Hi! If this is covered elsewhere, I couldn't find it... but I had a few of questions about the loss of the gift.
I'm a new SG to Ars Magica, but have played in a couple of fairly long running campaigns in the past. All new players, it's a great opportunity!
Anyway, I have been designing some rivals and plot arcs to go with them.
This one focuses on an experienced Jerbiton magus named Heinrich Khunrath. He is an illusionist and charmer, who has lost his gift. My intention is that he will end up offering a year of service to the PCs in return for a safe escort from the tribunal discussing his fate, to his home town, which is not too far from the PCs covenant. Along with executing his longevity ritual from his lab text. I'd expect them to take this offer, but can come up with other plans if not!
I'm thinking about the exact circumstances of losing his gift. I was considering an experimental failure bought on by a rivals sabotage... Is that practical? What are some other amusing things that might do it?
I was wondering what might happen to his familiar? Would it die? Unbond? Become mundane? Retain some powers? Something else?
Figure items he had made would continue to function... but what about his talisman?
I've stat-ed him up and I'm wondering what he can do in that year. He has a good magic theory, so can work as a decent lab assistant. As a reasonable teacher, I'm sure he could teach that or other non magical abilities - lores, etc. My question 1 Can he teach arts or 'hermetic abilities'? For example, he has/had a high imaginem score - can he teach the 'theory' of that, despite being cut off from his gift? What about finesse?
After leaving the covenant I'm intending that he regain the use of his gift via an infernal pact with agents of Malphas, Great President of hell (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malphas), who looks amusing. He will start small, slowly offering up more and more extreme services to his demonic master to keep the ongoing use of his 'gift'. I'm rather envisaging assisting cultists with magic, meddling with the mundanes and other such nefarious shenanagins. Along with his money/vis making schemes to fund his new laboratory. Due to the location, the queasitor's will suspect the PCs and hilarity will ensue. Does this sound feasible?