Difference between revisions of "Stranggore"

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The official name of the covenant is  "the Wizards' Council of the Kingdom of Stranggore". It has a proud and regal heritage and was once one of the pre-eminent covenants of the [[Stonehenge Tribunal]], but has now fallen into the senility and decrepitude of Winter. It is located in Somerset, England on the historical site of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maesbury_Castle Maesbury Castle], along the ancient Roman road known as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fosse_Way Fosse Way].
+
[[Category:Stranggore]]
 +
Stranggore is a very old covenant that has sunk into stagnation and decay. It has a proud and regal heritage and was once one of the pre-eminent covenants of the [[Stonehenge Tribunal]], but has now fallen into the senility and decrepitude of Winter.
  
−
= Introduction =
+
It has [[Stranggore History|roots]] that go back to ancient times, before the Order of Hermes arrived in the British Isles. In the early days it was sworn to the service of a royal court. The covenant still has symbols and customs that acknowledge that heritage. Some of these are subtle -- for example, the head wizard of the covenant is called the Chancellor -- and others are overt, like the grogs' green-on-gold livery or the carved wooden throne that stands empty in the council chamber, a reminder of its ancient (and, officially, forsaken) royal allegiance.
  
−
Stranggore is a very old covenant that has sunk into stagnation and decay. It was once very well-respected and is still admired for the many great historical British magi who once called it home. It has [[Stranggore History|roots]] that go back to ancient times, before the Order of Hermes arrived in the British Isles. In the early days it was sworn to the service of a royal court. The covenant still has symbols and customs that acknowledge that heritage. Some of these are subtle -- for example, the head wizard of the covenant is called the Chancellor -- and others are overt, like the grogs' green-on-gold livery or the carved wooden throne that stands empty in the council chamber, a reminder of its ancient (and, officially, forsaken) royal allegiance.
+
The official name of the covenant is "the Wizards' Council of Stranggore."
  
−
When the Stonehenge Tribunal was incorporated into the Order of Hermes, the wizards of Stranggore were forced, on pain of death, to renounce their allegiance to mundane kings. They re-dedicated their covenant to safeguarding the land of Britain -- though it is not clear exactly what this means.  
+
The covenant has a certain nostalgia for the ancient Britons, though by now the Britons in England are only a legend, even among wizards. (The remaining descendants of the ancient Britons in 1220 are the Welsh.) Certainly the covenant pays no homage to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Plantagenet#Rise_of_Henry_II_and_his_sons heirs] of that upstart Norman usurper [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_the_Conqueror William the Bastard].
 +
 
 +
== Location and Surroundings ==
 +
Stranggore is located in Somerset, England on the historical site of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maesbury_Castle Maesbury Castle], along the ancient Roman road known as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fosse_Way Fosse Way]. It is near several interesting magical sites, including [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glastonbury_tor Glastonbury Tor] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wookey_Hole_Caves Wookey Hole Caves].
 +
 
 +
Our [http://goo.gl/maps/IXIz Google map] shows the location of the covenant, sites of mystical interest, and the other covenants of the [[Stonehenge Tribunal]]. Andrew G also found a [http://alcuinofyork.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/medieval-england-map.jpg National Geographic map of Medieval England] online (almost certainly in violation of copyright laws) that shows towns and roads from a later period.
 +
 
 +
As far as I can tell (from a cursory browsing of Wikipedia), Somerset is divided into about 700 fiefs, not under control of a single noble. Presumably they are a mix of royal fiefs, ecclesiastical fiefs (controlled by the [[Bishop of Salisbury]] and/or the [[Bishop of Wells]]), and local barons. Some of these fiefs no doubt are held by great nobles of the realm. The royal fiefs are each maintained by a constable; manors would be maintained by a bailiff.
  
