Chapter House of Sa Dragonera

Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: Light of Andorra
1

Chapter House of Sa Dragonera

(& the Baelric Islands)

_____In 1233, Andorra entered into a joint project with the Covenant of Barcelona and formed the Chapter House of Sa Dragonera. They have recently registered and claimed a large vis resource on Sa Dragonera. The deal is that is we protect and harvest the vis, we keep a 60% share. After figuring in our expenses (as calculated for up to five magi), this works out to a profit of a rook every season.

_____The resources available are those as determined and provided by the main covenant. The list of Boons & Hooks here are those that uniquely apply to the Chapter. Further, each member residing here dwells in a separate location, and thus has a set of Personal Boons and Hooks that only apply to them in their Quarter. Each location must include Regio as a Minor Boon or Minor or Free Hook. For their Labs, they must choose the Virtues of Regio and Gateway, plus the Flaw of Thoroughfare. Auras start of as tiny and weak, and may not be that powerful. This drawback (as compared to the standard for magi of the covenant) is offset by the fulfilled Size Virtue. The initial Lab setup (hand-waved start up time) may have a balanced number of Virtues versus Flaws + Size (including the size bonus for Regio).

_____All points are linked by a regio network. The outer layer of their Quarters is Mundane, the strongest point of their Aura is their Lab. One step beyond, a duplicate of their quarter exists on Sa Dragonera (Magic Aura 6). From there it is a short walk to the duplicates (vestiges?) of the other locations. The house in Palma, it has it's second door in the basement, not the lab. There is also a portal directly to a townhouse in Barcelona there, and at that house there is another portal directly to Andorra.

Shared Boons & Hooks

Unknown: -?
-?: Everyone gets to choose a few personal Boons & Hooks for their Quarter. There is also the potential for surprises and unknown stories, plus a variable McGuffin as to why this chapter is even here.

Site: -1
+1 Healthy Feature: The clean island air, ambient temperature, and sheer beauty of these islands promotes vitality and longevity. This grants a +1 bonus to all aging and recovery rolls.
+1 Individual resources: Each magus has 7 points of Personal Boons.
+1 Vivid Environment: The word "Magnificent" doesn't even begin to describe it.
-3 Scattered Location: Various important elements of the chapterhouse are scattered throughout the islands. This also means no main site or central large aura to accommodate everyone. Each magus must pay for their aura out of their personal Boon points

Fortifications: 0
+1 Edifice: Each location has a decent quality main building which qualifies as an Edifice or otherwise Important Building.
-1 Outbuildings:

Resources: +?
+? Hidden Resources: Who knows what we may find or will be uncovered?

Residents: +2
+0 Sailors: Just about anyone that we recruit from the local area is going to be experienced with sailing and life by the sea.
+1 Chapterhouse: Viewed in reverse, being a Chapterhouse is a boon to us, since it includes many benefits. Our expenses are paid, what we make above that is ours to keep, our motherhouse (Andorra) and cosponsor (Barcelona) are considered allies, and more.
+1 Criminals: A lot of the grogs we recruit will wind up being former pirates, some still are, and they will be skilled fighters and seamen. They will require little in terms of wages, save for food, wine, and a bit of booty.
+1 Veteran Fighters: In addition to sailors and pirates, the chapterhouse is staffed with a contingent of almogavars and a few marines.
-1 Superiors: Sa Dragonera is a Chapterhouse, dependent on the Covenant of Andorra and partially subsidized by the Covenant of Barcelona. Our superiors cannot tell individuals what to do, only mandate decisions upon the conditions of the chapter (save for bits taken as personal boons/hooks).

External Relations: -2
-1 Outside Influences: The Covenant of Barcelona has an invested interest in the affairs of Sa Dragonera. This may lead to conflicts of interest down the road, but not yet.
-1 Public Vis Source: The legal deal between Andorra and Barcelona concerning Sa Dragonera is stamped and filed in triplicate at Harco, Duresca, and Andorra (because that vault is where the Mercere have stored the backup copies of records for decades now).

