| Order of Hermes | Rhuddlan Castle | St. Asaph's Monatery | Miscellaneous |
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Catrin was a young maga Ex Miscellania who joined Spiritus Draconis in Autumn of 1359 and stayed for only until Autumn, 1362.
In preparation for the Stonehenge Tribunal of 1360, Augustin Colaire anticipated overt opposition from Blackthorn. He urged the Council to recruit new magi to increase the covenant's voting power. Since time was short, Colaire was only able to locate one maga who was willing to join: Catrin.
Catrin had been trained by her grandmother, a Hermetic hedge wizard skilled in dealing with spirits and the dead. Catrin herself is primarily a necromancer, though she is more generalized than her mater was.
Because she was trained in isolation from the Order, Catrin's magic is difficult to understand for those who don't share her tradition of hedge magic. Catrin's grandmother trained her protegée well, but alas, the old woman died in 1359. The grandmother's last wish was for Catrin to join a covenant, where she could truly master Hermetic magic and rise above her humble origins.
During her apprenticeship, Catrin attracted the ire of the ghost one of her ancestors, who had been a powerful necromancer in his own right. The ghost wanted Catrin to stop disturbing the dead and to abandon her study of magic altogether. The ghost pledged to haunt Catrin until she turned away from necromancy, and her fledgling Arts were not strong enough to keep it entirely at bay.
Catrin made some important contributions to Spiritus Draconis, especially during her service as an emissary to the independent magi of North Wales (those Hermetic magi who do not belong to any covenant). After a while, she became frustrated with the covenant's poor library and the Latin focus of its magi. At the Stonehenge Tribunal of 1360, Catrin met a magus Ex Miscellanea from Cad Gadu. The two began a correspondence which ended in Catrin accepting an invitation to move to the Domus Magna in the Summer of 1362.
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In the Summer of 1359, grogs from Spiritus Draconis (namely, Dogfael, Owain, Kenyr, and Adie) rescued Melody the Redcap, who has been abducted by three ogres in the Snowdon Mountains.
Ever since that daring rescue, Melody has been a friend of Spiritus Draconis. She stops short of actually spying on the covenant's behalf, but she makes it a point to stop by the covenant fairly often and she always hurries to bring Spiritus Draconis any important news.
Melody is a young Redcap and somewhat naive -or at least idealistic- regarding Hermetic politics. She has the gift of Enchanting Music and her harp is always the delight of the grogs and covenfolk whenever she visits.
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Rhuddlan Castle is a real, historical castle located in North Wales. The fictionalized Rhuddlan Castle in this Saga is somewhat different from the real place. Information on the real Rhuddlan Castle is available online at the Castles of Wales Web site.
In the Saga of Spiritus Draconis, Rhuddlan is a mid-sized motte-and-bailey castle. It occupies the site of the Norman castle built by Robert of Rhuddlan, not the site of the later Edwardian castle. The castle defends a ford in the River Clwyd. The small town of Rhuddlan is nearby.
In this Saga, Rhuddlan Castle belongs to the Prince of North Wales, Llewelyn ab Iowerth. Llewelyn visits the castle only occasionally, generally leaving it in the care of a trusted retainer. The castle has a permanent garrison of about thirty men-at-arms. Its keep is built of stone and the lower defenses are of timber. The castle was recently expanded (A.D. 1224-25) with a strong wooden gate house, two extra towers, and a higher, sturdier wooden wall.
For many years, the castellan was Elusdan ap Maldwyn. In 1370 Age of Pisces (A.D. 1231), Elusdan stepped down and was replaced by his son, Maldwyn ab Elusdan.
Maldwyn is the son of Elusdan ap Maldwyn - as the eldest son, he is named after his paternal grandfather. Although locally known for his fiery temper and sometimes-hasty judgement, Maldwyn is respected by Welsh nobles for long and devoted support of his father. When the time came for Prince Llewelyn to select Elusdan's successor, Maldwyn was the obvious choice.
Maldwyn was at first quite suspicious of the covenant - he was a grown man when Spiritus Draconis was founded, and he disliked the idea of a rival power nearby. Years of co-existence have taught Maldwyn to appreciate the magi's wisdom and to respect their power- and also to be grateful for their occasional assistance against supernatural threats.
Maldwyn has a different relationship with the covenant than did Elusdan. He is not a personal friend of any of the magi, though he has a deep respect for the longstanding alliance between the covenant and the castle. He is not entirely comfortable with the idea of magicians living nearby, and tries to keep informed about happenings at the covenant.
For this reason, the covenant's Ally Virtue has dropped from +6 (Elusdan) to +4 (Maldwyn). Maldwyn is still a stalwart ally, but he does not offer his help as eagerly or as unconditionally as did his father.