−
The covenant has a certain nostalgia for the ancient Britons, though by now the Britons in England are only a legend, even among wizards. (The remaining descendants of the ancient Britons in 1220 are the Welsh.) Certainly the covenant pays no homage to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Plantagenet#Rise_of_Henry_II_and_his_sons heirs] of that upstart Norman usurper [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_the_Conqueror William the Bastard].
+
=== Neighbors ===
 +
The [http://domesdaymap.co.uk/ Domesday Book online] maps the villages of medieval England. The nearest settlement to Stranggore is the fictional hamlet of [[Barstow]]. The nearest historical settlements are [[Shepton Mallet]], Charlton, and Doulting. The nearest city is Wells.
 +
 
 +
* Village of [[Barstow]]
 +
* [[Mericas]] the hedge wizard
 +
* The covenant of [[Aquae Sulis]]
 +
* The [[Bishop of Wells]]
 +
* [[Godwyn's Chase]]
 +
 
 +
== Road ==
 +
Stranggore has is about a quarter mile northwest of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fosse_Way Fosse Way], so travelers occasionally mistake its towers for those of an abbey and stop by.
 +
 
 +
== Residents ==
 +
Several of the grogs live in the nearby village of [[Barstow]]. This section includes only characters who live at the covenant. See [[:Category:Stranggore Grogs]] and [[:Category:Stranggore Covenfolk]] for a full list of the guards and servants, respectively.
 +
 
 +
{|class="wikitable"
 +
!Magi!!Companions!!Grogs!!Covenfolk
 +
|-
 +
|[[Argus]]<br/>[[Caballus]]<br/>[[Godwyn]]<br/>[[Hywel Mawr]]<br/>[[Sandre Paen]]<br/>[[Merewen]]
 +
||[[Agnes]]<br/>[[Paul]]<br/>[[Randolph]]<br/>[[William Robert]]
 +
||[[Bloody Bill]]<br/>[[George the Bastard]]<br/>[[Joan of Barstow]]<br/>[[Joseph]]<br/>[[Junior]]<br/>[[Rhys]]
 +
||[[Bertha]] the cook<br/>[[Brian the Mad]]<br/>[[Catherine]] the chambermaid<br/>the [[Ghosts of Stranggore]]<br/>[[Marie LaMont]], Sandre's wife<br/>[[Valera]] the scholar
 +
|}
  
−
= Characters =
+
== Physical Structure ==
 +
The covenant stands in the ruin of an ancient ring fort, of which only the ditch and rampart remain. The gateway into the ring fort has been improved with a wooden gate.
  
−
See also the [[Character Index]] for other characters who don't reside at the covenant.
+
Within the rampart is a large, open yard. At one end stands a two-story stone manor house with four square, three-story towers. Although the covenant stands on a hilltop, the towers extend high enough above the rampart to be clearly visible. The upper tower windows have a grand view of the countryside.
  
−
== Magi ==
+
[[File:Stranggore_Exterior.png|400px]]
  
−
At the start of the Saga, the covenant has only three members:
+
Also inside the compound are a number of outbuildings:
 +
* A stable with attached kennel
 +
* [[Junior]]'s cottage
 +
* [[George the Bastard]]'s cottage
 +
* [[Bloody Bill]]'s cottage
  
−
* [[Argus]]
+
See [[Stranggore manor]] for floorplans and details of the manor house.
−
* [[Merewen]]
 
−
* [[Orzek]]
 
  
−
== Companions ==
+
== Covenant Resources ==
 +
The covenant is designed with 1250 points of resources, which puts it at the high end of the "medium" power scale. Our objective is to give the player magi enough resources that they can develop and pursue their own agendas, but not so many that they can get everything they need without leaving the covenant walls.
  
−
* [[Agnes]], apprentice to [[Merewen]]
+
=== Magical Resources ===
−
* [[Cedric]] the raven, familiar to [[Argus]]
+
The covenant owns a number of [[Stranggore Enchantments|enchanted items]] including some [[Armament of Stranggore|arms and armor]].
−
* [[Maggie]] the cat, familiar to [[Merewen]]
 
−
* [[Torkel]]
 
  
−
== Grogs ==
+
The covenant's [[Stranggore Vis Sources|vis sources]] are but a remnant of what it once claimed.
  
−
* [[Harold the Mad]]
+
The [[Stranggore Library|library]] and collection of [[Stranggore Grimoire|lab texts]] are pretty good, though quite a few valuable books and lab text were lost when the library was allowed to decay in the early twelfth century.
−
* [[John the Peddlar]]
 
−
* [[Junior]], a.k.a. Paul, the man-at-arms
 
  
−
== Covenfolk ==
+
=== Lands and Chattels ===
 +
{{Main|Stranggore Mundane Resources}}
 +
The covenant is the feudal lord of the village of [[Barstow]] and owns the serfs of that village. It owns some of the surrounding lands, including the stretch of forest now known as [[Godwyn's Chase]], but its mundane holdings have been greatly eroded by the covenant's decades of failure to resist encroachment by its mundane neighbors.
  
