I'd like to stack Regiones in there with Aurae in the same minor focus - still fairly narrow I think.
Objections?
Probably okay with me. I don't know enough about Hermetic Architecture to know the conseqeunces of this later on, but Aurae/Regiones seems to be a narrow field within Vim. Would the bonuses apply to rolls for spells directly affecting/detecting only, or are you thinking more broadly?
Background for Aedituus: pre-apprenticeship
As the Abbot intoned the prayers of consecration in his dry and barren voice, twelve-year-old Abelard found himself, as usual, starting to drowse. The coolness of the dim stone chapel was so much more comfortable than the boysâ dormitory up under the eaves on the south side of the monastery, and the light that always seemed to surround Father Aelfric during mass was more comforting than disturbing. The sleep lost to last nightâs prayers snuck up on Abelard. John, a year older, started whispering about how hungry he was, and how he wished for some of his motherâs stewed lamb with rosemary. Several of the other boys also whispered about mundane activities, and Abelard startled awake when he began to taste the savoury stew that John imagined. He opened his eyes, and as the others fell silent, all apparently paying studious attention to the mass. Abelard wondered that Brother Joseph had not waded into the whispering boys to pull some out by their ears, but the older Brother remained off to the side, apparently and surprisingly oblivious to the transgressions.
Later, as Abelard and John ate together, the thin gruel barely enough to break the nightâs fast, Abelard whispered, as talking at meals was not really allowed, âNothinâ like your mumâs lamby stew, is it?â John raised his eyebrows in apparent surprise, but said nothing until they were finished with the meal.
âHow do you know about my mumâs stew?â
âYou kept talkinâ about it at mass this morning. Made my mouth water to hear it!â
John stopped, and looked at the younger boy. âI didnât say nothinâ at mass this morning! Besides, you were almost snoring; Brother Joseph is going to tan your hide if you keep falling asleep.â
âI only closed my eyes. Youâre the one whoâll be in trouble for talking during mass.â
âI told you I wasnât talking!â John punched Abelard on the arm.â
âYou and everybody else had lots to say this morning. I was surprised Brother Joseph wasnât red in the face.â
John gaped at him. âYou must have been dreaming. Nobody talked during mass this morning, not even William after the whipping he got yesterday.â
Abelard thought for a minute. âThen howâd I know about the lamb stew?â
âI dunno.â John looked at Abelard quizzically. âBut it is good, and youâre right; that slop at breakfast makes me miss it.â
As time went on, Abelard found he could sometimes hear what other monks were thinking, and that he could also sometimes project his thoughts toward others. The most unfortunate occurrence was during mass, a few weeks after the exchange with John, when Abelard had decided that Brother Joseph looked like one of the fat pigeons in the courtyard. Although he had said nothing (which was confirmed by John) Brother Joseph had apparently heard the remark, and reacted badly. Abelard found himself in the kitchens working off a serious penance for the next several weeks, and had to be very careful around Brother Joseph from then on. When he was fourteen, a bishop visited the abbey, putting everyone on edge, as he was known to be a hard man with a temper that seethed and burned. Abelard took an instant dislike to the man, and avoided him as much as possible. On the last day of the visit, the bishop said the mass, and Abelard found it odd that he did not glow as the priests of the abbey did when they raised the holy bread. When it was his turn to receive communion from the bishop, Abelard was overcome by a foul stench, and kneeling there with the host presented to him, vomited on the bishopâs slippers and passed into unconsciousness.
Abelard awoke in the infirmary, tended by Brother Matthew, the Infirmarer. Matthew was a little hesitant to approach the boy when he first woke because while Abelard was asleep, Matthew had sudden and pungently smelling visions of the bishop whenever he touched the boy to check his fever. As Abelard recovered, he told Matthew about the illuminated priests, about the ghosts that wandered outside the walls on All Hallowâs Eve, how he always enjoyed the smell of roses around the altar even during the winter, how he often knew what someone was thinking, and how he could sneak past Brother Joseph at night just by imagining the older man asleep. Worried that the fever had taken Abelardâs wits, Matthew had the boy assigned to the Infirmary where he could keep a closer eye on him. In addition to his morning and evening work in the scriptorium, Abelard enjoyed his afternoons in the Infirmary.
