Ars Magica: Lumen Montis, A Covenant in the Alps [IC]

[Cerebral Paladin]

Charter of the Covenant of Lumen Montis ("Light of the Mountain" or "Lamp of the Mountain")

That we may gain the benefits of allies and comrades, we all pledge ourselves to abide by the terms of this Charter, insofar as it conforms to the Oath and the Peripheral Code.

Article I

No member of the Covenant shall declare or prosecute Wizard War against any fellow member of the Covenant.

A threat or attack against any member of the Covenant shall be treated as directed against each member of the Covenant, and each member shall come to the aid or defense of fellow members, to the best of their ability. The obligation of mutual defense does not extend to defending a fellow member against a lawfully declared and pursued Wizard War.

The members of the Covenant shall seek to resolve their differences amicably, using the Primus or Council of the Covenant to mediate their disputes when necessary.

Each member may maintain his own sanctum within the Covenant. Should the Covenant create any communal laboratories, no member shall assert the rights of a sanctum over the communal laboratories against any member of the Covenant. No member shall assert sanctum rights over the library or any other communal building or asset of the Covenant against any other member of the Covenant.

Article II

Each member of the Covenant shall render service to the Covenant as a whole.

During the first decade of membership, each member shall provide one season of service per year. During the second decade of membership, each member shall provide eight seasons of service. During the third decade of membership, each member shall provide six seasons of service. During the fourth decade of membership, each member shall provide four seasons of service. After four decades of membership, each member shall provide two seasons of service per decade. The Covenant may not require any service beyond these provisions.

The Primus shall determine whether any member has rendered sufficient service to the Covenant to satisfy the obligation and may direct the form such service will take. The Secundus shall make these determinations for the Primus's obligation.

Any vis located within the domain of the Covenant shall belong to the Covenant. Each member shall have the right to retain any vis he may secure from other sources, from his private assets, or from labwork, except if such work was designated as service to the Covenant.

Members may maintain private libraries and are not required to share their learning with fellow members. Members may be assigned writing duties as their service to the Covenant.

Article III

The Covenant shall be led by a Primus as first among equals. The Primus shall represent the Covenant to outsiders, including to other magi of the Order, nobles and other mortals, the Church, and the Faerie. The Primus may assign tasks to other members as described in Article II. The Primus shall exercise authority over the grogs, consortes, and covenfolk of the Covenant and shall ensure that they are well-ordered and productive.

The Primus shall lead meetings of the Council of the Covenant. The Primus shall be one of the representatives sent by the Covenant to any Tribunals.

The first Primus shall be selected by lot from those members who are willing to serve. The first Primus shall serve for six years. At the end of the first Primus's term, the Covenant shall elect a Primus for a two year term. All subsequent Primi shall be elected to seven year terms. Each Primus shall be elected one year after the Tribunal and shall hold office for seven years. The Primus shall be elected by a vote of the Council. If necessary, multiple rounds of balloting shall be employed to ensure a majority.

Once the regular terms of the Primi begin, the Council shall elect each Primus seven years before his term shall begin. The magus elected to serve as the subsequent Primus shall serve as Secundus. No Primus may serve as his own Secundus.

The Secundus shall be second in dignity to the Primus. The Secundus shall be one of the representatives sent by the Covenant to any Tribunals.

Should the Primus resign, die, or be removed from office, the Secundus shall immediately begin service as the new Primus. The Council shall elect a new Secundus, but may by a majority vote allow the Primus to finish both his predecessor's term and his own term.

The Primus shall appoint a Vis Keeper from among the members of the Covenant, who shall have the authority to regulate the stock of vis of the Covenant and permit uses of Covenant vis by individual magi. The Primus shall also appoint a Librarian, who shall exercise similar control over the books of the covenant. Any member who objects to a decision of the Vis Keeper or Librarian may appeal the decision to the Council. No magus shall be required to serve as Vis Keeper or Librarian against his will. No magus may hold any two of the positions of Primus, Secundus, Vis Keeper, or Librarian simultaneously.

The Primus may appoint such other positions from among the members of the Covenant as he may see fit.

