A Covenant's collection of Enchanted Items by Type/Location (Complete)

Travel Gear

This is a collection of enchanted items that the Covenant can issue to groups which are traveling and on expedition through the wilderness. The enchanted items are rarely given to groups consisting of just Grogs, being reserved for when a more important person such as a Magus and their support personnel is out and about.

In addition to the enchanted items, the Covenant keeps a stockpile of mundane equipment of the varies types for outfitting expeditions. These range from tents and bedrolls to equipment needed to setup a field kitchen, for environments ranging from the frozen north to the scorching deserts of Africa. Since the Covenant recently engaged in a few decades conducting field research and spent freely, much of it is good quality (Superior).

Camping & Base Camp

These are items primarily used in setting up a camp site, whether over night or a long term base camp for an expedition.

  • Traveler's Wilderness Refuge x2
    MuAn, Level 20, P/C/I, Base 5 "Very Unnatural Change", RDT 1, Size 1, MC +5, 1/day +0
    This is a bundle made from an oiled leather cover stuffed with felt and bone slices. Similar to 'Cloak of Wilderness Refuge' (MoH, p 142), it trades off the ease of carry in its non-activated form for a more functional activated form. When the command word is given, the bundle will open up and shift into a large felt wall tent, 10 paces to the side, with oiled leather top cover and bone poles. It will comfortably house ten men with their gear and twenty for just sleeping.

  • Traveler's Nighttime Comfort x2
    MuTe(Ig), Level 30, T/C/P, Base 3 "Stone to Earth", RDT 3, Requisite 1, Stone 1, Size 1, MC +5, 1/day +0
    A large felt ground cloth that is sized to fit within an expanded 'Traveler's Wilderness Refuge'. Similar to 'Travelers Cloak' (MoH, p 32), this alters the first few inches of ground under it when activated to be soft and warm to the touch. The effect is powerful enough that it will function even on solid stone.

  • Disk of Ready Heat x3
    CrIg, Level 20, P/C/P, Base 4 "Create Heat", RDT 2, MC +5, 24/day +5
    A black iron disk, the size of a mans two hand spread, with folding legs and wood covered handle with brass end cap. When open and activated, the disk will become hot enough to boil water (our group uses ~250 F). In addition to its use for simple cooking, it makes a very effective heater and will ignite tinder.

  • Flame Without Striking (though we normally call it the magic tinderbox)
    CrIg, Level 20, T/M/I, Base 5 "Ignite Flammable", RDT 1, U/day +10
    A small brass block, with a piece of basalt inset on one face. When the basalt is touched to an object and the command spoken, the object will catch fire as long as it is something that is at least slightly flammable (leather, damp wood, etc).

Adverse Weather & Conditions

Part of the Covenants stockpile is a collection of clothing designed to protect the wearer in extremely hot or cold environments. Some of the enchanted items expand this to cover operating in locations which there is no readily available equipment for.

  • Traveler's Sheltering Cloak x11
    ReAu(Ig), Level 19, P/S/I, Base 4 "Ward against precipitation", RDT 2, Requisite 1, Constant +4
    These are simple and sturdy hooded travelers cloaks made from fine wool (Excellent +1). The cloak is immune to precipitation as the spell 'Ward Against Rain' (AM5, p 128) and prevents heat from moving through it. Since the effect is on the cloak rather than the wearer, to take full advantage of it the cloak must be kept closed with the hood up.
    [Design Notes: The Rego effect is ReIg Base 3~4 "Control Direction of Spread" and only affecting heat (it was borderline between natural and slightly unnatural). This provides great insulation, which can protect the wearer from hot and cold environmental damage. It is ineffective against rapid damage, such as flame, though the cloak itself is unlikely to catch fire.]

  • Brooch of Watery Breath x3
    MuAq(Au), Level 20, T/C/P, Base 4 "Liquid to Gas", RDT 3, Requisite 0, MC +5, 1/day +0
    A copper brooch with jade setting, these produce an effect as the spell 'Lungs of the Fish' (AM5, p 122) upon the wearer. These allow exploring areas under water, though a more powerful version with more uses per day is advantageous for safety.

