Roman Tribunal

The Roman Tribunal is the regional Tribunal covering the Italian peninsula and the islands of Sicily, Corsica, and Sardinia. It is bordered by the Provençal Tribunal to the southwest, the Normandy Tribunal to the northwest, the Greater Alps Tribunal to the north, and the Transylvanian Tribunal to the east. See the Map of Mythic Europe.

Current Edition Resources

There is no current edition supplement on the Roman Tribunal, but it is mentioned in a few of the sourcebooks.

Current Edition Covenants

Domus Magnae are listed first, followed by any specific covenant, followed by any types of covenant that have no specifics, such as the Tremere covenant referenced at the end. Within each category, the covenants are alphabetized.

• Harco, domus magna of House Mercere, has a two-paragraph description in Houses of Hermes: True Lineages.
• Magvillus, domus magna of House Guernicus, is described in Houses of Hermes: True Lineages.
• Verdi, domus magna of House Verditius is described in Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults.
• Vardian's Tomb was introduced in the Third Edition supplement Tribunals of Hermes: Rome. Its existence in Fifth Edition canon is confirmed by its inclusion in the Fifth Edition supplements Guardians of the Forests, Ancient Magic and Tales of Power.
• A large, unnamed covenant of House Tremere is noted in Houses of Hermes: True Lineages.
• Castro Selvaggio is mentioned in Lords of Men as having been destroyed by a Milanese force of soldiers, after a siege, possibly with help of a rival, unnamed, Milanese covenant. It is further detailed in Tales of Power.
• Luctatio, a covenant heavily involved in mundane politics. Four Tytalus magi commisioned a plague against Emperor Barbarossa to a necromancer from Vardian's Tomb, and were marched at the Grand Tribunal of 1195, possibly along the necromancer (since it's mentioned that five magi were Marched). Further details in the inset on page 13 of Guardians of the Forests.

Current Edition Magi

There are some cannonical magi found in 5th Edition supplements which are explicitly mentioned to live in the Roman Tribunal:

• Lugardis of Guernicus is mentioned in The Contested Isle.
• Two Guernicus magi, Tabanus and Jart, are mentioned in Guardians of the Forest, with Jart being explicitly said to lead the Traditionalist movement in the Roman Tribunal.
• The Verditius magus Rycas is said in Tales of Mythic Europe to be living in Verdi.
• Supplement Through the Aegis mentions several magi from Verdi as authors of some of the spells in the library, though it's not explicitly said if they are present magi or already deceased.
• Jacobella of House Mercere is briefly mentioned in Thrice-Told Tales as a redcap from the Roman Tribunal who usually travels to other Tribunals.
• The web supplemt for The Sundered Eagle notes two Verditius magi, Cosmas and his unnamed brother, who were ostracized from the Theban Tribunal and moved to the Roman Tribunal in 1067.
• Berezi is said in Faith and Flame to be a Redcap from the Provençal Tribunal who travels every year from the Covenant of Aedes Mercurii back to her mother's covenant in the Roman Tribunal.
• Al-Aqrab is said in Tales of Power to be a lonely magus based off North Africa.

Other Mentions in Current Edition Material

Fenicil's Library is mentioned in Houses of Hermes: True Lineages. Since the library is located at Magvillus, the information there might be of interest to a saga set in the Roman Tribunal. Some of the rituals that might be found there are detailed in Faith and Flame.

It is confirmed in Guardians of the Forests that the Roman Tribunal has lost most of its magic and faerie sites due to the encroaching Dominion.

Houses of Hermes: True Lineages mentions that the Roman Tribunal is one of the two most favored Tribunals by Bonisagi magi, and also explains that there's a Tremere Exarch in charge of both the Roman and Rhine Tribunals.

Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults mentions Lake Nemi, in the Roman Tribunal just south of Rome, as a place of particular importance to Bjornaer magi following the Esoteric Mystery Cult of the Huntress in the Wood. It also says that the Roman Tribunal allows the sale of one magical item per mundane race. The Sundered Eagle further confirms this, though no mention is made of the "one per mundane race" loophole.

It's mentioned that Flambeau magi following the Crusader concept might hunt hedge wizards in the Roman Tribunal who might be enemies of the Order or diabolists. It also details the Cabal of the Shining Eye, a Tytalus Cabal dedicated to maneuvering the Roman Tribunal into colonization of North Africa. Finally, it talks about the ex Miscellanea tradition of the Cult of Orpheus, and mentions the Roman Tribunal as one of the three Tribunals favored by them.

