Campaign Title: Oppidum of Héviz
System: Ars Magica, 5th Edition
Players Wanted: 2-3 Players
Posting Rate: 2-4 times a week Not strict
Special Rules: Current rules and future rules, as appropriate. If I'm missing a sourcebook, I'll get it, eventually.
Advancement Rules: See below
Starting year 1260
Champaign Description: The Order has seen some changes in the past 40 years. For some Houses, it will seem very much the same but other Houses have been shaken. This will be a new Covenant location in the Transylvania Tribunal. The Oppidum has been set up as a research post. Some are studying the Dark Fairies of the area and others delving into the mystery of the magical hot springs.
On the heels of the Ruins of Bibracte saga. I will use the same metastory that Jonathan.Link used but advance it. You do not have to be familiar with the metastory but some characters will have more knowledge what has happened than others.
The Oppidum allows magi to come and go so a changing cast is not unheard of ( especially for PbP). They are located in the geothermal lake Gyogy-To ( pg 8 AtD). It’s location is on the Map on pg 36 AtD and is marked Héviz on the southern end of Lake Balaton.
Magi or Maga should be about 30 years post gauntlet, with tweaks to the standard post gauntlet rules of 40 xp per year (10 per season). Which means item creation shouldn't impact the advancement quite as much as the standard rules. Virtues such as Book Learner, Apt Student, Elemantalist and Secondary Insight should be discussed amongst the troupe to determine how they wish to treat them during development. More than 4 players will stretch out the seasons of service, of course. Slower players may be relegated to less busy seasons. Troupe discussion will determine how that plays out.
I'm interested as I think I can handle one more forum game.
But I know nothing about the Transylvania Tribunal and my knowledge to the the Ares Rules still have it holes.
End of november and around christmas I'm both times away for around 1 week and I hope its no problem with this game.
I could make a Ex Misc Rustic who just recently changed to the covenant from the Rhine Tribunal and so the lack of knowledge of this Tribunal would go along with the char and I could learn more trough gameplay.
Mercere: Civil War - Merecere suffered a drastic change when an Infernal plot within the House culminated with the assassination of five of their Magi. The Redcap network broke down as Redcap fought against Redcap. Order was restored when House Tremere and House Jerbiton came to the aid of of the surviving Mercere magi and their followers. For the first time in centuries, a magus was appointed Prima as the House sought to stabilize itself.
The House has been aggressively recruiting more Redcaps and are organizing in a tighter network. The loss of the Magi hurt badly but has been helped by other Houses finding suitable apprentices for the surviving Mercere Magi.
Bonisagus: To be determined.
Guernicus: Bilera assassinated. Disaster at Magvillus. - As the civil war within Mercere comes to a head and it is obvious that Infernal forces were at work within the House, the Prima gathered in Durenmar. It is during this meeting that Guernicus Prima Bilera sickens and dies in a single night. This caused a massive uproar and panic in the heart of the Order. Investigations into the death were inconclusive and publicly linked to an Infernal plot to weaken the Order of Hermes. Some investigators were not convinced but the improbability of a Corpus spell of the magnitude needed could not be reconciled.
Guernicus suffered another setback as what appeared to be massive earthquake centered on the Domus Magna of Magvillus split the hill stood upon. Rumors swirled of a power struggle in the inner circle of the House as a possible point. Needless to say that the great Library was damaged and even the deepest dungeons were opened. In the ensuing power struggle between the Traditionalist and Transnationalists the House was weakened. Cato, a Guernicus of the Greater Alps Tribunal was eventually named Prima. His methods tend to be very much like Bilera politically.
Tremere: No change
Flambeau - The Milites gain control. Ariel is the current Prima of House Flambeau. She succeeded Garus after he was assassinated during a power struggle within the House. It has been characterized as the Milites vs non-Milites but there are rumors that there was more.
The House is more organized and structured now. All magi of the House belong to a team of four others. They have trained together with a team of grogs. Each teams has a rallying point to travel to if summoned.
Jerbiton: More militarized- Andru has slowly been making his House more organized and militant. Much is the same as before but a small group of magi are now trained to use their arts in combat. It is also rumored that they have built up their spy network.
Tytalus: The Duel Prima is settled but neither Buliste nor Harpux are the winner. Augustina, the Traitor, was able to scheme and allow both Prima to resign in favor of Erimas of the Roman Tribunal.
Ex Misc - No change
Bjornaer: slight migration by Wilderness sect. Some sects, primarily from the Midusulf and Maruhs clans have left the Continent. Many travel to the Loch Leglean Tribunal or Hibernian Tribunal. Some are rumored to have traveled even further.
Criamon - no change
Merinita: Unders new Prima Brennus, the House has gained more order as members have spread out to different Tribunals in an attempt to preserve the Fae. Many have gone to the Greater Alps, Transylvania and Thebes to locate and catalog the fairy locations.
The troupe can discuss any new discoveries that might have happened in the 40 years. Mercere magi only be allowed by approval. The House took a beating.
Just out of curiosity how was the domus magna location conflict of house Verditus resolved? (HoH:MC 112)
I'm to new to the game and not deep enough in history to put up own ideas what kind of discoveries would hapened trough this time.
My curent char idea is a Rustic Magi who who was the second sohn of a Embroiderer master in Nuremberga.
His mother haved the divine gift of crafting wonderous items (Touched by Divine [C&C 71]) and her first born and my character inherit this virtue.
At the age of 8 his Gift was dicovered by a redcap and so he brought to a Rustic who took him as apprentice.
For this I have 2 questions
From my understanding of the crafting Enchanting (Charged items and lesser Enchantments) of a Rustic Magi he use his Craft skill instead of the Lab Total but his score is not halfed. Actual his Arts dont have any effect on this.
Is this interpretation correct?
Would I allowed to use Divine Arts like Transcedence [RoP:D 53] and Intervention [RoP:D 52] instead of of the 2 Hermetic Forms for Touched by Divine?
OK, good I asked so early in the char design now I have to come up with a other char idea.
Maybe a Green Cockerel Alchemist but not sure right now of the house.
How about mundane history ? Does it follow standard history ? The Mongol Invasions of 1241-1242, the reconquest of Constantinople by the Empire of Nicae in 1261... actually, that one is still in the near future.
I'm toying with an idea for a militant (well, political at least) Jerbiton myself, ostensibly coming to Héviz to study the waters. In fact, hot springs almost scream for the Elementalist virtue, if we can find a way to make it work with character creation. The easy way is simply to read the rules, 1 point in three Arts by season spent researching one of the four Elemental Arts, but with the 10 xp per season that comes out at a measly 30% xp bonus, spread out, a pale comparison to an Affinity's 50% targeted bonus... and Elementalist is supposed to be a Major Virtue
I'm leaving the normal history unchanged. At this point the Levant Tribunal almost does not exist as the Crusaders hold only a small part of the Holy Lands.
I will allow the bonus for elementalist when the season xp is spent to move up. Elementalist does not stack up vs Secondary Insight on the XP front. It is one of the weaker ones.