  • Bottle of Fresh Breezes x3
    CrAu, Level 9, T/C/I, Base 1 "Create Breeze", RDT 2, Unnatural 1, MC +5, 2/day +1
    A small brass flask with a chain linked stopper, bearing Creo and Auram runes. When opened they create a breeze that swirls out around the bottle, filling the area with fresh air. These are very useful when exploring deep caves or other locations in which the air is of poor quality.

Light & Senses

Part of this group is made up of items already stated. Eight 'Magic Lantern' and a 'Lens of the Eagles' have been set aside specifically to equip expeditions.

  • The Light Rod x2
    CrIg, Level 20, P/C/I, Base 4 "Create Light", RDT 1, MC +5, U/day +10
    A slim bronze rod with a globe of quartz on the end. When activated, the quartz will glow with light from the dim glow of a single candle to as bright as a cloudy day. While a more powerful effect, these have the advantage of being physically smaller, brighter, and with finer control than a 'Magic Lantern'. They can also be turned completely off, where as a 'Magic Lantern' will generally have some small amount of light spill out even if its shudders are fully closed.

  • The Eternal Torch x5
    CrIg, Level 20, T/C/I, Base 4 "Create Fire (Damage +5)", RDT 2, MC +5, 24/day +5
    A sturdy torch made of woven wood, with a brass cup on the end. When activated a flame of the size found on a normal torch will project from the brass cup. While less bright and without the fine control of 'The Light Rod', it is actual fire which can be used to set things alight or as a weapon. These items were found during an expedition into an abandoned Covenant and we do not have the Labtext for them.

  • The Gem of Auras
    In(Cr)Vi(Im), Level 29, T/S/I, Base 2 "Detect Aura Power", RDT 3, Complexity 3, Requisite 1, Constant +4
    A silver banded clear quartz stone, about an inch in size. When inside of an Aura, the quartz will glow with a soft light. The intensity and color of the light can be used to determine the type and strength of the Aura (shades of Blue for Magic, Green for Faerie, Red for Infernal, and Gold for Divine).

    [Design Notes: Our group used a level of Complexity for each additional type of Aura. Some groups might instead rather individual items/effects for each type. This would reduce the level of each to 9, since it removes the Complexity and the Requisite becomes Cosmetic.]

  • The Vis Hunters Bell
    In(Cr)Vi(Im), Level 20, V/M/G, Base 1 "Detect Vis", RDT 4, Requisite 1, U/day +10
    A fancy brass hand bell without clapper, on a wooden handle stained by Ink of Hermes. When it is rung against a hard surface, all Vis within the range of sound (about 15 paces for a normal ring) will take on a glowing pulsing appearance while the sound last. A single ring will last for a few seconds (roughly a round). While normally stored within The Vault and used during the collection of Vis, this is the item taken on expeditions hunting new Vis sources because it allows multiple people to be involved in the search.

Carrying Loads & Movement

These items are for carrying supplies and allowing faster movement. Already stated items include two 'The Enchanted Porter', used for handling heavy objects.

  • The Chest of Weightlessness x2
    PeAn(HeTe), Level 39, T/S/G, Base 4 "Destroy Weight", RDT 5, Requisite 2, Constant +4
    A sturdy wooden chest with brass banding and lock, capable of holding roughly 1 cubic pace of material. Anything within it covered by its Forms is weightless, while the chest itself only weighs about a pound. Normally these are used for carrying heavy equipment, though they can also be used for heavy loot.

  • The Motivated Wagon x2
    ReHe, Level 20, P/C/I, Base 3 "Control", RDT 1, Size 2, Speed 1, MC +5, 1/day +0
    This pair of strange wagons are stored in the same warehouse of the Consortium as the "Old Style" Landen Portal. A small piece of amber in a brass setting is located before the front bench seat. The wagon may be controlled while touching the amber and concentrating.

    When activated the wagon will move on the ground under its own power, with a maximum speed of a galloping horse (~40 mph/~64 kph). It will continue the last instruction until commanded differently or the effect expires at sunrise/sunset without a user concentrating to maintain it. Complex maneuvers might require a Per + Finesse roll.

    The wagons can move with a maximum Load of 500. Despite its load capacity, the most people it can carry comfortably is 3 on the bench seat and 4~5 in the bed (any more and they would be cramped, to a maximum of 20 if stacked like cord wood).

