I have not included specific scenarios, as the power of a average group of magi can vary between the merely powerf to the near-godlike. Instead, the following scenario ideas c. help the GM plan adventures that will challenge his playe highlighting their specific skills, spells, virtues and flaws. have written under the assumption that the player's covenan is in the Loch Leglean tribunal and will oppose Martial an Edward. However, it is easy enough for the characters to pla the other side of the scenarios, trying to aid Martial in h' quest to bring the rebellious and fractious Scots magicians is heel. 

history of the 'real' world

Once Martial and Edward manage to re-gather their troops, it will be a grim time for the Scots. In the real world, the army of Scots under Wallace was defeated at the battle of Falkirk in 1298. From then, until the Scots rose again under Robert the Bruce 8 years later, the country was under English rule. Assuming the history of your game follows that of the real world, Martial's forces will have at least 10 years to reduce the obstinate Scottish covenants. The players' own covenant will, if they do not agree to join Martial, come under attack by magicians and English soldiers.

Martial is working under the deadline of the Grand Tribunal of 1312; he must completely eliminate any dissenting Scottish magi before that gathering. If your game takes the real-world history as its own timeline, the Scots will be in revolt against the English; Edward I died in 1307, and his son was much less of a warrior than his father. Robert the Bruce rebelled against Edward in 1306, and by 1308 he was in control of the North. In the early part of 1312 the Scots were raiding south of the border, and the County of Northumberland gave him 10,000 pounds to spare the district. If the players have managed to hold out until 1312, they will be in a much stronger position due to the ascendance of the Scots.

an ultimatum

This scenario assumes that the players' covenant is in the Loch Leglean tribunal, though with some changes in the wording of the message the covenant could be anywhere. The Hibernian and Normandy tribunals are next on Martial's list of acquisitions, and he is recruiting magi for both field duty with the English army, and for political support in the character's tribunal.

The player's covenant receives a visit from Avida, a Redcap from the Stonehenge tribunal. She brings a message from her master Martial, the Praeco of Stonehenge. After the normal pleasantries and refreshments, Avida comes to business.

"My Master desires nothing but peace and prosperity between the Stonehenge and Loch Leglean tribunals. He wishes you to know that his friendship is a thing easy to acquire and pleasant to have, but his wrath knows no bounds if he is crossed. He wishes to assure you that he has nothing against the magi of Loch Leglean, but merely wishes to combine the two tribunals under one government, so as to better administer the bounty and resources of the two lands. There is no reason that our two tribunals should be separate; we share one island, why should we not share our natural resources? We of Stonehenge are rich in material objects; we have access to the markets of Europe and the east, gems from the mines of King Solomon, rare woods and minerals from Cathay and Africa; while you here in the north have untapped sources of vis. Why should one or two covenants profit from the trade between our two tribunals when we could all share the bounty of a united island?"

Avida continues in this vein, noting shortages in the covenants and how they can be filled by trade with Stonehenge, how the internecine fighting the tribunal has endured in the past will no longer be endured under Martial, etc. She is friendly, and answers the characters' questions in the best possible light for Martial and the Stonehenge tribunal. She sincerely believes that Martial's plan is good for the Order and Britain. In return for Martial's friendship, all the characters need do is join him. They may take the field at his side, or support him at tribunal meetings. Also, he is in need of vis and magical supplies, and requires that they give him a small amount of vis as a token of their support.

Depending on the tone of the campaign, and where the GM wants to take the troupe, if the characters decide to join Martial, they may find that his demands are not onerous, though he expects the covenant to obey his decrees; or that he is an overbearing taskmaster who demands too much of the covenant's resources.

