Mapping Covenants - Longmist

Games Discussion Ars Magica
1

I'm starting a new sage using the longmist covenant from Through the Aegis, and I wanted to make a map of the area but I'm having trouble understanding the physical description of the covenant. Specifically 2 things.

"The main structure is a set of two intersecting oval courtyards with a four-story tower at their center."

I will include some quick paint sketched of my interpretation of this and I can't figure out the intention and what makes more sense.

I'm also having trouble understanding the location of the village. The book says

"To the south of the covenant’s main buildings, en route to the rear of the covenant, is the village."

I can't decide if by the rear of the covenant they mean the walls or the general territory they control. How far is the village from the main tower, is it far or near. I hope some who've also read the book maybe have a better mind for this type of thing because I'm just very in the mist on this.

PAINT IMAGES
https://imgur.com/a/tlqMsS0

To help I will include all the descriptive text I could pull from the book.

The main structure is a set of two intersecting oval courtyards with a four-story
tower at their center. The outer walls were once plastered and whitewashed but these
are now cracked, dirty, and flaking. The larger of the two courtyards has two large
gates of iron latticework that once made for an impressive entrance. These have long
been rusted shut and the two magical statues of warrior women that once hauled the gates
open and shut have seized with them. The paved yard has a large fountain at its center,
though the device that created the water has also failed. Alongside the fountain is a
bronze man. Larger than a natural man and understood to represent the Fir Bolg in their
glory days, this apparent statue is dressed as a blacksmith and he stands looking out to
the gates. Some say he has a wistful look upon his face. The courtyard is overgrown
and the paving stones have risen, uneven with the roots and small plants that grow
up between them. It is no longer the grand entrance and all manner of broken carts, barrels,
crates, and sacks find themselves stored here under the numerous wooden sheds and
shelters built against the walls. A smaller courtyard at the rear of the
tower, enclosed by a smaller wall, is now the functional entrance to the covenant. It
was once used only by the covenant staff but since the failure of the magical gates,
all visitors to the covenant must come through the humble wooden gates to this
courtyard, which is littered with water troughs, chicken runs, and other signs of
a working covenant. This is also where the stables and both Piaras and Cathal have
their workshops. These courtyards have plenty of space
should the magi wish to build additional structures within the walls.

The smaller white stone tower is that which is visible in the mortal world. It has
four levels above ground and a further level of cellars below. The front entrance is to the
second level, up a set of steps from the grand courtyard. The rear entrance is to the first
level through the kitchens. This tower once provided laboratories
for the early inhabitants, but it is now used by the covenfolk as workspace and as
a guardhouse by the grogs. An enchanted door connects this tower to its larger counterpart
hidden in the regio. A bell is mounted in a small wooden bell
tower on top of the stone structure.

To the south of the covenant’s main buildings, en route to the rear of the covenant,
is the village. This is where Columb has his chapel and the rest of the grogs live.
The homes are humble, but made of the same white stone as the covenant walls.
Sheep and goats dot the hills on either side of the valley alongside the covenant’s
herd of hardy cattle. Lines of robust drystone walls corral the livestock, allowing the farmers
to control their movements. The wolf pelt cathach is displayed on a
large x-shaped frame staked into the ground. Ropes secure the frame to the ground against
the winds that rush down the valley. It is surrounded by a circular ward and is watched
over by Prince Ruadan’s Túatha Dé Danann warriors

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2

I assume the ovals share a center but have perpendicular long axes. So you have something of four leafed floral motif

3

I don’t think that makes a lot of sense with the description of two courtyards each most of an oval.

4

I think that would come down to what you think a singular oval courtyard is if it is allowed to overlap with another as opposed to being adjacent.

5

I agree with @Tjenner on this. That would look alright, I think. A four-story tower is little for a covenant, so presumably, they have other buildings around the ovals.

What @dc444 says is possible, but then the ovals would have to intersect at the ends, and you would have a very long and narrow courtyard. Possible, but to my eyes it would look awful.

In the first case «their center» refers to their common centre, while in the latter it refers to their combined centre. In other layouts, I cannot find the meaning of «their center».

Does it matter? Would it not be the same thing?

I have not read the book, but my guess is that you are on your own here. How do you envision the covenant lands? Do they live off agriculture, needing large croplands and pastures? Or do they have a less land-intensive income? Or maybe the village does the farming, and owe taxes and rent to the covenant?

But the covenant probably makes regular travel to the village to trade. Four miles allows for a day trip on average roads using a cart, which is convenient, and which also maintains a certain privacy for magical practitioners. This is probably convenient whatever relationship they have with the village. It could be closer if they are good friends, and it could be further if the covenant is secluded (which should be apparent from the hooks).

For the record, I assume the canon travel times from 4ed. They seem consistent with the less detailed and harder-to-find figures in 5ed.

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6

The problem I have with that sort of intersection is split the 4 leaf structure into two uneven courtyards:

The larger of the two courtyards has two large gates of iron latticework that once made for an impressive entrance.

Where the wall surrounding each is a different height:

A smaller courtyard at the rear of the tower, enclosed by a smaller wall, is now the functional entrance to the covenant. It was once used only by the covenant staff but since the failure of the magical gates, all visitors to the covenant must come through the humble wooden gates to this courtyard

And we know each courtyard can be an entrance to the tower and entrance from the outside so it is not a case of inner/outer courtyards.

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7

There's a Longmist covenant on worldanvil, not sure if its what the TtA section is based on or vice versa?

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8

That one is kinda how I imagine it.

9

I updated the post to have more detailed descriptions of the covenant to help make my confusion more clear.

I have seen the map someone made for their world anvil and I had a similar idea as one of the possible interpretations of the description and so far it seems like the one I might go for but I'm still trying to grasp the scale. The books description and even its virtues and flaws don't really put into perspective the scale the of the area. I'm not sure how big the courtyards are.

I feel like the line about the location of the village implies it's inside the walls which would put it in the smaller courtyard which doesn't really make sense but also feels right.

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10

They have another 13 floors of the tower in a regio, but as that's gonna be it's own map and will be much easier.

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11

This is very helpful, I found the world anvil and it's pretty helpful as a solution to my questions.

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