Râșnov Covenant

Overview
Established in 1082 AD, this covenant is the furthest east in the Transylvanian Tribunal. It is located at the mouth of a pass that sits in-between the Bucegi and Piatra Craiului mountain ranges to the south and the vast Transylvanian plains to the north. Rumour holds that the covenant is a large, walled manor sitting atop of small mountain. It has a reputation as one of the strongholds of the region, and is notable in that the most senior mage is not a Tremere, but a Flambeau wizard. It is said that this covenant held back hordes of pagan hedge wizards, ancient monsters, and the invading armies of the Cumans, Kipchaks, and Bulgarians. However, for the past 30 years or so, the covenant has largely been at peace. While still respected, it no longer holds the awe of other wizards. At the base of the trail leading to the covenant is a small hamlet, also called Râșnov. It is dominated by a large inn and surrounded by two farms and a small handyman's store and home.

Spring
The covenant was founded to protect the region from incoming raids from enemy nations; assist in the dominance of the Transylvanian peasants; and deal with the local hedge traditions.

Autumn
Marco Vampa joins the covenant.

Winter
October: Archmage Vampa is observed leaving the covenant, heading for Sibiu on his own.

December: The magi and covenfolk, nearly a hundred people in total, disappear in the midst of a massive snowstorm. Only Archmage Vampa remains when the redcap Caspar manages to make it to the coven.

Spring
February: A caravan of magi and covenfolk arrive to investigate the mystery of the disappearance and to revitalize the covenant. The first caravan brings the mages Odea, Marcus, and Gerlach, and their retinue, some of whom came with them, some of whom were hired by the Tribunal.

The Covenant Manor
The covenant manor is, as of Spring 1200 AD, the only building in the covenant that is standing. While it shows some wear and tear, it is extremely solidly built. It is a square building with square towers at the corners that rise two levels, and round towers between the corners that rise three levels. The roof has shingles of reddish clay, and the tip of the round towers rises some 45 feet (14 m) in the air.

The view to the north encompasses the foothills leading into Bucegi Mountains and the plains and foothills through which the Ghimbasel Rivers runs. The view to the west looks down on the hamlet, the Piatra Craiului mountains, and vast plains heading towards the more urban areas of the kingdom of Hungary. The view to the south is much like the north, except the other side of the mountains and the river, with no plains in sight. The view to the east looks into the rising hills and peaks of the Bucegi Mountains and to the rest of the covenant grounds, as the manor sits on the western edge of the covenant grounds.

The manor has approximately 18,200 square feet (1691 square meters) of usable space. The outer walls are 2 feet (0.6 meters) thick, and are actually double walls, each 6 inches (15 cm) thick, with 1 foot (30 cm) of space between them to allow for straw bale insulation and pipes. The ceiling are 12 feet (3.7 m) tall throughout the manor. The floors are also 2 feet thick, and insulated and piped like the ceilings.

A trail of packed and oil dirt with pebbles leads to the front door of the manor, which faces east. All single doors in the manor are 4 feet wide, as are all hallways. The inner walls are made of sturdy oak, 1 foot (30 cm) thick. The doors are made of rosewood imported from North Africa, and are 4 inches (10 cm) thick.

The covenant is lit by tracks of small, enchanted glass balls that glow eternally, and may be extinguised with a simple voice command by anyone in the area who can speak Latin. The phrase "fervor extinguit" ("glow extinguish") is used to turn them off, and "fervor expergis" ("glow awaken") is used to light them. Only lights in the room or hall where one stands will respond.

Windows are common on the first through third floors along the outer walls, and are made of sturdy, beautiful glass. As of Spring 1200 AD, about a quarter of the windows are broken and boarded over.

The floors of the upper levels of the covenant are made of interlocking, flat stones, while the basement's floor is made of large, carved stone blocks. Despite the heating mentioned below, the floors are frequently cold, especially in winter months, and especially in the basement.

The entire covenant is kept warm by the mystical hypocaust in the basement, which also shunts heat through underground pipes to the other structures on the property. Each of these external pipes has a valve to close it, and indeed, all have been currently closed or are closed due to disrepair.

The covenant also has functional mystical plumbing, an enchanted device in the manor's basement drawing water from the great well, cleaning it, and shunting it where it needs to go. Waste water is carried through the pipes back into the enchanted device, where it is apparently cleaned and put back in the well. Much like the heating, pipes carry the water to the other structures on the property. The toilets present through the manor also pass through this system. As such, the covenant grounds are unusually clean and lacking in unpleasant odours. The basement opening to the well in the first floor does smell wet and mossy.

Basement
The basement of the manor may be reached via the semi-circular stone stairs to the right as one enters the manor. A hallway traverses the outer walls and passes through the center, but the eastern half is dominated by a large pipe. The center of the center hallway is bisected by the stone walls of the well. The floors are noticeably chilly.