Abelard proved an able helper, learning the skills of an Infirmarer, and often seemed able to ease the pains of the older monks more effectively than Matthew could. Unfortunately, the episode with the bishop and his uncanny ability to know what others were thinking often put him at odds with his superiors, and Matthew found the Infirmary and herb garden to be places of refuge. At the age of sixteen, Abelard took the vows of a monk, and looked forward to being able to take Holy Orders when he turned eighteen, hoping to end his feelings of isolation and join the order fully. He continued his duties in the Infirmary, tending many who came for treatment, including the occasional traveller beset by bandits. One pair, a father and son, bore little resemblance to each other, but the elder, who always wore a red hat, frequently referred to the younger as âfiliusâ. The young man had suffered a beating at the hands of some bandits, and although the father seemed unharmed, he was certainly shaken by the ordeal. He was some sort of messenger, and left his son to the monksâ care while he completed his mission. Abelard struck up a friendship with young Charles while he recuperated, and was surprised at his knowledge of Latin. Charles had some amazing stories to tell, and Abelard shared some of his experiences as well. When Charlesâ father returned, he and his son left with the promise of returning to visit Abelard. One or the other did visit several times during the next year, and Abelard found himself looking forward to their visits, as his isolation from the other monks remained.
A few months before Abelardâs ordination, Charles arrived, now wearing a red cap himself, with a much older man named Johannes, who was a scholar and knew Latin very well. He seemed to know exactly how Abelard felt about himself and his surroundings, and was able to discuss the techniques Abelard had learned in the Infirmary. He also glowed like the priests did during mass, but unlike them, Johannes glowed all the time. The older man became a frequent visitor, and explained that he lived in what he called a covenant with other scholars. Abelard found himself wishing he could visit Johannesâ covenant, surprising himself with a wish that extended beyond the monasteryâs walls. A month before he was to be ordained, Abelard found himself in front of the Abbot with Johannes, asking to be released from his monastic vows so he could study with Johannesâ covenant. The Abbot agreed, and Abelard followed Johannes to his new life.
I'm thinking detecting (which is usually trivial), and/or affecting aurae/regiones directly.
All effects I expect to see fall under this focus are within the Art of Vim.
I'm not looking for a bonus every time I am within an aura/regio 
I will be researching some fairly high level spells and probably creating items with very high levels (CrVi 99 is an example given in TMRE).
There's stuff to be done before then, but if I ever want to get that high, a focus would help a lot!
I would judge regiones to be included in a minor focus on Aurae. As you say the focus applies when you (try to) affect the aura, not when you're in it 
I think it is still pretty narrow.
As long as you stick to spells that affect the object of the focus, and don't receive a benefit because of being in the presence of the focus, which you've already stated.
As I draft out more of Aedituus' background during his apprenticeship, I am thinking I may need to change his specialties, and possibly the Deficient Rego flaw. I also noticed that Hippocrates has the same high Arts as Aedituus; it might be better if I add some diversity.
I'll work on him more, and possibly post a revision tomorrow.
Claiming the Focus Bonus ust because "I'm in an Aura, see!" is not my point.
I just want a little edge for the level 99 effects I hope to do with Hermetic Architecture, eventually
I have an idea for a companion character, but I'm having a bit of trouble trying to fit him into the rules.
The concept is that of a cooper (maker of barrels and other containers of wood) with slight magical powers (and possibly the latent ability for more). He would be able to craft barrels that are subtly better than mundane ones -- the wine within keeps better or even age into much better wines, the barrels themselves are sturdier and last longer, etc. This could go as far as to be much more obviously magical, like containers that keep food fresh for X times as long as normal ones, that gradually transform the content into something else, etc. This would be obviously non-hermetic (possibly breaking some of their limits) but much weaker in general.
