I won't be doing a Sahir. Power level is off. I'll probably be going with a European summoner of sorts.
On a different note, I've been studying all these other variants on Twilight, and Twilight looks like a pretty good one in comparison.
What does the covenant look like in terms of Hooks and Boons?
Do we need another form of social status or is 'Hermetic Magus' enough?
Already asked that via PM. Those of us who join the Order can take Hermetic Magus status, though in this case I suppose Magus status would be the more applicable name.
A lot of the traditions have their own social status which accounts for their apprenticeship, etc.; do we need to use Hermetic Magus or do we have a choice?
The biggest difference between the social status conferred by the traditions and the status of magus is that magi are supported by their covenants and therefore have no need to take the wealthy or poor flaw, while most other status do. This translates to time spent on making a living as compared to doing magic stuff.
I reckon, that the status of the characters before they reach and join Triamore better be outlined and understood. Did they have an apprenticeship like an Hermetic magus, leading to a similar status immediately? Or did they become practitioners of the supernatural in another way?
Once they join Triamore and stay there, their status might change after decisions of the community there.
I believe that to gain the Magus social status you have to undergo an Initiation where you swear to the Code and are initiated into Parma Magica as an ability.
That is the absolute minimum requirement.
But is it sufficient? Is the Order without Hermetics able to take care of all its members who swore the Oath, in the same way as the Order of Hermes did until about 1018? Or has wealth become a topic even for the Gifted within Order now?
@DeedNay @Xavi
City & Guild , p. 11 details a Minor Covenant Boon: Chartered Town fits well with the write-up on Triamore
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What are people doing about languages? It looks like I won't have access to Latin, it being a dead language. Presumably we wouldn't be using Latin anyway since there is no writing of common spells nor books on common Arts. Rhine Tribunal / Holy Roman Empire would seem to make a German useful, but I'm not quite sure where the covenant is located so I don't know which "dialect" of Low or High German would be ideal.
Latin is still the language of academics, so while it won't be universal as canon it will be more common than many others
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The living languages around Triamore - near Namur in the valley of the Meuse - would be Low German (Flemish) and French (Walloon).
Of course, Latin is still the language of scholars, clergy, academics and of most of the contents of the famous library of Triamore. This might make a Virtue giving literacy and Academic Abilities worthwhile.
Thanks, OneShot.
I probably won't spend a Virtue on that. Most learning is likely to happen via Teaching anyway, and that should eventually allow picking up Latin and Artes Liberales. But they're not hugely important, though maybe there are some tractatus written on Summoning.
Just checked those. I was unaware o their existance since I have not read the book despite having it in dead tree format in my shelf. They are different, not necessarily better.
The triamore library is big, but quite messy. The rules in TME seem to correspond to very organized libraries. In triamore you require specific knowledge of the library to know where things are. I think I prefer the durenmar rules (that I will post below) just for that reason. it makes for a more random environment.
However, the counter that you put (too fast evolution) is a cause for concern, so I am not set on that at all. Financial problems are supposed to be one of the things with Triamore, specially with the influx of so many magi.
What I have written in the house rules I plan:
We will use the rules in Durenmar (GotF p.57) for mundane books. There are dozens of books per subject in the following fields: Civil & Canon Law, Legend lore (
To find a summa on an Arcane Ability, roll a simple die against the desired level; with failure indicating that the desired book does not exist. If the roll matches the Ease Factor exactly, there is a visitor or a far away scholar that has asked to read that tome in the same season, and you must negotiate with them and /or the librarian for the book. Visitors and other requesters pay for the right to study after all.
To determine the Quality of a summa in the library, roll a simple die and add 5. Triamore Library Lore may be added to this roll, but with a cumulative penalty of 1 point for each such previous use of Triamore Library Lore in the same Ability. It is suggested that the Quality should not exceed 30.
To determine the Quality of a tractatus roll one die +2. Triamore Library Lore may be added to this roll, if desired, but with a cumulative penalty of 1 point for each such previous use of Durenmar Lore in the same Ability. It is suggested that the Quality should not exceed 12 (with 14 as the absolute limit).
I am open to other opinions, though 
I am still unsure on what to do about the arcane library.
About the Vitki, well, let's give it a spin. They are the Verditius of the setting. I think they are more powerful than other presented characters, but can be interesting. No need to be pagan, even if the magical symbols might get some learned people wondering if you are pagan. Normal people will just throw stones at you as usual for Gifted dudes. .
List of interested players and traditions so far
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Plot_device : Elementalist
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MalakhGlitch . True Merinita. Forest paths and Nature Lore related magics.
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DeedNay : Vitki (removed Learned Magician).
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OneShot : Ars Notoria.
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Callen : Summoner.
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Darkwing : Witch. Plan B: gruagach and learned magician. (Not answered yet)
OK, I can go for a witch. I'll try making a Gifted one, as that will give a full range of powers, and I can always train up unGifted ones in play.
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Regarding wealth, let's assume the basic tenets of non hermetics. Triamore is a covenant, and there are more, bitnsincenwe are doing a much less structured Order, let's assume that self-sustained communities like covenants are rarer. Triamore is more an exception than a norm in this case.
To reinforce the point, I will make Triamore a much more recent development, so that you are the result of a mystical roll call from the founders of the covenant asking for other traditions to come and join them.
Sounds right to all of you?
I asked for a specific forum. There I will post the house rules I intend. Basically I reduced the number of abilities and given Parma 1 to everybody for free. You can increase Parma to 3 maximum.
Ah good. We just need to wait for the sub-forum and then we can start hashing out the finer details.
Just to confirm, I take it Deednay asked to switch back to Vitkir? I'm fine with Elementalist too, just wanted to check.
I did not. I was looking forward to being an Alchemist, i think there might have been a mix up there. Plot_Device was the one who wanted to switch to Vitkir, right?
I also thought the Parma required the Gift to function. Is it being house ruled otherwise?
Edit: @Xavi I have no problems with Triamore being a more recent development.
I did read Triamore and part of the hook seems to be the fact that it has a charter from the Holy Roman Emperor but the local lord doesn't like it. Does that still work if it's a recent development? I don't really mind either way, though.
I can go along with the majority on the wealth question, but it should be noted that several traditions have ways to magically generate wealth, so if we bring that into play it may change things down the road. It also raises the question of the covenant having/needing the income to support labs, magi, etc.
I think a good solution would be this: Magi without a covenant default to their tradition's social status; but magi who are in a covenant have the Hermetic Magus social status (with the commensurate lack of need to work). It makes sense that covenants should give an advantage, and I think that's a good way of accounting for it. That still leaves unsolved the question of which one to use for chargen, though. Perhaps using the individual traditions' social status, but I'm not sure if all our traditions have them. In theory, there should probably be a virtue you could take to have started in a covenant, but since it would be a better virtue than Wealth, maybe it should just be part of the game's parameters that none of us have been in covenants before the game starts?
I think Parma should still require the Gift, that keeps the traditions that can initiate non-gifted people from totally swamping and overtaking the Order, because they can't do the Parma initiation. Perhaps Redcaps should get an exemption?
and yes, I was the one who wanted to switch to Vitkir.