Covenant of Six Pillars

Overview of Six Pillars

The covenant of Six Pillars is located near the ancient ruins known as Six Pillar Hill near Comrie, and is home to three remaining Magi; reduced from the five which formed the covenant only ten or so years ago, due to a wizard’s war between the Bertrand and Sir Edwin of Hexham of Horsingas.

Six Pillar Hill is a powerful and ancient magical site, which is now famous for a waxing and waning aura according to the seasons, and also as the resource that was lost by the covenant shortly after it was founded; as part of the wizard’s war.

The five founders were enthusiastic and some say arrogant in their belief of what they could achieve in a small time frame, and the goals of Magus Bertrand ex Jerbiton took their zeal too far and involved the fledgling covenant directly into the complex politics of the tribunal. Bertrand’s arrogance led to verbal and political conflicts with Hosingas and it’s allies, which in turn precipitated the Wizard’s War between Bertrand and Sir Edwin of Hexham.

Description of Six Pillars

The covenant is modeled as a large rural farm, with many fields and crops surrounding a set of extended community dwellings. The Magi’s quarters have been dug below ground, as to keep them hidden from mundane perception.

A casual observer would see a prosperous set of farms spread between the close dwellings.

The covenant has very few soldiers, with most covenfolk instead being employed on the farms and having minimal military training. The covenant even includes a small chapel with a sepulcher containing a statue and devotions to Saint Andrew. The chapel is on the outer edge of one hutch of houses, far from the underground labs.

In sympathy to the magical site, a small set of rough cut stone has been gathered as sculpture in the paved communal square which matches the stones on the hilltop. The six large ruined pillars surrounded by the rest of the ruined stones are clearly discernible.

The Magi of Six Pillars

• Gaelia, ex Merintia – a very old Scottish female – who is dying and bed ridden. Angry with the outcomes of the last four years, but incapable of vengeance. Her magic is passing from her, as it is expected that she will pass to final twilight soon.
  • “Had we kept away from Horsingas we would be prosperous.”
  • “Both covenants are to blame, we are the fools though.”
  • Gaelia is a Creo Imagonem specialist.
• Jaekos Georgiou, ex Jerbiton – a late 20s Greek male, who is focused on building the community of covenant. Not concerned with tribunal politics at all, and wary of any deals or offers especially where politics might be suspect.
  • “Slow and steady growth, akin to family, is best.”
  • “Best we talk about magic, I am dire tired of what politics brings”.
  • Jaekos is an Aquam specialist.
• Kwame, ex Miscellanea – a 30s Nubian from Egypt, with powerful non-Hermetic based upon spirits and out-of-body traveling.
  • Kwame is the remaining combative Magus in the covenant and it was he who defended the Setna when the wars between Bertrand and Horsingas went out of control.
  • Kwame neutralized the Horsingas forces, and even warned them by inciting their own men to slay each other.
  • He wishes to also be away from the politics but will fight again if needed.
  • He killed an impressive amount of soldiers, disrupted spells, and defeated two Horsingas in a duel.
• (Dead) Setna ex Criamon – was Spanish and youthful late 30s magus who sought to understand the links between nature and the enigma.
  • She was patient, and reviled violence. But also was not suffer fools lightly.
  • Her familiar named Sonas, a grey cat died soon after her.
  • Setna was a generalist with no known special aptitude.
• (Dead) Bertrand, ex Jerbiton – was a middle aged man who sought to unlink the covenants from direct interaction from non-magical society.
  • While this might seem a strange goal for a Jerbiton, his interest was in protecting both the magical and mundane societies from each other.
  • His specific conflicts with Horsingas occurred as he felt Horsingas was clearly in breech of the Order’s guidelines; and openly stated this at tribunal while carrying all the covenant’s votes.
  • Bertrand was a Corpus specialist.

The Wizards War

Sir Edwin of Hexham (ex Tytalus) wasted no time in provoking and challenging Bertrand once he learned of Bertrand’s desire to limit Magi’s dealings even further. Sir Edward mocked and ridiculed Bertrand until the two came to have vicious arguments each time they spoke to each other.

Bertrand first challenged Sir Edwin to Wizard’s War, but Sir Edwin refused vocally, saying that the competition would prove only that Bertrand’s upstart ways matched his stupidity. Over the course of a three day tribunal argument Sir Edwin then publicly accepted the challenge, stating his distaste for the method of combat, although attendees of the tribunal know too well that Sir Edwin was clearly happy to fight Bertrand.

The terms of the Wizard’s War were hastily agreed as the dominion over a powerful magic site from the loser’s covenant, a single spell cast unresistant, and the contents of the loser’s lab and property. These terms were meant to keep the battle from being fatal, until Sir Edwin chose his victory spell as a killing effect. Sir Edwin offered the primary vis supply of the covenant against Six Pillar Hill, and without his fellow members present Bertrand accepted the terms, casting the Magi’s sigils entrusted to him.

During the third and final conflict between the Magi which occurred on Six Pillar Hill, the Magus Setna was mortally wounded by a botched spell cast by Bertrand. This tragic mistake is also what distracted Bertrand, and Sir Edwin took the advantage. As Setna died so to did Bertrand.

Facts that might be known (Order of Hermes Lore, or a suitable social role)

• All the magi who died were the competitive ones

Agreed goals of the remaining Magi

• No alliance, just warning.  ..