Covenfolk
Covenfolk
Language Notes
Due to its position on the English-Welsh border, its status as a Hermetic covenant, and its uniquely large Jewish population, most covenfolk are polyglots out of necessity.
- Middle English, and to a much lesser extent, Norman French are spoken to deal with the English.
- Welsh is spoken to a lesser degree than Middle English to deal with the Welsh.
- Medieval Hebrew and Yiddish is spoken by the Jewish community, though Medieval Hebrew is by far the dominant of the two. Because they are the majority, Medieval Hebrew, is picked up by the rest of the covenfolk to varying degrees.
- Finally, those who deal directly with the magi, have taken advantage of the scholars' lessons, or regularly visit the library, have picked up Latin.
- Certain characters may have additional languages due to their unique backgrounds.
For a quick view, see this matrix of character languages.
See also: Languages of Mythic Europe, Language Exposure House Rules
These grogs are communal and may be used as stories require them.
Turb
Although all male covenfolk who are capable of it (and women who want training) maintain some semblance of martial skill, Turb members are those dedicated to maintaining their martial skills and whose job it is to keep the covenant secure. They patrol the covenant grounds, the village, and the western wall. They are also expected to accompany the magi when the masters leave the covenant on their obscure missions.
The turb currently stands at 20 members: 1 turb captain and 19 others who serve under him.
Turb Leadership
- Marcus, the Turb Captain. A retired soldier who now makes his living as a trainer.
- Int -1, Per +1, Str +2, Sta +1, Pre -2, Com +2, Dex +2, Luk 0
- Warrior, Good Teacher, Weakness: redheads, No sense of direction
- Teaching 4 (single weapon), Single Weapon 6 (axe and shield), Great Weapon 5 (lochaber axe), Bows 5 (Welsh longbow), Brawl 5 (dodge). Speaks English (5) and Latin (3); Leadership (3)
- Reputation: Turb Captain (local) 3
Being groomed as a replacement for Marcus is Jerôme, brother to Neanne of Verditius.
Turb Members
- Edward. Big, dumb, and ugly. Moderately capable in battle, but virtually useless except as brute labour. Turb members have bets as to whether he'll reach the age of 30 or if he'll accidentally kill himself somehow. Too stupid to learn Latin to communicate with the magi. Nickname: "Special" Ed.
- Int -3, Per -1, Str +5, Sta +4, Pre -2, Com -2, Dex +0, Lck -2
- Custos, Large, Tough, Simple-Minded, Afflicted Tongue, Ability Block: Academics
- Athletics (running) 3, Awareness (alertness) 1, Brawl (fists) 3, Stealth (woods) 2, Swim (underwater) 2, Bows (english longbow) 3, Great Weapon (warhammer) 5, Single Weapon (axe) 4. Speak Middle English (5).
- Elsabet. Archer, huntress. Known to be Jewish.
- Int 0, Per +2, Str +2, Sta 0, Com -3, Pre +1, Dex +3, Luk 0.
- Warrior, Puissant Single Weapon, Educated, Outsider.
- Bows (English longbow) 4, Single Weapon (mace and shield) 5 (3+2), Awareness 3, Hunt 3. Speaks English (5), Hebrew (3), and Latin (2).
- Jarrod. Archer, hunter. Nominally Christian.
- Int -2, Per +3, Str +2, Sta +2, Pre -2, Com 0, Dex +1, Luk 0.
- Warrior, Puissant Bows, Ability Block: Academic, Humble.
- Bows (Welsh longbow) 5 (+2), Single Weapon (shortsword and shield) 3, Ride 2, Awareness 4, Hunt 2. Speaks Welsh (5) and Middle English (3).
- Krunk, Aulus' shield grog. A big, burly man whose imposing appearance belies his gentle and approachable nature.
- Lives just north of the covenant in his own house, where he and a roommate tend to a herd of pigs (they are the pork supplier for the Mercer House).
- Int +1, Per 0, Str +3, Sta +4, Pre 0, Com 0, Dex +3, Luk 0.
- Warrior, Large, Tough, No Sense of Direction, Covenant Upbringing, Driven (to cook).
- Single Weapon 5, Ride 1, Athletics 4, Swim 3, Profession Chef (specialty: gourmet meals) 5, Profession Swineherd (breeding) 3. Speaks Catalan 5, English 4, Latin 4.
- Libke. A bright young girl known for her sharp tongue and sharper axe.
- Int 0, Per -2, Str +2, Sta +2, Pre 0, Com -3, Dex +4, Luk +2.
