Introduction

A common question is how easily the redcaps travel. In particular, where do they have Mercere Portals? Some are mentioned in canon, but they are scattered across many books, and it is hard to find them all. There has been one effort by Argentius to map all the Mercere Portals.

Personally, I prefer the map of canon portals.
This means that redcaps in many tribunals have to use mundane means to travel to the next tribunal. For instance, in Hibernia, redcaps from Leth Moga could go by ship to Bretagne and use the portal via Durenmar to Harco. Redcaps from Leth Cuinn could go to Coventry to relay messages or use the portal to Harco.

I would possibly add Mercere Portals from Harco to Iberia and Thebes, which are disconnected and riddled with great distances in the strictly canon map. They are stable covenants, making it relatively safe to set up links.

The more speculative map means that travel and messaging is much more efficient, somewhat breaking the medieval feel. The redcap travelling vast distances by mundane means becomes a lot less common.

It is unclear which portals are available to whom. The portals through Durenmar can be used freely by magi at master rank or above, and by redcaps. Everybody else pays a fee of 2p per person, but a small entourage can be brought for free [GotF:26]. According to [HoH:TL:89], magi who build portals appoints a gatekeeper to decide who may pass or not.
The customary toll is 1pvf/person, with no mention of an entourage. Redcaps and others in direct service to the order do not pay. It is reasonable to think that there is a difference between the portals built before and after the Schism.

Note that [ToH:R:66] lists many more portals from Harco than the ones that Argentius has on his map. These are tightly controlled though, and can be used only by redcaps and for emergencies.

The Hermes Portal of 3rd and 4th edition

Using previous editions, it is important to note that the Mercere Portals used to be Hermes Portals, which then had permanent duration and was available to anyone with sufficient knowledge of the arts to learn the spell. The Mercere Portals as a House Secret is a 5ed invention.

The large number of portals in the Greater Alps, with covenants linking its chapter houses, is hardly justified in 5ed. The vis cost would be prohibitive. Therefore, each portal mentioned in [SoI] should be reconsidered, to decide if it is a Mercere Portal, or just a Hermes Portal which has excited for a certain period and may or may not have been renewed. The canon map only lists those which have been explicitly named.

Suggested interpretation

All the Mercere Portals are guarded by a custodian who has sworn to protect the secrecy of House Mercere. They are obliged to prevent anyone from studying the portal. This requirement is the same for all the portals currently in operation. Apart from that requirement, access policies and pricing may vary from portal to portal.

Every operational portal where a trusted custodian could not be appointed was destroyed immediately after the Schism War. Yet, it is possible that portals which were lost before or during the Schism War were not properly destroyed, such as the one inside Val Negra. This could be a story hook.

The Durenmar Network

Constructed in the early years of the Order, these links are well known to exist between Durenmar and each of the other Houses’ covenants, i.e. from Durenmar to

• Crintera (Bjornar)
• Harco (Mercere)
• Verdi (Verditius)
• Magvillus (Guernicus)
• Fudarus (Tytalus)
• Lycaneon (Tremere - original covenant)
• Valnastium (Jerbiton)
• Irencillia (Merinita)
• Cave of the Twisting Shadows (Criamon)
• Val Negra (now defunct)

Any magus turning up to travel will normally be permitted through for the toll of 2p per magus including his entourage. Archmagi, masters and those of equivalent reputation, redcaps, and quaesitores on official business are allowed through for free.

Unlike the other portals, House Bonisagus is responsible for the custodians for each of these portals.

