Theban Tribunal

Hey all so I my magus has just arrived in the Theban Tribunal and I figured why not open a discussion about potentials. Now, this said, I know that I plan on having the covenant be on Crete (Candia in game) with Talos as the patron. Buut that doesn't mean there can't be other interesting adventurers he gets up to.

One really interesting idea I had, and the one that I want to get your feedback on, is to have Heru and companions find the missing palladium, the item that provided protections of Constantinople. He would then put it back. Probably after taking some time to study it because why not.

The question because 'so what next?" Like what would happen with the divine wards returning in said saga. How would such a thing change things.

I should make note that the year is currently 1218. (I moved things around so Heru goes to the Theban Tribunal before the Translyvania Tribunal as I didn't want him to have an apprentice in Thebes.)

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No comments?

Well, anyway, I wrote up Heru's time in the Theban Tribunal. Besides the exploration around the area his adventurers could be summed up in ten groups.

  1. Heru visited Mount Pelister and found a regio that housed the Basilica of Ten Thousand Columns. Though he didn't gain anything physical from this he did use a Creo Terram repair spell to basically restore the ruined buildings back to their pristine condiiton. To me this included bringing back the completely mundane etchings onto the pillars. Said etchings were then copied so that he could use them as potential Insight for studying Hyperborean Magic later on.

  2. He freed Emperor Peter from the prison cells of Theodore Dukas in Epiros after a soldier of the Emperor found him and asked for help. A side effect of this was the Emperor killed Dukas and in a swordfight as rebels stormed the castle. Another side effect was Heru cast magic to reduce the Infernal aura of the Bridge of Arta. Finally, Heru gained a bunch of books and relics from the archives of the now dead lord.

  3. Upon arriving at Delphi the Oracle was missing, he looked for her, found her, and got a prophecy about things. This was a slight side mission I though nifty.

  4. Visited the Cave of the Apocalpyse on Patmos and got a Vision, which I am using to 'push' him towards his actions in Constantinople.

  5. On Kos he found a regio by the Tree of Hippocrates that led to a space where spiritual representations of both Hippocrates and St Paul are constantly delivering their teachings and sermons. Studying them might lead to Insight on adding Corpus as an added bonus to Longevity Rituals. Oh and the divine element is me doing something for the future.

  6. On Rhodes, Heru is approached by Redcaps assigned by the Theban Tribunal to investigate the Despot and his mystical advisor. Heru, a magus, takes over the investigation. The Redcaps use their contacts to put him in contact with some rebels. Heru then calls out the wizard and then offers him membership in the Order, the wizard refuses leading to Heru comfortably declaring 'that in offer of join or die he chose death' leading to said wizard's death, his infernal boost didn't save him, at the same time as the rebels kill the hated Leo Gavalas. Before leaving Heru confiscates all the useful books and relics that the late lord and his wizard had confiscated.

  7. Constantinople. Heru casts high magic that just pushes things over and so creates a regio in the Forum of Theodosius. In the Hagia Sophia he uses his magic to reduce the Infernal aura to five, where it equals the Dominion aura, which allows said Dominion to over power reducing the Infernal by 1 and increasing the holiness. In the Pillar of Constantine he finds the control chamber and puts back the missing relics, reactivating the wards, which have the effect of reducing all Faerie and Infernal auras in the city by one and also the Might of similar creatures by 10. Following this he feels as if a powerful being looks over him, judging sligently, before moving on. Oh, and he piggybacks the ward activation to cast a massive ritual Creo Terram spell to repair the whole city, he will discover that thanks to the divine around him his sigil won't be present in this spell.

  8. Heru is met by some new magi who want to settle on Candia and would like Heru to help negotiate with Talos, he agrees. A covenant is built in a magical regio connected to the Labyrinth of Knossos that takes the form of good condition palace complex. Docks and inns and townhouses are bought in Chandrix itself. Talos is negotiated with and agrees to being the patron, though he wants some long term help in freeing Candia. Heru begins working to push rebellion, though in a way that includes the four main local families and also that might still benefit Venice.

  9. Mercere Portals paid for by Heru are built linking Candia to Argentum Aedes. Candia to Constantinople. Constantinople to Harco. The Constantinople side is in the regio in the Forum Theodosius.

  10. Heru meets some tribunal agents who go over his actions while also being told he is required to attend the next tribunal meeting because he has some explaining to do.