- Puissant Single Weapon, Educated (Hebrew), Warrior, Outsider.
- Single Weapon (axe and shield) 6 (4+2), Bows 2, Athletics 2, Swim 2, Artes Liberales 2. Speaks English (5), Hebrew (4).
- Martin of Hereford. Archer, returned Crusader. Martin of Hereford is, in fact, not Martin at all. She was born Eloise to a villein family in Hereford. Life was difficult, and the girl dreamed of a life of something more than unending drudgery. Overhearing of talk of a Crusade, she made plans to steal her father's longbow, cut her hair and join as a 14-year-old "Martin". Although a little on the younger side, she managed to convince a group of mercenaries to take her on and train her. She actually did manage to make it down to the fighting for a little while, but after being injured, she was assigned to escort some other mercenaries heading back home to England. It was here that she eventually discovered the world of the Order of Hermes and magi. The covenfolk were a bit odd, particularly when it came to traditional gender roles. She noticed that there were often cases of women rising to the level of respect — or at least skill — as men, and she decided that this could be a place for her. She is an unassuming-looking male, with a youthful, clean-shaven look to her. Nobody has ever seen Martin shave, and he seems to avoid the usual carousing that is common among those who practice at arms.
- Int 0, Per +2, Str +2, Sta +1, Pre -1, Com -2, Dex +2, Luk +1
- Puissant Bow, Warrior, Keen Vision; Transvestite, Temperate, Motion Sickness
- Hereford Area Lore (game trails) 3; Animal Handling (horses) 2; Athletics (running) 2; Awareness (alertness) 2; Brawl (dagger) 3; Chirurgy (binding wounds) 1; Craft (Bowyer) (shortbow) 3; Disguise (looking male) 3; Folk Ken (grogs) 1; Hunt (tracking) 3; Intrigue (gossip) 1; Order of Hermes Lore (magi) 1; Stealth (hide) 3; Survival (woods) 3; Bows (longbow) 5+2; Great Weapon (pole arm) 1; Single Weapon (axe) 2; Thrown Weapon (dagger) 1. Speak Middle English (Hereford dialect) 5, Latin (soldier talk) 3, Arabic (insults) 1;
- Reputation: Crusader (local) 2
- Rolf. An expert sharpshooter, known for being the most intelligent in the turb, though he tends to rub people the wrong way.
- Int +2, Per +3, Str +2, Sta +1, Pre -3, Com -2, Dex 0, Luk 0
- Warrior, Sharp Eyes, Puissant Bows, Covenant Upbringing, Social Handicap, Nocturnal.
- Bows 7 (5 +2), Single Weapon 4, Ride 3, Athletics 2, Swim 2, Artes Liberales 2, Philosophiae 2. Speaks English (5) and Latin (4).
- Sara, Julissa's former Shield Grog. Marcus' wife; she is easily recognizable by her bright red hair and freckles.
- Int 0, Per +1, Str +2, Sta +2, Pre 0, Com -3, Dex +4, Luk 0
- Lightning Reflexes, Great Dexterity, Incomprehensible, Animal Companion
- Single Weapon (longsword and shield) 6, Ride 5. Speaks English (5) and Latin (3).
- Yoav ben Tobias. Archer. While training with the bow as part of his duties to the covenant, he decided he would rather join the covenant's turb than follow his father's profession of a cobbler. Has had strained relations with his father ever since. Married to Avieh bat Sholem.
- Int 0, Per +2, Str +2, Sta +2, Pre +0 Com -2, Dex +2, Luk -1
- Bow 4, Single Weapon (axe) 3, Area Lore (Welsh Marches) 3. Speak Middle English (5), Hebrew (3).
- 11 others of little note
Non-Turb Martial Grogs
These are grogs who are martially capable but are not formally part of the covenant's Turb. Their services are called on as needed, however, especially when the magi leave the safety of the covenant. Many of them serve specific individuals.
- Braeden Abrahams, a young hunter with exceptional talent.
- Deulecresse, a crippled warrior who has retired to teaching his accumulated weapon skills
- Gwendolyn of Shrewsbury, Female warrior with dreams of Knighthood
- Louis, a squire to Sir Daniele
- Lynn (Lynne) Horton, a female, disquised as a male, mercenary captain.
- Madog, Welsh bowman
- Mildegod, a forlorn archer and budding (enchanting) musician
- Sir Jusef Stanislawski, Polish knight
- Sir Hywel ap Rhun, Welsh knight-errant assigned to protect Lord Geoffrey by Lady Angharad.
