Chapter 3, The Temple of Nehalenia.

:smiley:

Aelianus Robur
Hi Max. It is your game, so you should decide who our local Redcap is. I am going to assign him the temporary name of Eric the Redcap. Anyways, he has a message for you from Santiago of Flambeau.

He sends greetings and condolences for your deceased parens. He also thanks you for taking his protégé Roberto aboard into your covenant, and hopes that he will prove to be an asset. Concerning the magical reign he sent to you with Roberto, he includes a Scroll with the Lab Text for the item with his message.

Rein of the Equestrian Magus
Lesser Enchanted Device; 4 pawns
ReAn40, Base 15, +1M Touch, +1M Concentration, +5L Item Maintains Concentration, 10 L Unlimited Use; F&E Bonus for Rein = +5 to tame/ride horses.

The rein he gave you was a prototype set with an effect expiry (it just expired yesterday). This Lab Text is from a revised version of the enchantment. Santiago would like for you make a rein for him. He was told that the standard price is three times the amount of vis an item normally requires to be made, and Eric the Redcap is authorized to advance you half the amount as a down payment (the other half to be paid upon completion of the project. He carries 6 pawns of Rego in a little silver scale-weight.

Wirth/Kilica
Where we last left off, With accompanied by Kilica had met with Fred, the new pirate leader. Fred is accompanied by Bob and George (who were the two sailors that the magi rescued) and Reginald (who had just met Marcello a short while before. Bob and George were snickering about the foreign warrior woman, but Fred silenced them, and tried his meager best to try and recruit Wirth. Wirth tried to turn the tables on him and gave him a counter recruitment offer.

Long and the short of it though, it isn’t fair to make you guys role-play in order to obtain Boons we paid for in Covenant Construction. I encourage this. Write a little story that details the nature of our relationship with the pirates and how it comes about. The main selling point is that, if you promise them a ship, they will follow you.

Also, Ulrich One Eye finnally showed up. This rabble rousing bandit just now rode into town. What do you intend to do about him?

An explanation of how I am handling agencies.
I am still working on it, but I intend to create agencies for all characters with the following Virtues & Flaws, with the listed starting agency points:
• Social Contacts (12 starting points for agents of the appropriate type, and I will be generous when you are making a new agent of a contact of the appropriate type)
• Mercenary Captain (12 starting points for agents; most appropriately to be used for potential clients, key officers, and spies)
• Outlaw Leader (12 starting points for agents; most appropriately used for other key outlaws, inside men, corrupt officials, and so forth)
• Close Family Ties (12 starting points for agents that are actually members of your family, plus you lower Resistance by three points when making a new agent of a relative.
• Landed Nobel (12 starting points for agents that are other nobles, servants, spies, and key officers).
• Gossip (12 starting points for agents of any kind in your area or whom you regularly cross paths with, the nature of the agency being the exchange of information)
• Busybody (12 starting points for agents amongst your friends and acquaintances, the nature of the agency being the exchange of information. This is the only Flaw that provides Agency points, but it also includes the effects of a Personality Flaw)
• House Tremere (12 starting points for agents that are in the direct employ of House Tremere, with the disadvantage that all such agents serve other members of the House as well)

Marcello/Colijne
During the tour of town, I am presuming that Colijne is taking Marcello to meet people she knows. Thus, the Agents I provide Marcello with are merely an extension of her own.

Also, they learn from Betty that no one else up and down the coast was affected by the storm. It affected this one area only, and the only person to die was ugly evil Pete.

As I mentioned elsewhere, I decided to assign Agents to Marcello because of his Busybody Flaw, and I need to do Colijne’s for her Gossip Virtue. Thus, I shall revise the agency as follows.