This does not quite fit any of the virtues that I've found in the books I have. My initial thought was something like Craft Magic in HoH:S (p.131), but that virtue only allows the character to infuse items with a power they themselves have. Then there is Touched by (Realm) in C&G (p.71) which can create Wondrous Items, but these have to be designed for a specific person so don't fit with the goods a cooper would make (and the range of possible "powers" is too wide). Another possibility would be powers similar to those of an Elementalist from HMRE, which would be fine for liquids contained in the barrels, but not so much for the barrels themselves (mostly Herbam) or other types of contents like food (mostly Herbam and Animal).
I'd rather have the companion's power stem from the Magic realm, as Faerie powers don't appeal to me. Have any of you seen some Virtue that would fit this, or should we try to build a completely new one?
Focus power? Warding the barrels from vermin? This would be in conjunction with Craft Magic
Well, my understanding is that Focus power (from RoP:M) is for Magical Character (i.e. those with Magic Might). I was seing this companion as more a mundane with limited magical power -- a kind of hedge mage without the Gift.
Combining Craft Magic with a minor virtue could work, although it would be unusual because that this virtue can only be expressed through Craft Magic. And although the powers are rather weak, they could be developped to be somewhat varied, like low-level spells.
I'll reread stuff regarding the Elementalists in HMRE. Maybe that will help me figure something out. (Hmmm, elementalist power with Restrictioin that it works only through crafted items, maybe.)
Ok, I've checked HMRE, HoH:S and Ancient Magic looking for something that would fit my concept. The closest I come are the Gruagach Give + Blessings, or Mythic Herbalism, combined with some aspects of Craft Magic.
First avenue (from HMRE): adapted Give (major virtue) + Blessings (minor virtue) + Restriction (major flaw)
The "Blessings" work only on the containers themselves, what they contain, or those who consume the content (in ascending degrees of difficulty). Additional "Virtues" that affects liquids and stuff will be established.
Second avenue (from HoH:S): adapted Mythic Herbalism
Instead of creating unguents and poultice from plants, create containers that affects its contents over time. A table similar to the one for Mythic Herbalism is created with appropriate effects for the containers, and for the content. Imbuing an effect on the content so that it can be passed on those who use it is very difficult. The ability used is the identified Craft.
In both cases, the magic manifests through the crafted items. When affecting the content of the containers, the magic takes some time to transfer from the container to the content, proportionate to the level of the effect.
Does that seem workable? I know we mentioned Craft Magic, but I find it too wide in its applications and not flexible enough for a non-Gifted character.
I acquired HMRE tonight, try and look it over quickly and get back to you for concurrence.
Have you looke at some of the faerie blessings in the back of RoP: F?
I'm not sure if they can be tooled to do what you want them to do, but they're worth taking a look at I think.
Proposed virtue for my cooper companion. I'm ready to adjust things if you find this too powerful. The third effect, in particular, may need some additional limiting factor (although the ease factor is already quite steep).
Mythic Cooperage (Major Supernatural Virtue)
You have a magical affinity with the craft of cooperage. You can imbue the barrels (or other items created using this craft, such as tubs, churns and buckets) with minor magical effects. These powers can work in three different ways.
First, you can improve the item itself. The bonus provided by Superior and Excellent Quality items is automatically increased by 1. This has no effect on how long it takes to craft the item.
Second, you can imbue an effect into the item that will affect its content. This can be an effect that preserve or improve the content (thus mostly Creo effects). The active effect only lasts as long as the content remains into the barrel and the barrel remains sound, although its consequences may be permanent. Thus, a wine aged within a barrel that improves its quality remains a high-quality wine even after it leaves the barrel, and flour kept fresh by a cask does not spoil immediately upon being taken out of it. The Ease Factor of such effects is 15 + (3 x effect magnitude). These items take twice as long to make.