Surroundings 0
+1 Hidden Ways: There are different paths and shortcuts and ways to get between points on the islands, some better than others. Plus we have the Regio network that link each location.
-1 Minority: Player characters will be mostly a minority, and the bulk of the mundane population is Moorish. There has been some displacement and resettlement forced by the powers that be (Count Peter), but it is a sad and slow process.

Suggested Personal Boons & Hooks
_____Each member magus residing here has their own individual location, henceforth referred to as their "Quarter", and seven points of Personal Boons to further customize their locations. They may further take up to 7 points of Personal Hooks for additional points of Personal Boons.

_____The array of options for Personal Boons & Hooks is somewhat different that the one in Covenants, as it is approached from the point of view of building your own personal space in the covenant, personally and physically.

Terminology
_____I will try to be consistent in using the following Terminology...

  • Lab: Your Laboratory space, which is only a portion of your whole Sanctum.
  • Sanctum: Includes your Lab and the space around it (bedroom, kitchen, storage, etcetera); up to and including the entirety of your main building.
  • Quarter: The entirety of your personal space, the property and the buildings upon it.

Status
_____Representing your rank and status in the Covenant, and thus in the Chapterhouse. Rank is not an optional choice, it is a mandatory pick based on the actual character. Masters have greater personal benefits (and may come and go as they please), but Journeymen have more room for individual flexibility.
+0 Journeyman: As a Journeyman participating in the Sa Dragonera Chapter, the covenant owes you the Basic Rights and Rights of Membership. This means that you have your basic expenses paid for, are provided with a laboratory and a staff, and are eligible to earn annual Wages of 4 pawns of vis and 10£ silver presuming you perform at least a season of service in that year. Service at the chapter counts or doing anything else for the covenant qualifies. The covenant also owes you a decent aura and the protection of an Aegis. However, there has not yet been found a Magic Aura in these islands that is strong and large enough to accommodate everyone this way. Instead, there are several weak auras of small or tiny size. It is also not cost effective to pay for a separate Aegis for everyone, even a weak one. Thus participation in this mission is voluntary, and the covenant compensates you for sacrifice by offering you status as a Deputy Officer. You are given an additional 6£ of silver every year for your expenses just for being here, and a three year tour here counts as a service towards earning Master Status.
+3 Master: A Master at Sa Dragonera is also due the Privileges of a Master. This means an annual 3 pawns of vis and 6£ of silver as just due, the same again for every year with a season of service, and again if serving as an Officer (as compensation for looking over the juniors and the chapter). If serving a regular post with an established sanctum, the covenant offers 20£ silver and 8 pawns of vis as additional compensation. Masters have more freedom and access to greater resources. They are the Superiors that the Journeymen have to be mindful of. Masters often come and go as they please and use the islands as a vacation retreat or pop in for observation to make sure their money is well spent.

