Normandy I, Summer 1096
Aubert, bastard Saracen son of Hugh d'Avranches, the Viscount of Avranches, and Earl of Chester in England will lead his ailing father's contribution to the first Crusade, under the forces of Robert Curthose of Normandy. In this (alternate) timeline, Hugh went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in the early 1070's, and in the Holy Land was "seduced" by a beautiful female Djinn (or so he claims), who gave him their baby the very next day! Aubert is extremely tall and bulky at 7'6", with jet black hair that shines blue in sunlight, but has otherwise the blue eyes and fair skin of a Norman.
As Aubert the son of Hugh, a leading magnate under William II, Aubert's forces are not inconsiderable, leading some 550 of his father's men. We have decided that the historians are correct, and that Hugh is indeed William the Conqueror's half-nephew (his mother is rumored to be William's Half-sister). This makes Aubert and Robert half- first cousins once removed, about as related as a second cousin. Recent Crusade research has shown strong family connections & networks in who went initially, and who continued to go on Crusades.
"Aubert" the bastard Saracen son is illegally, at least in the eyes of the Order of Hermes... As he is faking being his own twin brother, Kaldas ex House Tytalus. Were Aubert's noble and knightly entourage to know that he is a wizard, would drastically undermine his authority and lead to all sorts of accusations. If the Order were to find out, they would likely kill him for High Crimes.
We started the first session with Kaldas ex Tytalus's graduation ceremony, in Hyperiax's Sanctum within the covenant of Monteverte a rather infamous and powerful Hermetic covenant in the Normandy Tribunal. The ceremony itself was a strange summoning rite resulting in an epic vision:
(0) The history of the Order is a lie.
(1) in Ancient times the No-God, a being not of this world, fell from beyond the sky from into the desert wastes of the East.
(2) While the Devil wants to corrupt humanity and keep them alive in order to have an endless stream of new souls into Hell... The No-God simply wants everyone and everything to die.
(3) The No-God is served by the Unholy-Consult, a mixed group of Hermetic Magi and Eastern Wizards to whom he opens new and unfettered secrets of the Magic of Death. Along with abominable Scientific Magical innovations...They can become almost perfect impostors of a person, cast spells that leave no sigil, cast two different spells per round, and they can perfectly destroy memories.
(4) The No-God and Unholy Consult are most often confused with The Devil and Diabolists, but they are the same. The Church of Christ and the remnants of the Caliphate are unwittingly the No-God's greatest foe.
(5) Tasgilla, Prima of House Tytalus during The Corruption, was not infected by diabolism. She pushed too far to learn about the No-God, and ended up corrupted. She and her followers who were killed were actually not infernalists, but members of the Unholy-Consult.
(6) Not only was House Diedne destroyed, but the full scale of the war is heavily redacted and edited by Quaesitors and their enforcers, the Hoplites. In, fact, a whole other house existed that is now completely forgotten by the rest of the Order of Hermes: House Seswatha.
(7) The Schism war was truly apocalyptic: No woman in the world gave birth in the year 1012, and if they were already pregnant had a stillbirth. The Unholy Consult tore holes in reality and much was forcibly and directly forgotten through their efforts. Many fallen "Diedne" covenants throughout Europe are actually fallen House Seswatha covenants, or unknown and forgotten in the middle east...
(8) Officially, despite "little conflict" in the Levant Tribunal during the Schism war, it has not met quorum for a Tribunal or sent representatives to the Grand Tribunal ever since in 84 years.
(9) The machinations of the No-God continue, and using corrupted agents in House Guernicus and other Hermetics, has destroyed almost all mentions of House Seswatha. Surviving records are in Akkadian, the House's secret language. (Historically not rediscovered until 1767.)
(10) The 14th founder, Seswatha, was a Levantine Greek. The survivor of an ancient Akkadian prophetic summoning Tradition in Syria that strove to save the world for upcoming the Apocalypse, predicted to happen around the year 1000.
(11) Seswatha was afflicted with various dreams and visions in his life, that led him to France and then to the Founder's Gathering in Durenmar in 767. He warned the other Founders of the No-God, a being not of this world, that had fallen from the sky from beyond the Lunar Sphere into the wastes of the East, and the No-God's plan to destroy the world.
(12) The only Founder to not laugh at, ignore, and politely listen was Tytalus, whom after battling Guorna the Fetid and understood the danger. The two houses were strongly allied in the early years of the Order, and caused many setbacks for the No-God and the Unholy Consult.
(13) Seswatha was the oldest of the founders, as he was born around the year 410. He bound a powerful sympathetic Jinn into himself and did not age past 30.
(14) Kaldas saw through Seswatha's eyes, each founder in person, including Diedne, in the original gathering of 767.
(15) Seswatha argued with Charlemagne and Jerbiton to destroy The Tree at the End of the World in Northern Germany to stop the machinations of the Unholy Consult in corrupting the Northmen. This partially succeeded but led to the Viking devastation of Christian lands for the next ~250 odd years.
(16) Seswatha lives in his descendants - all of his followers learn how to enact a ritual that binds them to Seswatha's memories, inflicting the Flaw "Visions." Over time as their mind accumulates, they witness scenes from Seswatha's life, and up to his apocalyptic battle with, and defeat by, the No-God in 1012.