Stealth

Only one type of enchanted device is normally used for stealth by expeditions. Issued to any Grogs performing scouting duty, it makes them virtually unnoticeable by beings without MR.

  • The Insignificant Pendent x4
    MuIm, Level 20, T/C/I, Base 3 "Sight, Sound, & Smell", RDT 2, MC +5, 24/day +5
    A small opal pendent on a leather cord, when it is activated it will change the sight, sound, and smell species of its wearer to be anamorphic in nature. See HoH:S, p 65 for details of anamorphic illusions. A similar item is in MoH, p 93.

    Everything viewing the wearer while the effect is active will see them as mundane and insignificant, as long as they take no actions which would draw undo attention to themselves. Actions which break the effect for a single subject do not break it for others. If the wearer moves outside of the sensory range of someone it is broken for then it will reestablish itself if later they return to sensory range.

    To consciously detect the wearer while the effect is active requires a Stress Die Roll + viewer's Per + viewer's Alertness - 9 against an Ease Factor of Stress Die Roll + viewer's dominant active Personality Trait + wearer's Per + wearer's Finesse. If they succeed by 0~2, they know something is not quite right though it seems mundane in nature. If they succeed by 3+, they see through the effect as the supernatural thing it is.

    This effect has advantages over invisibility, such as the user being able to still see themselves and people not accidentally walking into them (they subconsciously know the wearer is there, just not important enough to consciously notice). It will defeat most non-magical means to detect an invisible subject, since most results which would reveal the wearer are ignored if the searcher does not roll high enough on their Alertness roll. It will also defeat animals which rely on their sense of smell.


Only two post left to go, the one covering 'Ships Items' and the one for 'Odds & Ends'. We are up to 109 different types of Enchanted Items, with the total number in the hundreds.

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With several ongoing constant effect on all the water in the building / rooms, your covenant so deserves a spontaneous water elemental at some point. :smiley:

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The water in the Roman baths is created by magic and only exist for Sun duration at a time, so it really never has a chance to build up warping.

Now if someone build such a baths like that using normal water rather than magically summoned water...

Enchantments for the Covenant Fleet

This is a collection of items which are used by ships in our trade fleet. Primarily found on our flagship and larger trade ships, while the smaller ships of the fleet make due with their exceptional performance from the form and quality of their crafting.

At the time of writing, the fleet consist of our flagship the Gelkin (a war outfitted Nef) and two other warships in the same style (the Kelpie and the Kraken), four very large trading Nefs (200 tons cargo), six large trading Nefs (100 tons cargo), 33 medium trading Nefs (40 tons cargo), and 14 river barges (10~20 tons cargo). Additionally a new war outfitted Nef is in the final stages of production. While not part of the trade fleet, there are four fishing boats that work out of Landen.

All of the ships in our fleet have been produced or at least modified by our shipyard. They have had all the individual boards and beams of the ship molded into one unit, making it smoother and way tougher, before being plated with a thin coating of brass and stone. The ships perform much like modern fiberglass and metal hulled sailing ships. They are one piece, far stronger, completely water proof, require no chalking/taring, and are far less likely to develop hanger-ons (barnacles and worms). Additionally their sails are a solid piece (rather than woven fabric) which makes them more effective at catching the wind and not subject to fraying.

[Ship Notes: All of the ships use "Supernatual Quality" for calculating Damage Levels (C&G, p 77). Other than the warships, the Nefs have a soak of 10 and travel 80~100 Miles Per Day (compared to 60~80 for normal ships). The warships have a soak of 13 and can be considerably faster due to enchantments. All ships have cabins for all the crew and passengers, an oddity for the day. The medium trade ships mount a single giant crossbow and the larger mount two, while the warships carry an array of five springal.]

Medium Trade Ship Items

The enchanted items carried by the medium trade ships have already been stated in prior post, so will just be listed here.

Already Stated (per ship): The Enchanted Porter x1, Magical Lantern x2~3

Large Trade Ship Items

This is a collection of items found upon each of the larger trade ships of the fleet. They have a couple of enchanted items not covered before.