In this area there are several rooms:

Cold Room: This room has been enchanted to be constantly below freezing. It contains frozen foods of all sorts.

Vis Stocks: This room contains the covenants stores of raw vis.

Treasure Room: This room contains the covenant's supply of coinage, gems, and precious metals.

Supply Room: This room is filled with crates for storing non-perishable supplies.

Smithy: This is a complete smithy, with a smelting oven that pipes its smoke out into the manor's chimney system.

Water System: This room contains an enchanted device that purifies and pumps water throughout the manor and the covenant grounds.

Hypocaust: This smokeless enchanted device produces enormous amounts of heat, though it is not at all hot to the touch. From the eternal flame burning in the center of the mystic circle, air inside the vat is heated and sent through the grounds.

First Floor
The floor of this level is surprisingly warm, due to the heating pipes running through it. Double doors lead in from the main covenant grounds. On either side of them is a staircase -- the one to the right of the doors goes to the basement, and the one to the left goes to the second floor.

This level is given entirely over to the magi. The magical aura of the covenant rises from 5 to 6 in the central square area bounded by the labs. As of Spring 1200 AD, the available labs are sparse, about 15 x 15 feet wide (4.5 x 4.5 m). Each one has a table with a chair, a chest with a lock, and bookshelves. They also each have a woodstove with a chimney that feeds into the pipes going to the main covenant chimney. Each one has a pair of door -- the outer set leads to the associated office, and the inner set leads towards the broad opening of the mystic well from which the covenant draws its power. The eastern lab is set aside for visiting magi.

The offices are also largely empty, but fairly nice. Each one has a rug to keep it a bit more comfortable, and windows that (if unbroken) look out on the covenant. As for Spring 1200 AD, most windows on the eastern and northern sides are broken and boarded over.

Each office has a private stone staircase that leads to the associated bedroom on the second floor. They also have desks with a chair, some empty storage contains, and most have bookshelves.

Second Floor
The second floor of the manor, unlike the first, is for all the covenfolk. Above the main entryway is a guest bedroom for visitors.

Each of the semi-circular rooms has a toilet, a sink with running hot and cold water, and a bathtub with running hot and cold water. They also have a tall, narrow dresser and a bed. Circular stairs lead down to the first level and up to the third. Each of these rooms has an identical carpet brought from the north of Africa. Each of these rooms is 24 feet (7.3 m) in diameter and 12 (3.5 m) in radius.

The square rooms are larger, with a comfortable reading chair and larger dressers, and have a pair of imported rugs. Stairs lead down to the first level. Each of these rooms is about 24 by 24 feet (7.3 m by 7.3 m), but slightly less, due to angle of the doorways.

In the center of the area, to the northeast, is the magi's meeting hall. Decorated with an enormous Persian carpet, it holds the covenant's library, as well as a reading lounge, and a table of rosewood with eight chairs around it. Here is when the magi meet to discuss important matters.

The southeast is a large dining area capable of comfortably having 30 people sitting for a meal. A common washroom to the west.

The kitchen dominated the western side of the central area. With an enormous woodstove in the center, it has a full sink for washing dishes, crates and barrels of food, large cupboards holding eating utensils and plates and such, and a large food preparation area. One could easily make a meal to feed dozens in this area.

Third Floor
The third floor of the covenant only refers to the circular towers, and current amount to pleasant sitting rooms with excellent views. Or, at least, they'd have excellent views if the northern and eastern windows weren't boarded over. Rugs keep these rooms somewhat warm, but they are the chilliest in the manor. Each room has a comfortable chair and a large, drawered cupboard for storage. From these rooms, almost no sound from the rest of the manor travels, making them a pleasant place to relax. Any heat derived is from air rising from the circular staircase -- there are no heating vents in these rooms.

Stats
These are the stats currently known by the players.

Aura: 5 (out into the woods surrounded the covenant to about a kilometer) / 6 (in the well and the surrounding labs)

Living Conditions Modifier (manor): +4

Living Conditions Modifier (elsewhere): -1

Aegis of the Hearth: Unknown

Money Reserve: 378 gold "coins" (a game simplification for wealth, the actual coinage is more diverse and expansive)

Expenditures: 128 per season

Income Sources: The Tribunal provides the covenant with 250 "coins" per year.

Boons
These are the boons currently known by the players.

Dedicated Covenant: As it is in a strategic location, the covenant is well-funded by the Tribunal. It also has a measure of respect that is currently unearned.

Bedrock: The covenant is situated on bedrock, a defensive advantage.

Gatehouse Keep: The covenant is a gatehouse keep, with strong walls and a single entry point.

Local Ally: Marcus the Innkeep, technically the lord of the region, is disposed kindly towards the covenfolk.

Seclusion: The covenant is virtually invisible and at the top of a small mountain.