Principle – Colijne (Pre +4, Leadership 4, Max Agents 16, Gossip (12 starting points amongst people in the area or that she encounters frequently))

Betty VanHalen, Pirate’s Wife
Social Status: Branded Criminal (-1)
Resistance Modifiers: none
Resources: Information, Useful Minor Flaw (Busybody) +1, Useful Minor Virtue (Gossip) +1
Cost 4: Resistance 1, Bond +3 (long friendship)
Description: Betty has known Colijne since the day whoever was second to come here came here. They chat and gossip all the time

Veronica Eyke, Loose Woman
Social Status: Merchant’s Wife (+0)
Resistance Modifiers: Dark Secret – Cheating on Husband (-1)
Resources: Information, Useful Minor Virtue-Temporal Influence (+1)
Cost 3; Resistance 1, Bond +2 (familiarity)

Walter Eyke, Merchant
Social Status: Merchant +0
Resistance Modifiers: none
Resources: Information, Useful Minor Virtue – Social Contacts-Merchants (+1), Useful Minor Virtue – Temporal Influence (+1)
Cost 5; Resistance 2, Bond +3
Description: Walter is the town’s only honest merchant, a valuable asset because he is often a third part negotiator or go-between. He also serves as the covenant’s main purchasing agent.

Principle – Marcello (Pre +1, Leadership 2, Max Agents 6, Busybody (12 starting points amongst friends and acquaintances))

Carlos Gutierez, grog
Social Status: Covenfolk (+0)
Resistance Modifiers: Weakness for women (-1)
Resources: Action, Useful Minor Virtue-Venus’ Blessing (+1)
Cost 5; Resistance 1, Bond +4 (friendship)
Description: Carlos is an old friend of Marcello’s, and being a Busybody, he is heavily involved in Carlos’ life.

Betty VanHalen, Pirate’s Wife
Social Status: Branded Criminal (-1)
Resistance Modifiers: none
Resources: Information, Useful Minor Flaw-Busybody (+1), Useful Minor Virtue-Gossip (+1)
Cost 2; Resistance 1, Bond +1 (friendly conversation)
Description: Marcello was introduced to Betty by Colijne, and they hit it off instantly. Betty speaks Flemish, Dutch, and is educated in Latin (she was going to be a nun before she got caught stealing).

Reginald Montclair, Pirate
Social Status: Outlaw -3
Resistance Modifiers: Dark Secret-Veronica’s Lover (-1)
Resources: Multi-Lingual (French, Spanish, Dutch, Flemish, German, English) +1, Social Contacts (pirates) +1
Cost 2; Resistance 1, Bond +1 (remorseful)
Description: Reginald was quick to befriend Marcello because he feels deep guilt for his behavior and seeks absolution. It’s not his murderous piracy that bothers him, it’s his adultery.

Walter Eyke, cuckold
Social Status: Merchant +0
Resistance Modifiers: none
Resources: Information, Useful Minor Virtue – Social Contacts-Merchants (+1), Useful Minor Virtue – Temporal Influence (+1)
Cost 3; Resistance 2, Bond +1 (needs Marcello’s reassurance that everything is okay)
Description: Marcello makes fast friends wherever he goes, and Walter latched right on to him. He knows his wife is unfaithful, but he cannot prove it (or does not want to face the truth).

David/Dragor
I revised the agency Dragor has built on behalf of David

Principle – Dragor (Pre +1, Leadership 4, Max Agents 10, Serving as a Factor for David of Tremere (12 starting points of agents loyal to House Tremere)

Ivan Simonsen, Tremere agent at the exarch’s covenant
Social Status: Custos (+1)
Resistance Modifiers: Major Flaw - plagued by ghosts (-3), Double Agent (-1)
Resources: Information, Serves Rival Covenant +9
Cost 9; Resistance 6, Bond +3 (mutual cooperation)
Description: Dragor and Ivan are members of the same secret society of custos dedicated to the service of House Tremere

Walter Eyke, Tremere Contact
Social Status: Merchant +0
Resistance Modifiers: none
Resources: Information, Useful Minor Virtue – Social Contacts-Merchants (+1), Useful Minor Virtue – Temporal Influence (+1)
Cost 3; Resistance 2, Bond +1 (Fear)
Description: Walter also serves as a broker for the regional mercantile interests of House Tremere.
Description: Walter is the town’s only honest merchant, a valuable asset because he is often a third part negotiator or go-between. He also serves as the covenant’s main purchasing agent.

