Dedication

The Covenant of Monadliath is dedicated to that greatest of all challenges, the pursuit of true knowledge and understanding; to upholding the interests of its members and fellows; and to the preservation and strengthening of the Order of Hermes under whose auspices it is formed.

Requirements for Membership

The Covenant of Monadliath accepts only full members of the Order of Hermes as actual or prospective members, of any standing. Should any member, prospective or actual, be cast from the Order, he shall likewise be expelled from this Covenant.

Classes of Membership

There shall be two classes of actual membership in the Covenant of Monadliath; for we recognize that the founding members and others of long service to the Covenant should be recognized with a greater status and claim upon the bounty of the Covenant than those recently arrived. The two classes shall be entitled Majore and Minore.

Members Minore, having held that title at least seven years, may be elevated to the status of Member Majore by a unanimous vote of the Councilium Magnum. A two-thirds vote of the Councilium, or of the Councilium Magnum, may expel a member Minore from the Covenant; but a two-thirds vote of the Councilium Magnum is required to expel a member Majore.

Except where explicitly set forth below, the term 'member' shall refer to a member Majore, member Minore or to provisional members; the term 'full member' shall refer to either a member Majore, or member Minore.

Where seniority is in question, a member Majore shall always be considered to be senior to a member Minore; and seniority shall be determined by the date of admission to full membership, or elevation to the status of Majore, as applicable.

Provisional Membership

Provisional membership shall be granted to any magus of the Order of Hermes, upon application to the Councilium of the Covenant, and acceptance by a majority of that body, which may include the payment to the Covenant of such as the Councilium may deem acceptable. At that time, the provisional member shall be granted the privileges and bound to the duties as outlined elsewhere.

Provisional membership shall be held for a period no less than one year, and no greater than seven years. The Councilium may consider granting ordinary membership to the magus at any time in that span. If a unanimous vote of the Councilium accepts the member, he shall be invested as a member Minore of the

Covenant. Should the Councilium have a majority vote to expel the provisional member, or fail to admit the provisional member at the end of seven years, the provisional member shall immediately lose all status in the Covenant. Such a failed candidate may not reapply to the Covenant for a period of seven years, but may ask for visiting status.

Relinquishing Membership

A full member of the Covenant may notify the Councilium of his intent to leave the Covenant; and upon the finding by a majority of the Councilium that the magus has no unfulfilled obligations, explicit or otherwise, to the Covenant, shall be relieved of his oath to the Covenant, and all privileges, offices, and responsibilities thereto.

A provisional member of the covenant may relinquish membership at any time, with notification of the Councilium; but the former member shall be required to return payment for any expendable resources of the Covenant he may have used during his time as a provisional member. No price shall be charged for the ordinary use of a laboratory or the library during his time as a provisional member.

Visiting Magi

As the Covenant of Monadliath is a hospitable one in the Order of Hermes, it may from time to time admit magi to the grounds of the Covenant without investing them with membership. The Archon has the power to admit a visitor for a time of up to one year; beyond that, the Councilium must agree to his continued status.

Visiting magi shall have no claim upon vis stores, and must relinquish any covenant property loaned for their usage to any member desiring its use; but the Councilium Magnum may designate specific resources for the use of visitors for specific times.

Absent Magi

A full member may designate himself as absent from the covenant; or the Archon may so designate a magus, providing the magus is not present and has not been present at the Covenant for a minimum of one year. An absent member shall hold no office, have no claim on resources of any sort, and shall be omitted from any distribution of vis held while absent; his vote shall not be counted in council or for the purposes of having a quorum; nor shall service shall be required or other duties demanded.

An absent magus may return to his prior status simply by presenting himself at a meeting of the Councilium, or to the Archon, provided he has been absent for less than seven years. Should a magus be absent for more than seven years, the membership of the magus shall be reconsidered by the Councilium upon his return; but if he had been a member Majore, the Councilium Magnum shall decide the question.

The Councilium

The body of all full members of the Covenant shall comprise the Councilium; in which all members Majore shall receive two votes, and members Minore shall receive one. The Archon or his designee shall preside; failing that, the most senior full member present shall preside. Provisional members shall be entitled to attend meetings of the Council and speak at them, but shall have no vote; except for votes and discussions concerning the admittance to the Covenant of a provisional member, which they may not attend.

A majority of the votes shall constitute a quorum for the Councilium, which shall be chaired by, in order of preference, the Archon, his designee, the eldest member Majore, or the eldest full member present. A meeting of the Councilium shall be held at minimum once in each season, three days prior to the solstices and equinoxes. Further, any member Majore may call a meeting of the Councilium with reasonable notice given to all members.