Already Stated (per ship): The Enchanted Porter x2, Magical Lantern x3~4, Mystic Woodworkers Tool x1

  • The Freshwater Barrel (1x per ship)
    PeAq, Level 20, T/M/I, Base 15 "Destroy Saltiness", RDT 1, 1/day +0
    These are hogshead (a 1/4 tun, 63 gallons) made from a single piece of wood, though seemingly of different types, with fancy engraved banding. When activated it will destroy all of the saltiness in the water it contains, making it safe to drink. This allows the ships to travel far outside of the sight of land without having to devote cargo space to carrying fresh water.

  • Slates of Communication (1x per ship)
    PeAq, Level 20, A/C/I, Base 1 "Manipulate", RDT 5, Precise Control 1, 24/day +5
    Actually a linked pair of items (with one at the Consortium headquarters for each ship), they consist of a bone handle with chalk holder on one end and felt pad on the other, tied to a slate by a woven wool cord. When activated, the motions of the handle in relation to the slate are duplicated by its linked item. This allows course text messages, used for the passing of instructions and important news.

Warship Items

These are items carried by the Warships other than the Gelkin, though most of the ones for the newest are in varies stages of production. Many of the items are copies of ones originally found on the Gelkin, before more powerful and refined versions were created. The newest warship will be equipped with the originals of those that were made for the Gelkin rather than copies.

Already Stated (per ship): The Enchanted Porter x2, Magical Lantern x5, Mystic Woodworkers Tool x2, Magic Oven x1, Lens of the Eagles x1, The Freshwater Barrel x2, Slates of Communication x3 [1x to Consortium Headquarters and the other Warships]

  • The Wavebreaker (1x per ship)
    ReAq, Level 19, T/S/I, Base 4 "Control", RDT 3, Constant +4
    Enchanted within the large ornate figurehead of each ship. This causes incoming waves to gently break before the ship. It only affects waves to the fore and does not begin to affect them until passing the midpoint between waves (when it can touch the current of the next wave). This allows the ship to sail into rough seas and removes much of the rocking motion traditionally found on a ship which aids the accuracy of its springals in battle.

    [Design Notes: While similar to 'Break the Oncoming Wave' (AM5, p 124), it is not a Ward and works by manipulating the oncoming waves. The spell completely stops the water from interacting with its subject, while this effect merely softens the force. If this effect was used on an individual Magus it would not stop them getting wet or being swept away by the raw volume of water while the spell would.]

  • The Water Stone (1x per ship)
    ReAq, Level 23, T/C/I, Base 4 "Control Water", RDT 2, Slightly Unnatural 1, MC +5, 6/day +3
    A small slab of polished crystal containing a piece of blue jade, it produces a modified version of 'Push of the Gentle Wave' (AM5, p 124). Mounted in the deck before the ships helm, when active it produces a forceful current around the ship that flows in the desired direction. The direction of the current can be changed while touching the stone and concentrating, otherwise it will continue to flow in the last set direction.

    [Design Notes: While our group accepted Touch, many others might require Voice. We allow Touch because the item is mounted to the ship and cannot be removed without extensive work, making it part of the ships structure.]

  • The Wind Stone (1x per ship)
    CrAu, Level 12, T/C/I, Base 2 "Create Wind", RDT 2, MC +5, 6/day +3
    A small slab of polished quartz containing a fan made of pin feathers. Mounted in the deck before the ships helm, when active it projects a wind traveling in line with the base of the fan. By positioning it at the rear of a ship and directing the wind forward, this ensures that as long as it is active the ship is running before a stiff wind.

  • The Rigging Stone (1x per ship)
    ReHe, Level 25, T/M/S, Base 3 "Control", RDT 4, U/day +10
    A small slab of polished quartz containing a piece of amber and magnet. Mounted in the deck before the ships helm, when activated it will shift all of the canvas and rigging to the desired configuration. This is similar to 'Man the Sails' (HP, p 70) and requires the user to make a Per + Finesse or Prof: Sailer Stress Roll against Ease Factor 6 to complete the action successfully.

The Gelkin

[Interesting Note: Naming our primary ship or flagship the Gelkin is an inside joke of our group going back nearly 30 years. There has been a ship bearing the name in over a dozen games, though normally it is a spaceship rather than a sailing ship. Every version has been a hybrid merchant/war vessel which has traded capacity for stuffing a small collection of the most advanced weaponry we could find into her. If anyone is interested I have write-ups for multiple versions using CP2020, Traveller, Mindjammer, 40K Free Trader, and several other systems.]

