Covenant Attributes

Name: Y'psoma tes Pnoes tou Pneumatos = Aerie of the Spirit's Breath
Symbol: A stylized mountain, the apex encapsulated by stylized flame with two curves representing winds to either side.
Season: Summer
Year Founded: Age of Aries 1309 (Anno Domini 1170)
House Affiliation: None
Aura: Magic. The covenant has a mix of auras and regios of varying sizes. The aura normally runs from one to six.
Members: Tiphys of Criamon; Constantine of Tytalus; Theristes of Verditius; Tobias of Verditius; Cara Ayesha of Flambeau; Stentor of Cramon; Alexius of Jerbiton, Peribanou of Ex Misc; Ilario of Bonisagus; Cercistum Minor of Tremere
Grog Turb: 45
Armaments: Standard

Library Art Scores:

Library Ability Scores:

History

The covenant of the Aerie of the Spirit's Breath was founded upon the remnants of a former Hermetic covenant, the Gauntlet of Four Quarters. The Gauntlet of Four Quarters itself stood on a site long associated with magical forces. It is said that this place has been inhabited since the time of the Old Ones and that within its halls lay a great secret. What is known is that there has been recorded mention of the site since the time of Alexander the Great.

When the Romans came to Anatolia, the Cult of Mercury came too. They made the site their own. When the Cult was dissolved, the priests remained. A bastion of lore. At the foundation of the Order of Hermes, the descendants of these priests were among the first to join, bringing much lore with them. The Gauntlet of the Four Quarters was influential during the early years of the Order and the formation of the tribunal of Thebes, being an influential voice of the need for unity under a single tradition. Many members of this covenant were adopted into House Quaesitor and House Criamon in the beginning.

In the 1112th year of the Age of Aries, the Gauntlet of Four Quarters disappeared, never to be heard from again. No magus, by scrying or other means, has ever found their fate. Nor could any find their way to the dormant volcano.

In the 1309th year of the Age of Aries, Iardanus filius Marta follower of Bonisagus, a member of the Covenant in Constantinople, discovered a tome that described in detail ancient pathways to the long dormant volcano where resided the Gauntlet of Four Quarters. Gathering together a group of young magi, he dispatched them to find this once great covenant's fate. These four, upon finding no traces of the magi of old, and great hints at their destruction, decided to found a Spring covenant on the ruins of the old. This is their story.

Location

The Aerie of the Spirit's Breath is located in the Pontic Alps, some 80 miles south of Trebizond. It is built in and on an ancient volcano. The way to the volcano is treacherous, through narrow pathways. Enchantments around the volcano make it next too impossible for any to find its slopes without a guide, or great arcane workings. There is a small village in the nearby foothills. This village knows that the volcano is a powerful place and have ancient stories of its power and inhabitants, but they keep well away from the mountain.

Inhabitants

The inhabitants of the Aerie of the Spirit's Breath are a strange and bewildering bunch. They can at this time be divided into three main groups, not counting the magi themselves.

The Custodes:
The Turb: The turb is divided into two groups, the mercenaries hired by the magi from outside the covenant, and a more recent group recruited from the inhabitants of the mountain. The local custodes have increased their training over the years and they have begun to acquire combat experience, both within and outside the covenant. However, they are not utilized to their utmost by the magi.

The Mercenaries: The magi originally hired a group of mercenaries. Most of this original group has died in service to the covenant. Over the years the magi have continued to hire more mercenaries; oftentimes needing to dredge the bottom of the barrel for willing recruits. These are a varied assortment, as can be expected for the Byzantine Empire. All serve only for pay, and have little loyalty. They also have great difficulty with their employers strange ways and their new home.
The turb captain Esus, while not a mercenary, should be mentioned here. He was given to Tiphys as a present by his pater. Esus serves the magi loyally and struggles to do his best. Esus is getting old, though he remains hale and hearty from longevity potions. Recent Developments: Recently, the Turb has been receiving a lot of attention from several magi, especially Cara Ayesha. This means that there general morale, loyalty and combat preparedness has gone up. Combine this with the improvement in armaments and the turb is becoming a unfied fighting force.

Essus has resigned as Grog captain, taking leadership of the Crimea outpost. The magi have split the turb into two, an "outer force" and an "inner force". The inner force is captained by von Bek, and is responsible for the direct defense of the covenant. The outer force will be responsible for guarding the routes too and from the mountain. Captained by Demetrios, the intent is to station them in a soon-to-be-built fortification.

The Original Inhabitants:
The people who were at the volcano well before the magi. They are a strange and bewildering bunch. Their roots, whatever they may be, have been lost in time and the magic of this place has twisted them over the long centuries. Their language while Greek, is archaic and filled with strange words, some from no known language. They worship old gods, it seems Christianity has never had a foothold in this place.
The inhabitants are all odd. Physically they lack all body hair and have a bony crest running lengthwise in the center of their head; their eyes are like pools of fire. Mentally, isolation leads to weirdness. In addition, they all carry the stink of magic around.
They are compensated by the powerful magics that have shaped them. They are as a group more resistant to magics, while many have abilities like second sight and magic sensitivity.

Covenfolk:
One group of the original inhabitants have stayed to serve the magi. They say they follow the old ways, and refer obliquely to some prophecies. They do the manual work, including the growing of food. They barely notice the magi, as they put little strain on their needs.
One position holds great respect amongst them. The Bibliothecarius. This position incorporates the caring for the remnants of the library and functions of a leader and priest. The magi have recognized this authority and deal with him for all their mundane needs.

Outcasts:
A group of these people have refused to follow the Magi, calling them beguilers and demons. They quote strange dreams as evidence they are right. They have moved to other parts of the volcano and range from indifferent to hostile. Perhaps the most hostile branch used to follow one called Issil.