−
* [[Bertha the Cook]]
+
Stranggore now does own some livestock: several horses fit for riding in battle, some hunting dogs, and a flock of sheep.
−
* [[Brian the Mad]], aged autocrat of Stranggore covenant
 
−
* [[Katherine the Chambermaid]]
 
  
−
== Neighbors ==
+
== Traditions ==
 +
Unlike most covenants, Stranggore has no formal charter. All members swear the [[Oath of Stranggore]] and renew that oath each Winter.
  
−
* [[Godwyn]]
+
== Laws ==
−
* [[Thomas the Poacher]]
+
As the lords of Stranggore manor, the magi have the right to make laws. They cannot mete out penalties of life and limb: that is reserved for royal justice.
−
* Village of [[Barstow]]
 
−
* Village of [[Shepton Mallet]]
 
  
−
== Other Player Characters ==
+
;Protection of Ravens
 +
:No man may kill a raven. This is one of Stranggore's most ancient laws. Wizards of Stranggore could shapechange into ravens or kept them as familiars, so they barred the peasants from hunting such birds. The penalty for killing a raven is to be cursed by the wizards.
  
−
* [[Godwyn]] (may or may not be joining)
+
== Festivals ==
−
* [[James]] (will be joining shortly)
+
The grogs have long celebrated St. George's Day (April 23) with a feast and entertainments.
−
* [[Thomas the Poacher]], Godwyn's servant and partner in crime
 
  
−
= Covenant Statistics =
+
Since 1194, [[Hywel]] of Stranggore has hosted an annual [[Imbolc Feast]] each Winter.
  
−
== Hooks ==
+
== Boons and Hooks ==
  
 +
=== Hooks ===
 
Hooks are more interesting than Boons, so we list them first.
 
Hooks are more interesting than Boons, so we list them first.
  
−
; Centralized Kingdom
 
−
: Simply setting the Saga in England is worth a Hook, because every piece of land has an owner and everyone is subject to the king's law. This is especially a Hook when the king is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lackland John Lackland].
 
−
; Contested Resource
 
−
: The covenant has a distant vis source in The Weld: an enchanted pear tree that yields 4 pawns of Muto vis per year. Unfortunately they haven't been collecting from it for a few decades and now other individuals, including [[Godwyn]], think it's up for grabs.
 
−
; Crumbling
 
−
: The castle is ancient and crumbling. The player characters are probably going to want to fix it up, which would require stories to get both the money and the labor.
 
 
; Flickering Aura
 
; Flickering Aura
 
: The magi of Stranggore must perform occasional mystical ceremonies in order to maintain the Magical aura. Sometimes these ceremonies require odd ingredients, involve obscure prophecies, or are otherwise interesting.
 
: The magi of Stranggore must perform occasional mystical ceremonies in order to maintain the Magical aura. Sometimes these ceremonies require odd ingredients, involve obscure prophecies, or are otherwise interesting.
Line 70: Line 94:
 
: The covenant is the mundane landlord of the village of [[Barstow]] and some surrounding hamlets. This provides income in the form of rent but also creates an obligation to protect the village.
 
: The covenant is the mundane landlord of the village of [[Barstow]] and some surrounding hamlets. This provides income in the form of rent but also creates an obligation to protect the village.
 
; Rights and Customs
 
; Rights and Customs
−
: The grogs and covenfolk have traditional rights and customs that go back to ancient days. They expect lots of holidays and two annual feasts. The grogs technically can't be fired by the magi because only the lord of the castle is supposed to do that; and there has not been a lord of the castle since the eleventh century.
+
: The grogs and covenfolk have traditional rights and customs that go back to ancient days. They expect lots of holidays and two annual feasts. From time to time, this means the grogs may be unavailable for service or the magi may need to perform errands on their servants' behalf!
 +
; Rival (x2)
 +
: Stranggore's [[Blackthorn Arc|rivalry with Blackthorn]] is a major theme of the Saga, but Blackthorn does not seem committed to Stranggore's destruction, so the Hook counts as Minor. (Blackthorn was formerly an Unknown Hook that has now been revealed) The [[Crimson Brotherhood]] is also a rival of Stranggore, but weak enough that it also counts as Minor.
 