Wealth: The covenant has an impressive store of coinage, precious metals, gems, etc.

Hooks
These are the hooks currently known to the players.

Crumbling: The covenant is falling apart and in dire need of repairs.

Hangout: Marcus' inn is a known hangout for the mages and covenfolk, where they are welcomed.

Laboratories
As of Spring 1200 AD, the laboratories are sturdy, but sparse.

Virtues
Superior Equipment

Superior Heating

Superior Lighting

Well Insulated

Spotless

Spacious

Flaws
Undecorated (Specializations with a score of 2 or more are reduced by 1)

Specializations
+1 Creo

+1 Enchanting Items

+1 Extracting Vis

+1 Ignem

+1 Imaginem

+1 Texts

Location
The covenant is situated on a plateau at the top of a large hill or small mountain, 650 feet above the hamlet. It can only be reached by a long, winding, somewhat narrow path.

Battlements
The covenant is situated on bedrock, and surrounded by strong walls that are crumbling slightly as of Spring 1200 A.D. There is a small walkway along the walls. At each turning point, the walls have a small tower with a single window that looks out over the area. There is a gatehouse with a sturdy tower. At the top of the gatehouse is a large silver bell whose function is currently unknown.

Buildings
As of Spring 1200 AD, only the manor housing the magi is intact, and even it needs some repairs for broken windows and eavestroughs and the like. The other buildings seem to have already been crumbling from disrepair, and the great winter storm demolished the rest of them.

Magical Devices
The covenant has a deep well that is housed in the very center of the manor house. Archmage Vampa has indicated that it is the source of covenant's power.

As of Spring 1200 AD, the players have discovered that the covenant has a magical hypocaust that produces constant heat, which is sent to the manor and other buildings via underground pipes.

The covenant also has a plumbing system that draws from the well and moves clean water around the covenant, as well as a magical purification system that is part of it.

Finally, the covenant's "cold room" in the basement of the manor appears to be chilled magically.

Library
The following texts have been found in the library:

Introduction to the Techniques and Forms
A well known set of reference books written by Bonisagus, outlining the techniques and forms. This is actually a set of 15 books, rarely found all together. The stats for each book are well-known, and are as follows:

Destruction: Theory and Methods
Author: Edric of Tytalus

Subject: Appears to be a book on Perdo.

The Faerie Girl - A Tale of the Good Folk with Appendices
Author: Cateline de Provence

Subject: Appears to be a book on Faerie Lore.

The Illusionist: A Novel and Thesis
Author: Cateline de Provence

Subject: Appears to be a book on Imaginem.

Killing with Swords
Author: Edric of Tytalus

Subject: Appears to be a book on swordfighting.

Magical Beasts: How to Kill Them
Author: Edric of Tytalus

Subject: Appears to be a book on magical animals.

Mastering Invisibility of the Standing Wizard
Author: Cateline de Provence

Subject: A book on the spell "Invisibility of the Standing Wizard."

Meditations on Flame
Author: Marco Vampa

Subject: Appears to be a book on Ignem.

The Minds of Men
Author: Flavius Magnus

Subject: Appears to be a book on Mentem.

On the Art of Cooking
Author: Marco Vampa

Subject: Cooking! A lushly illuminated and detailed book on cooking.

On the Choice of Wine
Author: Marco Vampa

Subject: Choosing the right wine for different meals, and using wine in cooking.

The Order of Hermes in 431
Author: Flavius Magnus

Subject: The political structure and notable figures in the Order of Hermes in 431 HE (Hermetic Era) / 1198 AD.

Parma Magica: Commentary on Bonisagus' Field Notes
Author: Flavius Magnus

Subject: Appears to be a book on Parma Magica.

The Qualities of Metal in Wizardry
Author: Dominica Creatorus

Subject: Appears to be a book on Terram.

Reflections on Hermetic Magic
Author: Bogdana of Bonisagus

Subject: Appears to be a book on Magic Theory.

Smithing Weapons for Enchantment
Author: Dominica Creatorus

Subject: Appears to be a book on crafting for enchantment.

Spoken Vlach: A Treatise on the Trade Tongue
Author: Aurel Balan

Subject: Clearly a book on how to speak and write Vlach.

Transylvania - The Land Beyond the Forests
Author: Aurel Balan

Subject: Clearly a guidebook on Transylvania.

The Well of Knowledge
Author: Aurel Balan

Subject: Appears to be a book on Intellego.

Treasure
The covenant's treasure room contains 378 "coins" worth of treasure as of Spring 1200 AD.

Vis Sources
According to Vampa, the well is a source of vis. The players have yet to confirm.

Supplies
The covenant has enough stored food to feed 20 people for 6 months; several massive spools of spun, bleached wool; and enough firewood for 1 month, as of Spring 1200 AD.