And the year is over.

While full of interesting stuff there is much that has more to do with mundane changes then magical ones, which is interesting since while he does have Theban connections he is not technially of it. That said he will totally come and help when the tribunal calls. He will spend time working to make sure nobody officially declares his actions against the code, which will add an interesting dynamic to the next tribunal year (1221. this is 1218).

I should note that I added the Divine stuff as I might, just might not sure, have him learn more about it. He won't be a holy magus in terms of the rules but I could see some faith being shown by him.

So yeah, I post this to here thoughts and such. Now honestly I don't plan on bringing ruin to him or anything but I could see there being some interesting side effects of the antics he got up to here.

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I'm currently running a saga in the Theban Tribunal, and one of the major plots is the Akgah, the Demon of the Fourth Crusade that resides in/around Constantinople. While interesting, as written it feels basically like a "dragon" hoarding near the city, which is a little underwhelming given it single-handedly corrupted a whole Crusade and a most holy city.

So in our saga the Akgah is designed after Bael, Destroyer of Nations (RoP:I 67), though usually taking the appearance of a lover of each of the rulers, instead of an advisor. Thus, the Akgah poses as both the Lady of Neuville (lover of Latin Emperor Robert of Courtenay, of Constantinople) and a fictional lover of Theodore Komnenos Doukas, infernalist Despot of Epirus (TSE 49) and future Emperor of Thessaloniki.

I thought, given the Divine inclinations of Heru, that this plot might be interesting to you, and maybe you could find something useful here.

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@Yirkash oooh, interesting very interesting. And potentially perfect as an additional plot point as well.

I will have to change certain things, for example in my 'game' the Despot of Epirus is killed by the Latin Emperor Peter who was rescued. But its perfect cause it can give me a moment to introduce a fleeing woman in the shadows who takes on multiple faces before dissapearing.

One of the things I need to do, really want to do, is go back through my writings and add a bit more Divine stuff to it. I mean thanks to the whole Conciatta plot in Iberia, Heru has access to a Holy Chalice with a high point but his personal faith has yet to be chosen by me. I kind of see him as a mix between Pagan and Christian, though the Pagan elements would be about the Magical entities rather than Faerie which he would never worship. But I don't yet have all the details I want. (I plan on going through the Divine realm book and the Church book when I finish the current geographic travel section.)

But yeah there totally needs to be such a plot and I think having it would be fun. And with the number of times he has sort of faced and defeated Infernal things it makes sense to have it be of that.

So yeah good idea! :slight_smile:

Our particular version of the Akgah tends not to run away when she "burns" her current royal lover. She rather forces her hand so that some rebelious lord or baron kills her in a rage, thus giving her a chance to taint him with her resentment obsession trait before she's "killed". This prepares the situation for the next corrupt ruler. After all, those bodies are just coagulated, disposable matter to her.

Just mentioning in case this gives you ideas for stories.

Also, look into the League of the Vigilants (The Sundered Eagle, pages 24 and 140), this might interest you during his travels in the Theban Tribunal.

In some ways its all about being brought to the attention of someone or something that would perceive the character as a threat.

In this case, from Akgah's perspective everyhing was going well in her plans and then this upstart magus comes in. Her recently chosen tool - the Despot - is killed by the Emperor who not only survived but was rescued. To make matters worse some months later her work in Constantinople would be undone when items stolen and stored in Epirus are returned to the city and rebuilds the great divine wards - reducing the aura and making it difficult to near impossible for one like her to act in the city.

By the way the fact that the city wards of Continiple strike against both the Infernal and the Faerie but NOT Magic is such a clap worthy event or me.

Both actions would lead to her asking who is this creature that dares work against her.

It gets even worse for two years later while visiting Transylvania, Heru will uncover the missing ancient dragon (I'm calling him Lucius) who had been put under bindings and imprisoned.

If this isn't leading to some event against the Infernal I don't know what would. hehe

:slight_smile:

Oh, and while in Egypt he sort of got the attention of the Sihr 'Izz el-Afram Hamad who might be infernal not sure yet though even if he isn't he is still bad news. hehe

I saw that. A part of me was like "ooh lookie here" and another part of me raged at the whole idea of such infiltration, as it feels to much as darkness in the heart of the order and I don't like that.

But it is an intriguing element.

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This all sounds interesting, glad our version of the Akgah was useful to you. :slight_smile: