Lore : The Coven

The Coven is an Italian organization of magi that has its own operations center in Rome. Its origins date back to 1212 when the Children's Crusade led by pastor Nikolaus left Germany to reach the Holy Land and convert Muslims. The seven thousand children who left from Germany stopped in Genoa. Some returned home, others headed to Marseille and others reached Rome.
Among the children who entered Rome there was one whose german name remained buried in history. The boy was adopted by a rich Catholic family and his name was changed to Arturo Leoni. Arturo grew up as a good Catholic but developed a particular obsession with sacred relics; in addition, it is said, he had several nightmares where he himself claimed to see his friends whom he abandoned. A legend tells that at sixteen, Arturo, had a vision where he saw Jesus Christ who told him to found a guild to find the Holy Grail.

In 1222 Arturo was only eighteen and founded the Coven. Initially they joined only ten, but over time the numbers increased more and more. 

It is estimated that in 1250 the Coven had about 925 members.

The hierarchy of the Coven is very simple: the Grand Master commands it, then there are the senior members and finally the disciples. 

In its beginnings the Coven had no magi in its ranks but became an organization of magi around 1417. The acceptance of Magecraft in the Coven was fomented mainly by the fear of a second attack by the Sons of the Serpent, a satanist sect that it was destroyed in 1600 during the First Purge.

The coat of arms of the Coven is the lion that holds a snake in its jaws. This symbol was adopted after 1600 to celebrate the victory achieved over Satanism. Before 1600 the symbol was simply that of a roaring lion.

The Coven has never been able to find the Holy Grail. 

However it possesses several sacred relics that it preserves scrupulously. These relics are:

. Rib of St. Benedict of Nursia
. Skull of Saint Catherine of Sweden
. Key of St. Leo the Great (Pope Leo I)
. Ring of St. Leo III (Pope Leo III)
. Rib of St. Romuald

. Chalice of St. Zachary (Pope Zachary)

The Coven has excellent relations with the Catholic Church and cultivates the public image of an organization that defends Rome and Italy against the wicked thanks to the power of faith and benevolence. 

The Coven did not intervene during Fuyuki's Holy Grail War to avoid unnecessary clashes with Fuyuki's Church. However, with the end of Fuyuki's wars, the Coven publicly condemned the Church of Fuyuki and accused it of heresy. 

Below is the list of the various Grand Masters of the Coven: 

. Arturo Leoni I (b. 1202 - d. 1280) / term of office (1222 - 1280)

. Arturo Leoni II (b. 1209 - d. 1301) / term of office (1280 - 1301)
. Giovanni Monteverdi I (b. 1243 - d. 1320) / term of office (1302 - 1320)
. Marco Pacifico I (b. 1250 - d. 1341) / term of office (1320 - 1341)
. Marco Pacifico II (b. 1264 - d. 1355) / term of office (1341 - 1355)
. Giovanni Monteverdi II (b. 1285 - d. 1360) / term of office (1355 - 1360)
. Giovanni Monteverdi III (b. 1300 - d. 1382) / term of office (1360 - 1382)
. Giovanni Monteverdi IV (b. 1303 - d. 1391) / term of office (1382 - 1391)
. Arturo Leoni III (b. 1312 - d. 1402) / term of office (1392 - 1402)
. Giulio Croce I (b. 1325 - d. 1411) / term of office (1402 - 1411)

. Marco Paolino I (b. 1333 - d. 1420) / term of office (1411 - 1420) 

. Marco Paolino II (b. 1350 - d. 1441) / term of office (1420 - 1441)

. Marco Paolino III (b. 1367 - d. 1455) / term of office (1442 - 1455)
. Giulio Croce II (b. 1380 - d. 1477) / term of office (1456 - 1477)
. Marco Pacifico III (b. 1410 - d. 1502) / term of office (1477 - 1502)
. Massimo Monteverdi I (b. 1433 - d. 1522) / term of office (1503 - 1522)
. Massimo Monteverdi II (b. 1452 - d. 1550) / term of office (1522 - 1550)
. Giovanni Monteverdi V (b. 1471 - d. 1571) / term of office (1550 - 1571)
. Giulio Croce III (b. 1480 - d. 1574) / term of office (1571 - 1574)
. Emilio Bosco (b. 1500 - d. 1591) / term of office (1574 - 1591)
. Carlo Logarino (b. 1514 - d. 1602) / term of office (1591 - 1602)
. Arturo Leoni IV (b. 1580 - d. 1676) / term of office (1603 - 1676)
. Marco "The Great" (b. 1601 - d. 1710) / term of office (1676 - 1710)

. Valerio Altiponti (b. 1631 - d. 1720) / term of office (1710 - 1720) 

. Paolo Bosco (b. 1652 - d. 1744) / term of office (1720 - 1744)

. Giulio Croce IV (b. 1700 - d. 1790) / term of office (1745 - 1790)
. Giulio Croce V (b. 1708 - d. 1798) / term of office (1791 - 1798)
. Arturo Leoni V (b. 1720 - d. 1810) / term of office (1798 - 1810)
. Giovanni Monteverdi VI (b. 1787 - d. 1874) / term of office (1810 - 1874)
. Giovanni Monteverdi VII (b. 1800 - d. 1890) / term of office (1874 - 1890)
. Giovanni Monteverdi VIII (b. 1832 - d. 1911) / term of office (1890 - 1911)
. Giovanni Monteverdi IX (b. 1870 - d. 1950) / term of office (1912 - 1950)
. Arturo Leoni VI (b. 1923 - d. 2000) / term of office (1950 - 2000)
. Giovanni Monteverdi X (b. 1971 -) / term of office (2000 - still in office)