Characters of the Covenant

The following characters either live at the covenant, or are closely associated with it. They appear in many stories.

Magi of Palatini

Arturus of House Jerbiton
  • Covenant: Palatini
  • Date of Induction: 1140
  • Familiar: None
  • Personality Traits:
    • Inquisitive +2
    • Rational +3
    • Shrewd +1
    • Daring +1

Arturus is the filius of Vassenius, one of the founding magi of Palatini. He was trained at the covenant and indeed was adopted by Vassenius as the old magus's mundane son and heir. Accordingly, he inherited the manor of Fortuna and the surrounding lands when his pater passed into Twilight. Arturus has followed this practice with his own apprentice - Marcus is Arturus's adopted son and mundane heir. Unlike Vassenius, Arturus never married.

Like his pater, Arturus has devoted his career to the study of alchemy and the pursuit of the Philosopher's Stone. Unlike Vassenius, Arturus does not expect to actually find the Stone in his own lifetime, even knowing how long a magus's life can be. His magical interests are focused on gaining a deeper understanding of transformations and he has invented several potions solely for the experience of transforming his body into a tree, or a pool of water, or a cloud of mist. Though these transformations he hopes to gain insight into the physical and mental nature of mankind and to approach the sublime Transformation of spiritual ascendancy that is alchemy's ultimate goal.

Arturus wants, like many magi, simply to practice his Arts in peace. He has few political ambitions for the covenant of Palatini but is willing to enter the fray of either Hermetic or mundane politics (he is a member of the Grand Council of Venice) in order to protect the covenant's interests.

Arturus has no familiar and possesses relatively few enchanted items for a magus of his age. He does have a gold ring that he always wears and his Talisman is a gold-tipped ivory wand, inscribed with alchemical symbols. He has no current apprentice and only one filius, Marcus.

Deleo of House Tytalus
Deleo is a player character in this Saga.
Lucas of House Bonisagus

Lucas ex Bonisagus, fillus of Tiberius of Durenmar, is the first of the new magi brought to Palatini to strengthen their political position within the Roman Tribunal. Lucas is quite pleased with Palatini and its unique proximity to Venice, the City of Wizards. Venice is traditional 'neutral ground' where the members of the Tribunal meet to interact politically.

Lucas is a well spoken and adept at gaining and forming alliances. He sees himself as a peacemaker. From talking with him it is not difficult to gather that he is driven to break down the political factions that divide the Order. For example, he is currently working to promote standard rules for when a Covenant must be recognized within the Roman Tribunal. Currently, the established covenants are blocking any attempt for the smaller unrecognized covenants to become recognized, which prevents them from marking territory and claiming vis sources in their proximity.

Lucas is quite a stirring and inspirational speaker, especially when he is promoting his agenda. Lucas cultivates the appearance of a respectable and stable wizard. His body is well proportioned and his clothes are of fine quality but are not overstated. He wears light gray robes with gold accents and a short cap that droops backwards. His hair and beard are black and cut very short, accenting his sturdy Slavic features. He wears his voting sigil: a gold medallion marked with the sign of his House (two crossed keys).

Those who know Lucas will notice that his appearance does not totally match his personality. He looks conservative but he is adventurous. His pater has commented often that Lucas's impulsive nature will get him into trouble, which of course it has. Lucas is loyal to his friends and this extends to his mundane companions too. Overall, Lucas really likes the Order and is doing what he can to help it flourish.

We have a plain-text version of Lucas's character sheet.

Renata of House Guernicus
Renata is a player character.
Marcus of House Jerbiton
Marcus is the filius of Arturus.
Tristan of House Tytalus

Consortis (Companions)

Bartolo
Doctor Marco Castello
Sir Thomas

Vincenzo d'Armano, later knighted Sir Thomas, is the middle son of a Venetian noble in league with the Doge of Venice. At an early age he was squired to the Swabian Knight Heinrich von Kirchberg from whom he learned much martial and some knightly skills. Early on Vincenzo showed an indelible will and enduring constitution which served him well throughout the rigors of his training. Vincenzo also has a strong sense of right and wrong which, combined with his strong will, has occasionally lead him to trouble with his more pragmatic master.

Being brave, honest, and resolute, Vincenzo faithfully followed Heinrich on the Fourth Crusade and joined in the attack on Zara. Vincenzo was greatly troubled by his killing of Christians but willfully put aside his conscience, partly out of necessity and partly out of sense of duty. After the sacking of Zara he was a changed man, knowing he had committed a mortal sin and wondering if he really cared. After great reflection, he decided he did care.

Ironically his prowess in combat, which had led to his damnation, had also led to his recognition and early knighting at the gates of Constantinople by the Doge himself. There at the ceremony he openly denounced the Doge and the Crusade as being un-Christian and damned. He quit the Crusade and quickly made his escape to Venice. Word of his deed brought great shame to his family and he was disowned, becoming the family's black sheep.

Others took well to Vincenzo's act of conscience and he has a good reputations with those who fight evil. Vincenzo took the name Sir Thomas, which is what Heinrich called him as a squire. Being an outcast from Venice's noble class, he found that only the Don Arturus was willing to take him in. Despite the rumors of Arturus's cruelty, he has been a very generous and fair patron. Thomas serves as the leader of the covenant's meager men-at-arms as well as the captain of the nearby village's local militia.

