Covenant
Covenant History
In 1110, the wizard Guilio Selucci, known by the Hermetic name Vassenius of Jerbiton, followed local legends to discover a magical aura atop a symmetrical hill outside of Venice - within view of the city, in fact. Local peasants called the place "devil's hill" and said it was frequented by ghosts and witches. At the time, the land was on the estate of Don Alfonso Bonarti but his manor house was located in the valley, not on the hilltop.
Vassenius secured a small townhouse in Venice, which the covenant owns to this day. He operated a prosperous trade as a physician and alchemist and, over time, secured the confidence of Don Alfonso. Vassenius was permitted to build a modest house on the hilltop, where he immediately moved his laboratory. The peasants of the manor did not like this at all and whispered darkly about the suspicious stranger who seemed to have such powerful sway over their lord. Vassenius helped Don Alfonso in his business endeavors and the two grew rich off the brisk commerce of Venice.
Don Alfonso's wife died around 1118, leaving the knight with only one child, his daughter Julia. Julia was married to Vassenius in 1123 in a grand celebration held on the manor. A freak thunderstorm marred the occasion and the peasants whispered it was a sign of God's displeasure at a wizard living in their midst.
Don Alfonso lived to a ripe old age and passed away in 1130. Vassenius, now doubly rich because he had inherited Don Alfonso's wealth in addition to his own, spent heavily. He rebuilt his small house on the hilltop into a stately manor house. He lavished jewels and imported luxuries on his wife, and he was even extremely generous to his peasants. In time, this helped ease his evil reputation, but did not eliminate it altogether. He also kept up good contacts with the magi of the Roman Tribunal, entertaining them often at his Venice townhouse. Although his coffers were decidedly lighter, everything seemed to be going well for Vassenius.
Trouble struck in the summer of 1138. A magus calling himself Bardon learned of Vassenius' luxurious house with its strong magical aura. He stormed into the house and drove Vassenius, his wife, and servants off the manor. Vassenius was a humble alchemist, well versed in Muto magic but unable to defend himself in a magical battle. The magus, his household, and half the peasants from the manor fled in terror from the "witch" who had siezed the house.
Vassenius was in a quandry. He couldn't really seek help from any of the covenants of the Tribunal, because they would just want to take the site of his house, with its magic aura in a prime location, for themselves. Through his Hermetic contacts, he gained the help of the maga Helena of House Tytalus. The two formed a daring plan. They infiltrated the stolen house and confronted Bardon in his sanctum. Normally, to invade a magus's sanctum is to invite death, but when two magi attack at once, the defender has scant hope of killing both of them. The two magi offered Bardon a choice: settle the ownership of the estate lawfully by certamen, or face simultaneous Wizards' Wars from both of them. The ease with which they had broken into Bardon's sanctum with drawn swords left little doubt as to who would win a Wizards' War. Bardon agreed to certamen against Vassenius and they eventually settled on Intellego Terram as the Arts for their duel. Bardon lost and left the Tribunal, never to return.
Helena moved into Vassenius's house and the two decided that they now formed a de facto covenant. They named their covenant "palatini", Italian for "the palatines." In Imperial Rome, a palatine was a palace guard who protected the Emperor; this meaning applied to Helena, who protected Vassenius and his estate. In France under the Merovingian kings, a palatine was an official who ruled an area by royal authority. As lawful owner and lord of the manor, this meaning could be said to apply to Vassenius. The name "palatini" is therefore a bit of a double entendre that the two magi thought was humorous. The motto for their new covenant was "fortuna uvat" - "fortune favors the bold." They renamed the manor itself to Fortuna in honor of this motto. Vassenius, formerly a mild-mannered researcher on a solitary quest for the Philosopher's Stone, was forever transformed by his victory over the bullying Bardon. Instead of continuing to hide his small covenant from the avaricious, stronger covenants of the Tribunal, he delved into Hermetic politics with gusto and carved out a niche for himself and his descendants.
Vassenius's wife took umbrage at a strange young woman moving into her house. The peasants rumored that Helena had seduced, even bewitched Vassenius and was now his paramour. In 1140 Julia could stand no more and abandoned her husband, trying to run off to join a convent. Since her marriage to Vassenius was barren - no doubt because of the magus's longevity potion - she sought an annulment from the Bishop. This jeapordized Vassenius's ownership of the land, since the property would revert to Julia if the annulment were granted. Vassenius, with few mundane political allies and all the social disadvantages of the Gift, braved the uncertainties of the canon law system to oppose the annulment. He managed to strike a deal with Julia that would keep them legally married, but allow her join the convent anyway and pay the convent an annual sum from the proceeds of the estate.
After a while, both Vassenius and Helena took apprentices. Vassenius adopted his apprentice Arturus as his son, so Arturus eventually inherited the estate. Arturus was accepted into the Order of Hermes in 1171 at the age of 26. He continues his pater's quest for the Philosopher's Stone, though with a boldness tempered by wisdom and keen political insight. Helena's apprentice, Tristan, is a great traveler and explorer. He was inducted in 1180 at the age of 30. Vassenius entered Final Twilight in 1186. In 1192, Arturus's apprentice, Marcus, became a magus and joined the covenant. Helena died of old age in 1202.