The Councilium, or such officers as it may designate, shall have authority over and responsibility for:

1.All mundane resources of the Covenant;

2.The upkeep and governance of the Covenant military.

3.The governance of those mundane subject to the rule of the Covenant.

4.The maintenance and usage of the library, but not the trading of books or spells with others;

5.The allotment of laboratory space to members Minore or provisional members; but they shall have no authority over the laboratories of members Majore.

6.The right of justice, low and high, over any, except members of the Order of Hermes, upon the lands of the Covenant of Monadliath or otherwise bound by oath or allegiance to the Covenant of Monadliath.

7.Any other questions not under the authority of the Councilium Magnum and not otherwise covered in this Charter.

Tyranny

Further, should the need for decisive action and unquestioned authority arise, a two-thirds vote of the Councilium may begin a Tyranny, and designate a Tyrant from amongst the members Majore. During the Tyranny, the Tyrant shall have full and complete authority over all resources of the Covenant, and may demand service from members has he sees fit. He may ignore all provisions of the charter except for those in this section, but may not actually change the charter. The Tyranny shall last one year, except if the Councilium shall meet prior to then end and with a majority vote end the Tyranny, or the Tyrant voluntarily end the Tyranny. During a Tyranny, the Councilium may take no action except to end the Tyranny. The Tyrant may not impede the Councilium from meeting to such an end.

The Councilium Magnum; the Archon

The body of all members Majore shall comprise the Councilium Magnum. The Councilium Magnum shall choose from amongst its membership an Archon. The powers of the Councilium Magnum shall be vested in the Archon for their enforcement, and for decisions for which the Councilium Magnum cannot be summoned; but the Councilium Magnum may overturn any decision of the Archon. The Archon shall serve for a term of seven years; but the Councilium Magnum may with a two-thirds vote remove an Archon from his post at any time.

A majority of the members Majore shall constitute a quorum for the Councilium Magnum; which shall be chaired by the Archon, his designee, or failing that the most senior member Majore present.

During ordinary session of the Councilium Magnum, members of the Covenant shall be entitled to attend, but not to speak except at the behest of the Archon; with a majority vote, the Councilium Magnum may close its proceedings to all but members Majore.

The Councilium Magnum shall meet at minimum once per year, five days prior to the summer solstices; and any member Majore may call a meeting of the Councilium Magnum, with reasonable notice given to all members Majore.

The Councilium Magnum, and the Archon, shall have authority over and responsibility for:

1.The vis stores of the Covenant. The Councilium Magnum shall see to it that sufficient stores of vis are kept on hand to maintain the Covenant Aegis and guard against possible future dangers. Each magus is required and entitled to; continually keep a tally of how many of the covenants vis the magus requires for personal use. The vis tally is intended to show how much of the covenants resources each magi uses. If some among the magi is wasteful or frivolous with vis this magi may be subject to the restriction of the Councilium Magnum. The Councilium Magnum may also, at their discretion, loan vis to members against future shares of disbursement, or make trades with the Covenant stores; especially they shall do so for the purposes of longevity potions for full members or the bonding of a full member's familiar.

2.The collection of vis from Covenant vis sources.

3.The trading of vis, magical books and scrolls, or other items magical with other magi or Covenants of the Order.

4.The disposition of items magical, including their loan to magi temporarily departing the Covenant.

5.The allocation of laboratory space to members Majore.

6.The appointment of ambassadors and agents to outside powers, and the acceptance thereof of others.

7.The admittance of visiting magi.

8.The allocation of seasons of service, bound by the limitations detailed below.

Rights of Members

All members shall have the following rights, which shall not be abrogated by the Councilium, the Councilium Magnum, the Archon, or any other member of the Covenant.

To be fed and clothed in a fashion commensurate with the resources of the Covenant.

To designate a space of the Covenant grounds as a Sanctum under Hermetic Law; but members Majore shall have priority of claim over members Minore, who shall likewise have priority over provisional members.

To carry out magical researches unimpeded, except as they violate the Code of Hermes, and as service may be demanded by the Covenant.

To bond a familiar or train an apprentice without interference from fellow members or the Covenant.

To the use of Certamen for the settling of disputes, except as restricted in the following section.

To have one member of the Covenant designated as their bodyguard, who shall not be later removed from that post without the consent of the member, and who shall not be required to perform duties away from the grounds of the Covenant proper without the consent of the member.

