The Verditius Contest
Summer of 1234 - Adventure 47
Hyperides Hylas attends the Verditius Contest held in his original covenant of Ingasia. This Contest is also held in the covenant of Verdi in the Roman Tribunal, due to the anomalous situation of House Verditius having two magi who claim to be Primus of the House, and is especially important because it will force the members of the House to take sides with one or the other. Hyperides shares with Primus Stouritus his intention to try to change the Peripheral Code so that apprentices are not legally treated as property but as magi, and the Primus replies that he's in favor of this change. Thirty-five Verditius magi attend the Contest, including an Archmage from the Rhine Tribunal. During the Contest, Primus Stouritus enters Twilight as a result of the hidden effect of an enchanted item presented by magus Tiberius of the Normandy Tribunal. The attack seems to have been orchestrated by Ferramentum of Verdi, frater of the other Primus, Retistius of Verdi. However, upon investigation, they discover that the item that triggered Twilight is not the one that Tiberius had presented and Ferramentum created. They believe that their intention was for Tiberius to win the Contest and not claim any item from Verdi, thus avoiding confrontation between the two Domus Magnae. The real culprit turns out to be a mundane member of the alliance, the Keeper of the Arcana Eusebius, an infernalist who believed he was acting under the orders of the head of the covenant of Alexandria, the Mercere Proximios. They go to Alexandria with Hydatius and other magi to confront him, where they discover that the real infernalist is Andreas Merceristes, who dies in the confrontation while trying to arrest him.
Participants:
- Hyperides Hylas
- Charis
- Eric d'Ancelin
- Thubayta Al-Shafiyya
Note: This was an important adventure, for several reasons. First, it showcased the current schism in House Verditius, providing Hyperides a glimpse of the problems they will face in the future, as well as where some key players stand on this. Secondly, it made them aware of the infernalist infiltration in Alexandria, albeit the problem was apparently solved. Nonetheless, they also realized that Andreas had been providing unknowing magi with infernally tainted vis. Thirdly, it was the first actual step in Hyperides' ongoing quest to improve the legal standing of apprentices in the Order.