The Covenant shall have a Certamen Champion. The Certamen Champion shall be selected by certamen. Any member may challenge the Certamen Champion for the title. The Certamen Champion need not accept more than one challenge per season, nor more than one challenge by any one member per year, but may choose to accept additional challenges. The Certamen Champion shall answer any challenges issued to the Covenant. In addition, the Certamen Champion may issue challenges in the name of the Covenant upon the instruction of the Primus or Council.

Article IV

Ultimate authority within the Covenant resides in the Council. The Council consists of all members of the Covenant. Following traditional Hermetic usages, members may provide their sigils to other members for Council decisions.

The Council shall have the power to construe and interpret this Charter by a majority vote. The Council may make any ordinary decision properly before it by a majority vote. Such decisions shall bind the Primus and all members of the Covenant.

The Council shall meet at least once each year, on or about the Winter Solstice as the Primus may direct. The Primus may also convene additional meetings of the Council as he sees fit. Any three members of the Covenant may also demand that the Primus call a meeting of the Council within one moon's time.

A quorum shall consist of a majority of the members of the Covenant. No quorum shall be valid unless the Primus or Secundus has made every reasonable effort to ensure that all members are aware of the meeting.

The Council may override any provision of this Charter by a vote of unanimity minus one. Abstentions do not count against that total, but members whose sigils are not present are presumed to vote against. Should a decision of the Council concern any specific member, that member shall not be required to abstain. The Council may remove the Primus from office by such a vote.

The Council may permanently amend this Charter by a vote of unanimity minus one.

Article V

Only magi recognized by the Order of Hermes shall be eligible for membership in this covenant.

Once admitted, a member shall retain membership for life. A member may resign voluntarily, but shall be required to render any services owed before the resignation shall take effect. The Council may expel any member by a vote of unanimity minus one; on any motion to expel a member, that member shall be required to abstain. A former member shall be required to render any services owed the Covenant, but shall have no ability to participate in the benefits or priviliges of membership.

Members beyond the founding members shall only be admitted by a vote of the Council. The vote must be unanimous minus one to admit a new member. A member who is the pater of a candidate shall be permitted to vote on whether to admit his filius as a new member, and the candidate shall not be admitted if his pater votes against him.

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

Book 1: The Spring of Lumen Montis

We have now chosen Marcus by lot to be our first Primus. I'm sure that all of my socii have as much faith in him as I do. [For the record, I included the magi who hadn't responded in the lottery, figuring that if one of them won I would wait until they posted whether they were interested. Since Marcus won, it doesn't matter whether the others were in or out. Of course, if you want to post whether you were interested, it would still be interesting to see which magi participated in the lottery and whether Marcus won by acclamation.]

We face many tasks that must be accomplished quickly. Our Primus, or perhaps his designee, must negotiate the final terms of our relationship with Lemannus. Similarly, we will need to negotiate which books we are going to be permitted to copy from the Lemannus Library to form the initial core of our library and choose the types of vis we will receive as our starting supply. Presumably, our Primus will delegate those tasks to the magi he chooses to serve as our Librarian and Viskeeper, although he could carry out those tasks on his own or delegate them to another magus if he prefers. While we fill our offices, we will also have a brief certamen tournament among any of our socii who would be our first Certamen Champion. [Everyone who wants to participate in this tournament should post so in the out of character thread. They should also specify what their preferred Techniques and Forms are for certamen and a little bit about tactics (whether they plan to build up to big attacks or attack when ever they have the advantage). Normally, they would also need to specify whether they planned to use raw vis, but I don't think that anyone has any raw vis yet.]

Once we have permission to copy some books, some of us will need to actually copy the texts. We should be able to get multiple copies of some of the works, although we may need to give some of those to Lemannus, depending on the terms of our deal.

Another group of magi will need to travel to the location which Lemannus has granted us for Lumen Montis. They will need to scout out the area, decide on a good location for the covenant proper, and secure the area from any threats that might challenge our control of the area. This should probably be a substantial group, in case brigands or worse are hiding in the valley that will be ours. Some of our consortes are also likely to accompany us on this journey. [Appropriate Companion characters will be introduced as they accompany this group.]

We also need to arrange for the vulgar needs of the covenant. We should begin recruiting grogs and purchasing the glassware, measures, braziers, and similar needs of our starting laboratories.

Some of my socii may also choose other tasks to work on for our first season as a covenant. Some may seek to write books of their own. Others may request the use of one of Lemannus's spare laboratories to pursue research projects quickly. And others may seek to make contact with some of the other powers near our new covenant, such as the lords and powerful clergy, to lay the groundwork for good relations.