Full members shall have the right if needed

To be equipped with a laboratory sufficient to carry out magical researches.

Duties and Constraints of Members

Members of Monadliath shall bear no allegiance to institutions outside the Covenant, save only the Order of Hermes, except as the Councilium Magnum may approve.

Certamen shall not be used to directly influence votes of either the Councilium or Councilium Magnum, or to influence an officer of the Covenant in the performance of his duties pertinent to his office.

Of any vis acquired on expeditions, half shall be given to the Covenant stores. The remainder shall become the property of the member or members recovering it.

Should a member discover on expedition a renewable vis source, the source shall belong to the Covenant except upon judgement of the Councilium Magnum

Likewise, any magical devices, books or scrolls recovered shall become the property of the Covenant, except upon the judgement of the Councilium Magnum.

Of any mundane monies or resources garnered on expeditions, of a rare or valuable quality, at least half shall be presented to the Covenant, except upon judgement of the Councilium. If the monies or resources are of such a form as to not be easily divisible, the proper allotment, and, if appropriate, compensation for an imbalance therein, shall be determined by the Councilium.

A member Minore, or a provisional member, may be required by the Archon to spend one season in service to the Covenant in any year; a member Majore likewise, but only if no service was demanded the previous year. At the beginning of the season demanded, the Archon shall designate the manner in which the season is to be spent, duly considering the member's capabilities and preferences along with the needs of the Covenant. No service shall be demanded requiring significant risk to the member's Gift, person, familiar, apprentice, or property, without the consent of the member, or vote of the Councilium Magnum.

Amending the Charter

This charter may only be amended by the unanimous vote of the Councilium Magnum; and if it should be amended, all members Minore shall be offered the opportunity to leave the Covenant without rancor, should they desire.

This charter reads as agreed on, and witnessed by, the founding members of the Monadliath Covenant and an honorable member of house Guernicus, in the twelve hundred and ninetieth year of Aries, under the auspices of the most august Tribunal of Loch Leglean of the Order of Hermes, in the province of Moray in Scotia.

Penthevs, filius of Hexageticus of house Bonisagus

Isabella, fili of Thomasi of house Verditius

Eustace, filius of Cavena of house Flambeau

Cathullus, filius of Electra of house Tremere

Witnessed by Siminara, fili of Jerla of house Guernicus

Amendment of the charter of the Covenant of Monadliath

This charter was first established in the twelve hundred and ninetieth year of Aries and amended as follows

All of the founding members are to be considered members majore

Cathullus, filius of Electra, is elected as Archon of the Covenant of Monadliath by the Councilium Magnum in the twelve hundred and ninetieth year of Aries

Willicanus, filius of Suberbus, is declared as visiting member by the Archon in the Summer of and during the twelve hundred and ninety-sixth year of Aries

Penthevs, filius of Hexageticus, is elected as Archon of the Covenant of Monadliath by the Councilium Magnum in the twelve hundred and ninety-seventh year of Aries

Cathullus, filius of Electra, is found absent from the Covenant of Monadliath by the Councilium Magnum in the twelve hundred and ninety-seventh year of Aries

Willicanus, filius of Suberbus, is declared as member minore by the Councilium Magnum in the twelve hundred and ninety-eight year of Aries

Cathullus, filius of Electra, is reestablished as full member of the Covenant of Monadliath in the twelve hundred and ninety-ninth year of Aries

Cathullus, filius of Electra, is, by his own will and the unanimous vote of the Councilium Magnum, declared as to be no longer a member of the Covenant of Monadliath in the thirteen hundred and second year of Aries

Isabella, fili of Thomasi, is elected as Archon of the Covenant of Monadliath by the Councilium Magnum in the thirteen hundred and fourth year of Aries

Willicanus, filius of Suberbus, is declared as member majore by the Councilium Magnum in the thirteen hundred and fifth year of Aries

Isabella, fili of Thomasi, is found dead and so declared by the Councilium Magnum in the thirteen hundred and sixth year of Aries

Willicanus, filius of Suberbus, is elected as Archon of the Covenant of Monadliath by the Councilium Magnum in the thirteen hundred and sixth year of Aries

Yvette, fili of André Louvrier, is accepted as provisional member by the Councilium Magnum in the summer of the thirteen hundred and sixth year of Aries

Yvette, fili of André Louvrier, is elected as member minore by the Councilium Magnum in the thirteen hundred and 8th year of Aries.