This silver necklace features a small pendant set with a green turquoise. When used to summon or control the dead, it confers a bonus to the die rolls: +7 to summon spirits, +4 to raise or command the dead. Currently worn by Cynric Ex Miscellanea.
These figures were crafted by the Byzantine Maga Urande, House Verditius, of the Covenant of the Summit in Kiev. This was a token of appreciation for Rabenstein hunting down the rogue wizard Rostan in the story Dredging up the Past. They appear as five matroshki - nesting dolls of painted, lacquered wood - of considerable craftsmanship. Their magic allows communication between possessors of the dolls as follows: speaking to one of the matroshki (within Near range) allows one to be heard from each of the other matroshki, so long as they are within a mile of the smallest figure. The smallest figure has thus been buried in the courtyard at the center of the covenant, while one of the other figures is present in each of the sancti of Cynric, Loretta and Nicolaus. The fourth is currently stored with the remains of the arcane library.
This simple candle of bee's wax sits in a plain iron saucer. A single flame burns from the candle's end, shedding both light and heat. While the flame itself is not magical, the wick does not burn down and the wax will persist as long as the candle's physical form remains. Though a wind may blow out the flame, it will simply relight as soon as the wind dies away. Appropriated from the hermit Avrius' cave in the Salzkammergut, the saucer harboring this candle is currently mounted to the wall of the caves below the temple, lighting the passageway. The Magi believe that Mercurian magics created this lesser magical device.
A pair of black spiral horns from a magical steed, seized in 1201 from the Legionnaire's mount. Each Horn could be harvested for 10 pawns of Auram vis, but Merento studied them and has elucidated a means to use them to both conjure and reasonably direct a torrential storm with lightning. Seared and blackened by a hot fire during the fall of Rabenstein in 1215, the powers of the Horns were nevertheless unaffected.
This simple iron doorknob is invested with a spell to make anyone who touches it forget the reason they meant to pass the door (although they can remember again normally if so inclined). Invented by Melnik of Epebolus to thwart bothersome covenfolk, the device was removed from the door of his former sanctum after he vanished in a faerie forest, and for a while it lay unattended in the laboratory of his successor, Cynric Ex Miscellanea, though it has since been restored.
This feather appears to be the feather of a very large eagle, save its sparkling, golden hue. It was bestowed upon the Covenant by the magnificent, flaming Zhar-Ptitsa (Firebird) of Slavic myth (at the behest of the mysterious Ala, Mistress of Birds) during the story The Three Faces of Triglav. When held, the Feather's powers are twofold. First, when grasped from the quill, it gives off a mighty light equivalent to sunlight, as the Feather seems to turn into a radiant, dancing flame. Its second power is activated when holding it in this manner by reciting a simple rhyme; upon completion, all hidden creatures and objects within Near range are revealed as long as the holder of the Feather concentrates. The rhyme is as follows:
Note: As a result of the Shadow King's attempt to quell this item's brilliant aura during the story The King of Shadows, the feather now seems duller and produces a light more equivalent to a bright candle. Its ability to reveal hidden items remains unaffected, however.
This old battered bronze shortsword can only have its magical power evoked if it is held in the hands of a woman. Once per day the sword may cause its target to feel the most exruciating pain of a woman in childbirth (this power is evoked by either touching the target with the blade in any manner, or simply gesturing the sword at the target as long as they are within a Range of Reach. In either case the sword's wielder must intend ill-will toward the victim to evoke the effect, and the target must be a male. Unless the target makes a Stamina Roll of 12+ they suffer -3 to all actions (a botched Stamina Roll, or a roll of less than zero, will render the target completely incapacitated as they double over in pain).This pain lasts for three nights, although the penalty may be reduced by one for each day if the victim's Stamina is positive). Note that although the sword may only be used in this manner once per day, the sword retains unlimited 'charges' against any men who assail the woman bearing the sword. This bronze sword was acquired in the story The Morrigan, and is thought to derive its powers from the Celtic Goddess of War.
A gift from the boyar Vasily Vasilyevich Misurov, this ornately decorated saddle appears to be of Kazhar design. The enchanted saddle has two benefits. First, magi and most other practitioners of magic (including those with the Blatant Gift) may ride an animal bearing the Saddle without penalty, as the beast is made unaware of their strange auras. Other beasts nearby are unaffected and may still be spooked by those with the Gift. Second, those riding on the Saddle may not be dismounted while living. The rider may dismount at will but cannot be forced off the Saddle unwillingly short of being killed.
A plain leather broadsword scabbard with decorative iron bracings that hangs from the wall of the garrison, above the Covenant gatehouse. Invented by Merento, the scabbard will sharpen any blade that is sheathed within it for a Sun duration. Any weapon so sheathed delivers +2 damage due to its savagely sharp edge.
This is a relatively simple, albeit colourful, small tapestry of a unicorn and a bevy of noble maidens. Loosely based upon the Hermetic standard Summoning the Distant Image, anyone holding the needle which wove the tapestry may peer to the location of the tapestry as long as they concentrate (they may see and hear what is happening around the tapestry, from the point of view of the tapestry itself). If the tapestry is in a very dark room, or folded up in a chest, the viewer will not see anything, though they might hear what transpires around it. It is not necessary that the viewer be a Magus, but the Tableau only seems to function for those folk which harbor some semblance of a magic air. Since the tiny iron needle that threaded the tapestry is essential to its function, it is carefully protected and currently hidden away in Merento's Sanctum. Invented by Henricus of House Verditius, of Fluminis Lucerna Covenant, this item was a gift to Rabenstein for their services at the Tribunal of 1210. The tapestry once hung in the library, but when it was discovered that Henricus had used the tapestry to spy upon Rabenstein, it was placed with the remains of the arcan library.
These eight magical wooden torches, each handsomely decorated with polished brass trim, are imbued with the ability to produce light but not heat (they flicker as a normal torch, but cannot spark a fire as could a normal flame). The command is 'illuminare', while the counter is 'expirate' (the torches can be lit and unlit an unlimited number of times). Gifts from Rahewin of Trianoma, Merento's pater, these torches were designed for use in the Covenant library, but have come in handy in the caves beneath Rabenstein since they don't produce smoke either. Currently three decorate the temple, while the remaining five adorn each Magi's sanctum.
This plain, dull lantern is invested with the spell Heating the Frigid Hall, and can be utilized twice per sun, heating the room in which it is activated to a balmy 80 degrees (although the temperature will cool normally afterwards). Triggered by rubbing the lantern's top in a clockwise motion, the lamp was invented by Merento to placate the sentries during the crisp alpine winters. The lamp has a well-worn dulled spot on its top, and is kept in the main gatehouse.
This page last modified on 01-Jan-99.
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