Demetra Hyblaea is built inside a cliff towering the sea, in a small bay of the east coast of Sicily. The area is protected by a powerful spell, The Shrouded Glen, to prevent passers-by to notice the covenant.

Founded in 1234, and fully operative from 1239, the covenant entered Summer season in 1249, after a struggle against the powerful covenant of Magvillus, Domus Magna of House Quaesitores. Five magi live in the covenant, the most famous being Perlucidus of House Criamon, a 100-years old master of illusions.

Covenant Stats

Symbol: the head of Demetra inside a pentagram formed by five snakes

Season: summer (since 1249!)

Year founded: 1234

Aura: 3, generated somehow by the nearby ruins of the greek colony of Megara Hyblaea

Location: quite isolated: Siracusa, the nearest city, is 10 miles south, and there's more than a mile of forest between the covenant and the nearest road.

Fortifications: being an underground complex, Demetra Hyblaea dosn't need great walls or moats: a few warriors are enough to guard the entrance, hidden in a farm on the cliff top. The level of the labs is only accessible through a secret passage

Covenfolk: The covenant has about 25 grogs, the most of them being soldiers of captain La Rocca's army . Ardizio is the Autocrat. See the characters section for more infos

Aegis of the Hearth and other spells: The Rego Vim ritual is level 20, and gives +20 protection against spells cast into the covenant by other magi. In addition a ReMe40, The Shrouded Glen, is active all year. The magi own many small magic items: they are stored in the labs and in a pair of chests in the council chamber.

Vis:the magi collect four pawns of Creo vis each year from a small temple dedicated to Demetra Malophoros ("She who brings fruits"), in the ruins of Megara Hyblaea.Every year four pawns of Intellego vis are exchanged for fruits with the mermaids of the bay nearby.

Mundane Equipment: There are three riding horses, three mules, ten goats and a few chickens in the stables of the farm, and the covenant also owns a small cart and a boat. Some tents and grog packs are kept in the storeroom, with the common nundane equipment. The treasury is rich of 10000 deniers the elder magi brought frome Provence, but currently the covenant doesn't produce any wealth. Demetra Hyblaea keeps an household in Venice, used during Tribunals.

Reputations: . Perlucidus have a Hermetic Reputation, gained through researches and adventures. Helen of Bjornaer used to be quite famous within her House, and her glorius death brought her postumous fame in the Tribunal of Rome

covenant maps

MUNDANE FLOOR

MAGI FLOOR

the library

the magical library

outside relations

Political situation : Sicily is under the Empire's control, but it became weaker after the death of the emperor Frederick II, so many small noble families have jurisdiction over the lands of the island. The lords of Siracusa, the Bellomo family, signed a pact of frienship with the magi, allowing them to live in the lands around the city. After the death of Helen the friendship with the nobles has cooled a bit...

faeries:the greatest Faerie Forest of Italy is located mainly in Sicily. This forest has three strong protectors: the first is the Seelie Court led by Shen, a master of trickery. Then there's a group of seven werewolfes, The Silver Fangs (maga Helen of Bjornaer swore to kill them all at the last Council of Crintera, but she died before being able to fullfill her promise). The last protector is the mysterious Green Lady, a powerful Merinita maga: she helped the magi of Demetra Hyblaea in their struggle against Asden the Terrible, a dragon that ravaged Sicily in 1254

others: A community of Cyclops live under the Etna, only a few miles north of the covenant, and the sea of Sicily is plagued by the sirens and by the terrible monsters Scilla and Cariddi

(an illustration by FZ)

the Roman Tribunal

This tribunal is a land of conflict: the strongest covenants have been at war for centurie over the control of the scarce sources of vis, until in 1068 they agreed to support a Treaty, a complicated document whose effects still last in the XIII century: its main provisions enact that:

The officially recognized covenants of the Roman Tribunal are:

Magvillus: Domus Magna of house Quaesitor, and one of the most important covenants of the whole world. A big fortress on the Appennini,is inhabitated by seven magi. Magvillus holds Sicily under his control.

Verdi: Domus magna of House Verditius, with six magi mainly concerned with the creation of new items. It's located in Sardinia. The magus Scalprum of Demetra Hyblaea passed there his apprenthiceship.

Harco: domus magna of House Mercere (the Redcaps), is an important tradin center in the North-West, near to the borders with France.

Rellantali: another sardinian covenant, seems to have fallen into decadence in the XII century

Literatus: Founded in 1001, this covenant dedicated itself to bringing about unity between the Order of Hermes and the mundane world: the magi of Literatus are also scholar, and many students from nearby University of Bologna attend to their lessons

AN IMPORTANT NOTE: In the saga of Demetra Hyblaea the Treaty fell in 1248, after a war between the covenants of Literatus, Verdi and Magvillus (War of the Treaty): as a result of war Literatus's been destroyed, and House Quaesitor's got a new Primus. Now, in 1250, there's no difference in status between recognized and un-recognized covenants in the Tribunal, and every mage can vote at the Meetings held in Venice. The covenants of Feritel (Genoa), Luctatio (Milan), Sansaron (north Africa), Vanrdian's Tomb (Rome), Potestas (adriatic sea), Nova Atene (Florence) and, of course, Demetra Hyblaea (Sicily), got involved in the political life of the Tribunal and developed a strong network of peaceful relationships.