Aura
_____The base that everyone starts with is a Weak & Small Aura, with a strength of 1 and large enough to cover their Lab and Sanctum. You may spend personal Boon points to increase the Size or Strength and/or to include other aspects, following the guidelines and restrictions as mentioned here.
+1 Favorable Aura: The Aura is aligned with one of the Forms, such as Aquam. This doubles the aura's strength for Hermetic activities. For Magic beings with a Might aligned with that Form, the aura value is doubled for the purposes of preventing Acclimation, and all of their powers that have Might cost are one point cheaper while in that aura.
+1 Moderate Aura: This grants you a Magic Aura of 2.
+1 Medium Aura: This increases the Size of the Aura to Medium, enough to cover your entire Quarter.
+1 Controlled Regio: You are able to control acces to your regio from either direction, nd do not take the Thoroughfare Flaw for your Lab.
+3 Strong Aura: This increases the Aura to 3 and increases the size to Medium, enough to cover your entire Quarter.
-0 Partially Controlled Regio: You have limited control over access to your regio. This means you can control or limit access from one direction but cannot control the other, or you generally have control over either direction but there are always minor holes in security.
-1 Flickering Aura: The Aura declines one point every year unless some relatively simple task is performed. This can be something easy an at no expense, such as a seasonal ceremony or ritual dance performed by locals. This can be less frequent if slightly more complex and/or at a little expense, such as holding a feast in the aura every Christmas or sinking a ship nearby every spring equinox. Whatever it may be, it is mandatory and can be potentially interrupted.
-1 Tiny Aura: This Aura is Tiny and covers only one room (such as your Lab), and does not pervade throughout the rest of the Sanctum. If you have the Major Boon of Strong Aura, this is taken once as Small Aura (just your Sanctum), then can be taken a second time for a Tiny Aura.
-1 Troublesome Aura: RoP-Magic, page 16
-1 Mutable: The fabric of reality within the aura is mutable, altered subtly by means easy for most anyone to achieve. Examples include painting on the walls with your fingers, being able press mold solid objects, lighting that reflects predominant moods, and so forth.
-1 Uncontrolled Regio: You have no control over access to your regio from either direction. At the very least it can be navigated by Second Sight or other appropriate magic. There are other uncontrollable means of entry; such as a specific short time every day or longer frequencies at longer intervals, by any one of a certain description or engaged in a certain activity, or by walking a certain path or accessing a certain landmark. You might be able to restrict &/or observe a few, but here are just as many means of entry that you do not know and cannot control. Whatever these may be, everyone in the chapter knows at least one, and those who study the magical folklore of your area may learn them (say, an appropriate Lore roll of 12+).

Location
_____These are features of the physical property of your Quarter, features of the physical geography and environment.
+0 Island
[tab][/tab]This is the default choice, either being on the coast of one of the larger islands or somewhere upon one of the smaller ones.
-0 Inland: You may choose to instead reside inland on one of the larger islands, such as Mallorca or Minorca.
+1 Difficult Access: Your sanctum and lab is located in a difficult to access location, such as an underwater cave or secret room.
+1 Healthy Feature: Everyone already has this once by default, but may take it again up to twice more, for a total bonus of +3 to Aging and Recovery rolls.
+1 Hostile Environment: This represents an environment that is hostile and inhospitable to others, not yourself. A good example would be an underwater sanctum for a magus that can live and breath underwater easily and naturally.
+1 Secluded: The sanctum is in a hidden spot, known only to the other magi of the chapter and a few others you might tell. Examples include underground, a sea cavern, in a regio (with uncontrolled and unknown entries, as per the boon above), a secret chamber in an unknown building, and etcetera.
-1 Cursed: Think of something as befits a Minor Hook.
-1 Haunted: For whatever reason, bad luck or choice, you picked a haunted location.
-1 Monster: There is some sort of monster of undefined supernatural nature that resides in or roams around an area nearby your Quarter. It is not yet a direct threat or problem to you, and you are not yet capable of defeating it.
-1 Further Regio: There is a regio on the property of your Quarter that you do not control and have only partially or have not yet explored (or even discovered). Who knows what lies hidden inside?
-1 Unhealthy Feature: There are a few locations that may be unhealthy or unsanitary, such as in the city of Palma or a graveyard. Other aspects inhospitable to normal human life also apply, such as outdoors or underwater. Taking this hook once negates the general +1 bonus. Taken a second time results in a -1 penalty to Aging and Recovery rolls. That is about as bad as it gets though.
-1 Urban: Your sanctum is nestled within a small coastal settlement
-3 Monster: If taken as a Major Hook, then it is a direct threat and/or immediate problem, yet even the covenant united with you is unable to defeat it. If that's really what you want to do, then have as much rope as you want and I will go get you a stool.
-3 Urban/City: Your sanctum is located in or on the edge of a major city (the only obvious choice being Palma on Mallorca).