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The youngest son of Elusdan ap Maldwyn, Elusdan Iuenc was sent to a monastery near Bangor at a young age. He is a member of the Benedictine order. Elusdan Iuenc serves the castellan of Rhuddlan as a scribe and advisor.
Elusdan Iuenc is a well-spoken man with good courtly manners. Unlike his hot-headed brother, he is even-tempered and refined. He has helped the covenant a few times in the past, mainly by providing legal advice and serving as a character witness.
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Elusdan ap Maldwyn was the aging castellan of Rhuddlan. He is a distant cousin of Llewelyn ab Iowerth, the great Prince of Gwynedd. Elusdan fought under Llewelyn during the Prince's early rise to power, and was appointed to the strategically important castle of Rhuddlan as a reward for faithful service.
Elusdan is a tall man with broad shoulders and a commanding bearing. He is known throughout Wales for his unflagging loyalty to the Prince, and he is respected among the nobles for his wise counsel and his able command. Elusdan was more a fighting man than courtier, and enjoyed the rigors of the hunt more than the comforts of the castle. He is quite proud to claim kinship to the Prince and relished the authority of his position.
Elusdan has been a friend of Spiritus Draconis since he and Llewelyn siezed Rhuddlan castle from the English. Colaire, concerned that the siege of Rhuddlan Castle would spill over to sack the covenant, opened relations with Elusdan's army. Colaire declared the magi's neutrality and asked Elusdan to restrain his troops from pillaging the covenant; Elusdan hesitated to make such a promise, but Colaire was able to secure his protection by offering his skilled assistance as a surgeon to the besieging army. After Rhuddlan Castle fell and Elusdan took over, Colaire was able to win Elusdan's confidence and, eventually, friendship.
During the military campaign against the English invasion of 1228 A.D., it became clear to all the nobles of Gwynnedd -including Elusdan himself- that due to his age, the rigors of war were becoming too much for him. Elusdan was deeply aggreived by the death of his son, Caradoc, in that war. His eldest son, Maldwyn, immediately began taking a greater role in the affairs of the castle, and in 1230 A.D., the Prince offically named Maldwyn as Elusdan's successor. Elusdan then joined the Cistercian order and went to St. Asaph's monastery to live out his days.
Lynwen is Elusdan's wife. Following Welsh custom, she is a dozen years younger than her husband. Lynwen is a from a noble family that generally supports Llewelyn; in cases where the shifting alliances of Welsh politics have divided her loyalties, she has always supported her husband. Lynwen often administered her husband's castle when he is away at war. Now that Elusdan has retired, Lynwen remains at Rhuddlan Castle, advising her impetuous son and helping to oversee the castle's day-to-day affairs.
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But to comprise briefly all things which are or can be said of them- the Cistercian monks at the present day are a model for all monks, a mirror for the diligent, a spur to the indolent.
-William of Malmesbury, early twelfth century
St. Asaph's monastery is a fictional monastery near the covenant. The Cistercian monks there are benefactors to the poor and hosts to travelers; they are also friends of the covenant, thanks to Colaire's skilled diplomacy. The monastery conducts some trade with the covenant, for it produces wool and vellum from its flocks and honey and wax from its beehives.
The Cistercian Order originated as a reform movement within the Benedictine Order. Cistercian monks believe in strict observance of the Benedictine Rule. They eschew the wealth and comfort found at some Benedictine monasteries and devote themselves to prayer and to manual labor. The monks of St. Asaph's are well-liked in the area as upstanding examples of piety.
The monastery is home to some 50 monks. It owns fields and a flock of sheep. Monks work personally in the fields, and between farm work and prayers, they have little time for intellectual pursuits. The monastery's library is small for this reason.
The monks of St. Asaph's welcome travelers and pilgrims and they are benefators to the poor.
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Dogfael is a mercenary from North Wales with a great hatred for Anglo-Normans. He served as a grog at Spiritus Draconis from 1219 to 1223 and accompanied Rydderch on many of that magus's early adventures. Dogfael was reknowned for his massive size and strength, his battle prowess, and his tendency to attack potential enemies on his own initiative.
Dogfael's restlessness and love of battle led him to eventually leave the covenant in Autumn 1223, right before the tournament with Blackthorn. The magi had appointed Wmffre interim turb captain, and Dogfael was so offended at being passed over (in favor of Wmffre, no less!) that he deserted.
Although he left under less-than-cordial circumstances, Dogfael might some day return to the covenant or cross paths with its members. He is friendly toward Rydderch and Emma and might help either of them if asked.
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