A long gleaming black three masted Nef with crab-claw sails, a crow’s nest and an aft castle. The hull itself is a reinforced laminate of varies woods (primarily cypress with blackwood supports) with a thin outer coating of obsidian and a brass belly plate (obsidian & brass are ~2mm thick). A bulwark wall surrounds the outer edge of the ship, flowing up from the hull in one solid piece. The bulwark, combined with the aft castle and crow’s nest, provide protection and improved firing positions for the crew and Myrmidons. It has a cargo capacity of 200 tons, though much of this is normally used for war materials.

Five springal ring the ship, mounted on rotating platforms. These are the primary anti-ship weaponry. A stock of Bolts of Relentless Burning and Bolts of Choking Smoke are carried for more difficult targets. There is also an enchantment that protects the ship from siege weapons. The construction of the hull and its reinforcing ribbing make the ship extremely resistant to any damage not deflected by the enchantment. Additionally, two boarding ramps and two long boats are carried.
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Unusual for the time, there is cabin space for the full crew and Myrmidons in addition to the cabins for passengers. She is manned by 30 skilled crewmen and 40 Myrmidons, commanded by our most experienced captain. Each of the crew shares a small cabin with one other, allowing comfort on long voyages. Achilles and the captain have their own personal luxurious cabins. There are two luxurious and ten comfortable passenger cabins (luxurious used by Magus & Redcaps, comfortable used by passengers).

Already Stated: Sun Stone x1, Fire Guardian x1, Magic Oven x1, The Enchanted Porter x5, Magical Lantern x4, Mystic Woodworkers Tool x2, Mystic Stoneworkers Tool x1, Mystic Metalworkers Tool x1, Ward Against Rot x1, The Enchanted Crane x1, Lens of the Eagles x1, The Wavebreaker x1, Brooch of Watery Breath x2, The Freshwater Barrel x2, Slates of Communication x3 [1x to Consortium Headquarters and the other Warships]

Additionally the Captain wears one of the Ring of Communication linked to a Sphere of Communication in the Council Hall (described in the 8th post). This allows the Magi to communicate with him directly, rather than going through the convoluted path of messages passed through the Consortium or the Covenant's Spymaster. It also allows tracking the ship when it is beyond the displayed area of The Fleet Master's Table, since The Map of Hermes covers far more area than just the Mediterranean.

Note that the Sun Stone only provides light and temperature control below deck. The Magical Lanterns are used above deck and in the long boats. New members of the crew often use some form of blindfold until they grow accustomed to sleeping in the light.

  • The Tide Stone
    ReAq, Level 30, T/C/I, Base 4 "Control Water", RDT 2, Very Unnatural 2, MC +5, 24/day +5
    This is an improved version of The Water Stone. Mouounted in the deck before the ships helm, when active it produces a forceful current around the ship that flows in the desired direction. This can include wholly unnatural and complex patterns. Examples include a current flowing one direction at the fore and the opposite at the aft to rapidly spin the ship like a top or a current flowing in one direction that is stronger on one side than the other to let the ship both side slip and turn. The current can be changed while touching the stone and concentrating, otherwise it will continue to flow as it was last directed.

  • The Gale Stone
    CrAu, Level 30, T/C/I, Base 3 "Create Wind", RDT 2, Slightly Unnatural 1, Complex 1, MC +5, U/day +10
    This is an improved version of The Wind Stone. Mounted in the deck before the ships helm, when active it projects a wind that raises upwards to about mid sail height and then in a direction desired relative to the ship. Normally this is set to be inline with the ship (which it will track with no matter how the ship turns), though it can instead be directed to the side or rear. This would allow it to push into the sails of nearby ships, slowing and possibly capsizing them. It can vary in force from a light breeze to a gale force wind.

