Japik wouldn't mind about the faerie friend and the curiousity resulting in problems either since he is a prankster and quite curious and carefree in general himself. It might be that the covenant needs someone that takes things a bit more seriously and controls things if they get out of hand though.
Here's my thoughts on the possible soucres of those virtues:
- Entrancement can be Faerie, Magic or Infernal
- Greater Immunity can be from any of the 4 realms, though some specifi immunities can occur more often from particular realms (such as immunity to fire, which would more often be Magic or Infernal)
- Greater Purifying Touch is more often from the Divine realm, although it can also be from Magic or Faerie
- Shapeshifter can be from any of the 4 realms, though less often from Divine
- Strong Faerie Blood is obviously from Faerie, as you mentioned
Note that the same can be said of the minor virtues also. Most can come from many different realms.
Thanks Arthur. I'll take it. Given that, I am going to spend 30 xp on giving Herman Faerie Lore 3.
What are the guidelines for books and silver we bring? Given that he has a personal vis source, I would not expect him to be given any other vis.
Also, can you suggest what covenant he should have grown up and been apprenticed at? Something in the middle range of sizes in the Rhine would make sense. Would High German be his birth language?
Should I start a new thread to post the character details, or just post them here?
You should start a new topic for your character's details. I suggest you use the first post as a place holder for the final stats of your character. You can then edit that post as his stats evolve. It easier than trying to track down current stats in pages and pages of posts and comments.
As for the resources he would bring with him, you simply give me a list of priorities (3 of them), with a quick description of what you'd like. For example, you might say that your first priority is a lab, then some books on Corpus and/or Vim, and finally some silver. That might result in a standard lab, a pair of Q8 tractatus and 5 pounds of silver.
But there's no hurry for that, as I prefer to wait and see what the final character will be like before deciding on the resources.
One possibility for a home covenant, with your focus in faeries, you could have him coming from Irencilla -- particularly if your pater shared your field of interest. You might have annoyed the magi of that covenant so much that they refused to accept you once you passed your Gauntlet.
Just letting people know I'm working on my concept for the Jerbiton member of Ponderers of Weight and Distance. Trying to figure out the direction to go for this concept has been a challenge.
I wrestled with a concept for a while. I was never happy with it, and now I think I have something.
Quick background, Onesiohorus was originally apprenticed to a Flambeau, when the Flambeau master realize that his apprentice was so slow he decided that he wouldn't be a good combat magus and sold the poor lad off to a Jerbiton. The Jerbiton saw how well-spoken and at ease the young man was in social situations, and made great efforts to Gentle his Gift. I can swap out some of the Im spells for more Ignem spells to represent the time spent with the Flambeau, but some of those Im spells a Flambeau might also have...
Onesiphorus
Characteristics: Int +2, Per +1, Pre +1, Com +5, Str +1, Sta +1, Dex 0, Qik -4
Size: 0
Age: 28 (28), Height: 5'7'', Weight: 160 lbs, Gender: Male
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: 0 (0)
Confidence: 1 (3)
Virtues and Flaws: The Gift, Gentle Gift, Great Communication × 2, Well-Traveled (50/50), Cautious with Bargain, Deft Form (Ignem) [Form: Ignem], Affinity with Ignem, Hermetic Magus, Puissant Ignem, Social Contacts (Choose)*, Master of None, Poor Quickness × 1, Greedy, Avaricious, Favors (Someone), Slow Caster
Combat:
Dodge: Init: -4, Attack --, Defense -1, Damage --
Fist: Init: -4, Attack +3, Defense -1, Damage +1
Kick: Init: -5, Attack +3, Defense -2, Damage +4
Soak: +1
Fatigue levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: -1 (1-5), -3 (6-10), -5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20), Dead (21+)
Abilities: Flemish 5, Latin 4, Artes Liberales 1, Parma Magica 1, Magic Theory 3, Great Weapon 2, Area Lore: Area 2, Brawl 3, Folk Ken 1, Survival 1, Bargain 4, Athletics 3, Carouse 1, Charm 2, Concentration 1, French 4, German 4, Swim 2
Arts: Cr 5, In 6, Mu 2, Pe 0, Re 1, An 0, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 0, He 0, Ig 6+3, Im 6, Me 0, Te 0, Vi 0
Equipment:
Encumbrance: 0 (0)
Spells Known:
Pilum of Fire (CrIg 20) +15
An Enemy Awash in the Pure Sigil of the Magus (CrIm 15) +12
False Window (CrIm 5) +12
Aura of Beguiling Appearance (MuIm 10) +9
Aura of Childlike Innocence (MuIm 10) +9
Aura of Ennobled Presence (MuIm 10) +9
The Ear for Distant Voices (InIm 20) +13
Prying Eyes (InIm 5) +13
Wizard's Sidestep (ReIm 10) +8
Taste of the Spices and Herbs (MuIm 5) +9
A Visible Demand for Repair (MuIm 5) +9
Taste of the Dulled Tongue (PeIm 5) +7
I need to tweak some of the abilities around a bit. I need to give him some Leadership, but this is the first draft I've been happy with. His priorities are grogs a ship and material wealth (it could be a valuable cargo) that needs to be traded. I'd rather have him directed to find and add magical resources as a condition of joining rather than have him bring in books and/or vis.
