Stonehenge Tribunal
The Stonehenge Tribunal in the Saga of Stranggore is somewhat as described in Chapter 10 of Heirs to Merlin, but some covenants have been added and others have been changed.
Map
We have a map of the Tribunal in Google Maps.
Gatherings
Official meetings of the Stonehenge Tribunal are held at Stonehenge itself, under the stars. The meeting is called to order at sunset on the eve of the autumnal equinox. Historically, magi of the Tribunal have sometimes cooperated to cast powerful ritual spells among the stones at sunrise the following day. The Tribunal usually lasts a few days. The magi and their entourages encamp on Salisbury Plain.
Stonehenge is considered neutral territory. Unlike other Tribunals where magi meet at a covenant, meetings of the Stonehenge Tribunal take place outside the protection of an Aegis of the Hearth.
Meetings of the Stonehenge Tribunal occur in the following years:
- 1187
- 1194
- 1201
- 1208
- 1215
In addition, the Grand Tribunal convenes in 1221 (and 1254).
Covenants
The Stonehenge Tribunal has a lot of small covenants. There is not a lot of competition for resources among them because we've been playing Ars Magica a long time and think stories about squabbling over vis are passée.
- Amici Britanniae is a large Tremere covenant in Bedforshire
- Aquae Sulis is a covenant of Roman revivalists in the ruins of a Roman spa at Bath
- Blackthorn is a large Merinita covenant whose members are affiliated with the dark fae
- Burnham is much as it is described in Heirs to Merlin
- Cad Gadu is physically much as it is described in Heirs to Merlin, but has 9 members
- Cercle Cassée is a covenant of three Tremere magi dedicated to fighting diabolism
- The Crimson Brotherhood is a predominantly Tytalus covenant of trouble-makers fighting Norman rule
- Oswald's Haven is a covenant of Anglo-Saxon wizards in the Yorkshire Dales
- Schola Pythagoranis is somewhat similar to the description in Heirs to Merlin with some differences.
- Stormwatch, in Cumbria, has 3 Flambeau weather-witches. Torkel was apprenticed there.
- Ungulus is much as it is described in Heirs to Merlin
- Voluntas is much as it is described in Heirs to Merlin
Less Detailed Covenants
We are still developing the concept and details for the following:
- There is at least one covenant in London itself
- There is at least one covenant in Cornwall
Wild Card Covenants
Each storyguide has one or two covenants that are "wild cards," to be used as plot devices and kept mysterious to the other storyguides.
- Andrew G. has the Crimson Brotherhood and Cercle Cassée
Eremites
The Stonehenge Tribunal has a large number of magi living as eremites (without a covenant). There are about 40 of them in all, comprising more than a third of the Hermetic population. The plurality of these are magi Ex Miscellanea; Houses Bjornaer, Jerbiton, and Merinita are also well represented among the solitary magi.
Most of the eremites avoid Tribunal meetings and political matters, but there are a few exceptions.
Redcaps
Houses of Hermes: True Lineages suggests there should be about 10 unGifted redcaps per Tribunal. That sounds about right, assuming that each Redcap has a regular route and that they are needed for inter-Tribunal as well as intra-Tribunal communication. Our redcaps are:
- John the Redcap covers Crimson Brotherhood, Blackthorn, Aquae Sulis, and Stranggore
- There is another redcap for Cercle Cassée, the covenant in London, Amici Britanniae and Schola Pythagoranis.
- We need another one for the northern covenants: Burnham, Voluntas, Oswald's Haven, Ungulus, and Stormwatch
- Every Domus Magna should have a dedicated redcap. In the Stonehenge Tribunal, the only domus magna is Cad Gadu.
- There should be one redcap for inter-Tribunal communication with the Hibernian and Loch Leglean Tribunals
- There should be one redcap for inter-Tribunal communication with the Normandy Tribunal
- There should be one specialist redcap who handles dangerous missions
- There should be one redcap with an express route to Durenmar
and that totals eight. Add one (old, semi-retired) redcap to stay at Mercer House and run the whole operation, and one more "floating" redcap for urgent deliveries and to cover other redcaps who fall ill or get delayed, and we have ten.