Construction: These are items concerned with buildings and physical constructions upon the property.
+0 Manor House: The property includes a modest stone manor house. If combined with Urban or City, this may be a townhouse. It may have mild fortifications, but nothing serious.
+0 Small Tower: The property is a small stone tower, such as a lighthouse or an old watch tower. It may have mild fortifications, but nothing serious.
+1 Edifice/Important Building/Special Feature: This could mean a really fancy building, a fountain and stature in front of your manor, a stone pier, an underground/underwater bunker, and etcetera. This may be taken multiple times.
+1 Superior Engineering: Due to exceptional skill (&/or magical craftsmanship), the construction and engineering of buildings are of incredible quality. It inspires awe, envy, and maybe even fear (it is best if you keep your buildings few and small).
-1 Crumbling: Whatever type of building you have and whatever it is made out of, it is in disrepair and falling apart
-1 Wooden: Your building is made out of wood instead of stone. This may be nice and of excellent construction, but it is vulnerable.

Resources
+1 Personal Resources (Lesser): You have access to a resource that is rightfully yours alone, a gift from a friend or mentor, or given to you for a specific task by the covenant. This is of equivalent value to three pawns of vis vis, as spent in terms of the Hermetic Economics system. Three pawns equals12qp, and the simple price guide for recommended or additional items is as follows: Books = Quality + level, Charged Items = Charges + (half of level), Lesser Items = 6qp per magnitude, cash reserves = 1qp per 3£, private income = 1qp per 1£, and Vis Stocks = 4qp per pawn of Form or 8qp for a Technique. This may be taken up to three times.
+1 Private Income: You have a private source of income that brings in 15£ a year. This boon is free if this is an Indiscrete Resource, a source of illicit income such as piracy. This may be taken up to three times, but only once for free. This may also be combined with other Resource boons to expand the value of this income.
+1 Hidden Resource: There is some undiscovered resource located on your property. You do not know of its existence at first, but you will soon become aware of it. At that point, if you decide to share it with the covenant & chapter or to horde it for yourself, those ramifications are dealt with at that time. The value is the same as for Personal Resource.
+1 Indiscrete Resource: You have a resource obtained by illicit or improper means. Something you stole/are stealing from someone, something you are supposed to share, or otherwise by some means or condition that could cause trouble if discovered by concerned authorities (such as your chapterhouse associates/covenant mates). The value is the same as for Personal Resource.
+1 Single Resource: You own and control a single small personal resource, worth 15qp, that you do not have to share with or hide from anyone. You may take this only once.
+3 Personal Resources (Greater): You have access to a resource that is rightfully yours alone, a gift from a friend or mentor, or given to you for a specific task by the covenant. This is of equivalent value to a Rook of vis, as spent in terms of the Hermetic Economics system. A Rook equals 40qp, and the simple price guide for recommended or additional items is as follows: Books = Quality + level, Charged Items = Charges + (half of level), Lesser Items = 6qp per magnitude, Invested Items = 12qp per Magnitude + open pawn of space, cash reserves = 1qp per 3£, private income = 1qp per 1£, Vis Stocks = 4qp per pawn of Form or 8qp for a Technique, a private Vis Source = 28qp per annual pawn. This may only be taken once.