The Lion and the Lily states that the old Lotharingian Tribunal did not include what is now the Roman Tribunal, and also notes that Archmagus Mathieus of Constantinople blames some covenants from the Roman Tribunal for the success of the Fourth Crusade, particularly "the many covenants" that have chapter houses in Venice. This in turn confirms that many covenants in the Tribunal have chapter houses in Venice.

It's mentioned in Against the Dark that House Tremere spies on the Roman Tribunal from the Transylvanian Tribunal's covenant of Old Histria, with Aedile Pahniro Adiran of Tremere in charge of such espionage.

Hermetic Projects calls the Roman Tribunal "turbulent" in an example, thus confirming the Third Edition vision of the Roman Tribunal as one full of strife.

Mythic Locations explains that the Cumaean sibyl lives near Naples. Sybils are further explained in The Sundered Eagle.

Fifth Edition story seeds

There is a story seed regarding some scrolls found at Harco in Realms of Power: Magic.

There is a potential saga seed in the "The Fallen Temple of Mercury" chapter of Mythic Locations. This could be the base for a new covenant, or even for a whole saga.

There is another story seed in Art and Academe where the Roman Tribunal of 1207 approved the existence of a publicly available written ledger listing the names of all Hermetic magi.

Hedge Magic has another story seed where some hoplites from the Roman Tribunal with Energy Magic are erroneously thought to be using Diedne Magic.

The story "A gathering storm" from Tales of Power formally takes place in the Roman Tribunal, though guidelines are provided to adapt it for other Tribunals. The story include details about a couple of covenants, as well as the independent magus Al-Aqrab, based off North Africa.

Past Edition Resources

There was a sourcebook published on the Roman Tribunal, Tribunals of Hermes Rome, for Third Edition. It is now somewhat dated and is not considered canonical for Fifth Edition, so there will be some inconsistencies between that book and more-recent material. Descriptions of some of the Domus Magnae in the tribunal can be found in Second Edition's Order of Hermes and the Houses of Hermes, though any contradictions with Fifth Edition products would be non-canon.

Community Resources

Fan Variant

Roman Tribunal Community Project is an effort to create a new, a new, online sourcebook for the Roman Tribunal compatible with Fifth Edition material.

Saga links

The following saga websites are set in, or otherwise related to, the Roman Tribunal. Feel free to add your own site to the list; please insert it in alphabetical order.

Circaeum Promontorium

A thirteenth-century Winter covenant set in Monte Circeo--the mountain that legends says was home to the enchantress Circe.

Crocus Briarea

Many years ago, in 1130 AD, a small group of brilliant minds founded a Magical Alliance, settling down in an ancient ruin once been an important university. With the passing of time our heroes would find war, love, death and honor. Live their adventures. Struggle for Supremacy. Be proud of being part of the mighty Order Of Hermes.

Demetra Hyblaea

An Ars Magica III edition Saga set in Sicily. Demetra Hyblaea was founded in 1234, and at date is struggling to survive in the chaotic Roman tribunal. Italian version available.

I Campo Scanto

A campaign set within a magical Regio in the Heart of Venice.

Malatesta

Palatini

Andrew Gronosky's Fifth Edition Saga of mystery and intrigue, set in Venice (no longer active).

Riacciu Carmenta

A Spring covenant on the island of Corsica

Sabratha

Sabratha was, along with its sister cities of Leptis Magna and Oea (Tripoli), a Phonecian settlement and later a Roman colony along the shoreline of what is now Libya. A Spring Covenant is situated within the ruins of the city, and young magi seek to make a name for themselves and establish another tenuous foothold for the Order within Africa. This site seeks to be a useful reference for Ars Magica enthusiasts, taking over where the Rabenstein Saga (see the Rhine Tribunal saga links) left off. Finding that they bit off more than they could chew, the troupe moved on to run the Corona Montis Saga (See the Stonehenge Tribunal saga links).

Vardian's Tomb

A coven of wizards living beneath the streets of Rome, the basis for the White Wolf supplement, Tribunals of Hermes Rome. Logs of the first 70 adventures. Set in the same universe as the earlier St. Nerius campaign.

References

The edit history of this page before August 6, 2010 is archived at Legacy:roman_tribunal.

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Based on material Copyright David Chart 1997-2000. Used with permission.