Please start a new thread, subject line "2.1 Prelude - Character Name" for any magi or companions whose stories you wish to begin before their arrival at Phoenix Covenant.
These stories should end with the character choosing to head for Phoenix Covenant (since we have not yet finished building the covenant).
Additional information for your prelude:
You hear a rumor that Phoenix Covenant in Iberia is seeking new members, and all they ask for in return is votes at the next tribunal. This rumor may come from any number of possible sources: the Redcap delivering the news (I can play the Redcap if you have further questions), your parens or some other magi NPC you wish to have ties to, or similar types of deus ex machina.
If players wish, their magi may already know each other, may be located at the same starting point and decide to journey to Phoenix / Cijara together.
The prelude might also include stories about meeting your companions or assembling your grogs.
If you are looking for a prompt, request it here and we can piece one together.
Actually, that yields a question worth asking: where is your character(s) in Winter 1212?
Given the sudden decimation of Phoenix, what about this variation: you were supposed to spend five years preparing for this, but after Las Navas de Tolosa, you get rushed into the field two years early. This way, your character shows up feeling a little rushed and unprepared for His First Assignment?
As far as I can tell, we're actually ready to start the game. The only thing left on the list from the Regaining Momentum thread is a final eyeballing of the Covenant Final Points by everybody and adding stuff to the wikipedia.
This means that ALL characters may join the Cijara / Phoenix Prelude thread. Come meet your amicii!
Sure, change it. I must admit that I am not to firm with covenant history yet.
I'll try to write up a timeline and a short story and post it on the wiki, after I (finally) scan through the 3rd Ed Iberia book.
I would like Constantine Amos to have known someone prior to travelling to Phoenix. Peregrine, you stated Cygna was East Orthodox too, right? Or anyone else with any Crusader background since Parens Marteau was a Crusader and travelled around fighting?
Orthodox, but from England (her family was Russian, and her father converted by an Orthodox missionary)
would I be correct in assuming that by "outside" she means outside the Regio? And that the Left Side gate is the gate that leads out of the regio? (sorry took so long, I've been just keeping half an eye on the threads and just doing quickie posts)
Cijara is located in the real world. Casa de Cijara is the manor house. The basement connects to a small cavern system, which includes the Pool of Healing Waters and the entrance to the Regio. Upon entering the Regio, you find yourself in the basement of a manor house which seems very much like the one you just left. When you exit this building, however, you find yourself is a large walled estate, covered with the whispering vines. There are two gates (front and servant). The maid means that Jaime is outside of that gate. What is beyond the gate will be revealed when a PC steps through, for dramatic purposes. 
The humiliores (peasant covenfolk) refer to them as the Right and Left sides of the house. The Left side is inside the Regio. The Magi refer to Cijara (the real world) and Phoenix (the Regio).
If I understand the point expenditures correctly, both Cijara and Phoenix have Aura 5.
This game better not be going all Furry on me. 
just imagine what Fati calls Knob Masters/Mistresses!
So... who wants the boat?
Amos is out - I'm probably headed to sleep soon (East Coast America) and I'm having fun with Fati anyways.
I live on an East Coast myself and it is hardly bedtime at this time of the day.
Serrano won't be shipping , as i doubt the wagons and horses will comply with maritime safety laws.
That's all I can give you for tonight, guys. I'll be on for a chunk tomorrow, and then later in the week. -- S'why I wanted to get you all on stage, so you could interact with each other while I'm offline.
Magi can either show up directly to the manor house, or can tell me what direction they're coming from and I'll lay out the terrain leading up to the typical dining hall introductory party.
"Soon" , the Koriani Matriarch chuckled to herself , "I will no longer need to keep up the pretense of being an elderly seamstress for a troupe of entertainers."
"Little does that vile Lannister know , that Serrano is the identical twin-brother of Jon Snow , abandoned at birth , in a forest , to die of exposure."
"Fortunately , the magics that disguise him (Serrano) are powerful , but subtle , and those complacent fools in the Order
will be easily distracted by rumours of the Order of Odin seeking alliance with the Order of Suleiman."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wars_of_Light_and_Shadow , Koriathain Order
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_Stark#House_Stark , Jon Snow
There must be at least 1 aura point of difference between the real world and the regio (Ars p 189).
If the covenant is in the regio, then that's where the Aura 5 is. Thus the mundane version must be at most level 4.
One interesting thing about regios is that there may be levels we aren't aware of. So I'd suggest the mundane level to be 1-3 so as to allow the possible existence of at least one level in-between, just like there could exist a level above. Unless, of course, we want 1 medium level to exist and be known to us 
Ah, but you all paid for two Aura boons and the Regio Major boon. So does that mean the Cijara is 5 and the Regio is 6, with other possible levels?
The Regio boon means that "The covenant is located in a magical regio". This has no effect on the Aura
The Aura boon "increases the magic aura of the covenant by one point".
=> The Aura is the aura of the covenant's location. If the covenant is in a Regio, that's the regio's aura.
So, by the RAW, the covenant is in a magical regio of Aura 5 (Base 3+1+1). A covenant without the Aura boon would be in a level 3 magical regio. There's nothing fixing about the lower level(s) number and aura, save that each possible layer must have at least 1 aura less that the layer above, and that there is the mundane level.