; Road (minor)
 
; Road (minor)
 
: The covenant is located along the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fosse_Way Fosse Way], one of the mystical ancient roads of Britain. We chose this as a Minor Hook because we don't want it to dominate the Saga. It will definitely create some stories, though.
 
: The covenant is located along the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fosse_Way Fosse Way], one of the mystical ancient roads of Britain. We chose this as a Minor Hook because we don't want it to dominate the Saga. It will definitely create some stories, though.
−
; Unknown (x3)
+
; Superiors (minor)
−
: Each player has one Hook that is Unknown and can be developed later.
+
: The elder magi of the covenant feel entitled to send the junior magi on missions. Technically, the junior magi have the right to decline these requests.
−
 
 
−
This totals 10 points of Hooks.
 
−
 
 
−
== Boons ==
 
−
 
 
−
The Wizards' Council of Stranggore enjoys the following Boons:
 
  
−
; Fortifications (Major)
+
=== Boons ===
−
: We are using the Fortifications Boon from the core book, rather than the Castle Hook from ''Covenants'', because we don't really see how having a castle produces a major amount of stories. The covenant is an ancient ringwork castle with a (less ancient but still crumbling) manor. There are some additional magical defenses to round it out to Major Fortifications.
+
; Autocephalous (Major)
−
; Favors Owed (Major)
+
: The magi's predecessors negotiated the independence of Stranggore with William the Conqueror himself. The royal charter was found in 1200 in the middle of a pile of old receipts for salted herring.
−
: In ancient days, before the Order of Hermes came to Britain, the Wizards' Council of Stranggore forged alliances with numerous mystical beings: spirits of the wood and streams, ghosts of pagan kings, Ravens of Virtue, and so on. Some of those alliances are still honored, though they will require research and diplomacy to activate. (Whether those allies can also ask help of the covenant falls under the Unknown Hooks we've left to the discretion of the storyguides.)
+
;Aura
−
; Aura
+
: The Magical aura for the covenant and its living area used to be +4, but it flickers.
−
: The Magical aura for the covenant and its living area is +4.
 
 
; Informants
 
; Informants
 
: The villagers of [[Barstow]] report interesting happenings to the covenant. [[Merewen]] also has other descendants scattered about the shire who can occasionally feed information, and of course [[Argus]] (or more accurately, his familiar, [[Cedric]]) is a significant source of information in his own right.
 
: The villagers of [[Barstow]] report interesting happenings to the covenant. [[Merewen]] also has other descendants scattered about the shire who can occasionally feed information, and of course [[Argus]] (or more accurately, his familiar, [[Cedric]]) is a significant source of information in his own right.
 
; Loyal Covenfolk
 
; Loyal Covenfolk
 
: Largely because of their rights and customs, the covenfolk and grogs are especially loyal.
 
: Largely because of their rights and customs, the covenfolk and grogs are especially loyal.
−
; Unknown
+
; Hidden Resources
−
: We have one point of Boons left to balance the Hooks; it is currently Unknown and can be assigned by some future storyguide. Probably it will take the form of Hidden Resources.
+
: There is probably all kinds of useful stuff in the hoard of [[Brian the Mad]], the disused laboratories, and the sancta of the senior magi. We've uncovered about half of them so far.
−
 
 
−
This totals 10 points of Boons.
 
−
 
 
−
== Resources ==
 
−
 
 
−
The covenant is designed with 1250 points of resources, which puts it at the high end of the "medium" power scale. Our objective is to give the player magi enough resources that they can develop and pursue their own agendas, but not so many that they can get everything they need without leaving the covenant walls.
 
−
 
 
−
=== Players' Discretionary Build Points ===
 
−
 
 
−
Each player (except Andrew G., the Alpha Storyguide) has a budget of covenant build points to spend on anything he or she wants, subject to the limits imposed by the rules. Here is how much each player has remaining:
 
−
 
 
−
* Andrew M.: 40
 
−
* Casey: 40
 
−
* John: 40
 
−
* Matt: 34
 
−
* Vesna: 40
 
−
 
 
−
Players, please reduce your point totals here when you add something to the covenant.
 