 

[Orichalcum]

My goals for the first season

Brigitta rose and gathered her notes before addressing her colleagues. "I'm very glad we have a charter now, and I think that Marcus will make an excellent primus. I have no desire to participate in the Certamen tournament.

I propose that I lead or at least participate in the group of magi heading directly for the valley of Monthey, to explore areas for setting up the Covenant. Of us all, I am likely the most skilled in the mountains and I think that I will be well able to choose a spot suited to both vulgar and magical needs. Those of you who are particularly good at sensing and distilling magical auras might wish to come with me. Also, we will obviously need an Aegis of the Hearth as soon as possible, and I believe that currently only Merin can cast the spell, although I can join in Wizards' Communion later to aid in it.
I think we should take most of the grogs and consortes, as there will be much work to do. One question - we seem to have agreed on individual laboratories, but how do we want to set up the other buildings? Clearly, we need a central meeting hall both for the Covenant itself and a council room for the magi, storerooms for our winter food supply, 8 laboratories, a central vis supply room, and a library. Given the importance of these factors, I would suggest simple living accomodations - perhaps a dormitory for male and another one for female grogs, a set of quarters for the consortes, and a linked set of quarters for the magi, rather than individual residences. I can manipulate wood and stone to some degree here.

I would like to leave immediately - winter is coming. And besides, we have trespassed on Lemannus' generous hospitality too long. "

Brigitta pauses and waits to see if anyone is interested in joining her.

 

[redhound]

"Brigitta cuts to the heart of the matter," Marcus said, "and I commend you, sodalis. Indeed, if I may, I would like to suggest courses of action for us all.

"I fully concur that a party ought to depart for Monthey immediately, and I suspect that Brigitta may be the best-qualified of us to select an auspicious location. Celeste, you mentioned useful expertise in locating sources of vis, and Merin, your knowledge of the region and of the Aegis will be invaluable in establishing our site. However, you also both mentioned a strong interest in our library, and if you prefer to stay and participate in copying texts which we are able to negotiate, the choice is yours.

"I agree that the few covenfolk we have would be best employed at the covenant site, but recruitment must be a priority; unless I have misunderstood our situation, we don’t really have much to speak of in that department. Tsaran, I had hoped that until we acquire a suitable turb captain you might turn your experience to overseeing the custodes. Samuel, you had expressed a desire to recruit craftsmen into the covenant; perhaps you could undertake recruiting less martial covenfolk.

"I intend to stay behind to negotiate our final terms with Lemannus and help transcribe the books we negotiate for. I would expect that Daniela would also be interested in the transcription process. Merin, Celeste, and Matteo, you have all expressed a strong interest in the covenant’s library; whether you feel you would be better employed here or at Monthey I do not know.

"Fionuala, I cannot say where your interests suggest you should go. I suspect your skills as a negotiator might be well-employed at Monthey, particularly if our Quaesitor chooses to stay here.

"If I have misunderstood anyone’s interests or talents, I apologize. Coordination among new colleagues is always a challenge.

"Finally, a piece of business. I would like to consult with all our members who prenticed at Lemannus before entering negotiations on the terms of our vassalage. I feel that it must the Primus of Lumen Montis who negotiates in its name, but I cannot hope to do well without your knowledge behind me.

"I also intend to undertake the negotiations for books and vis. Understand that I do not mean to arrogate more authority to myself than I ought, but I spent my youth bargaining with Turks; I believe that I will be able to achieve the best results of any of us. Those of you who have not expressed an opinion on which books we should seek, please do; if everyone would note their preferences for types of vis, that would also be helpful.

"Good luck to us all."

 

[mckerih]

Letter to Countess Elaine

To the Countess of Geneva [subject to Adam's approval], the Lady Elaine,

My dear sister! Not a day goes by that I think of you and wonder how you fare. Alas, my pen is less ready than my thoughts, and for that, I apologize. My only excuse is that times have been very busy here, as you can well imagine.