Should the players refuse to join Martial, their covenant is marked for destruction. How much time it has before the forces of Martial show up at its gate depends on how far it is from the border, and if the Scottish army and magicians are able to defeat the forces of Marshal and Edward of England.

help us... you're our only hope

The characters must cross the sea to the continent seeking allies amongst the magi of the Norman and Rhine tribunals. If Martial finds out about the embassy, his agents will strive to end it before the characters can deliver their message. The GM can have agents of Martial chase the characters on land and sea. Once the messengers get to the continent, they can be waylaid by Martial's agents in the other tribunals, have their reputation besmirched by scandal, or other dirty tricks. It is by no means necessary to kill the characters, and doing so could show the un-allied magi that Martial is breaking the Code of Hermes, making them come onto the Scottish side in the dispute. Subtlety can be a more important weapon than raw power.

Alternatively, if the characters have thrown in their lot with Martial, they can be tasked with stopping the rebellious Scots magi from gaining allies. How they go about this is up to them, but Martial will be cross if any Continental magi join in common cause with the magi of Loch Leglean. He is not yet prepared to take his dreams of expansion to the continent, so alienating the continental magi is not in his plan.

Once the characters reach covenants on the continent, they must present their case for aid with as much eloquence as they can muster. Many magi feel that the problems between Stonehenge and Loch Leglean are a purely local concern, some actively support one tribunal or the other, and some support Martial's ideals for domination of the Order and the world. Even if they are able to muster support, will it be enough?

under siege

The characters have the opportunity to raid south with the victorious Scots army. If there is an enemy covenant that needs "seeing to", this is the time. They can repeat Martial's own tactics and use mundane soldiers as their allies in storming the covenant. Care needs to be taken to ward the soldiers against hostile magic, as they will be a great help in keeping the defenders off-balance. While a covenant may reasonably expect to withstand a siege by a mundane army, the addition of Hermetic magi should tip the balance of power to the attackers. Magi can act as siege engines to reduce the physical walls of the covenant, guard their own troops against magic, and try to reduce the grog garrison of the covenant by magical means. The mundane troops of the besiegers can maintain bow fire at the walls to keep the defender's heads down, forage for food, and storm the walls at the appropriate time.

under siege II

If the characters previously besieged a covenant in England, they know what to expect and should make plans to counter the attacker's magic. In addition to driving off or destroying the attackers, the defenders will find that they need Creo and Rego magics to repair breached defenses, make food for the garrison, and rally their troops.

Depending on the mood of the game and the desire of the players, the defenders may withstand the siege (with much less material than they had before), or the physical covenant may be destroyed, forcing the characters to flee. Some may be captured, giving the opportunity for a rescue or escape scenario.

other scenarios

Raids and counter raids can occur against the opposing magi or mundane troops. Small contingents may be cut off and destroyed, while larger ones will need to be eluded. Raids may take place to destroy troops, material or morale, or to capture a town or resource. The tradition of dueling via Certamen will fall into disuse as both sides strive to gain the advantage. A magi that offers Certamen will be seen as a throwback to a more Romantic ideal, much like a knight that offers a one-on-one duel to determine the outcome of a battle.

The war may expand beyond the borders of the two tribunals, especially if the Scots can muster support from the continent. If the GM and players want, this can be the beginning of a major change in the interaction between tribunals, and between the Order and the world of the mundanes. If the Order openly attacks the mundane world, expect the Church to come to the defense of the mundane rulers. A Crusade against the Order could ensue. What the world looks like after such a war is anyone's guess - it could result in a Europe dominated by the Order, the total destruction of Magic, or a mix of the two. It could lead to a modern world with no magic, or a world such as that of the Lord D'Arcy books.

On the other hand, the forces of the Order may decide to come down heavily on Martial and his cronies. Magicians from all over Europe could gather to put paid to the threat to the Order, perhaps sabotaged by Martial's supporters. Or the conflict may affect only the magi of Stonehenge and Loch Leglean. An assassination attempt might result in the death of Martial, or injure him enough to scare him from his ambitions or for him to work faster.

Whatever the outcome for Europe and the Order, the characters will be in the thick of a war between mundane and magical forces. How they cope with this dual threat can determine not only the fate of their lives and covenant, but of the Order and the World.

The Raven and the Lion Ars Magica Mini Campaign Using Scotland the Brave

Introduction
Raven's Tower Covenant
The Court of Martial, Rex Magiorum
Adventure Ideas