Terragon Heirs
The Terragon Heirs are the filia and grand-filia of the magi of Terragon Vale, who vanished in 1182. Terragon Vale had considerable resources, including not only a library and vis stocks but a research project aimed at creating a map that had an arcane connection to anywhere in Mythic Europe. With no indication the magi will ever return, the Terragon Heirs have sued the Tribunal of the Greater Alps for ownership of the now-abandoned covenant. Several Tribunal meetings have been held, but the decision has always been to keep these resources in store for the return of the original magi. Quaesitors cast Aegis and Shrouded Glen over the Terragon Vale site every year. Wards have been placed to keep anyone out of the basement levels of the covenant.
In 1218, the covenant has been locked up for 36 years and five Tribunal meetings. Some of the Terragon Heirs insist on waiting, but others feel that, by the time the Tribunal comes to a decision, it will be too late to be useful to the current generation. This more vocal and active faction of the Heirs is led by three magi, all filia of the original Terragon Vale magi.
Marcus filius Socratinus of Bonisagus
Marcus was apprenticed to a senior Bonisagus at Terragon Vale who was working on the Mappamundi project, a map of Mythic Europe that was, by its nature, an arcane connection to anywhere in the world. Like his master, he is an expert in Rego transportation effects, in Intellego, and in Terram.
German by birth, Marcus is 95 years old in 1218 and at the height of his magical powers. His talisman is a staff topped by an armillary sphere and his familiar is an eagle. He wears rich clothing of black velvet and silver over a mail shirt which has been enchanted to have Load 1 and a total Protection 8. Most of Marcus's Hermetic career has been spent in Provence, where he and other Terragon Heirs founded their own covenant after Gauntlet many years ago. He has trained one apprentice. In magical combat, he relies on Rego Corpus effects like Wizard's Leap for personal defense, and on Rego Terram effects like Invisible Sling of Vilano and Hands of Grasping Earth for attack. His shield Grog is a Grizzled Veteran named Tiberius.
Marcus's priority is getting into Terragon Vale so he can find his parens' research notes. He does not know if they are in the library or his master's laboratory, both of which are located on the third floor of the covenant's primary stone structure.
Brigid filia Tor of Flambeau
Brigid was an Irish girl taken at a young age to become apprentice to a militant and passionate Flambeau of Terragon Vale. An elementalist, she left for Provence after her Gauntlet and has spent years there alongside Marcus and her other sodales. She escaped the corruption of her House in the recent Flaming Shadow scandal, but her covenant has suffered from the depredations of the French Crusaders. For thirty years she has been pursuing the resources of Terragon Vale, but now that her home covenant is in decline, her purpose has new urgency. Now she hopes to move the whole covenant back to the Greater Alps.
Now 76 years old, Brigid does not appear to age, and will be in the full flower of her beauty all her life. She has long, thick, and naturally curly red hair and a strong chin. Determined and forthright, she is the most Christian of the Heirs, and is known for granting mercy to her enemies when they are helpless before her.
Brigid wears embroidered gowns and a white silk mantle enchanted to protect her from flame. Her talisman is a wand opened to add to her elemental spells. Her favored Technique is Creo and she has Pilum of Fire mastered with Multiple Targets, Penetration, and Magic Resistance. To defend herself, she conjures walls with Terram magic and Circling Winds of Protection. She has an apprentice who is nearing Gauntlet, a young woman named Marianne. Her shield Grog is a Tough Guy called Brutus. Her familiar is a songbird.
Roderick filius Hecuba of Tytalus
Roderick was fresh out of Gauntlet when his master vanished with the rest of Terragon Vale, and he has always felt somehow deprived. After all, he had spent 15 years cultivating a hatred for his domina, only for her to vanish. Roderick wants to find out what happened to his parens, and he will do anything to rescue her, for the simple reason that if that wicked old woman is going to suffer and die, it's going to be Roderick who does it to her.
Now 61, Roderick remains argumentative and feisty. Comfortable in hand to hand combat, he has been trained by some of the best armsmen in Europe. He recently enchanted his talisman, a dagger which uses a Muto Corpus effect to transform the victim's blood into a burning acidic poison. He also carries a sword enchanted with Edge of the Razor and Hardness of Adamantine for a total damage bonus of +9. He wears linen and cotton clothing enchanted with Doublet of Impenetrable Silk and a weightlessness spell, for a total Load of 1 and Protection of 4 (raised to 7 by GotBF, below). He keeps a dog familiar, a black mastiff named Pitch.
Roderick's magical talents are specialized in Muto and Corpus. He is a competent shape-changer but his Animal is poor and he avoids animal forms, preferring to fight with weapons. But he is an excellent spy. He is usually protected by Gift of the Bear's Fortitude and Endurance of the Berserkers, and is the healer among the Terragon Heirs, carrying their store of Corpus vis to cast spells like Healing Touch of Asclepius. His skill at Herbam and Rego, developed so he could create instant disguises, also enables him to use unusual tactics in combat, such as using an enemy's clothing as a weapon or causing it to hamper him in battle. His Grog is a Berserker named Cisco.
Roderick's priority at Terragon Vale is getting into his parens' sanctum, finding out what she was doing that caused the Vanishing Away, and following her wherever she went or bringing her home. He is the only one of the three who is eager to get down into the basement levels of the covenant; he's sure the truth is down there.