I have met my fellow sodalii and am quite impressed with them, though they are certainly an eclectic group! Everyone's efforts are currently directed toward organizing and constructing our new covenant. I had hoped to try my hand at Primus, but it fell by lot to a man named Marcus. There will be other opportunities later, no doubt, and the times ahead will be busy enough. I'm now hoping to be the Keeper of the Library, although there are other magi who seem qualified and interested. I am one of the better scribes, so at the very least, I expect to spend a few months at the Lemannus covenant making copies of their books, so that we may begin our own library. I will also do what I can to help Marcus in his negotiations with Lemannus, as I am an able speaker. When our covenant is sufficiently ready, however, I'll travel there to place a protective Aegis spell upon it, as I believe I'm the only one able to do so. Those extra months of study were not wasted! [I'll need 7 pawns of communal Rego/Vim vis, one to increase my roll and six as required for a 6th-order ritual spell.]

How are you faring? It galls me to think that I haven't seen you since your wedding, but it seems that I will have little opportunity to visit in the near future. No doubt Father would disapprove, too, not that I would be hindered by that. Have you heard from him or our brothers since his falling out with the Count? Is the Count himself treating you well? Please write back, dear sister, and relieve my anxieties!

I am, as always, your devoted brother,
Merin

 

[Malacat]

Tsaran finished writing a note to himself and spoke again.

"I would be happy to begin work with our custodes. It is work to which I am well-suited by inclination as well as experience. As acting turb captain, I feel that it would be wise for me and a sizable group of our custodes to accompany Brigitta on her expedition. Her work there will be critically important, and it seems wise to do our best to ensure she is not interrupted."

"I have a suggestion regarding certámen amongst ourselves. It seems a pity to spend vís when the match is between friends, particularly when the covenant is in such dire need of it for other matters.

"I propose that before certámen is fought amongst us, the participants discuss with
the Certámen Champion whether they will do so with or without raw vís.

"Should either choose to participate with vís, they must both discuss with the Certámen Champion and the Keeper of Vís the quantity and type of vís they hold available to use in certámen. To the extent that they are evenly matched, let both parties yield up that much vís to the Keeper for the benefit of the Covenant.

"Should one party then hold a sufficiently large advantage in terms of raw vís, the Certámen Champion may then rule that it is impossible for the other party to win. In such a case, the disadvantaged party may yield without dishonor, and the advantaged party's surplus of vís will be given to the Keeper for the use of the Covenant.

"Should the disadvantaged party refuse to yield, the Primus may offer to buy the advantaged party's surplus of vís for the Covenant. The advantaged party may refuse this offer without dishonor and insist upon certámen.

"Should this be the case, the Keeper of Vís shall have the right to require a trade of vís if the Covenant's supply of one sort of vís appropriate to the certámen for another, equally appropriate.

"In all of this, of course, an appropriate replacement must be appointed for anyone who is personally involved in the certámen.

"I also propose that certámen matches to determine the Certámen Champion be pure matches of certámen skill, and that we forbid the use of raw vís in such cases.

"Finally, I will offer myself up as a contender for the Championship. Should any wish to challenge me for it, I will accept. Should any wish me to challenge them for it, I will be pleased to do so."

With a friendly smile for all of us, Tsaran picked up his quill again.

 

[Malacat]

Dear Zoltan,

I have made the acquaintance of my new peers in the Covenant of Lumen Montis. They are infinitely more civilized than the magi to whom we are accustomed, and I must say that I think a great deal of the difference is that none of them are Tremere. Not one of them has so much as commented on my lack of a sigil, and my inability to lie is welcomed here. It feels like home here, and I hope you are able to join me among them soon.

As we expected, the road is long and not particularly easy — travel with a group is wisest. You will want to be careful in the hills half a day's travel west of our border. I met bandits there, if rather unskilled ones, and while their numbers were thinned after our meeting, they remained yet when I left. The tale might amuse you, so I will relate it for you.

They lay in wait for us above a place where the road curved along the edge of a sharp drop. It was not quite a cliff, but if you were to drop something such as a cheese down that hillside it would tumble quite far before it came to a stop. It might roll as far as the stream at the bottom. On the other side of the road, the slope was not so steep, but was still not a climb a horse would willingly make.

Whether the bandits forced their steeds up that slope before we came or had some secret path to the top of the hill I know not, but when the caravan had spread itself along the horseshoe-shaped path with the hill rising in the middle to block our view of the other end of the caravan, they came down the slope at us, shouting and whooping.

