose urine, when buried and left to crystallize, forms into semi-precious gemstones similar to carbuncles. Semi-precious stones are not only used for ornamentation, they are also ground up and used for ink, medicine, and more. A pound of these stones is worth about 4 Mythic Pounds (they are sold for about 1 Mythic Pound to 4 ounces). The animals generate several of these stones each (about 1 ounce per lynx) every day, and theoretically this could all be sold for almost 200 Mythic Pounds a year. Colin, factor for the magi, has set up lucrative trade contracts for the distribution of the lyncanium through Ireland and Scotland; this counts as a source of income generating 72 mythic pounds a year. Note that there is some labor involved here: Rules for breeding magical animals can be found in Hermetic Projects, and someone needs to track where the lynx urinate and then dig up and clean the gemstones. There is also considerable opportunity for graft and corruption, possibly requiring supervision.

  • Sir Blane: Blane is a wealthy knight of Scotland, and he is in the habit of buying furnishings and other expensive items for the covenant. His spare income from his fiefs in Scotland amount to 10£, half of which goes to sustain his own lifestyle. The rest counts as a very minor additional income source.

The covenant's annual income is thus somewhere in the neighborhood of 130£. So far, each year they have had a very small surplus after expenses.

A spreadsheet for the Covenant's finances can be found here. All hail Jeremiah!

Magical Armory

The covenant also has a magical armory, including assets in reserve or in possession of covenant members. Those resources are detailed here.

Laboratories

The magi all received laboratory equipment from Balbina, and Polumeta received Superior Equipment and Superior Tools. Most of the magi have further customized their labs since arriving. The details of every magi's lab is on his or her character page.

Library

The covenant has begun a library located in the central keep of the castle. It's contents are detailed here.