Inhabitants
_____This represents others that inhabit the area of your quarter. As a base, besides themselves and an allotment for a Familiar and an apprentice; you have an allotment of 10 points of staff figured into your staff. Minor Staff costs one point per person, Major Staff cost two points each. Minor staff includes grogs, servants, sailors, pirates, rabble, flunkies, covenfolk, and other commoners. Major Staff includes specialists, armed soldiers, craftsmen, professionals, favored grogs, and so forth. Companions may or may not be staff, but they still need a magus to sponsor them unless they are independently wealthy. Boons and Hooks concerning Inhabitants do not affect your expenses (the cost is absorbed into the abstract). You may also have additional staff that you actually pay for, or cut costs by downsizing, but they will have to be recruited or fired in game.
+1 Increased Staff: You have an additional 5 points of miscellaneous staff that you do not affect your expenses (they are already figured in). This is worth 6 points if they are all of the same type (a trio of soldiers, three craftsmen, six pirates, etc). This may be taken up to three times.
+1 Magical Staff: Almost every member of your staff has inherit magical traits, or will soon acquire them while residing in the aura of your quarter.
-1 Minor Mystical Pests: You have gremlins in your lab, or smurfs in your sanctum, or woozles tearing up your garden.
-1 Small Staff: Your staff is greatly reduced, but your expenses are not. This may be because of the cost of high living, paying of debts to them or for them, or some other hole in your budget that equates to having a limited staff. You start off with only six points, additional members have to be recruited and paid for. Your Familiar is paid for, if you have one, but your apprentice (if any) is not and costs 2 points.
-3 No Staff
[tab][/tab]Perhaps it is because your own expenses are so lavish, or because of some other great expense that drains your resources, you have absolutely no staff yet still have the same expenses. Only your familiar is paid for if you have one, and if you do not it provides no cost savings. Recruiting staff is difficult,

Relations
+1 Informants/Agents
[tab][/tab]You have a network of informants and other agents in the area that gather information for you and perform other (non-violent) tasks of intrigue. They are not on your staff or part of your expenses, they have their own lives. They just cooperate with you seeking favor. It is wise to throw them a bone once in a while. Use the rules from Societas to design your agency.
+1 Local Ally:
[tab][/tab]You personally have made friends with influential mundane authorities
+1 Promised Favors:
[tab][/tab]Someone, Hermetic or mundane, owes you a favor pertaining to your residence here at Sa Dragonera
-1 Hangout:
[tab][/tab]On or near your quarter, there is a popular hangout (such as a tavern or church) that others are always congregating about. This is a draw on your staff and a potential start point for endless random stories.
-1 Owed Favors:
[tab][/tab]You owe a favor to someone in the area, or one that concerns your residence here.
-1 Politics:
[tab][/tab]You slightly entangles in mundane politics of the area (always a bad idea), or you have a heavy involvement in Hermetic politics that will affect your life here in Sa Dragonera

Individual Expenditures
Average Annual Expenses

  • Magus: 15£ (5£ Inhabitant, 1£ Writing Materials, 3£ Lab and Arcane Supplies, 6£ Compensation)
  • Companion/Familiar: 3£
  • Soldier/Specialist/Craftsman/Professional/Apprentice: 2£
  • Servant/Rabble/Covenfolk/Flunky/Pirate/Other: 1£
    [tab][/tab]The typical Journeyman is afforded the lifestyle that befits a magus, and may have a Lab Upkeep as high as +2. It is further presumed that each magus will have a Companion, a Familiar, two soldier grogs, three servants, and an Apprentice or a Specialist at their disposal.
    [tab][/tab]This totals up to an average expense of 30£ per magus; including their entourage, buildings & properties, and laboratories. This is what the covenant has budgeted, and supplies each magus with each year. This includes 6£ that they can save aside, or use to live a more lavish lifestyle. Wages that they earn for services would be money owed no matter if the resided here or at the main covenant, so this is not a budget concern.
    [tab][/tab]At the rate of 30£ per magus, it costs the covenant 180£ per year to maintain the Chapterhouse. The vis yeild from Sa Dragonera is a Queen per year, and we make a 60/40 split with Barcelona. So it takes us 180£ to make 60 pawns of vis, using a vis exchange rate of 12£ per pawn, Andorra profits 45 pawns of vis per year. That is 5 pawns more than Barcelona, but we can consider that a wash with cost overruns and miscellaneous expenses.

Upgrading your Lifestyle
[tab][/tab]If you want a more lavish lifestyle, the cost is up to you. You have 6£ to play with, and there are other ways to obtain income. The expense of expanding your entourage is as indicated above, Other additional expenses are as follows.

  • Lab Upkeep: Pyramid value of Upkeep score minus 3£
  • Lab Size: 1£ per point of Size
  • Buildings: 1£ per point of Boon, -1£ per point of Hook
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