When a covenant has been around for better than 75 years, as Insula Canaria has, there are almost certainly going to be some...interesting bylaws and provisions inserted in the covenant's Charter. So, I'm throwing it out there for ideas and discussions.
One I would like to see is that any attempt to harm or kill Niseag (intentionally or otherwise) will be viewed as an attempt to deprive the covenant of its magical power. A member who does so will be subject to censure (up to and including expulsion). Should a non-member do so, the covenant will lend its full support to any member who wishes to take whatever steps they feel appropriate to address the offense.
Suggest: Members who are absent for greater than seven years without prior arrangement are suspended. This forfeits their right to claim resources and act on behalf of the covenant, etc. The suspended member may be returned to active status by (majority vote?).
Problem with that- twilight. the highest level before final twilight is 7 years plus a stress die. They might be considered an inactive member after 7 years, but it should not require a vote to return to active status until something over 17 years, and possibly 27 years (allowing a roll of 1 and 10 as the max time to reasonably wait)
Perhaps have them go to an inactive status but they would have to keep their sanctum if it is not known if they are dead/final twilight/left for another Covenant.
I have put in two dealing with the Faerie Court and the rituals that must be followed. I think someone added the equal rights to women as a hook. Both should be in the charter.
Perhaps something about helping out the local clan. Getting the Covenant into stealing other Clan's cattle would be fun.
I think that would count as interfering with mundanes. Even if we are going to do it we should not put it in the charter. (unless we are counting them as covenant allies or servants or something where we outline what we get from them as well to protect ourselves from prosecution..)
I think removing someone's membership in the case they are a member of another covenant would be an obvious rule... dead is another issue- will we accept living ghosts as members should anyone take that route? (keeping in mind a living ghost is tied to a location so it isn't as though we could actually evict them...)
Very true but I am thinking of a broadly worded part about supporting the local clan. Perhaps something that makes a magus available for consulting by the laird. Just some good neighborly things to do that can lead to adventures by the magus that must head out to the clan.
Good point. Perhaps something like, "Any member of the Council who has gone into Twilight or whose whereabouts are unknown, without prior notification to the Council, for a period of seven years or more, shall become a Member in Absencia." (Basically, they wtill have their sanctum and all rights and privileges, but they don't count against quorum, and technically they're still members.). "After a member has been In Asbencia for ten years or more (barring indisputable proof of the member's state), he may, at the unanimous discretion of the Council, be declared a Member in Esteemed Memory."
In other words, after seven years of "Danged if we know where he is. Twilight, maybe? Or a really long walkabout?" the council can declare him to be a not-quite-a-full member. And ten years after that (unless someone produces a body), he can be declared a "Member who died in good standing, so we won't talk ill of him."
I can see clauses recognizing Clan Glengarry and the Faerie of the Burgh as "allies of the Covenant" without actually formalizing a relationship in the Charter itself. That's not to say there aren't other treaties or understandings, just nothing in documents that the Quaesitores could be expected to examine.
As far as having clauses about the covenfolk in the Charter – I always thought that the Charter was between the magi themselves, and/or between the magi and the Order, and had nothing directly to do with the muggles.
However, I can see the covenfolk having a Charter of their own, with the Autocrat or Covenant Chief or whatever we decide to call it, in charge and having the Council sign off on any changes. Perhaps this would be one of their Rights and Customs*.
Along with the covenfolk who live Outside** having a superstition-y protective ritual they do while the magi cast Aegis of the Hearth.
** The covenfolk who live within the walkway that defines the Covenant/Aegis boundary say that they live Inside, while those who don't, live Outside.
I'd like to suggest a formal "welcoming/filtering" role amongst the member magi of the covenant, who is responsible for the first response on all serious matters and important news/guests. Intent is that the magi share this obligation in a cycle.
Problems, news, etc is shared from the autocrat and covenfolk to this magus who decides if/how fast something needs to be escalated. There is no reason that the magus might not still get a season of legit lab activity done, but if any of the magi are expected to be distracted or available it's the nominated magi first.
Suggest that magi be allowed to perform the role for a few concurrent seasons, thereby "banking" time where they are not required.
Also there should be some sort of minimum service to the covenant each few years, again cyclic between the number of Magi we have. Especially in the phase where we are reestablishing the covenant.
Potential downside- I can see Angus (who is easily the weakest magus to begin) banking seasons early on as he figures that reading books (which is what he is likely to be doing early on) is something that is very flexible when it comes to interruptions... the question being how reliant do we want to be making the entire covenant on someone like Angus who has the blatant gift in addition to being weak in training at the beginning...
That's something we can work out in the first Council meeting when everyone gets together. In the past, Faileas handled everything himself...which proved to be a big problem when he went for a midnight swim a couple of years ago.
I'm very happy for Corbin to do quite a few seasons early. Say the first year? He's gentle gifted and it's the kind of thing he'd be likely to do in character anyway.
Give the covenfolk a soft introduction to us.
I could just see this- the first few years Corbin and Angus take turns- which means the covenfolk all want to wait and bring their problems to Corbin if possible...