−
 
 
−
=== Library ===
 
−
 
 
−
see
 
−
* [[Stranggore Library]]
 
−
* [[Stranggore Grimoire]]
 
−
 
 
−
=== Enchanted Items ===
 
−
 
 
−
see
 
−
* [[Stranggore Enchantments]]
 
−
 
 
−
=== Vis Stocks ===
 
−
 
 
−
The vis stocks are available for use for covenant business. Members may take loans of up to 10 pawns of vis, to be repaid in kind within 2 years, at low interest (one pawn per year).
 
−
 
 
−
* 12 pawns Creo
 
−
* 20 pawns Vim
 
−
* 12 pawns Intellego
 
−
* 10 pawns of Muto
 
−
 
 
−
=== Vis Sources ===
 
−
 
 
−
The covenant's vis sources are worth 130 build points.
 
−
 
 
−
The covenant does not have a lot of reliable, perennial vis sources. The meta-game reason is that we want to encourage magi to go out and search for their own vis; the vis hunt will not often be a story in its own right, but it gets the magi out into the countryside where they can more easily discover story hooks. The in-game reason is that stable, renewable sources of vis are uncommon in our version of Mythic Europe. Most vis exists as one-off sources that magi harvest and deplete. This enables us to let magi find as much vis as they need, while still making perennial vis sources special and valuable.
 
−
 
 
−
==== Uncontested Sources ====
 
−
 
 
−
Throne - Rego oath blood which stays wet (12 pawns/year each Winter)
 
−
 
 
−
* Oath blood will burn a traitor like acid +10 damage.
 
−
 
 
−
Unspecified source - 6 Vim / year (sufficient to sustain the ''Aegis of the Hearth''')
 
−
 
 
−
==== Contested Sources ====
 
−
 
 
−
Pear Tree - Muto ferments as soon as picked (4 pawns/year, 2 in Summer and 2 in Autumn)
 
−
 
 
−
* Can make anyone who eats one drunk for Moon.
 
−
 
 
−
=== Income ===
 
−
 
 
−
''We haven't discussed income in detail yet so this is preliminary''
 
−
 
 
−
We want to downplay the importance of money in the Saga. We take the view that magi need a lot less money than ''Covenants'' suggests. Most covenants keep a small turb so they don't have to spend a lot of money on equipment and payroll. Low expenses mean low income, and allow covenants to blend into the landscape instead of dominating it.
 
−
 
 
−
The covenant gets most of its income from two sources:
 
−
 
 
−
# Rents from the village of Barstow and surrounding hamlets.
 
−
# Sale of potions and magical services, mostly by [[Merewen]].
 
−
 
 
−
=== Cash Reserves ===
 
−
 
 
−
50 pounds of silver available for covenant business.
 
−
 
 
−
= Location and Neighbors =
 
−
 
 
−
The covenant is located in the county of Somerset, on the real-world site of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maesbury_castle Masebury Castle] (see the [http://goo.gl/maps/IXIz Google map]. It is near several interesting magical sites, including [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glastonbury_tor Glastonbury Tor] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wookey_Hole_Caves Wookey Hole Caves].
 
−
 
 
−
The nearest settlement is the small village of [[Barstow]], inhabited by peasants who work the covenant's land. It is about a mile away from the covenant. The nearest sizable village with a church and market is [[Shepton Mallet]].
 
−
 
−
= Physical Structure =
 
−
 
 
−
The covenant of Stranggore stands in the center of an ancient ringwork fort on a hilltop with a panoramic view of the countryside.
 
−
 
 
−
== Outer Defenses ==
 
−
 
 
−
The ancient earthworks are still very much intact, consisting of a steep rampart (well drained and sodded) between 15' and 20' high. There are two gateways through the rampart, each protected by a wooden gate that can be barred from the inside.
 
−
 
 
−
From outside, only the peak of the roof and the towers are visible. Travelers often mistake the place for an abbey or a large church.
 