  • The Master Rigging Stone
    ReHe, Level 30, T/M/S, Base 3 "Control", RDT 4, Complex 1, U/day +10
    This is an improved version of The Rigging Stone. Mounted in the deck before the ships helm, when activated it will shift all of the canvas and rigging to the desired configuration. This is similar to 'Man the Sails' (HP, p 70) and requires the user to make a Per + Finesse or Prof: Sailer Stress Roll against Ease Factor 3 to complete the action successfully. [Complexity to reduce Ease Factor]

  • The Ship's Aegis
    ReHe(Te), Level 39, T/S/S, Base 4 "Deflect Attack", RDT 6, Requisite 1, Constant +4
    A small piece of polished quartz containing a miniature bolt made of wood with a magnet head. It is molded into the ship's spine. Designed to defend against powerful attacks, it will deflect the first siege weapon strike upon the ship each round. It will also prevent a ram attack, though the forces involved will deflect both ships. Smaller attacks such as arrows and crossbow bolts are unaffected. Deflected attacks produce a loud gong sound and forceful rippling in the air radiating out from the point of impact (Cosmetic based on Enchanters Sigil).

  • The Anchor Stone
    ReHe(AqAu), Level 43, T/C/S, Base 4 "Control", RDT 5, Requisite 2, MC +5, 6/day +3
    A disk of black iron bearing an anchor in brass with tiny spheres of amber, blue jade, and magnet. It is mounted in the deck between the helm and rear bulwark wall. When activated, the ship is held in place as if anchored fore and aft, even in water too deep to use an anchor. It will reduce the force of all wind and wave upon the ship by creating a countering force to them, making the ship much more likely to survive undamaged. Wind and wave of severe or less are deflected, while very severe is reduced to severe. It is powerful enough to overcome the effect of The Tide Stone and The Gale Stone, able to bring the ship quickly to a stop even while those items are active. However any crew not expecting it or loose items will be tossed about.
    [When created the Magus could only muster a Lab Total of 87. Someone with a Lab Total of 100 or who creates it as part of an invested device could give it Unlimited uses per day for the same Vis cost]

  • Sails of Silken Steel x3
    MuHe, Level 19, P/S/I, Base 4 "Highly Unnatural", RDT 2, Size 1, Constant +4
    These are the three mainsails of the Gelkin. The sails are made from one piece of laminated cloth, primarily a silked cotton with linen ribbing and hemp edging. Their rigging ropes seamlessly merge into them, with a search finding that there is no stitching anywhere. The sails are dyed a smokey grey and bear a black crest of a roaring dragon in flight. They are enchanted with an effect that makes them unnaturally strong and tough, as resistant to damage as if they were made of steel while retaining their natural flexibility. Their strength combined with the design and bracing of the masts allows the Gelkin to make use of the full strength of The Gale Stone.

  • The Motivated Ships Boat x2
    ReHe, Level 20, P/C/I, Base 3 "Control", RDT 1, Size 2, Speed 1, MC +5, 1/day +0
    This pair of long boats are stored in cradles amidship. They have an enchantment based on The Motivated Wagon, designed to propel them along the surface of the water. A small piece of amber in a brass setting is located before the front bench seat. The boat may be controlled while touching the amber and concentrating.

    When activated the boat will move upon the water under its own power, with a maximum speed of a galloping horse (~40 mph/~64 kph). It will continue the last instruction until commanded differently or the effect expires at sunrise/sunset without a user concentrating to maintain it. Complex maneuvers might require a Per + Finesse roll. The boats can move with a maximum Load of 500. It retains it's oars for use as backup and when subtlety is required.

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Odd & Ends

This is a grouping for all the other enchanted items possessed by the Covenant. They mostly consist of one-offs or specific purposes which did not fit in with another group. I will include background for them so that their purpose can be understood.

The Landen Pond

On the mundane level a small stream flows north from the natural spring surrounded by a dense grove of old growth which is an echo of the core of the Regio and formed the original entry into it. Where this stream meets the beach is where the Consortium and village of Landen were founded. To help feed the steadily growing population (and conceal the new entry into the Coveant) the land between the old grove and the village were taken up by agriculture.

This consist of a walled garden, surrounded by a mixed orchard of fruit and nut trees. Further to the west are the barns and fields which handle most of the community livestock. Just off of the stream to the east a large pond was dug, linked to the stream with buried pipes to keep it at a stable water level. The pond serves as a farm for frogs, crayfish, snails, river crabs, eels and other species. Edible aquatic plants including cattails, watercress, and water chestnuts grow upon it.

As the population continued to raise, a means of increasing the output of the pond was needed as villagers considered much that was grown there a delicacy and over fished it to an extent that it was unable to keep up with. Thus this enchanted item was created to help repopulate it and was so effective at the task that a large proportion of the village diet is supplied by it.

