Story Elements

Below are ideas and plot hooks that need resolving by one of the GMs.

Immanola's Grand Prophecy
Immanola the ancient Primus of house Ex Misc gave a prophecy whilst in the presence of Essel, Rian and Cirice. This Prophecy foretold of doom and destruction and announced that the final days were coming. However as Immanola's previous Prophecy didn't come true and as such very few Magi are concerned about this new prophecy at the moment.

"My warnings of destruction and salvation; ignored and squandered. He shall return, though blood and betrayal. Making friends out of slain foes. Chaos approaches, the song has been sung. Ice, blood and darkness shall reign across Hermes children. Yet, Hope remains; sundered across ten and three. Harken to me, The Final Days are Nigh!"

Covenant's Centralised Kingdom Location
All the lands in this area are owned. If the covenant becomes known it will need to explain its presence and come to some sort of terms with the lord and owner. Until then we best be careful keeping it secret. ''Ungulus has managed to stay outside of the notice of local lords for centuries. As long as its new members do not rock the boat too siginificantly, the covenant should remain as such.''

The Isle of Man
The Isle of Man lies within sight of Ungulus - its future endeavours may impact the covenant and its inhabitants. One of its core leaders, Thormund Odinson and Torvi Ylvakrí trust one another - though the Isle's actions are decided mostly by the new King...

The Dragon
The dragon sorcerer known as Al Sah Her lives nearby, and 35 years ago killed the Verditius mage Parsirus after a decade of working together on projects. Sinead, Parsirus' lover, has attempted to kill him on several occasions, but failed and is now unable to try again due to an unfortunate twilight scar. The magi of Sagehollow learned that Al Sah Her is now spiteful towards the Order, and trained the hedge witch Mortis to get by Giscard's side and steer him to hunt witches.

The Faerie Lord
Espera feels that she has gravely offended a powerful and mysterious faerie lord, and has since covered herself in charms and refused to leave the aegis. She would like nothing more than the matter dealt with, but she is too afraid to attempt to resolve matters herself (not that she'd admit it).

Isle of Man
After the events of Summer 1193, a powerful Vitki of the isle named Thormund Odinson mentioned to Torvi the possibility of a future alliance at some point, promising to write to her in a few months (as of Autumn 1193). Torvi wishes to travel to the island at some point, hoping to make friends.

Superiors
The Magi of Sagehollow have been sent against their will to Ungulus, as an unofficial punishment for their actions surrounding the death of Prince John. The senior magi of Ungulus have been charged with overseeing their actions, overruling them if necessary. The new magi will have to earn the favour of the various senior magi in order to gain true freedom.

Fractured Council
Due to the venerable age of the covenant and its magi alike, the Council of Ungulus is barely functional, if at all; Espera is terrified that anyone could be an agent of the Faerie Lord, Sinead cares only for vengeance against Al Sah Her, Viator cares only for his research project and dislikes change, and Aquila might have entered final twilight. Only Flavius is willing to work with others and is trying to prevent the death of Ungulus.

Unity in Stonehenge
As part of Essel's goal of uniting The Stonehenge Tribunal, arrangements have been made to boycott the 1193 Tribunal in the hope of forcing Blackthorn into conceding some power, not to Voluntas but to Ungulus which Essel and Julia hope will host the next Tribunal. To this end Essel has agreed to two tasks. Finding out why a Faerie Lord seeks Espera of Ungulus and why Parsirus of Ungulus was slain by a dragon. ''Flavius of Ungulus secretly passed Essel a clue to finding the Faerie Lord. While the time has passed, study of the stars may reveal a future occurance.'' Blackthorn has been made aware of the boycott and have opted to instead declare a postponement with the agreement to a smaller gathering between Blackthorn, Voluntas and Sagehollow.

The Ascians
The Ascian Lahabrea had formed a partnership with the Múspell Angrboða, but who was killed by Chimi at the Isle of Man. Little else has been uncovered about them.

Tancred's Knighthood
Ser Tancred, despite his genuine nobility, is susceptible to a forceful inquiry by interested parties; Tancred bears the coat of arms of a man centuries dead. He was charged with finding a leige-lord, which he did - Ethelwald of Wilton, ally of Voluntas. Though what will happen if Tancred's responsibility to Ethelwald conflicts with his responsibility to the covenant?

Magi
Arianwen - Tormenting Master (Emrys) Arianwen's Parens leads a pack of fellow Bjornaer and is angry that she choose to leave and live an independant life by moving to Sagehollow. There is no doubt that Emrys intends to force her to return to the fold.

Essel - Hermetic Patron After stepping down as Spring Tenens following the controversy of Prince John's death, Essel has been given a new - unofficial - role by Murion herself. She is to subtly investigate the isolationist Burnham, as well as the mysterious "North Sea covenant", which she fears may ally with Wattanzee to form a new, aggressive and piratical Tribunal and wreak havoc on mundane society.