−
 
 
−
== Bailey ==
 
−
 
 
−
The bailey is an oblong area about 900' by 700'. It's open and grassy with a few apple trees scattered about. It encloses the main building, the grogs' cottages, and a few outbuildings, now all ruined.
 
−
 
 
−
== Main Building ==
 
−
 
 
−
The main building is a large manor house about 85' x 65'. It is two stories high and has four square towers at the corners, each three stories high.
 
−
 
 
−
=== Ground Floor ===
 
−
 
 
−
* Entry Hall
 
−
* Great Hall
 
−
* Kitchen
 
−
* Pantry
 
−
* Servants' Quarters
 
−
* Servants' Mess
 
−
* Armory
 
−
* West tower: sanctum (in ruins)
 
−
* East tower: sanctum (currently used as grogs' lounge)
 
−
* Southwest tower: sanctum (currently used for furniture & clothing storage)
 
−
* Southeast tower: sanctum, equipped and ready for use
 
−
 
 
−
=== Second Floor ===
 
−
 
 
−
* Great hall (upper gallery)
 
−
* Autocrat's solar
 
−
* Autocrat's quarters
 
−
* Library
 
−
* Scriptorium
 
−
* Small meeting room (currently used as "storage" for various odds and ends)
 
−
* West tower: sanctum (in ruins)
 
−
* East tower: sanctum (currently used as Torkel's quarters)
 
−
* Southwest tower: [[Argus]]'s sanctum
 
−
* Southeast tower: [[Merewen]]'s sanctum
 
−
 
 
−
=== Third Floor ===
 
−
 
 
−
* West tower: sanctum (in ruins)
 
−
* East tower: sanctum (haunted and abandoned)
 
−
* Southwest tower: [[Argus]]'s sanctum (second level) and observatory
 
−
* Southeast tower: [[Ozerk]]'s sanctum
 
−
 
 
−
=== Basement ===
 
−
 
 
−
* Storage for food and building materials
 
−
 
 
−
=== Sub-Basement ===
 
−
 
 
−
* Treasury
 
−
* Vault (contains vis and enchantments)
 
−
* Laboratory stockroom
 
−
* Summoning chamber
 
−
* Dungeon
 
−
 
 
−
== Stable (ruined) ==
 
−
 
 
−
There was once a stable large enough to house ten horses, with an adjacent smithy. The roof has fallen in and the building is an abandoned ruin.
 
−
 
 
−
== Guest House (ruined) ==
 
−
 
 
−
The guest house on the grounds is a spacious two-story cottage whose second level is large enough to serve as a laboratory. Unfortunately the building was gutted by fire over a hundred years ago and never rebuilt.
 
−
 
 
−
== Potter's Shed (abandoned) ==
 
−
 
 
−
Until about 1170 the covenant maintained a potter on the premises to make containers and stoneware for the magi. This was a wooden building that is now dilapidated and abandoned.
 
−
 
 
−
== Grogs' Cottages ==
 
−
 
 
−
The remaining grogs have built wooden cottages for themselves on the covenant grounds, where they live with their families. They also have a common barn where they keep chickens, pigs, two milk cows, and about a dozen sheep.
 
−
 
 
−
= History =
 
−
 
 
−
''Main article:'' [[Stranggore History]]
 
−
 
 
−
The covenant of Stranggore traces its existence back to the days shortly after King Arthur. When Camelot fell, the petty kings who had sworn allegiance to Arthur re-asserted their independence. Stranggore was one of those small, early British kingdoms. Perhaps following the example of Arthur seeking the aid and counsel of Merlin, one of the kings of Stranggore gathered to his court the three most powerful wizards in the land. Under his patronage this circle of court wizards throve and grew for generations.
 
−
 
 
−
== The Mythical Land of Stranngore ==
 
−
 
 
−
Stranggore is an early British kingdom mentioned briefly in the legend of King Arthur; in ''Le Morte D'Arthur'', [[http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart011.htm Book I, Chapter XII]], King Brandegoris of Stranggore is one of eleven kings who joined forces against King Arthur. In our history of Mythic Europe, the kingdom of Stranggore was defeated by Arthur and assimilated into his realm. After Camelot fell, several of Arthur's vassal kings reclaimed their independence, and Stranggore was one of these. It was in this post-Arthurian period of independence when the Wizards' Council of Stranggore was established.
 