As for David, your outlook is sorta bleak. I mean, you got an eligible corpse and all, but it is less than optimal.

Animated Corpse of Pete the Pirate
Characteristics: Cun -3, Per -2, Com -5, Pre -5*, Str +5, Sta +4, Dex -1, Quik -2
*treat as +5 for purposes if fear and intimidation
Size: +1
Relevant Virtues & Flaws: +1 Berserk, +1 Large, +1 Piercing Gaze, +1 Reserves of Strength, +1 Tough, -1 Disfigured, -1 Infamous, -1 Missing Eye, -1 Missing Hand, -1 Obese, -1 Taint of Evil
Personality Traits: Mindless +5, Angry +3
Reputations: Evil Rotten Son-of-a-Bitch 4 (local)
Combat
Axe: In -1, Atk +10, Def +5, Dmg +11
Wrestle: In -2, Atk +5, Def +4, Dmg +5
Soak: +10 (Sta +4, Tough +3, Bloated Condition +3)
Berserk: +2 Attack and Soak, but -2 Defense
Fatigue: n/a
Wounds: -1 Light (1-6), -2 Medium (7-12), -3 Heavy (13-18), -7 Severe (19-24), Immobilized (25+)
Wounds are actually Damage, and they reduce functionality but inflict no pain
Retained Abilities: Brawl 5 (wrestle), Leadership 5 (intimidation only), Profession-Seaman 4 (helm), Single Weapon 6 (axe)
Notes: The fact that he retains the Berserker Virtue is disturbing. Pete also had Wrathful and Fury while he lived. The fact that he retains Tainted with Evil is not as surprising if you knew Pete at all. His Profession-Seaman Ability reflects a -3 penalty for his mindless state, as does his Leadership score (which can only be used for intimidation). David can tell by instinct that there is something not quite right about this corpse, but it is a potent potential zombie.

Okeanos/Clara (after promise is made)
Lucy gives you a huge smile, a big kiss, hands you the stone, and swims off. It is a few days after that when Clara meets the Lucy the Mermaid. Fish-girl is all moon eyed crazy ga-ga over Okeanos. She waxes on and on about how strong and handsome he is, and how she hopes marry him one day and lay many eggs for him. She tells Clara that her father is coming to visit and he will give Okeanos the test of worth.
According to the description of Wirth’s True Love Flaw, Clara is an NPC. So, I decide that since she is talkative, she mentions her conversation to Wirth and to Colijne, and the information eventually makes it back to Okeanos.

It will be interesting when Kilica encounters this zombie as she has sense Holy/Unholy and will be rolling it at any zombie or other weird/evil thing

LOL, yeah, in an old school table top I'd keep this a secret between me and the player. I want to open thing sup more here. We can all ingore things we are not supposed to know for the sake of story, but we all need full information because we are all Beta storyguides.

My presumption is that Dragor pulled it off to the side, then one night he brings it inside to David's sanctum (presuming he wants it even, otherwise its back to Davy Jones' Locker). The Only person that spots it is Halvard the insomniac.

Fat Tony: "I, um, just have to dump this 'garbage' in the lake"
Chief Wiggum: "Oh, okay"
Lou the cop: "Hey chief, didn't that look like they had a body?"
Chief Wiggum: "I thought so too, until he said garbage. You gotta learn to listen."

Kilica plans to stand near Wirth and Kill anyone he tells her to, or anyone who attacks him. She can't understand a word of these conversations as she speaks none of the local languages.
She is completely indifferent to the Pirates or their attirudes unless they actually draw weapons or otherwise act threateningly.