As a reminder...
I see one Flaw that I'm not familiar with (Master of None) as well as many spells from various sourcebooks. I may allow some of them, but I suggest looking at ways to replace some of these.
I don't have a problem with the low number of Ignem spells, since spells are usually taught in the last few years of apprenticeship.
If the other Wits and Bearlord are ok with the concept, then you can start a thread to discuss more of the details. 
The only issue I have is that you ask for a ship and crew as one of your high priorities for equipment. I can understand that for your concept but since we already got a ship I think the covenant as a whole could use some other things instead.
On the other hand two ships with crew can bring in more money and resources in time. Or as you say one can go hunting for vis and books, but that will take time.
Yeah, Bear and Arthur said it all. If the boat is important to your concept, though, then we can have another.
There are 5 spells from HoH:Societates. I had originally read it as spells coming from the core books (and I consider the Houses of Hermes books to be core books) with no more than 1 or 2 custome designed spells. So, how many (1 or 2) and which ones can I keep (my choice)?
[table][tr][td]An Enemy Awash in the Pure Sigil of the magus[/td][td]HoH:S 68[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]False Window[/td][td]HoH:S 68[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Aura of Beguiling Appearance[/td][td]HoH:S 96[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Aura of Enobled Presence[/td][td]HoH:S 96[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]A Visible Demand for Repair[/td][td]HoH:S 65[/td][/tr][/table]
Master of None prevents a player from being able to put XP into the same Art/Ability more than once in a year, it's from Grogs.
Core book, singular, as in the main rulebook. Sorry for the confusion.
You may keep up to 2 of those spells.
Note that I think there may be an errata on False Window, because the spell does not include +1 magnitude for Touch. (I can't access the erratas right now to make sure.)
Aura of Ennobled Presence is from ArM5. It is Aura of Childlike Innocence that's from HoH:S
You'll have to find a different flaw, sorry.
If it were put in the form of a Lesser Malediction, would it be feasible, because that is in the core book and it is rather vague and open ended.
Onesiphorus's Flambeau parens cursed him before selling him to the Jerbiton. Onesiphorus may not learn about a subject, be it an Art or Ability more than once in a year.
It's kind of character breaking (my concept) to not have it.
It looks more like a Personality flaw, like Prohibition or Vow, then a straight Supernatural flaw. I would allow it as such, but it would mean you'd have to replace either Greedy or Avaricious with a non-Personality flaw.
Eh? That's not a malediction. There is no personality flaw that has a mechanical penalty like I described. As it's character breaking, I'm just going to bow out. I've struggled through three characters and this is the fourth that is interesting to me.
Ok, I may have read it wrong. My understanding was that the character would not be able to study/train on the same subject twice in a year. Re-reading the description you posted, I realize that it is a bit more severe than that, in the fact that even if you put 1 xp of exposure in an ability or Art, he won't be able to put additional xp in that same ability or Art in the same year.
In this way, indeed this could be built as a Malediction. Is it a minor flaw? Also, of his two personality flaws, which one is major?
Right, so 2 (or 1) xp of Exposure in study would prevent it from being improved within the next 9 months/3 seasons. This really prevents someone from stacking all of their xp into one or a few Arts and Abilities. He puts xp in Corpus, whatever method he used to earn the XP, he can't put more xp into it again until next year.
I'm still deciding which one of them is major, as a concept, the best I know is that one of them is a major, I think I put Greedy as major.
The boat may or may not be important. The idea is that he would like to sail off and do whatever. If the current boat has limitations of use, in that the covenant dictates when it goes out, and doesn't grant Onesiphorus access to the boat (which is entirely reasonable from the covenant's point of view) to use as he sees best, then having a boat is important, otherwise it isn't. If the use of the boat isn't an issue, we could shipwreck him here to plant him. Or maybe the pirates of Waldenzee took it from him, stranded his crew on the island and he just managed to make into into town...
His major personality flaw is Avaricious, by the way, and he desires money and mundane wealth (not vis).
Well, the Baltrum and its crew is currently the sole source of income for the covenant, so any longish use of it means the covenant will have less money. The Baltrum is a small knarr (or a buss, as per C&G) with a crew of only 4. It can carry up to 10 tons of cargo. Even that size of ship represents significant wealth.
If you don't feel the need to have your magus actually own a ship, then perhaps his social contacts might be defined as relationship with a number of ship captains? Then he could use those contacts to go to places and arrange for transport of goods for himself. Of course, they wouldn't know he's a magus, so this would restrict his use of magic aboard their ships.
Or you might try to convince the covenant to entrust you with their ship and crew, either occasionally or for the longer term. That would have to be negociated with the other magi.
He'd have to convince Prochorus he'll make tons of money to get the boat.