Thomas is greatly troubled by his excommunication and traveled to the Vatican to seek his penance for fighting in the renounced Crusade. Following their advice, he started a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

We have a plain-text version of Sir Thomas's character sheet

Custodes (Grogs)

Guiseppe the Sergeant
Guiseppe is a veteran of the Fourth Cruasade, a professional soldier who accompanied Sir Thomas on his Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
Jacobo the Sailor
Mario the Youth
We have a plain-text version of Mario's character sheet
Raphael the Forester
We have a plain-text version of Raphael's character sheet
Pierro
Urislav the Bodyguard
We have a plain-text version of Urislav's character sheet

Non-Player Characters

Non-Player Characters: A

Anson of House Jerbiton
  • Covenant: Feritel
  • Date of Induction: 1185
  • Familiar: a rat

Anson is a nervous, skinny magus in a threadbare robe. He first met Lucas of Palatini at the St. Cyprian's Day Party in 1210. Anson expressed an interest in sharing resources - presumably books and lab texts - between his covenant of Feritel and Palatini.

Non-Player Characters: D

Dareth of House Tytalus
  • Covenant: Rellantali
  • Date of Induction: c. 1197
  • Familiar: None

Dareth was the magus whom Lucas encountered in a Venetian thieves' den in the story of "the Ivory Rod". He is a young magus who puts on a somewhat exaggerated air of importance. Dareth speaks Italian but with a French accent. He is of average height and build, with short, curly hair and a rather Roman cast to his features. He wears a longsword at his belt and wears a billowing, voluminous cloak of the deepest black wool. Dareth's courtesy, indeed almost everything about him, seems studied and measured, and he always seems to pause and reflect before speaking.

Non-Player Characters: M

Don Lorenzo Malpiero

Don Lorenzo is a knight of the Templar Order, stationed at the Templar chapter house in Venice. He is a man of about fifty, a veteran of the Crusades, his face weathered by months in the scorching sun, lean and fit as a greyhound, with a heavy salt-and-pepper moustache that droops almost to his chin. And yet, he is a man of courtly grace and refined manner. He wears the white Templar mantle with its blood-red cross over a coat of well-worn and well-maintained chain mail. About him is a faint smell of spices.

Don Lorenzo first came into contact with the covenant in the Spring of 1212, when he came unannounced to visit Sir Thomas for a long and mysterious conversation.

Marius of House Tremere
  • Covenant: Rellantali
  • Date of Induction: 1195
  • Familiar: a grey cat

Marius of House Tremere attended the St. Cyprian's Day party of 1210. His grog was caught pilfering silverware, though the goods were covertly retrieved before the pair left the party. Marius also got into a heated argument with the Quaesitor Protantus

Non-Player Characters: P

Protantus of House Guernicus
  • Covenant: Magvillus
  • Date of Induction: 1150
  • Familiar: an owl
  • Apprentice: Francesca

The Quaesitor Protantus attented the St. Cyprian's Day party in 1210. Lucas was forced to break up an argument between him and Marius of House Tremere: the discussion had strayed into politics and Protantus made it clear that he thought Rellantali took undue liberties with the Code. Protantus is clearly a traditionalist. He usually speaks with a clear, deliberate voice and his words carry much weight among the magi of Venice. In appearance, he is grey-haired and overweight, with little pig-like eyes under beelting eyebrows. His apprentice, Francesca, is an attractive, blond-haired teenage girl who was unsuccessfully courted by the ex-grog Giorgio.

Non-Player Characters: T

Tiberius of House Bonisagus
  • Covenant: Durenmar
  • Date of Induction: 1144
  • Familiar: a weasel
  • Personality Traits:
    • Opportunistic +3
    • Imperious +2
    • Nurturing +2

Tiberius is the pater of Lucas. A senior member of House Bonisagus, Tiberius now resides at the covenant of Durenmar but was originally from the Tribunal of Thebes. He belongs to the political branch of his House and believes the current leadership of the Grand Tribunal is too bound by tradition and by bias toward Roman magical traditions to meet the challenges that are before it. Tiberius's ambition is to become Primus of his House; he is perfectly willing to step on anyone who gets in his way. He moved to Durenmar recently so he could be his two main political rivals. The next step along the road to the Primacy, as he sees it, it to become an Archmage.

If Tiberius has a soft side, it is his fatherly impulse to cultivate and defend his underlings. He has been generous to his own apprentices and filii and to junior members of his House. Some would say he does this only to develop a cadre of loyal followers, and indeed he has been known to call in favors to advance his own political plans.

Tiberius is a political Bonisagus magus, not a theoretical one, and so his mastery of the Arts is not terribly advanced. He is quite experienced. His best Arts appear to be Mentem and Vim.

Non-Player Characters: U

Ulfian of House Verditius
  • Covenant: Verdi
  • Date of Induction: 1170
  • Familiar: an obnoxious monkey

Ulfian is a very fat, officious magus who generally wears a rich green robe embroidered with Verditius Runes in golden thread. It's unclear whether the robe is magical. He carries a number of wooden wands, one of which can cast Unseen Arm and Unseen Porter, and other that can cast a variant of Disguise of the New Visage that affects the subject's whole body. He used this on two rather homely wenches he brought as escorts to the St. Cyprian's Day party of 1210, making them appear as voluptuous beauties until the spell suddenly wore off at sunrise.

Ulfian drank far too much at the St. Cyprian's Day party of 1210 and passed out. A ghost stole his voting sigil. For the Tribunal to learn that Ulfian had lost his sigil, in a night of drunken revelry no less, would have been a blow to his reputation and his considerable pride. When Lucas recovered Ulfian's sigil quickly and discreetly, he gained the gratitude of a well-known Verditius magus and a potential ally inside the covenant of Verdi.