The Harco Network

This network is also widely known to exist, even though exact destinations may be unknown. It is managed by House Mercere to fascilitate easy messaging across the Order. Some of the links are ancient, and some have been created after the Schism War. House Mercere maintains full controll over all of these portals. Harco has portals to

• Mercere House in Coventry (Stonehenge) [HtM,ToH:R:66]
• Durenmar (which is managed under the Durenmar network)
• Lycaneon in transylvania [AtD]
• Dragon’s Rest in Normandy [L&L:138]
  • Dragon’s Rest - Confluencis [L&L:138]
  • Dragon’s Rest - Cunfin [L&L:138]
  • this is the hub of a portal network in Normandy, and there should be more links [L&L:138]
• Venice [ToH:R:66]
• A small tower North of Madrid (Iberia) [ToH:R:66]
• Alexandria, the Mercere Covenant in Thebes [non-canon]
• Circulus Ruber [ToH:R:66] destroyed in the Schism War

The Mercere and the Quaesitores are normally allowed to use these links for free.
Others are sometimes allowed to use them, but the redcaps are reluctant to allow free passage for fear that it may damage their trade businesses. When people are allowed to travel, the charge is 1p/person, and heavy tariffs are applied to any goods carried through. These tariffs also levied on the Durenmar link, even though the toll there is 2p per magus including his entourage.

By 3ed [ToH:R], there should be more portals, while 5ed encourages a troupe decision. It seems reasonable to assume that the border regions in Hibernia, Loch Leglean, Novgorod, and the Levant are considered to risky to have portals.

Note the link Harco-Cunfin that Argentius has in the map is probably just confused with the link Dragon’s Rest Cunfin. All it says under Cunfin [L&L:107] is that it has a portal, and Dragon’s Rest is the hub in Normandy [L&L:138].

Private Portals

These portals link covenants to their Chapter Houses. They are rarely known outside the controlling covenant and the redcaps. Generally, they are only available to invited guests, including redcaps.

• Cirque du Gavernie - Aedes Mercuri [F&F]
• Cirque du Gavernie - Barcelona [F&F] defunct
• Valnastium - Konstanz [SoI]
• Valnastium - Vienna [SoI]

The two Valnastium links are much used by travelling Jerbiton, who use them for free as guests at their Domus Magnus. Since Valnastium is not short on vis, they have little incentive to grant access to others.

Other Mercere Portals

These portals are funded primarily by tolls, with the standard rate being 1p per person. All travel is at the sole discression of the custodian, as is the charging for the toll. The custodian keeps 10% of the fee, and thus has an incentive to allow travel. Redcaps and quaesitores on official business are normally let through for free.

These portals are not very well known, and a local Area Lore+Int roll of 9+ is needed to know about them.

• Magvillus - Covenant of the Icy North [SoI] Magvillus as the Domus Magnus of Guernicus enjoys the trust which have let the Mercere install a portal. The annual Midsummer Fair at the Icy North also makes it a lucrative business.
• Verdi - Venice [ToH:R]
• Rellantali - Venice [ToH:R:86]

Roman covenants are short on vis, and therefore very happy to let travellers use their links and charge the toll.

Canon Hermes Portals

These links are expensive to maintain.

• Leczyka - Three Lakes [DotB] This is a post-Schism link, as one of the creating magi is currently alive at 133. However, this assumes a Hermes Portal. Its existence is a well-guarded secret. The vast distances and availability of vis may justify its being renewed anually.

Natural Portals

• Alfeios River - Meander River [TSE] natural portal known to the Order

TODO Review canon source.

Iberia

Iberia, like the Greater Alps, has an extensive network of Hermes Portals. By 1218, Barcelona, Duresca, and Estancia-es-Karida are linked [ToH:I:45], and eventually the network will extend to every free covenant. Whether this makes sense or not, depends on the design of the tribunal and its covenants.
Unlike in the Alps, the known portals in Iberia are disconnected from the Durenmar and Harco network.

Barcelona was only founded during the Schism War, so a portal there is probably newer. However, a defunct portal from Barcelona to Cirque du Gavernie is endorced in 5ed canon [F&F]. This makes Barcelona a plausible hub for portals, possibly more plausible than the tower near Madrid which is canonly linked to Harco [ToH:R].

I have not made up my mind on whether I want to keep these portals.