The Transylvania Tribunal

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: Oppidum of Héviz
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The Transylvania Tribunal is very different from other Tribunals. I'm going to include some of the things that a magus would know before he would get himself into a agreement. All of this information is in Against the Dark. I'm only summarizing ffor players that do not have the book.

Residency and magical settlement:

Coloniae - Settlers in the Tribunal
Coloniae may:

  • Aid in War or disaster
  • Free use of resources negotiated in their privilege
  • A portion of new resources discovered, as negotiated.

Coloniae may not:

  • Select their Aedile
  • Act in Scandalous ways
  • Seek and office in the Tribunal saving aedilehood
  • Use the title “archmagus”
  • Take apprentices without permission
  • Invite other magi to visit the Tribunal without permission, excepting Quaesitores, Redcaps and hoplites.
  • Wear shoes at Tribunal meetings
  • Wear anything that looks like a decoration to which they are not entitled.
  • Eat any aphrodisiac during Tribunal meetings.

Cives -All tremere and some magi who are held in esteem by the Tremere

Cives may:

  • Access House Tremere’s methods of assistance as per the HoH:TL
  • Be represented at Decennial meetings of House Tremere by a Tremere magus of their choice
  • Stand for any office in the Tribunal including Praeco
  • Raise apprentices within the Tribunal
  • Relocate from camp to camp as desired.
  • If numerically dominant in an oppidum, select the aedile
  • Dress in Black or grey at Tribunal meetings

Cives are required to:

  • Live as a Tremere should, if Tremere
  • Live in a way that Tremere persistently admire, if non-Tremere.
  • Not wear Decorations to which they are not entitled.

Socii - Non-Tremere magi who are treated as if they were. Includes all Redcaps, Quaestiores and dedicated hoplites.

Socii may:

  • Be supported in their tasks by dedicated resourses and by extranordinary taxes in times of crisis.
  • Expect military aid and protection.
  • Stand for any office in the Tribunal, except Praeco.
  • Raise apprentices within the Tribunal
  • Relocate from camp to camp as required by their duties.
  • If numerically dominate in an oppidum,, select a list of three worthy candidates for aedile, for which the Praeco must choose.
  • Wear designs that look like Decorations.

Socii are required to:

  • Fulfill their duties, or renegotiate their covenant.
  • Avoid doing things which an average magus would believe a declaration of Wizard War against them is reasonable.
  • Provide aediles, on a temporary basis when others can not be found.
  • Wear prominently their badges of office while at Tribunal.

Hospites: These are Magi who are hired by the Tremere to practice particular skills on behalf of House Tremere. They have few rights but are well paid.

Hospites may:

  • Receive fair payment for their work as negotiated.
  • Use such resources as are allotted to their tasks.
  • Expect protection if Wizard’s War is declared on them.
  • Ignore many of the taxes placed on the other magi.
  • Expect not to be asked to join the Wizard’s Marches.

Hospities require permission to:

  • Seek office in the Tribunal
  • Taking a new apprentice.
  • Binding a new familiar.
  • Creating a new Talisman
  • Founding oppida
  • Changing oppidum
  • Voting for a particular person as their oppidum’s aedile
  • Wearing things that look like Decorations.

Foederati - Outsiders. They have individual negotiated agreements, but usually include the rights to:

  • Expect military protection and aid.
  • Retain exclusive use of resources held at the time of confederation, even if they move to a different oppidum.
  • Retain specific customs, detailied in their privilege, despite Tribunal rulings against such customs. Such customs are limited to oppidum.
  • Train apprentices.
  • Expect their eldest apprentice to be accepted as foederate, under conditions comparable to those of the magus.
  • Wear designs that look like Decorations, if those designs were part of their traditions before joining the Tribunal.
  • Change oppida as often as they wish, but must notify the Tribunal they are doing so.
  • Seek any office in the Tribunal although democratic nature of the Tribunal means this is merely a matter of form.

Foederati are usually required to seek permission before:

  • Ceasing whatever duties are written into their covenant.
  • Using the title “archmagus”
  • Founding a new oppida
  • Inviting other magi to visit the Tribunal.
  • Trading vis with outsiders.
  • Selling items to outsiders
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Certamen

In the Transylvania Tribunal a Wizard's war is rare. Certamen is used as a direct proxy for Wizard's War.

The victor of this certamen has the right to be treated as if he could have killed his enemy but chose not to. The defeated magus is required to act as if he were alive because of the generosity of the victor. As a sign of this, the victor is permitted to physically strike his opponent in the face.

Certamen for Love:
This is certamen as a sport. Most of the contests are of this kind. Duelists must state clearly before at least two witnesses:

  • That the challenge is for love.
  • The stake they are fighting for, if any.
  • A victory condition, if other than to yield.
  • Forgiveness of each other, in advance, for any injury.
  • Their capitulation, if defeated.

Duelists for love may not:

  • Land a physical blow as a mark of victory.
  • Use vis during the duel.
  • Gamble in any demeaning way.
  • Accept as stake, any wager which affects the duties of an officer of the Tribunal.
  • Fight while naked or drunk.
  • Cast spells or use items to affect the duel's outcome, or permit observers to do the same.
  • Combine sexual intercourse with certamen
  • Challenge a duelist weakened by a previous duel.
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Vis and Magic Item sales:
Most magi in the Tribunal are forbidden to sell vis or magic items. Only the Praeco, Primus of Tremere, the socii and their delegates have that right. The Tribunal has appointed Old Histria ( Mercere House) as a gathering place for the sales and recording of the same. Magi selling goods need not ship them to Histria, but can exchange matching letters, which are notarized by a Quaesitor.

This method makes rare goods much harder to find and the price higher. Sellers can get better prices.

Magical animals are also limited for sales the same as the items or vis.

Recruitment:
Magi may not import gifted children into the Tribunal or invite magi as settlers. They may request that the Praeco invite particular magi or Gifted children be brought into the Tribunal.

Diplomacy:
Many oppida are forbidden to enter treaties with foreign covenants or Tribunals.

Annual Emergency Tribunals
Quaesitors are permitted to call emergency tribunals to deal with legal matters in all Tribunals, but in Transylvania they call them annually. Oppida often send representatives to the meetings so they can mix and make deals.

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There are hundreds if not thousands of dragons in the Tribunal. It is understood that Female dragons are always hostile. The male dragons takes pity on mankind and protects crops from the females.

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The Tribunal is highly regulated. Everyone must understand that. I wanted to be clear that this is not the Tribunal to poke the bear unless the Praeco gives you the stick and tells you to poke it.