Evelyn - Envied Beauty Jealousy and female paranoia follows in Evelyns wake, though she herself is oblivious to it. Who knows what trouble could come of this.. ''A number of individuals have had their heads turned by Evelyn passing. Talks of angels and witchcraft among the Templars and religious penance during her visit to Gresham Nunnery are only the start.''

Maelia - Miles Maelia has sworn the Code of Garus and joined the ranks of the Milites. Other milites are able to ask her for support, and the Primus of Flambeau may give her orders.

Maelia - Raised from the Dead Maelia's appearance clearly reflects her return from the grave and subsequent straddling of life and death. This may lead others to regard her with hatred, suspicion or overbearingly intense curiosity.

Companions
Tancred - Oath of Fealty A crusader born in the 10th century, Tancred met and befriended the Magus, Darius of Flambaeu. During their time together, Tancred swore his enteral service to the Order of Hermes. While assisting his friend with putting the heathens of House Diedne to the blade, Tancred was trapped in time. Now freed nearly 200 years later, he must find his place in this new world, in which his oath to the Order still remains. ''Baron Louisoix d'Valerian has been ordered by Prince John to demand Tancred find a leige-lord before Winter. Due to his Oath to the Order, Tancred plans to ask Lord Ethelbert of Wilton to nominally take him into his household, presumably in exchange for something from Sagehollow or himself.''

Torvi Ylvakrí - Pagan Torvi's Paganism is fairly apparent to others. She is unwilling to feign Christianity on principle, such as attending mass or observing Christian holidays. Even when dressed in normal attire, her strange appearance, mannerisms and accent may draw unwanted attention and cause issues; let alone if she is seen in her traditional garb and performing a Pagan ritual.

Torvi Ylvakrí - Visions Torvi occasionally receives visions of the future, especially in magically or emotionally laden areas, or in quiet times. These may be from the past, possible futures, or distant occurrences, and are often symbolic or confusing.

Torvi Ylvakrí - Dark Secret Cirice has confided her family's diedne ancestry to Torvi, who has promised to keep it a secret. If this becomes known to others then she may face severe repercussions, especially when combined with the suspicion she can be be subject to as a possible servant of "the Order of Odin".

Prince John
Arianwen has struck up the beginnings of a potential friendship with Prince John. This could be leveraged for great political gain. Arianwen has likely given up her efforts to develop their friendship, with the excuse of Prince John now being dead.

Captain Sabre and The Naglfar
This feline captain and his largely female crew were encountered by Cirice. His memory was faulty but it was hinted he was once the familiar of a late mage of the order. How did Sabre survive?

The North Sea
A shipbound spring Covenant of 'mad' mages who sail the North and occasionally Irish Seas causing trouble. Do they belong to the tribunal?

Eustace the Pirate King
A highly feared pirate whose home is at the channel isle. His past transgressions were forgiven by King Richard in exchange for ferrying crusaders. His flag bears a devil upon a black background.

Rufus and his hunters
The Redcap Rufus found himself targeted by a determined group who he barely managed to escape from. Who were they, and why did they attack him?

White Crow
Evelyn wishes to visit Casubon of Verditius, as one of the few other members of her house in the Stonehenge Tribunal (along with Desiderius of Voluntas and the elusive Junius of Semitae).

Covenant's Centralised Kingdom Location
All the lands in this area are owned. If the covenant becomes known it will need to explain its presence and come to some sort of terms with the lord and owner. Until then we best be careful keeping it secret. Though the covenant had been noticed by several members of the nobility, and rumours of witches in the woods persisted during the magi's inhabitance there, now it is to remain largely empty for the next thirty years, such rumours should fade in time.

Ruined Covenant Site
The ruins beneath our covenant are still somewhat of a mystery. We know it has a deep history. Originally a Roman Temple to a forgotten deity stood here. Later a Covenant of the Order was settled here, but it was destroyed two hundred years ago during the Schism War. Who knows what treasures our forebears have left us... or what secrets they would rather left forgotten.. ''Besides Tancred that is. Of course, those in the "No Mages Club" have more insight on both what lies beneath Sagehollow and what lies in Tancred's past.''

Monastery
Monasteries of Mythic Europe often contain the greatest collections of mundane knowledge outside of the Order of Hermes. Sagehollow luckily has one of these nearby; if they could be convinced to trade, then Sagehollow's library will grow to contain books of Philosophae and Artes Liberales. The Cistercian Abbey has been mentioned in game - further narrative to be written once discussions with the GM have been had. ''We have managed to obtain a vast number of such books. There seems to be no trouble having the Monastery so close for now.''