  • A Disk to Feed Vermin
    CrAn, Level 38, T/Moon/I, Base 10 "Create Corpse", RDT 4, Complex +1, E. Trigger +3, 1/day +0
    A large curved stone disk bearing a carved symbol of the sun on its very top, mounted upon a submerged hollow cylinder in the middle of the pond. The cylinder is dotted with many small holes, allowing small things to move in and out of it. The disk is mounted at such a height that it is anywhere from half submerged to only having the symbol on its top above the water as long as the pond stays within its normal depth range. The disk and cylinder are made of local stone so they will not attract undue attention unless closely examined.

    When the light of dawn strikes the symbol on top of the disk, it creates a mix of viscera and offal from its bottom side which falls into the cylinder. These are raw and unprocessed, what would be the waste material from a butcher, and are the leftovers from several species of animal (Complex). In the world of Ars Magica, the varies vermin and insect species spawn from rotting flesh. Some spawn from specific types of animal and others from any based on the environment it is in. Thus this item produces about 1 base individual of material from which the varies vermin species farmed in the pond will spawn from every day and last roughly a month so that they can rot.

Since at any given time the pond will have 28 base individuals worth of material, an over abundance of frogs, crayfish, snails, river crabs, and eels are always spawning. Additionally a range of aquatic insects spawn. All of them are small enough that they can exit the cylinder through its many holes and spread out through the lake. The insects serve as an abundant food source for fish, thus boosting their population as well. There is such a density of harvestable animals that fisherman are normally overloaded after a single casting of a throw net. Getting only a single type requires specialized traps and a great deal more effort.

How to Entertain Cats

Our Covenant had a Hermetic Cat problem. The problem was less the actual presence of the pack of cats and more how to keep them entertained so that they do not cause trouble. Having cats which can create magical effects scattered about the Covenant and bored was distracting our Covenfolk, since they are intelligent and were getting into all sorts of trouble. While mundane toys helped, several simple magical devices which could be enchanted in batches proved more effective.

Over the years a system has formed in which an individual cat will be given an enchanted toy. This has lead to something of a fierce competition to be found worthy. It is a status symbol among the cats to have their own "personal toy" and having earned many is a sign of importance. Occasionally a cat will earn a toy more difficult to produce then the below and this is a sign of great importance. A sure sign of friendship is when a cat lets another play with their toy.

Since the system for earning toys has come into place, most of the cats do not use the older unassigned toys. Even ones who are familiars want to earn any they receive, since just having one given to them by their Master without earning it is seen by the other cats as being unworthy. The older unassigned toys (often rougher for wear) are generally left for distracting any kittens and those cats who have not done something worthy of receiving their own.

  • Pounce Toy
    ReAn, Level 7, P/S/I, Base 1 "Control", RDT 2, Constant +4
    Normally enchanted into an animal tail or strip of animal hide. When "smacked" the toy will respond by wiggling and attempting to get away for a round (which can and often does include small leaps). So a cat smacks it to start a game and then attempts to pounce on and pin it. The smacking they cause during the pounce continues to activate it and it continues trying to get away. The force it generates is kept low enough to not risk injury to the cat.

  • Chase Toy
    ReAn, Level 8, P/S/I, Base 1 "Control", RDT 2, Complex 1, Constant +4
    A variation on the above, these are also normally enchanted into an animal tail or strip of hide though a few are stuffed animals. When "smacked" the toy will flee for a few rounds, fast enough that a cat will have to work to catch up. The toy will change direction and leap into the air as it flees, causing the cat to have to respond quickly to catch it before it stops. How it flees is the same as the animal used in its construction, though those based on birds (stuffed with feathers) will not actually fly.

  • Wrestle Buddy
    ReAn, Level 9, P/S/I, Base 1 "Control", RDT 2, Complex 2, Constant +4
    These are generally the largest of the toys, a stuffed animal roughly the same size as a cat. When the "nose" is "smacked" the toy will respond by "wrestling" with the cat who set it off until a round has passed in which the cat is no longer wrestling. Much like the chase toys, the wrestling is based on the animal which contributed the heart of this toy and those using a tuft of cat hair are the most sought after.