I turned Surefoot and drove him up the slope to meet them. Behind me, my travelling companions made their own preparations, many of which seemed to involve screaming, invoking the names of saints, and making final confessions. To one another, so far as I could tell.

The bandits outnumbered their horses, and many of them were afoot. I won't trouble you overmuch with details of battle which bore you, but my sword's edge was sharper than a mundane blade and my strength was greater than nature's gift to me. The benefits of my training in the Order, as you promised, Zoltan, gave me a singular advantage in physical combat, and I ended the lives of two mounted bandits before they reached the caravan. Behind them came the footmen, but there I think I might have been victorious without magic. A competent mounted knight with a greatsword is more than a match for a mob of ill-trained, badly armoured bandits. Be that as it may, with my advantages I passed through them like a sword cuts through flesh.

Turning, I saw that some of the others in the caravan had taken up arms to defend themselves, and that a battle raged along the length of the caravan. Forcing Surefoot higher up the hill, I saw the entire caravan stretched out and struggling to remain intact. The other end fared much worse than mine and I confess I gave my performance some credit for this. Turning Surefoot to angle down the hill again, I came upon the bandits on that side from behind. I did them considerable damage and forced a good number of them over the edge of the road to tumble down the hillside. I imagine at this point I looked quite the hero to my companions.

Unfortunately, I am not the master horseman I would be. In forcing a mixed group of bandits over the edge, I followed too closely. Matters were not helped by the curse which came instinctively to my lips and on which I choked just as I unwillingly took Surefoot over the edge of the road after my bandit victims.

Here you might have some sympathy with me, cousin, rather than laughing at me, but in my mind's ear I hear your amusement echoing in my ears. How I wish you were here to laugh at me in the flesh!

Galloping down a steep slope is not the hardest task ever faced by a rider, but it is not the easiest either. Populate the slope with angry bandits and the task grows more difficult. Clutch a greatsword to yourself and the task grows harder still. I tumbled out of the saddle halfway down the hill and did not stop rolling until I reached the bottom. The bottom was wet and muddy.

What hero do you know who lies in cold mud during a battle? That is, I confess, what I did next. I took a moment or two to collect myself and regain my breath, then worked my way back to my feet. Mud caked my armor and ran cold through my hair. The hillside above me was steep and fraught with bandits. Far above, effectively inaccessible, the battle for the caravan continued, mostly invisible from where I stood. I was in an ill temper, Zoltan.

I shouted our battle-cry for the first time since the battle began. One or two bandits turned to look, and our name came to my lips again. Volakula. It is a good name, and I shouted it several times more, brandishing my sword. But the joy of it faded fast, and my anger tumbled out of my mouth in a wordless howl of rage. I began running at the bandits.

I later learned that the battle had turned against them up above, but at the time it seemed as though my charge was enough to frighten them away. They broke sideways out of my path like disturbed cockroaches and fled. By the time I had managed a score or two of steps up the slope, there were no bandits left in sight.

It is a sign of my overweening vanity that I thought they had fled my coming, but the error served me well, as I felt sufficiently gratified to let my anger go. I made my way back down the hillside, where I found and collected Surefoot, two other undamaged horses, and a wheel of good goat cheese which had bounced down the slope during the battle. The extra horses and their equipment, which I claimed by right of victory, I gave to a woman widowed during the battle, but the cheese I kept for myself.

It took half a day to rejoin the caravan from that pit, and it was a week before I was sure I'd gotten rid of all the mud.

I would give you more warnings, but I have become the acting turb captain here, and our Primus has charged me with the task of protecting the expedition to explore our new home and place our light on our mountain. I must go, but if I survive the expedition I will write again.

Take good care of our mundane kin, and I will hope to see you in another season or two.

Your loving kinsman,

Tsaran Volakula of Tremere

 

[Feir Fireb]

[out of order with the other pages]

Matteo had been nodding to many of Marcus' points, "Bene, primus Marcus! I am agreed that a group of us ought to leave to scout out a site at which to establish Lumen Montis as soon as you have come to an agreement with Marie of Bonisagus. For my part, I too have some experience in bargaining from my youth." He furrowed his brow and gazed down at the table for a little with his sole eye, "My father was a merchant in Lombardy and Burgundy, and I learned a little of his trade, in what time I had with him." Matteo brought his gaze back to Marcus, "But I do not doubt your skill, and it is good that our leader should represent us in this matter, as one in whom we place our confidence." At this, he brightened, "In any event, I will gladly offer such advice as I can. Laurentius taught me well that a skilled investigator ought not rely solely upon magic to understand a person and his motives, and so it is likely that I know a few things of the ways of the magi of Lemannus that not even they know of themselves."