Assart Rights
Forestry in Sherwood is dictated though the assart rights provided in the name of the king by his Foresters, these men are servants of the king and of the Sheriff of Nottingham; Robert Gisgard. Could Sagehollow utilize these rights to support a greater and more legal form of income? Arianwen has become known to Prince John and Essel has begun to manipulate Rohen d'Aincourt.

Agents
With so many mundane villages and noble estates around Sherwood, the covenant will require agents to keep tabs on the local area, hear about any intriguing information and if necessary remove problematic issues which could threaten the magi. ''We have made a couple of associates, especially in the criminal circles of Nottingham. We'll probably have to pay for any information though.'' 'Cirice and Silk have met with The Fox, a crime lord in Nottingham. He has agreed to an alliance of sorts, with Giscard as a mutual enemy.'

Robin Hood
Robin will stop at nothing to make sure that Giscard gets his comeuppance. Robin is also looking to improve the lives of the common folk, by raiding the caravans of the Sheriff and returning the stolen goods back to them. However, if this were to be connected to the covenant, it would be highly dangerous. ''Before we can persuade Robin and his men to retire, we need to deal with Robert Giscard. Baron Richard of Blyde and Giles of Vennes may prove useful to this end.'' ''Giscard has shown that he intends to show a firmer hand. He knows of Sagehollow and has (mostly accurate) descriptions of many of its inhabitants, but as yet does not know where it is to be found...''

Knights Templar - Manor at Wishborne
In 1185 King Henry II gave the Knight Templar the hospital at Newark as their base of operations in England, this lead to the Knights Templar gaining the Manor at Wishborne, only a stones throw from the covenant. The new King; Richard Cœur de Lion, has decreed that the knights are immune to the crimes of Danegeld (viking tax), Murdrum (Assassination/Murder in Secret) and Latrocinium (Guerrilla Warfare). This would make Templar's either great friends or foes to the magi. Evelyn has seemingly had peace with the Templars, though in doing so their presence has increased in Sherwood. Baron Louisoix has discovered that the Templars are permitting two 'Knights' to operate with their knowledge outside of the feudal system, he has threatened to bring this matter to Prince John

Marian and Rohen of Farnesfield
Marian, the former Lady of Farnesfield, was kept in Gresham Abbey and her son driven away, with the village being controlled by its sheriff. Perhaps this bears looking into. ''Rohen d'Aincourt has reclaimed his land, to much annoyance. He is an ally of Ser Humphrey (Essel) and Fairhaven (Sagehollow).''

Rylon
The Black Dog of Sherwood Forest, Rylon, has began to form a friendly relationship with some members of Sagehollow, particularly Chimi and Osanna. Perhaps a more formal alliance could be struck to safeguard one another from danger when needed, to reduce the covenant's dependence on the Aegis and its secluded nature. ''Essel and Arianwen have recovered a magical hound from the Hibernian covenant of Lámbaird and given her to Rylon as a mate. This may be the first step.''

Gresham Church
After the death of ten of Will Scarlet's Chosen Men at the ghostly battlefield in the Gresham Barrows, Tessora has taken it upon herself to persuade the nuns of Gresham Abbey to permit a church being built at the site, granting their souls - and all those of the other combatants - rest from their eternal battle. Tessora - with the aid of Rohen - successfully petitioned for its construction, to begin in 1194.

Arianne and Giscard
Arianne's sister, Erin, is being held hostage in Nottingham Castle, forcing Arianne to spy on the covenant and report back to Giscard. Her spying has become known to Sagehollow, who have agreed to help her feed Giscard accurate (but often ineffectual) information. This is only a short term solution, however; her sister must be freed. The longer Arianne is forced to give information to Giscard, the more likely Giscard is to demand more harmful information. If given, this could compromise the security of Sagehollow, and if not, it would risk Giscard growing tired of Arianne's inactionable information, opting instead to recapture her and execute both sisters to regain the standing he'd lost from her escape at Normanston. A significant number of covenfolk, led by Essel and Evelyn, travelled to Nottingham and liberated her, albeit at great cost to the covenant...

Lady Tessora's Divine Gift
After the Miracle of Summerbridge, Lady Tessora has been blessed by God and charged with being His Sword upon the earth. This newfound power qualifies her - in the eyes of Hermetic Society - as being equivalent to a mage of the Order, and therefore subject to the same laws and customs. It is probably only a matter of time before House Mercere discovers this, and extends a formal "invitation"... ''Philippus Niger posed "The Question" to her in person, giving her six months to respond. A month later, after almost all of the people left for Ungulus, Farnesfield or elsewhere, Tessora gave her answer; a polite, but decisive, no. Philippus Niger has said that he will kill her personally.''

