Security of the Chantry

Naturally, no mage is allowed to enter the chantry if he has reason to think he is followed. There are also many discrete traps and tricks hidden along Prästgatan. If a mage enters the northern end, stops, looks up at the left roof and then continues, its a sign that he is followed and that the chantry could come under attack. To the left of the real entrance is a door leading into a building owned by the Ulv family, which could be used if a mage thinks he is followed or want to avoid casting suspicion on the real entrance.

Behind a water-pipe in one of the buildings there is a small niche. This niche traditionally contains a small dagger, and its also colocated to a similar niche in the wall of the Alderman's office. This can be used to pass messages, assistance or other things to mages not willing to go near the chantry.

At one place along the street there is a window into a cellar close to the street level, with elaborate cast-iron bars. On one bar, there is a small barb which has been enchanted. If a mage of the chantry pricks his finger on it, it will activate a link between him and the blood from him in the Scroll of Membership. This makes it possible for the chantry to use magick through him at possible enemies or help him.

The street is constantly watched by the Guild Hosts from he guard room by the entrance. A small mirror in the window lets them see the street without being seen, and the room has a magickal bell signalling the approach of anybody along the northern end of the street. The bell will ring once for each person approaching, and its tone and volume will tell whether the person is a member of the chantry and the amount of quintessence they bring.

The Weaponsmaster has restored and built a number of traps and defences in or on the chantry. He has wired the electrical system to the bars on all windows, which makes it possible to electrify every metal surface on the building. In the roof of the passage into the chantry he has restored a medieval portcullis, which can drop from the ceiling, completely sealing off the first section of the passage. It can also be electrified, and he is currently demanding to open up a hole from the room above (the office of the secretary to the Alderman), so that magick or boiling tar can be poured down.

The Guild Hosts are the protectors of the chantry. They are ten strong men who have been trained by the Weaponsmaster to defend the chantry (although they are hardly as fanatic about it as he is). They are normally not armed, but in the guard room there is a locked cabinet containing a few guns and a full set of rapiers (which are used together with the old blue uniforms at official duties).

Beside the offensive and defensive measures, there are many minor details which can be used in a crisis. There is a secret passage from the office of the Alderman to the neighbouring building, and in the cellar there are the crumbling medieval tunnels to the royal castle, the Dominican convent and the waterfront. Today the latter could be used to get into the sewer system with some work or magick in a desperate situation. There are also an old door in the tower which might lead out, but nobody has ever tried it.

The Forcemaster can also use some defensive rotes to protect the chantry. One of is a Correspondence 4 rote making the passage from the entrance lead out on the other side of the chantry instead of to the courtyard. A more powerful rote can dissociate the chantry completely from the outside, but this can be dangerous due to paradox and shortage of Quintessence.

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