Iolar is spending most of her days flying around in the area of the covenant , she is keeping an eye out for mermaids/Mermen and will attempt to speak with one if she finds one near the coast.
Otherwise she is getting to know the area, she returns to the covenant for a few hours each day but as yet is still sleeping away from the covenant.

You are the one who meets Linda, Lucy's little sister. She doesn't know squat about the greater plot at hand, but she is able to answer any questions you may have about her family.

As a faerie, your Gift does not bother her (though the Blatant Gift would). You appear interesting and you seem quite charming. Linda doesn't understand boys, and is clueless as to why Lucy is so crazy over this human blooded character (they see Okeanos as a human blooded faerie instead of a faerie blooded human).

Mere-folk have interesting reproductive habbits, kinda fish like. Females lay eggs that the male fertelizes. The male hatches the eggs, then the female takes over raising them. Lucy and Lora have many many siblings.

Their mother, Dorala, is from Lyonesse. Their father, Octchall, is a Havaman. Octchall studied magic from the Order of Triton in Lyonesse, where he met their mother.

The reason they are divorcing is because of some Vodalian tramp whose eggs wound up getting fertalized. Octchall must keep a promise and must raise all the children as they hatch. Dorala want's nothing to do with it, so she packed her clams and left.

Linda is a pest and a brat, typical for her (apparent) age.

Lyonese is interesting, the silly behaviour of fellow magi is interesting and may result in a conversation at some point. But towards the end of the conversation Iolar will ask about the Sea Mother to see if that gets a reaction.
She also thinks Eggs have many advantages

Sea-Mother has many meanings to her; her mother, the sea-hag, the goddess of the temple, and etceteras. You have to be more specific.

David's happy to have the corpse. He'll keep it fresh with Charm against Putrefaction, and leave it in a corner of his lab until he gets a good storage facility set up.

[color=blue]OOC: I gotta get to work setting up David's lab. Sorry I've been slow, life's a bitch sometimes.

Aelianus gives the redcap the proper meal and lodgings that are appropriate to the caring for redcaps. He writes a letter back to Santiago where he describes what a valuable asset Robert has been to the covenant. He does describe the work that has been done on the pier creation. He writes that he shall begin with the commission as soon as possible but describes the difficulties with that Aelianus is a woodcarver and not a tanner but it won’t impede the creation just delay it until a craftsman can produce a rein that is worthy of enchantment.

Aelianus talks to Roberto in a suitable time and asks him if he knows anything about his former master’s taste when it comes to aesthetics. When that is done Aelianus asks the redcap to carry a message to his venditor in the appropriate city and as the venditor to search for a master craftsman who can craft the reins and send him to the covenant for a substantial reward.

The first thing to be inquired about is the temple, Iolar will try to find out aabout the temple , then she will ask about the Goddess and the Sea Hag. These seem likely to be things which send storms

[color=green]Wirth

The idea is just to establish a trusting working relationship.

Visibly, they were viewed poorly by the previous magi, and have lost almost everything.
I promise them a home, a ship and our help in return for what they do best. They couldn't hope for more, even with a mundane lord.

I don't lie to them, I want them to trust me (Silent and still casting of my [color=blue]Beguiling Presence spell, I can manage it easily).
And I won't lie to them, not now, nor ever. And I want them to refer to me, and know they can do this. They know that life can be tough, so I feel comfortable with them.

LOL, prop him up in the corner and use him as a coat rack

LOL, you realize you can use any old reign. However, you have your pride in your work. I am guessing he would want something subtle and stylish. Simple black leather I guess. Not overly fancy, but not shoddy either.

The real Santiago sent me approval of the history I created for him (it is an alternate Santiago, Cult of Mercury instead of Mithraic). Anyone who want to run a Santiago story, all they have to do is contact him.

I don't have a map, but I imagine it wouldn't be more than a day or two of travel by mundane means to reach an appropriate town tanner (ours has none). In my view, Redcaps rarely travel by mundane means alone, so he can go and come back within three days (he kicks back for a day there)