−
 
 
−
No one really knows where Stranggore was in Mythic Europe; it's not a real place. It was probably in the northwest of England. The kingdom of Stranggore was eventually conquered by the invading Angles and Saxons. The Wizards' Council went into exile but survived, clinging to the hope of one day restoring the rightful British ruler.
 
−
 
 
−
== The Wizards' Council and the Order of Hermes ==
 
−
 
 
−
When the wizards of the British Isles joined the Order of Hermes, the Wizards' Council of Stranggore was forced to relinquish its ties to the broken royal line of Stranggore. It renounced its royal ties and re-dedicated itself to the service and protection of Britain as a whole. The Grand Tribunal stipulated that the Wizards' Council of Stranggore must relocate away from its ancestral lands. So it came to settle in Somerset.
 
−
 
 
−
For two centuries Stranggore prospered. It was among the mightiest and most prestigious covenants of the Stonehenge Tribunal, attaining a size of twelve members. The events of the eleventh century -- the Schism War, followed by the Norman conquest -- sent the covenant into a slow but irreversible decline.
 

Latest revision as of 12:15, 12 August 2013

Stranggore is a very old covenant that has sunk into stagnation and decay. It has a proud and regal heritage and was once one of the pre-eminent covenants of the Stonehenge Tribunal, but has now fallen into the senility and decrepitude of Winter.

It has roots that go back to ancient times, before the Order of Hermes arrived in the British Isles. In the early days it was sworn to the service of a royal court. The covenant still has symbols and customs that acknowledge that heritage. Some of these are subtle -- for example, the head wizard of the covenant is called the Chancellor -- and others are overt, like the grogs' green-on-gold livery or the carved wooden throne that stands empty in the council chamber, a reminder of its ancient (and, officially, forsaken) royal allegiance.

The official name of the covenant is "the Wizards' Council of Stranggore."

The covenant has a certain nostalgia for the ancient Britons, though by now the Britons in England are only a legend, even among wizards. (The remaining descendants of the ancient Britons in 1220 are the Welsh.) Certainly the covenant pays no homage to the heirs of that upstart Norman usurper William the Bastard.

Location and Surroundings

Stranggore is located in Somerset, England on the historical site of Maesbury Castle, along the ancient Roman road known as the Fosse Way. It is near several interesting magical sites, including Glastonbury Tor and Wookey Hole Caves.

Our Google map shows the location of the covenant, sites of mystical interest, and the other covenants of the Stonehenge Tribunal. Andrew G also found a National Geographic map of Medieval England online (almost certainly in violation of copyright laws) that shows towns and roads from a later period.

As far as I can tell (from a cursory browsing of Wikipedia), Somerset is divided into about 700 fiefs, not under control of a single noble. Presumably they are a mix of royal fiefs, ecclesiastical fiefs (controlled by the Bishop of Salisbury and/or the Bishop of Wells), and local barons. Some of these fiefs no doubt are held by great nobles of the realm. The royal fiefs are each maintained by a constable; manors would be maintained by a bailiff.

Neighbors

The Domesday Book online maps the villages of medieval England. The nearest settlement to Stranggore is the fictional hamlet of Barstow. The nearest historical settlements are Shepton Mallet, Charlton, and Doulting. The nearest city is Wells.

Road

Stranggore has is about a quarter mile northwest of the Fosse Way, so travelers occasionally mistake its towers for those of an abbey and stop by.

Residents

Several of the grogs live in the nearby village of Barstow. This section includes only characters who live at the covenant. See Category:Stranggore Grogs and Category:Stranggore Covenfolk for a full list of the guards and servants, respectively.

Magi Companions Grogs Covenfolk
Argus
Caballus
Godwyn
Hywel Mawr
Sandre Paen
Merewen 		Agnes
Paul
Randolph
William Robert 		Bloody Bill
George the Bastard
Joan of Barstow
Joseph
Junior
Rhys 		Bertha the cook
Brian the Mad
Catherine the chambermaid
the Ghosts of Stranggore
Marie LaMont, Sandre's wife
Valera the scholar

Physical Structure

The covenant stands in the ruin of an ancient ring fort, of which only the ditch and rampart remain. The gateway into the ring fort has been improved with a wooden gate.