Not part of the Turb, but often used with their members, are 5 Tremere Soldates who form part of Aulus' household and are paid independently by him as they were gifted to him and his wife by House Tremere. Their martial coordination in fighting as a group is considered unnatural by some turb members, though others who have fought in massed groups (such as Martin) appreciate the discipline they exhibit. Jerome seems to have taken a liking as well and is studying with the Soldates to better coordinate the grogs.
Noteable Covenfolk (NPC)
Village Leaders
- Josef ben Gavrel, Autocrat, Rabbi of Melverley
- Marcus, Turb Captain (see above)
Craftsmen
- Aed Allan, the Irish apprentice glassblower (b. 1202)
- Amin, the Beekeper. (b. 1190) Reports directly to Stephen.
- Eli, the Bookbinder. Unorthodox beliefs, has taken a woman for an apprentice. (Miriam bat Sholem)
- John, the Brewmaster. Speaks halting English. Reclusive. Considered slightly odd for taking what is traditionally a woman's role. However, his mead plays a considerable part of the covenant's income.
- Lieber ben Arieh, the tailor. Has a way with the ladies, being incredibly handsome. Fiercely protective of his sister, Berelyn.
His wife:
- Zelde bat Sholem, the tomboy. Fifth daughter of Sholem and Rivka. Well-known for being a good swimmer, spends altogether too much time outdoors; Apprenticed to Tobias to become a cobbler. Took over as Covenant Cobbler after Tobias' retirement. Has defied expectations of spinsterhood thanks to Yentl.
- Tobias ben Yorah, the Cobbler, semi-retired.
His wife:
- Deborah, the Seamstress, one of several among covenfolk. Goes well with her husband's trade. Their children:
- Miriam, the henmaid. Keep chickens and harvests eggs for covenfolk. Moderately attractive; not too bright, though.
- Yoav, the archer. Is completely uninterested in following his father's footsteps, necessitating taking an apprentice. Huge disappointment to his father.
- Deborah, the Seamstress, one of several among covenfolk. Goes well with her husband's trade. Their children:
Specialists
- Aaron ben Jacobus, jewish instructor. His wife
- Rachel of London, who misses the city life. Their children:
- Rebecca bat Aaron (b. 1217)
- Rachel of London, who misses the city life. Their children:
- Bartolomeo del Imola, an acolyte of the Church and follower of Fr. Thomas
- Elishiva bat Sholem (b. 1199), Hermetic historian for the magi. Recently married to Joseph of Bridgnorth (b. 1210).
- Franklin, a master linguist and scribe
- His children, the twins Samantha & Christopher
- Jens of Roskilde, the Danish architect. Skilled in carpentry and knowledgeable in engineering making him one of the finest architects in 3 counties.
His wife:
- Sarit bat Sholem (b. 1197), the seamstress. Meek and gentle, devout, pretty. Second eldest of Sholem and Rivka. Caused a major scandal when she married a Gentile... but she *really* wanted to be married, and there weren't enough Jewish men. Their children,
- Roger (b. 1221)
- Zofia (b. 1222)
- Alina (b. 1224)
- Gunter (b. 1227)
- Sarit bat Sholem (b. 1197), the seamstress. Meek and gentle, devout, pretty. Second eldest of Sholem and Rivka. Caused a major scandal when she married a Gentile... but she *really* wanted to be married, and there weren't enough Jewish men. Their children,
- Lady Isabella Norton of York , A female scribe/illuminator who has run away from her family
- Josef ben Gavrel, the Autocrat.
His wife:
- Naomi, the Scribe; Josef's wife, mother to Shmuel and Daniel.
Their children:
- Samuel ben Yosef, Julissa's former Apprentice.
- Daniel ben Yosef, formerly a Pageboy, now a courier for the magi. Married to Freyde bat Sholem.
- Naomi, the Scribe; Josef's wife, mother to Shmuel and Daniel.
Their children:
- Tenney, a mundane lab assistant gifted by the magi of Schola Pythagoranis for Geoffrey's wedding.
- Thomas of Oxford, the Tutor.
Villagers
- Arieh ben Ezrah (b. 1187), Litha's former laboratory assistant. Now retired.
His wife:
- Pelia (b. 1187), maid for the South Tower. Shy; grows ever lovelier as she ages. Older sister to Ilana, maid of the North Tower.