Ghosts:
The entire caverns are filled with ghosts. Ghosts ancient and new. Not only everyone who has ever died here, but the volcano seems to attract the restless dead for many miles around. Who knows why. Just about every culture ever to have lived in this section of Anatolia is represented, though the older the ghost, the deeper the regio it is found in.

Fortress

The Aerie of the Spirit's Breath is a veritable hive carved from the living rock of the dormant volcano. A combination of fashioned and natural tunnels form a bizarre honeycomb. The crater, which has a lake in the center is surrounded by a series of ruins and farmed terraces, with some patches of wilderness and desert.

Architecturally, the covenant is a mix of styles encompassing every culture to have ever built in Anatolia. The place, however, is falling apart after centuries of being neglected. There are also signs throughout of a great battle or calamity.

The covenant has no defenses, being open to any who scale the mountain slope, as there are numerous openings into its caverns, spread through many regios.

Outside relations

The Aerie of the Spirit's Breath is unknown to the world at large. While there are stories throughout the Pontus of such a place, few could place them to a location, let alone the current incarnation.

Church Relations:
Other than some tenuous contacts with the nearby (recently destroyed) Banaboa monastery, the covenant has little in the way of relations with the church. Ten years ago a new priest came to the nearby village and has expressed his intent to found a new, larger church. The magus Apollonius states this was initiated by an angelic visitation, but says little more on the subject. The magi in 1195 found the a new larger church that seemed to have a very strong dominion aura.

Hermetic Relations:
The Order of Hermes recognizes The Gauntlet of Four Quarters as long dead, and until recently had paid little attention to this current incarnation. Those who knew of it, viewed the young magi as either upstarts to be dealt with or as foolish young ones who are in great danger. Behavior at the Tribunal of 1185 altered that. Several of the attending magi were eloquent, and active, in the defense of their political views. The performance, and victory, of their champion in the wrestling match has also caused some complacent heads to turn. The covenant will still need to do much in the coming years to define its place in the Order and gain recognition. Now, however, they must deal with the fact they are regarded as an up-and-coming presence in the Tribunal. And in the Theban Tribunal, one given to stasis, this may not be a good thing. The covenant can no longer rely on its patrons and anonymity. From that day forward they have had to struggle to survive in the Hermetic political arena on their own merit.

Mundane Relations:
Over the years the covenant has had growing relations with the surrounding mundane authorities. Their relationships with the Turks are rocky, there even seem to be some in control who are aware of the covenants existence. There seems to be growing awareness on the part of the Greek and Armenian authorities of the covenant. And the covenant has recently been dragged into a variety of their infighting.

In 1195 an emir of the Seljuk Tuks brought his forces against Theodosopolis. He seems to have a significant grudge against the magi.

Supernatural Relations:
Unfortunately, the magi ahd to dispel an unusual, and powerful dragon, from their covenant when they founded the Aerie. This creature has taken up residence to the East, and it is unknown what it plans next. It has been largely dormant the last twenty years, except for the conjunction of 1186 when it made an attempt to disrupt an important ritual.
The covenant has found itself in an uncomfortable position of having sworn fealty, mostly by mistake, to the Jinn. The Jinn have started to show more sustained interest towards the covenant, causing the magi to start considering some key choices.

Mystical Resources

The covenant has a large source of vis. From an isle in the center of the crater lake they harvest thirty pawns a year, six each of Aquam(spring equinox), Auram (autumn equinox), Ignem (summer solstice), Terram (winter solstice) and vim (one pawn each new moon following each equinox and solstice, as well as two pawns on the first day of the Hermae). A variety of other vis sources have been harvested and claimed over the years. Most remain unchallenged in the wider Order.These include 5-pawns Muto (gate of birds), 5 pawns Corpus (River of Blood), 12 pawns Vim (Colchis).

The library is heavily protected. At the current time, only the crystal of the Bibliothecarius may gain entry. Within are a fascinating array of texts (see Arcane Library). The magi have cobbled together laboratories from the remains of their predecessors. These are serviceable but worn. Perhaps the greatest mystical treasure the covenant lays claim to is the shroud that guards the mountain. None may easily find their way to its slope without guide or knowing the proper ways In addition, to those who try to force their way, the mountain itself will seem to try to fend them off.

Mundane Resources

The mundane library is excellent in the areas it covers. The original library was left from the Gauntlet of the Four Quarters, which means they are over two hundred years old. The majority of works are in Greek. The magi have been steadily expanding their library, having many excellent texts.

The covenant has recently acquired significant holdings throughout the Black Sea, Constantinople and beyond. Through a series of well planned maneuvers, Constantine was able to take over the trading empire of Alphresus, a hedge-wizard the covenant was forced to kill. This gives them a large degree of wealth.

Alexios manages these mundane resources well. The covenant now owns proeprty in the Crimea where they are building an outpost under the command of Essus; a trading post on the Danube; and they have recently formed a treaty with Domus Trismegistos to pay 10-pawns of vis a year for rights to have a townhosue in Constantinople.

The covenant farms a section of the Caldera extensively. The crops include: rye, barley, wheat, flax; vineyards have been started as well as orchards of olives, hazelnuts and apples. A small pen of twelve mares and one stallion have been gained. They are currently penned in the caldera, though the magi are considering setting up a facility for them in the valleys outside. The well known changes that come from living in a high aura have started to affect these horses.

Obligations

• The magi owe much to Iardanus, who may someday call the debts due.
• They have also declared in their charter that all magi must spend four seasons of duty for every four year period.
• The magi have added to their charter the need to protect the local area from magical threats. The vagueness of this pledge, the nature of the duress under which it was added and the possible difficulties with the Code has made it one they have been loathe to enforce.