The Múspelli
Sagehollow uncovered a plot in 1192 by a Múspell to conduct a ritual around an Irminsul to help bring about Ragnarök. Under the advice of Torvi, Arianwen thwarted this plot and took the Irminsul to Sagehollow. Time will tell if this will raise the ire of the Múspelli. A servant of Gullveig has some kind of connection to the Múspelli, and has shown a desire to claim authority over nearby folk witches. She was searching for Torvi (by name) in 1189, and has encountered Arianne during her search. ''The servant of Gullveig was revealed to be a Múspell known as Angrboða, who conspired with Lahabrea to destroy the people of the Isle of Man and Sagehollow. She was thwarted and destroyed by Chimi Vogflá in 1193.''

Gwaelod
In pursuit of recovering Ceridwen's Cauldron, Cirice has discovered the legendary kingdom of Cantre'r Gwaelod, locked in a regio beneath Cardigan Bay. Its seven loyalist houses are perpetually locked in a civil war against the renegade eighth, and need help from Sagehollow to prevail and release Ser Morfran, who can give her more information. Cirice is currently researching "The Temple of Light", pursuant to helping the loyal clans win their war (or at least, to not lose it). Thanks to Ailuros and Maahes, Cirice has discovered the location of an associated temple to the 'Temple of Light' located on what the Cats call 'Ouiktis', Knowing that the Ascians have an interest in this matter, Cirice has decided to head out as soon as possible

Tessora's Knighthood
Lady Tessora is, despite her genuine nobility, susceptible to a forceful inquiry by interested parties; she has refused to have a leige-lord, and as a woman is not capable of claiming the title of Knight in the eyes of most noblemen. ''She was challenged by Baron Louisoix d'Valerian on behalf of Prince John. Whether or not she receives the promised summons to a trial on charges of being a false knight, given John's death, remains to be seen...'' ''She has gained the support and verification from Tancred, her father, Abbess Hedwig, Rohen d'Aincourt, and Pierre (the Bishop of Arras), as well as being on good terms with Anselin the Butler and Bishop Giscard. She has also journeyed to Summerbridge and the surrounding villages to perhaps locate witnesses to her divine blessing.''

Character Story Flaws
Cirice - Dark Secret (Ceridwen was Diedne) As yet Cirice has kept her secret, though some historic descriptions have been seen by Torvi. She remains resolute and perhaps fearful of its discovery by Tancred. Will this be possible once she succeeds in unlocking Priftana and speaking with Morfran who no doubt knows the fact but not its secrecy.

Lady Tessora of Artois - Gender Nonconforming Due to Tessora's belief that she is a knight regardless of her gender, she often conducts herself - and expects to be treated - in a way that is only applied to men in English society. People may take issue with this; nobility may be offended by her claiming the rank of knight, low-born warriors may feel emasculated by her, or the church may believe her claims of being blessed by the Divine to be the fanciful imaginings of a delusional woman. ''While the Templars have seemingly tolerated Tessora in previous encounters, tales of Summerbridge are likely to have spread. Will they be so forgiving as rumours of a holy woman go from village to village?'' ''Baron Louisoix d'Valerian has been ordered by Prince John to strip Lady Tessora of her knightly accoutrements. Tessora refused, to which Louisoix left, promising to inform the Prince of her lack of cooperation. Tessora plans to gather character witnesses to testify to her knightly behaviour.''

Rohen d'Aincourt - Devoted Lord Farnesfield has been through interesting times and its people are looking to their new lord to bring stability and improvement. He, of course, feels compelled to help in whatever way he can, come what may.

Future Historical Events
1194: The first Tribunal to happen since the covenant's foundation takes place at Blackthorn 1195: The Quaesitor Trutina arrives in England, joining the Burnham covenant. 1195: The first Grand Tribunal since Sagehollow's foundation takes place at Durenmar - will Essel attend to further her political ambitions? 1198: The first "Contest of Verditius" takes place - Evelyn is obliged to attend. 1198: Pope Innocent III is elected to the Papacy, he announces the Fourth Crusade in 1202 and Albigensian Crusade in 1209; One of the most dangerous Popes in the Order's history. 1199: King Richard of England dies. C. 1200: Scintilla of Flambeau and her filius Focus arrive from eastern europe, joining the Burnham covenant. 1201: The Stonehenge Tribunal learns of the existence of Sachiko of Burnham. 1202: The Fourth Crusade Begins; Will Tancred and Tessora answer the papal call to war? 1204: The Sack of Constantinopolis. 1208: Redcaps raise the issue of magically created silver as 'interfering with mundanes' causing the rule of 'No covenant may put more than two pounds of magically created silver per resident into circulation each year. 1208: Immanola stops moving. 1216: Immanola is declared fully Twilighted, and is replaced as Primus of House Ex Miscellanea by Ebrion, and Praeco of Stonehenge by Talion of Blackthorn. 1216: The second Contest of Verditius takes place. 1220: The Flambeau mage William Fireheart of Ungulas dies in a Wizard's War in France. 1228: The Second Grand Tribunal since Sagehollow's foundation takes place.