"While I would be glad to join the scouting expedition and may be of some use there, I suspect I may be better put to the attainment of books for our library if sufficient others have interest in going to Monthey. Given sufficient effort, we may find ourselves with the opportunity to create additional copies of our first texts, which will be useful for trading with other covenants."

"I believe that I have already made known the texts in which I have interest."

"Of the vis that we request from Lemannus, I would advice much Rego, as I suspect that I and others of the covenant are likely to have much use of it in the future. Perdo would be good, too, as I suspect we may need help as a group in studying it. This may also be true of Aquam and Auram. Corpus and Animal will be important for those of us attempting longevity potions or familiars. Mentem and Ignem are difficult to find and hence valuable to us, though they may be difficult to repay if we cannot find good sources. Vim will be useful many things, including casting the Aegis, and is more easily obtained. I am also likely to have personal desire for Intellego and Mentem vis at some point in the future. We should also consider what manner of vis we are to offer in exchange for books."

"And unless our primus has any other duties in mind for me, I think I should like to participate in the Certamen tournament," Mateo grins, "if only to see what skills the covenant has to offer." [Matteo favors Creo and Rego as techniques, Vim as a form, and to a lesser extent Corpus. He is likely to decline the position if he wins, unless he does so overwhelmingly]

"Also, I do think that Certamen within the covenant should preclude the use of communal Vis, and that the Vis keeper should have the primary authority here, deferring of course to the primus and council."

 

[Ladybird]

Fionuala waited quietly until the discussion of comings and goings and certamen seemed to have come to an end, listening with one pointed ear angled intently towards the conversation, and that quiet secret smile on her face.

Finally, she spoke. "First, let me say that I do not wish to participate in the certamen tournament. It is a worthy pursuit, and I, like the other members of the covenant, will be grateful to have a certamen champion in our midst. But my talents lie elsewhere, so I will leave the certamen to others.

"Primus, if you wish to have another voice to join yours in the negotiations with Lemannus, I offer you my assistance. I too have a great deal of experience in such matters, and I would be happy to put that towards establishing the proper terms and good relations with our parent covenant. If you would prefer to take care of it alone, though, I understand and respect that - I know well that in some negotiations, there are times when a single voice can be more effective than a chorus.

"I must admit to doubts about my suitability for an expedition to Monthey, for I do not know what the area is like. If it is a matter of negotiating for a concession of land from the local villagers, then yes, I believe my skills will be of use in that mission. If it is a wild place, and finding our spot is a matter of fighting through bandits and clearing away the wild beasts from the land we wish to use - well, there are those better suited to that than I!" She punctuated the statement with a brief little laugh, and a smile at Tsaran. "Does anyone who has spent more time here, or done any advance scouting of the area, know more of what kind of land it is?"

"As for our vis negotiations - like Matteo, I think that if we can obtain Mentem vis from Lemannus, it will be to our collective benefit. From a personal standpoint, I would like a supply of Muto, and I believe that there are others in our covenant for whom that would also be helpful. Likewise, I believe that many of us would be interested in books dealing with Muto and Intellego."

"I believe that is all. I leave the certamen to others, and the decision about where my skills and talents are most useful, to you, Primus." With an inclination of her head and a smile towards Marcus, she took her seat once more.

 

[mmeubiquitous]

Celeste smiles, and begins to speak quietly. "I would like to offer my services for the journey to explore the location of our new covenant. I have a particular...sensitivity to magic, as well as to harmony of design, which I believe will be useful.

"As for resources, I would be particularly interested in acquiring Intelligo and Imaginem vis initially, for the development of my device. Later on, once it has been created, my needs would be for Rego and Terram, to power the movement of the celestial representation."

She settles back, as if finished, but then she suddenly seem to remember something. "oh! And I have...well, less than no interest, actually...in the certamen contest." She smiles again, shyly, and bows her head, obviously finished.