  • Snuggle Buddy
    Cr(Re)Ig(An), Level 9, P/S/I, Base 2 "Warm", RDT 2, Requisite 1, Constant +4
    These are mostly a small doll or stuffed animal, though a few are a small blanket or pillow. Mostly they are made of wool (cloth and stuffing) though a few are rabbit pelts. They are warm to the touch and want to wrap gently around anything pressing into them. While the cats who have one of these will normally use it to snuggle with when sleeping, it can do light duty for a little "wrestling".

  • Cat Ball
    ReHe, Level 9, P/S/I, Base 3 "Control", RDT 2, Constant +4
    These are a small wooden ball which will roll and bounce away in a random pattern when "smacked". The pattern is not truly random but set when it is enchanted, thus some of the older cats with one of these have developed complex games based on knowing how the ball will respond to the next smack.

While a Vis and time sink without true benefit, these items have proven a fun addition to our Saga. They mostly come into play in games where we play familiars or Hermetic cats. A variation of many of the enchantments could be used to produce magical toys for children. Our Magi have actually produced two batches of the Snuggle Buddy specifically for the younger children of the Covenant.

A Gem to Replace the Sun

For nearly a decade our Covenant suffered under a Faerie Curse which made it extremely expensive to feed our population.

The fay who cursed us inhabits a Faerie Regio containing a temple to the Roman gods, linked to the ruins of that temple dating back to when the island was inhabited by Rome nearly a thousand years before. The faerie and his court had taken on the role of the Roman Gods. They were incredibly weak until we settled upon the island and the pagans among our Covenfolk began to worship at the temple. Having several hundred people worshiping and leaving offerings not only restored them to their previous strength but allowed them to become even more powerful. This lasted for over half a century.

Then our Covenant built our Temple of Hermes. Suddenly that large group of worshipers dried to a trickle. Desperate that they would once again be left starving and weak, the Fey cursed our Covenant so that no plants sown by man could feed upon the light of the sun, so that we might starve as they were. The sun appeared pale and sickly within our Regio, its light only enough to sustain the wild growing plants Overnight all of the crops within our Covenant began to wither and die. While we could import food it was a massive increase in our yearly cost. Something had to be done and breaking the curse was proving tricky.

How could we get our crops to grow when the sun would not nourish them?

The Sun Gem (Invested Device, used 10 of 12 spaces)
This block of gold tinted quartz was a short term solution to the curve our Covenant suffered. It is composed from a raw piece of quartz about skull sized, containing a starburst shaped piece of basalt and a small amount of mercury. [Enchanted as a compound item, using the highest cost as total]

  1. Light Like the Sun
    CrIg, Level 58, P/C/I, Base 5 "Create Light", RDT 1, Size 5, Complex 1, LT +3, MC +5, U/Day +10
    When commanded, the stone will glow with light equal to direct sunlight. It can illuminate an area 3,000 paces in diameter, though the actual area on the ground is less depending upon how high above the gem is floating. We found a height of about 750~1,000 paces was sufficient to light the entire first tier of our Regio and high enough to not accidentally blind people by looking directly at it. A point of Complexity was added to ensure that the species of light were the same as that of the sun.

  2. To Hang the Sun
    ReTe, Level 17, P/S/I, Base 3 "Control", RDT 2, Stone 1, LT +3, Constant +4
    This effect causes the gem to float in the air. There is little force beyond what is needed to support the stone, so it can be moved about by hand with little effort. It will respond to properly spoken commands to move about, normally used to float it up into the sky or return it to near earth.

  3. Listen for the Words
    InIm, Level 19, P/S/H, Base 1 "Hearing", RDT 5, Complex 1, Constant +4
    This effect allows the gem to hear and respond to commands (Linked Triggers). It's hearing is focused in a tight downward cone and so it can hear commands spoken to it far further than would be expected (Complex). As long as someone is under it, a command can be heard at 50 times the distance that it could normally be. Even with this effect, a command must be shouted if the stone is higher than about 750 paces and magically enhanced to be heard higher than about 2,500 paces.

Since the curse has been lifted we do not currently have a use for this item. We have considered trading or selling it to a place swathed in darkness, such as underground or a Regio without natural light.

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This is all the items I planned on posting about and so I open the thread for any comments and discussion. If you want to know about anything in particular or more details, please ask and I will do my best to answer.

Cheers,
Troy