(17) Only one of Seswatha's followers survived the first apocalypse. Due to magical similarities and opportunities the wake of the ending of the Schism War, he stole the identity of a slain member, Hyperiax, of House Tytalus. (The PC's master.) 'Hyperiax' officially a century and a half old, now tries to mastermind the 1st Crusade against the machinations and stirrings of the No-God in the East after the first apocalypse.
Aubert's Marriage:
One of the first things the player stated was that he didn't want any romance sub plots, so we agreed that Hyperiax arranged for a marriage to a bastard daughter of an unnamed Greek Noblemen of House Doukas, who sired a daughter on Aphrodite! Velkonia is incredibly beautiful (Presence +4) and has exceptional linguistic skills, among others to help Aubert. Early seasons had her instruct him in basic Greek & Arabic.
Kaldas' First Servant:
Unknown to Kaldas, Hyperiax arranged for the assassination of the summoner of Bartimaeus so that Kaldas could summon said Djinn.
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Companion level PC: Velkonia, a beautiful, fair, and tall (6'2") young greek noblewoman with talents in social skills and languages.
Key Grogs:
Thomas, Aubert's Steward
Francios, Aubert's "Advisor"/ Lieutenant who helps organize the martial forces
Stephen, a Dowser who serves in Aubert's retinue as a "Scout".
Virtues for Aubert:
+3 Giant Blood
+3 Strong Faerie Blood
+2 Silent Magic (does not need to speak to cast spells)
+1 Still Magic (No gestures required to cast spells)
+1 Apt Student
+1 Self Confident
Mystery Cult Virtues
+3 Summoning + Puissant Rego
+3 Commanding
+3 Binding
+3 Major Magical Focus (Spirits) + Puissant Vim
+1 Book Learner
+1 Practical Learner
Twilight Virtues:
+3 Shapeshifter
+1 Spell Mastery
Earned Virtues:
+1 Famous
Flaws:
-3 Dark Secret (Fakes being his own Twin Brother)
-1 Overconfident
-1 Visions & Dreams from Seswatha
-1 Cabal Legacy (Titanoi & Seswatha)
-1 Magical Animal Companion (Horse)
Earned Flaws:
-3 Overconfident
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Initial "Covenant" setup:
Hooks:
Mobile Covenant -3
No Aura -3
Hedge Tradition (Sahirs) -3
Mundane Politics -3 (1st Crusade)
Warzone -3 (1st Crusade)
Beholden -3 (Kaldas's Master Hyperiax, and Aubert's father Hugh, as well as Crusade Leader Robert of Normandy)
Boons:
Heavy Cavalry +3 (50 Knights)
Cavalry +1 (100 Mounted Sergeants)
Veteran Soldiers +1 (250 foot soldiers)
Crossbowman +1 (75 crossbowmen)
Missile Soldiers +1 (75 Archers)
Loyal Soldiers & Followers +1 (based on Loyal Covenfolk)
Local Ally +1 (Peter the Hermit)
Exceptional Books +3*3 ( Vim L20 Q18, Rego L20 Q18, Penetration L6 Q25. Note, this is a bit higher than normal, but I think a +3 boon should be a bit better, IMO.)
300 Build points:
5 BP: 25 pawns of vis
10 BP Silver: 200 Mythic Pounds
25 BP Martial Trainer: Skill 8, Net Teaching ability 17 ( Teach 8 +1 Spec, Com 3, good Teacher 5)
12 BP: Muslim Trained Doctor 6BP from Cordoba, (Med 5 +1 int) and 2 apprentices (Med 1, Int +2)
10 BP: Armoror (Craft 5, Puissant 2, Characteristic 3)
10 BP: Crossbow builder (Craft 5, Puissant 2, Characteristic 3)
10 BP: Bard "Gaspard d'Beclay" (Music 5, Puissant 2, Characteristic 3) - main job is to compose stories, songs and poems of how awesome Aubert is.
12 BP: Personal Chaplain and Chronicler (Latin 6, Com 3, Good Teacher 3 - will write Quality 12 Tractatus) - to record what happened and also rewrite it to make Aubert look better. "Baptiste d'Avranches."
20 BP: Tutor for future children, any grogs who need to learn Latin, Artes Liberales or Philosophiae or Prof: Scribe (Latin 5, Teach 5, Com 3 Puissant Teach 2, Good Teacher 5)
6 BP Magical Birth Control device
10 BP Ring of Poison Detection (works on food and liquid)
12 BP 2 way Communication Mirror for Master Hyperiax ex Tytalus
20 BP Glasses of Gift Detection
128 BP 320 levels of Convenience devices to Improve general living conditions and Health, -8 to all aging rolls.
House Rules
- Improved Exceptional Books
- Universal Vis that works for every art (we didn't want the book keeping)
- Extra virtues at character creation due to Mystery Cult initiations
- Extra XP at character creation
- Extra Characteristic Points at character creation
- Virtues and Flaws don't need to add up.
- Covenant Boons & Hooks do not have to add up