- Berelyn (b. 1202), married to Ethan ben Herschel
- Lieber (b. 1204), married to Zelde bat Sholem
- Pelia (b. 1187), maid for the South Tower. Shy; grows ever lovelier as she ages. Older sister to Ilana, maid of the North Tower.
- Daniel Blum, depressed and unlucky merchant, but loved family man. His wife:
- Wife Esther Blum (b. 1194)
- One son Aaron (b. 1212)
- One daughter Esther (b. 1215)
- Wife Esther Blum (b. 1194)
- Ethan ben Herschel, overseer of the field workers. Slight of build, but competent leader.
His wife:
- Bereleyn bat Arieh, the baker. Prettiest girl among the covenfolk; known to create pastries that can lift one's mood, and known for her lovely singing voice.
Their children:
- Elior ben Ethan (b. 1213)
- Erez ben Ethan (b. 1215)
- Eidel bat Ethan (b. 1217)
- Bereleyn bat Arieh, the baker. Prettiest girl among the covenfolk; known to create pastries that can lift one's mood, and known for her lovely singing voice.
Their children:
- Gwenda Varley, a widowed lacemaker with daughters to train. Her daughters:
- Olyvia (b. 1206)
- Emily (b. 1209)
- Hagit David, a maid and housekeeper who knows everything thats going on.
- Ilana, maid for the North Tower. Pelia's younger sister. The two are refugees from London. Lovely widow; rather bossy.
- Marike, buxom, plump German woman who serves as the pastry chef; cooks primarily for the magi.
- Maude, daughter of Parsifal the Redcap.
- Melisende, a maid servant with training as a bodyguard. Given over to Angharad for her wedding.
- Mercy, an English woman who tends to the needs of the magi on Shabbat and during holidays.
- Rachel, An old female Jewish Herb-Witch (b. 1170) (Failed Apprentice)
- Ruth, the Shepherdess. Known to have Animal Ken; friend to the magical Corgis that inhabit the covenant.
- Shlomo ben Idan, the Butcher. Heavily muscled, soft spoken.
His wife:
- Raziela (b. 1200), the aspiring chef. Fourth daughter of Sholem and Rivka. Enjoys cooking under her mother's tutelage. Their children:
- Flora (b. 1221)
- Elijah (b. 1222)
- Judith (b. 1226)
- Raziela (b. 1200), the aspiring chef. Fourth daughter of Sholem and Rivka. Enjoys cooking under her mother's tutelage. Their children:
- Sholem ben Tevye, the milkman. Somewhat poor despite owning livestock of his own, being father of eight children.
His wife:
- Rivka, head chef overseeing meals for the covenfolk at large. Sholem's wife. Overweight, loud-mouthed gossip with a heart of gold.
Their children:
- Mariam (b. 1195), apprentice bookbinder under Eli. "Unmarriable" spinster due to her horse-like face and stubborn insistence on pursuing a man's profession.
- Sarit (b. 1197), married to Jens of Roskilde the architect
- Elishiva (b. 1199) the bookworm, now a historian for the magi, married to Joseph of Bridgenorth
- Raziela (b. 1200), married to Shlomo ben Idan the butcher
- Zelde (b. 1202), married to Lieber ben Arieh the tailor
- Freyde (b. 1205), formerly the Pagegirl, now works as courier and administration assistant for the Autocrat. Married to Daniel ben Sholem the courier
- Avieh (b. 1208), the No-Longer Youngest, married to Yoav ben Tobias the archer
- Ari ben Sholem (b. 1212), the Baby.
- Rivka, head chef overseeing meals for the covenfolk at large. Sholem's wife. Overweight, loud-mouthed gossip with a heart of gold.
Their children:
- Stephen, the Moorish Butler. Born in slavery to Spanish parents, before being purchased and given freedom. Serves the magi in a personal capacity, looking after many of the things they don't care to.
- Thérèse, sister-in-law and head housemaid to maga Neanne de Sulé, wife to Jérôme and mother to Aline
- Yentl, the covenant matchmaker. Widowed. Bossy, gossipy, butts her head into everybody's business. Yahweh help you if you're single, Jewish, and of marriageable age -- she will anoint herself as your personal marriage broker until you marry.
Non-Villagers
- Madame Jeanne de Dreux, visiting sister of Geoffrey
- Catherine of Pulverbatch, daughter of Lady Martha of Pulverbatch, a lady-in-waiting in Angharad's court, now wife to Sir William Cornwell
Wanderers
- Godwin of Conventry, A blasphemous seller of "relics", wanderer (not really a villager), He prefers to be called a Proprietor of Dead Saints.
