[size=150]Household Retainers[/size]
These are full write-ups for the two Specialists that Ancel paid for with Build Points. I built them up as grogs using the 15 xp/year standard.
Bertram - Personal Valet, Steward, and Failed Apprentice
Characteristics: Int +2, Per +2, Pre +2, Com +1, Str -2, Sta +0, Dex +1, Qck +1
Size: 0
Age: 40 (b. 1227)
Warping Score: 1 (5)
Virtues and Flaws: Failed Apprentice, Magical Sensitivity, Hermetic Experience; Ability Block (Martial), Warped by Magic, Broken Vessel (Free from Warped by Magic), Proud (Minor)
Personality Traits: Brave +1, Loyal +2, Proud +3
Reputations: None
Abilities: Cambridge Area Lore (personalities) 4, Athletics (running) 1, Awareness (searching) 3, Bargain (household goods) 3, Carouse (staying sober) 2, Charm (first impressions) 2, Concentration (reading) 2, Etiquette (magi) 2, Folk Ken (magi) 2, Intrigue (gossip) 1, Leadership (servants) 1, Speak English (conversational) 5, Order of Hermes Organization Lore (personalities) 2, Cambridge University Organization Lore (academics) 2, Profession Servant (running a household) 8, Profession Scribe (copy) 2, Artes Liberales (arithmetic) 2, Speak Latin (Hermetic) 5, Philosophiae (experimental philosophy) 2, Code of Hermes (exotic magi) 2, Dominion Lore (saints) 1, Faerie Lore (faerie mounds) 1, Magic Lore (exotic traditions) 3, Magic Theory (Vim) 3
Bertram is Ancel's personal valet and overall keeper of his household. He manages the daily needs of organizing meals, household goods and chores that need to be attended to. He has served Ancel nearly the entire time the magus has been in England. Bertram is the unfortunate survivor of an expedition gone horribly awry. At one point, he was an apprentice to a Jerbiton from Schola Pythagoranis who was tasked with dealing with the local fae (Hermetic Experience). The events eventually ended in a conflict and his master suffered from a Twilight episode while casting a spell. The uncontrolled magic entangled poor Bertram and damaged his Gift, leaving him unable to continue his apprenticeship (Failed Apprentice, Warped by Magic).
Dejected by the loss of his abilities, he was noticed by Ancel who took pity on him and offered him a position as his personal assistant. This offered Bertram the opportunity to continue his association with the Order of Hermers, albeit in a different role. He threw himself into the role of servant, figuring that if he could make himself indispensible, he would always have a position. He is proud of his position (Pride) and takes issue with other servants who think otherwise. In this role, he has served well and faithfully and has since discovered that he still has a touch of magic -- finding magical things and areas is easy for him (Magical Sensitivity), though his previous trauma occasionally results in flashback episodes which shake his confidence in his abilities (Broken Vessel).
Bartholomew - Scrivener, former academic
Characteristics: Int +3, Per +0, Pre +1, Com +1, Str -1, Sta +0, Dex +0, Qck +0
Size: 0
Age: 30 (b. 1237)
Warping Score: 0 (0)
Virtues and Flaws: Clerk (Acolyte), Baccalaureus, Privileged Upbringing; Pious (Minor), Failed Student, Lame
Personality Traits: Brave +0, Loyal +1, Pious +3
Reputations: Failed Student (Cambridge University) 2, Skilled scribe (Academic Reputation) 1
Abilities: Bargain (services) 3, Charm (being witty) 2, Concentration (reading) 2, Etiquette (academics) 2, Folk Ken (academics) 2, Guile (elaborate lies) 2, Speak English (academic) 5, Church Organization Lore (history) 3, Cambridge University Organization Lore (personalities) 3, Order of Hermes Organization Lore (personalities) 2, Profession Scribe (copy) 7, Teaching (undergrads) 2, Artes Liberales (grammar) 3, Civil and Canon Law (Cambridgeshire law) 3, Common Law (Cambridgeshire law) 2, Speak Latin (academic) 5, Philosophiae (moral philosophy) 3, Theology (history) 2
Bartholomew is an Englishman, one of many sons of a prosperous merchant family. With a hale family, he was not expected to inherit much of the family business. When his father was in discussions with a local bishop, Bartholomew's natural intellect shone through. This impressed the Bishop enough to take the boy as a ward and put him through a solid education. The Bishop's influence enhanced his natural piety, and he entered into the Church's minor orders, where he eventually rose to the position of Acolyte.
In time, Thomas was enrolled at the University of Cambridge where he earned his Baccalaureus. He continued his studies to become a Magister in Artibus. Shortly before he could take his final examinations, a series of disasters took place: he had an accident that crippled his legs, his patron Bishop suddenly passed away, and a jealous academic rival conducted a successful smear campaign during Thomas' recovery period during which he was unable to counter the rumours. After his recovery, it became clear that few University masters wanted anything to do with him. He reluctantly left his studies with his reputation battered when his resources to continue his studies dried up due to the Bishop's death. (His family had long since left him to his fate.)
With his contacts, Ancel had heard of this academic's downfall from the grapevine. With a little prying, he also learned about Bartholomew's true history. Given his own increasing writing load and the occasional lectures that Ancel was giving as a 'guest scholar' at Schola Pythagoranis, he offered Bartolomew a position as his personal scribe. In this role, Bartholomew was able to excel in, even if he still yearned to complete his Magister in Artibus training. But without the resources (and now the ability) to leave Cambridge on his own, he resigned himself to becoming the personal scrivener to the foreign scholar. In time, he learned about the Order of Hermes and the facade that Schola Pythagoranis put up to hide amidst the mundane scholars. He was also pleased to find that his new master encouraged scholastic pursuits, even if the magus' pursuit of knowledge had a decidedly exotic bent to it.