Within the rampart is a large, open yard. At one end stands a two-story stone manor house with four square, three-story towers. Although the covenant stands on a hilltop, the towers extend high enough above the rampart to be clearly visible. The upper tower windows have a grand view of the countryside.

Stranggore Exterior.png

Also inside the compound are a number of outbuildings:

See Stranggore manor for floorplans and details of the manor house.

Covenant Resources

The covenant is designed with 1250 points of resources, which puts it at the high end of the "medium" power scale. Our objective is to give the player magi enough resources that they can develop and pursue their own agendas, but not so many that they can get everything they need without leaving the covenant walls.

Magical Resources

The covenant owns a number of enchanted items including some arms and armor.

The covenant's vis sources are but a remnant of what it once claimed.

The library and collection of lab texts are pretty good, though quite a few valuable books and lab text were lost when the library was allowed to decay in the early twelfth century.

Lands and Chattels

Main article: Stranggore Mundane Resources

The covenant is the feudal lord of the village of Barstow and owns the serfs of that village. It owns some of the surrounding lands, including the stretch of forest now known as Godwyn's Chase, but its mundane holdings have been greatly eroded by the covenant's decades of failure to resist encroachment by its mundane neighbors.

Stranggore now does own some livestock: several horses fit for riding in battle, some hunting dogs, and a flock of sheep.

Traditions

Unlike most covenants, Stranggore has no formal charter. All members swear the Oath of Stranggore and renew that oath each Winter.

Laws

As the lords of Stranggore manor, the magi have the right to make laws. They cannot mete out penalties of life and limb: that is reserved for royal justice.

Protection of Ravens
No man may kill a raven. This is one of Stranggore's most ancient laws. Wizards of Stranggore could shapechange into ravens or kept them as familiars, so they barred the peasants from hunting such birds. The penalty for killing a raven is to be cursed by the wizards.

Festivals

The grogs have long celebrated St. George's Day (April 23) with a feast and entertainments.

Since 1194, Hywel of Stranggore has hosted an annual Imbolc Feast each Winter.

Boons and Hooks

Hooks

Hooks are more interesting than Boons, so we list them first.

Flickering Aura
The magi of Stranggore must perform occasional mystical ceremonies in order to maintain the Magical aura. Sometimes these ceremonies require odd ingredients, involve obscure prophecies, or are otherwise interesting.
Protector
The covenant is the mundane landlord of the village of Barstow and some surrounding hamlets. This provides income in the form of rent but also creates an obligation to protect the village.
Rights and Customs
The grogs and covenfolk have traditional rights and customs that go back to ancient days. They expect lots of holidays and two annual feasts. From time to time, this means the grogs may be unavailable for service or the magi may need to perform errands on their servants' behalf!
Rival (x2)
Stranggore's rivalry with Blackthorn is a major theme of the Saga, but Blackthorn does not seem committed to Stranggore's destruction, so the Hook counts as Minor. (Blackthorn was formerly an Unknown Hook that has now been revealed) The Crimson Brotherhood is also a rival of Stranggore, but weak enough that it also counts as Minor.
Road (minor)
The covenant is located along the Fosse Way, one of the mystical ancient roads of Britain. We chose this as a Minor Hook because we don't want it to dominate the Saga. It will definitely create some stories, though.
Superiors (minor)
The elder magi of the covenant feel entitled to send the junior magi on missions. Technically, the junior magi have the right to decline these requests.

Boons

Autocephalous (Major)
The magi's predecessors negotiated the independence of Stranggore with William the Conqueror himself. The royal charter was found in 1200 in the middle of a pile of old receipts for salted herring.
Aura
The Magical aura for the covenant and its living area used to be +4, but it flickers.
Informants
The villagers of Barstow report interesting happenings to the covenant. Merewen also has other descendants scattered about the shire who can occasionally feed information, and of course Argus (or more accurately, his familiar, Cedric) is a significant source of information in his own right.
Loyal Covenfolk
Largely because of their rights and customs, the covenfolk and grogs are especially loyal.
Hidden Resources
There is probably all kinds of useful stuff in the hoard of Brian the Mad, the disused laboratories, and the sancta of the senior magi. We've uncovered about half of them so far.
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