Fleur's CrCo lab total is 50, without experimentation.
Technically the Levant has a number of crusader states, one of which they are currently visiting: the Kingdom of Jerusalem is under the control of Fredrick II since the 6th crusade (for which he was excommunicated and is at war with the Pope), and is in or entering a period of essentially neglect- Jerusalem itself has been devastated by the back and forth of war and won't recover to being a true city for centuries, and the crusades have largely moved north to the Balkans to bring the cross to the heathens there by sword and flame.
I never got around to posting my old notes for Golda, but I have spent some time looking up what I could about Jewish Folk Magic and devising a tradition. "Witchcraft", per se, is frowned upon or persecuted in the Jewish community. Yet there are casual references to it being a vice that most all wives indulge in and there are accepted uses of "white magic". There are also crossover references to the Baal Shem, who happen to be noted in RoP Divine.
So this is my idea for a Jewish style of White Magic based on Folk Witch mechanics.
Preferred Abilities include Adjuration, Dream Interpretation, Healing, Craft Amulets, Dowsing, Premonitions, and Second Sight.
Visions is a mandatory Free Flaw.
Use of Adjurations is limited to spirits, and I am iffy about using it.
Dream Interpretation is tied in with Premonitions and Visions.
Potions are as normal, Incantations take the form of prayers and invocations. Fetishes are unclean magic (but some might use them in secret). The preference is to use Amulets, which is accepted.
If the mix of Holy & Magic powers is unacceptable, there are other ways. Craft Magic instead of Amulets. Summoning instead of Adjuration, &/or a Virtue granting a Power (RoP Magic) to simply allow her to cause spirits to manifest, make wards, and dispel them.
Or whatever. You can see where I am trying to go. And there would be a coven of this style of witches located in Barcelona, squeezed between Hermetic Magi and Jewish Kabbalists (the Order of Geonim).
Ok, so it could work. Then how about they manage to come across a French (since that's Antoine's origin, and more language confusion is always fun) Knight Templar? I'm sure I can come up with a reason he's there and wants to leave. Who "owns" Jerusalem at the moment?
Fredrick II "owns" Jerusalem, through marriage to Yolande who was of French descent, and by a treaty with Al-Kamil in which he promised to defend Al-Kamil from his enemies- even if they happened to be Christian. Fredrick II is the king of Germany and the Holy Roman Emperor, was excommunicated in 1227, which was lifted in 1230, so technically he captured Jerusalem on a religious crusade while excommunicated. He was excommunicated again in 1234, though Fredrick himself didn't learn of this until 1239- Fredrick is currently engaged in wars in Italy to consolidate his power base, and the declaration or excommunication came from Pope Gregory IX while Gregory was forced out of Rome by another faction and after failing to restore the neutrality of Lombardy working together (Fredrick and Gregory IX).
To say a French Knight Templar might feel conflicted about the situation is putting it mildly. The reasons Fredrick II holds his lands in Europe is twofold- a large portion of hi force are Muslim mercenaries who don't care about his excommunications and the other is that in the Germanys there are a large number of people who believe the church is corrupt and that Fredrick is on a holy mission to purify it.
AM official statement is that Fredrick II supports the magical arts, but this is historically partially true- he consulted astrologers and other mystic but he also launched his own programs to drive out or exterminate non-christian mystics.
One last detail- if he joins the covenant and leaves the Kingdom of Jerusalem, he is no longer a knight Templar, though you may have other virtues and flaws depending on how you leave (the plus side is your fellow Templars will tend to be very understanding...)
That is all correct. You would be abandoning your post and be in derilect of duty as well.
But you would still know the secrets of a Master Mason...
You could request a transfer? There are comandaries in Iberia and Provencal. Or you could try for honorable discharge and retire as a wandering mendicant or a priest.
Actually a transfer could work, but might require some overlapping social virtues- the knights Templar at this time are at a point where their primary purpose is shifting from military to economic. In 1291 they lost Jerusalem for the final time, but they had established a large financial network to support their crusade which lasted for centuries afterwards. Additionally Knight Templar were, by papal bull, bound only to church law- so a retiring knight might well be sent to manage estates in southern France near Andorra, for example, though there would probably need to be some reason the knight could no longer fight, and he would probably be denoted from Knight Templar to Sargent Templar.
It so happens House Mercere is mimickng that banking system, with one of their main Vis Vaults located in our covenant. And there is a retired templar serving as our local priest. Coincidence?
?!?
Maybe so.
But you can get a trasfer on account of that broken leg you have.
Broken leg? I hope that's the plot-type of fracture - the healable sort - rather than the Flaw-type of fracture, otherwise his usefulness as a shield-grog will be somewhat curtailed!
Otherwise, that sounds perfect. Presumably, he can still have the Knight virtue? I was also pondering Sense Holiness and Unholiness, but if you'd rather he were non-supernatural I'll swap it out.
Can I ask a question?
Have I understood well that now in 5th edition Pilum of Fire and "bolt" spells don't require aim roll of finess because they can be magically resisted? And only spells which cannot be resisted because "indirect" require "aim" roll of finesse. Is it right?
