Covenant Discussions (OOC)

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: The Heir of Laimunt Valley
1

Troupe discussions about how the covenant is set up and evolves over time.

2

l, personally, want to do mental laboratory for my magus.

3

This may have less to do with the covenant than it has to do with your magus, but it is good to know in advance. :slight_smile:

Covenants (p.120) describes the effects of such a lab under the Mental Construct lab flaw, but is rather vague on how this can be achieved (aside from saying it might be "created by a powerful Creo Mentem Ritual spell, perhaps").

I looked up The Mysteries, but even the rituals presented under The Art of Memory (pp.25-27) do not seem to be sufficient for a Hermetic laboratory. So something more powerful may be needed.

4

There is an example effect in Covenants, The Crown of Hermes on page 121.

5

Well, it means that in some time my magus would not need any lab at all, which is kinda relevant)

Yeah, l was looking for it.
This is safe default, even tho l have other ideas that should really be discussed.

6

Indeed, the Crown of Hermes would be a possibility. Thanks callen for pointing it to me.

The impact on the covenant will be minimal, which is why I more a character development decision rather than a covenant one. Unless you are proposing that the item should belong to the covenant itself, rather than to your magus? In which case it would simply be a matter of detailed build points allocation once the basic parameters of the covenant have been settled.

Speaking of which, I'm sure you would all like to know a bit more about the location of the covenant. :wink:

The covenant will be somewhere in the valley of the modern-day town of Delémont (I use the period name of Laimont), which is about midway (but slightly to the south) between the cities of Basel and Monbéliard. The covenan t can be set pretty much anywhere in the valley, although the western end of the valley, near Boécourt, seem like a interesting spot to me.

Here's a map of the valley

The valley has several archeological areas of interests:

  • Evidences of blast furnaces near Boécourt (could be extended to the presence of an iron mine)
  • Gallo-Roman mausoleum under Laimunt itself
  • Roman villas seeded throughout the valley (Laimunt, Vicques, Divilier)
  • A cave with cult objects from the neolithic and Bronze Age in Underswyler

The inheritance could cover one of several areas in or near the valley. The exact form of the covenant will need to be decided by the troupe.

EDIT: Which leads to a different question. Who was that old magus who established the kernel of the covenant? What were his interests and his reasons for doing that? His identity may help us to make some of the decisions regarding the nature and assets of the covenant. I left it undefined on purpose, for this greatly affects the troupe. Suggestions?

7

Purely a suggestion but something that might be fun..

Let the covenant be set up in an old derelict monastery, gothic style (I know it is a bit early for that style, but I mean the atmosphere), trees might have grown in the courtyards and ivy reaching high. Parts are good for living, but the full space is not useable. Have it maybe be a splinter sect that tried to set up their brotherhood here, but it failed due to XYZ

Maybe the magic aura can be partially tethered to a waterfall by the covenant? seeing as the western end of the valley has a few sources of river springs.

8

I like the idea of the covenant being among or near some ruins, although I kind of like the old Roman villa more than the old ruined monastery given the locations.

My first clear idea for the old magus is a Jerbiton. While perusing the Covenants book, I saw a little fluff passage about Jerbiton choosing to make his covenant in Valnastium and not in faerie so that he would spend his life making something beautiful instead of just being content. The old magus has always wanted to do something like that here in the valley. However, he continually had issues getting in his way throughout his life so he never really managed to get around to it. As time went on, it dawned on the old magus that he would likely never live to see his vision completed. Not wanting to see his vision die with him, he decided to start setting up a new generation to accomplish this project for him.

That's just the first clear picture I've managed to think up. I wouldn't mind hearing other people's concepts, or if they have any changes or further thoughts to the above.

9

An alternative I thought of is that the magus wanted to stick it to some of the other older magi around, so he created this thorn in their side as his dying wish. Sure, that could be a Tytalus, but it need not be.

10

Not shown on the map I posted are a number of streams running south between Curfavro and Curtetele. They form small triangular valleys in the mountains, two of which are large enough (200m and 500m wide) to be potentially good sites for a more isolated covenant.

You can see the entrance to the largest one in this picture. The village shown (Chastellion) also existed in 1200 but is not shown on the map. There is a very old oak tree now considered the oldest and largest in the world (8.4 meters in circumference), called the "Chêne des bosses" (oak of the lumps). This tree may be as old as a thousand years, according to some (this cannot be verified by counting its growth rings because the core is rotten).

Just one of the possibbilities of sites in the Laimunt Valley. :grin:

11

I can't find Boécourt on the map you posted Arthur - it is supposed to be at the western end?

12

Sorry for that. Boécourt is the modern name. The period name on the map is Biestinge.

Edit: I have updated the map to show Chastellion and the streams to the south.

13

If I have this right, the Telsperg knights built both those keeps to control road/river to Basel. I haven't found out much about them, though.

14

Maybe the magus who just passed had been ostracized from the Greater Alps or had been apprenticed in the Greater Alps and emigrated. But having been born there and then pushed away, he always desired to return, building toward that end at the edge of the tribunal.

15

Maybe he's a ghost now, and he knew he would become one. He wanted to create his ideal home for an afterlife.

16

Correct. Not much is known, so we won't be contradicting history there.

I was thinking that perhaps the old magus had made a deal with the Telsberg family, providing some magic (perhaps even a minor longevity ritual) in exchange for their assistance and rights to build the covenant where it is. The family remains an ally of the Heir (and thus the covenant), though they might expect some occasional magical help. Nothing that might get us in trouble with the Quaesitor, but enough to provide a minor hook.

He's passed into Twilight, not died.

17

Something that could be interesting and keep us very juicy for the three tribunals is if we provide Hermetic Services, as our income. We have some good bookbinders & illuminators, some good teachers, we produce inks, dyes, mine for semiprecious gems for enchantments, maybe sell off a bit of vis, we allow people to study at our library etc. Something that would be super favourable for a tribunal to snatch up (as we conceivably will only become stronger and thus even better providers of services.

18

Short answer: Vis sources

For some reason, the old magus was able to locate several important vis sources. These were an important source of his Hermetic wealth. But, although the sources were registered with the Quaesitores, they may technically fall within the territory of one of those Tribunals. Whichever Tribunal is able to claim that territory controls access to those vis sources (or at least can claim they fall under their rules for vis sources).

Edit: Furthermore, the assets of the covenant were kept hidden by the old magus. They were only discovered after he passed into Twilight. That seems incompatible with a covenant set up to provide covenant services.

19

Oops, right, no ghost when you go that way.

Amaranth! We're Hermetic drug dealers... Or maybe not.

20

Hmm... He could potentially have had some allies and was creating this covenant for a purpose unknown to others. He wanted his work to continue, and those past allies will expect it to...

Just trying to churn out some ideas that might fit well...