- Paden Lynton, a faerie raised wanderer, he calls Melverley home the most.
Melverley Castle
These characters primarily live in or work around Melverley Castle out in Haimwood. As the castle is less than 3 miles from Graystone, there is plenty of exchange between them and the village proper.
Lord and Lady
Sir William Cromwell, Lord of Melverley
Lord William is a long wondering veteran of two crusades who returned to England with Joshua Levi. After living as one of the covenfolk for a few years, he was made Lord of Melverley by Lady Angharad ferch Madog at the end of a very complicated set of dealings following her marriage. A born warrior and adventurer, he would rather leave the details of management to another, like his wife. (Companion character.)
Catherine of Pulverbatch, Lady of Melverley
Lady Catherine, originally of Pulverbatch, was raised by her strong-willed mother and originally engaged to Sir William as a political move to keep her from being ceased by a local noble. After he became landed and the couple got to know each other, they decided to go through with the marriage after all. Growing up with her mother (who ran the family estate) then serving as a lady-in-waiting to Angharad (who also runs much of her land) Catherine has no problem taking over the management of the estate.
Men at Arms
Craftsmen
Household Staff
Woodsmen and Others
Hospital
These characters primarily serve the hospital and would unlikely be at the covenant proper.
Both doctors and apothecaries were acquired from the University of Monpelier in 1225, and all four traveled north to settle in Wales by the end of 1226. All are relatively inexperienced but trained. This allowed the covenant to pay less for them, expecting that they would then hone their craft on the job.
Doctors
- Estienne de Bise
- Onfroi filius Matheri
Estienne and Onfroi graduated from the same class at the University. However, due to the relatively larger number of doctors in southern Europe, they were considering what their prospects were when the covenant presented them with an opportunity to run their own hospital. After making inquiries about the nature of their future employer and life in Wales, they agreed to come.
When it comes to medicine, Estienne focuses more on diagnosis and treatments that don't require surgery, whereas Onfroi is much more likely to dig into a patient's body to fix things.
Estienne is from Provence and his father is a bishop who fell in love with a woman he met in his travels around the bishopric. They had an affair and Estienne was the result. The woman was a fae, so Estienne has faerie blood. His father put him into the care of a monastery and taught to read and write. He then paid for him to go to university when he got older. While he was pursuing his Magister in Medicina, his father died so he had barely enough money to complete his education. His father's death also deprived him of the contacts to find a good placement at a University or just for clients. Jeanne's offer came at a convenient time, so he is looking forward to beginning a new life in the north.
Onfroi is from the Burgundy region and pursued his education as a way to satisfy his fascination with the human body. He has largely worked around many of the clerical prohibitions of cutting into people under the argument that to not do so would be violating his oath as a doctor to first do no harm. He manages to hide this part of his personality, however, as he is savvy enough to realize that scaring people away would not allow him to continue seeing patients. He is hoping a move to the north where, supposedly, a lot of war is going on will permit him the opportunity to operate on more people.
Apothecaries
- Johannes the Elder, older fraternal twin to Odo
- Odo the Younger, younger fraternal twin to Johannes
Johannes and Odo are fraternal twins who both got into the business of supporting doctors, due to various rules about doctors being unable to provide medication on their own. They are natives of Montpelier from a family with deep trading roots in the city. With four elder brothers already in the family business of trading and manufacturing of ships, they opted for a career associated with the University. Their education was paid for, but it was clear that they would be on their own afterward as their education didn't contribute to the family businesses.
Johannes is the more serious of the two and was the first to consider a life as a healer. He has an uncanny ability to find hard-to-find flora that goes into medication (Dowsing), which makes his medicines more potent and effective. He dabbled in some medical training to better understand the doctors' medication requests. He is somewhat nervous about moving to the north, having heard stories about the lawlessness of England and Wales.
Odo followed his elder twin into the apothecary business as he was accustomed to doing the same thing as his brother, and while he is certainly a competent enough apothecary, his interests lie closer to the family's business. Namely, he is very good at using his training to connect with doctors, herbalists, and the regular townsfolk to drive business to his brother. Far more gregarious than Johannes (and more handsome, according to many Montpelier women), he puts on a friendly smile and a handshake with everyone he meets. He has recently married a distant cousin, Eloise, whom he grew up with. Both of them carry a secret, however, in that both are gay. The marriage is one of convenience and remains unconsummated. They play the role of husband and wife out of fear their secret will be discovered. The family (including his twin brother Johannes) has no idea and consented to their marriage as both had numerous older siblings.