Third, you can imbue an effect into the item that will transfer into the content, so that when the content is used the effect is activated. The transfer of the effect to the content is a long-term process, taking 1 season per magnitude. Once the item has imbued its content once, it loses any magical power. The Ease Factor of such effects is 15 + effect level. These items take five times as long to make, and may require specific materials to create.
The above Ease Factors are modified by the size of the item, and other factors, as follow:
- Pin (4.5 gallons) 0
- Firkin (9 gallons) +1
- Kilderkin (18 gallons) +2
- Barrel (36 gallons) +3
- Hogshead (54 gallons) +5
- Puncheon (72 gallons) +7
- Butt (108 gallons) +9
- Has imbued this effect before -3
Here is latest version of Aedituus immediately after Gauntlet. The concept text has not changed. I have more flavor text for him, but will post this later when I create a thread for him.
Aedituus ex Criamon, filius Sonya
Characteristics: Int +2, Per +1, Pre 0, Com +2, Str 0, Sta +1, Dex 0, Qik -1
Size: 0
Age: 33
Decrepitude: 0 (0)
Warping Score: 0 (0)
Confidence Score: 1 (3)
Virtues and Flaws: The Gift, Hermetic Magus, The Enigma, Affinity with Magic Theory, Book Learner, Educated, Gentle Gift, Puissant Mentem, Second Sight, Sense Holiness and Unholiness, Student of the Divine; Deficient Ignem, Deficient Perdo, Noncombatant, Pious, Visions, Weird Magic
Personality Traits: Patient +1, Impulsive +2
Abilities: Artes Liberales (ceremonial magic) +3, Awareness (alertness) +2, Britain Lore (History) +1, Charm (first impressions) +1, Chirurgy (setting bones) +1, Church Lore (politics) +2, Civil and Canon Law (monastic laws) +1, Code of Hermes (mundane relations) +1, Concentration (reading) +3, Criamon Lore (personalities) +1, Dominion Lore (saints) +2, Enigmatic Wisdom +1, Folk Ken (clergy) +2, French (slang) +2, Guile (lying to authority) +1, Latin (Hermetic usage) +5, Magic Theory (Creo) +5, Medicine (physician) +1, Native Language, English (medical vocabulary) +5, Order of Hermes Lore (history) +2, Parma Magica (Mentem) +1, Penetration (Mentem) +2, Profession: Scribe (neat work) +4, Second Sight (ghosts) +1, Sense Holiness/Unholiness (good) +2, Teaching (Latin) +2, Theology (heresy) +1.
Arts: Cr 8, In 2, Mu 2, Pe 0, Re 3, An 0, Aq 0, Au 2, Co 3, He 1, Ig 0, Im 3, Me 7, Te 0, Vi 7
Spells:
Circular Ward Against Demons ReVi10 CT: 11+aura+die
Disguise of the Transformed Image (Range: Personal) MuIm10 CT:6+aura+die
Wizard's Sidestep ReIm10 CT:7+aura+die
Charge of the Angry Winds CrAu15 CT:11+aura+die
The Chirurgeon's Healing Touch CrCo20 CT:12+aura+die
Aegis of the Hearth ReVi20 CT:11+aura+die
Lift the Dangling Puppet ReCo15 CT:7+aura+die
Confusion of the Numbed Will ReMe15 CT:11+3+aura+die
Circle of Beast Warding ReAn5 CT:4+aura+die
Abelard started his apprenticeship with Johannes ex Jerbiton who taught him some Hermetic Lore and Magic Theory before passing him on to Sonya ex Criamon. A maga on the Path of Strife, Sonya opened Abelardâs arts a gently as possible, both to preserve his supernatural senses and to urge him to a different path. Rarely during his lab duties did Sonya allow Abelard to perform tasks involving fire or destroying things, taking the jobs of disposing of lab waste mostly on herself.
EDITS:
Cleaned up Abilities, including Native Language: English.
Reduced Au to increase Re, modified spells to include Aegis of the Hearth. (I noticed somewhere that we are not using casting tablets, so knowing this becomes more important.)
Did you have something special in mind for the third effect? I kind of like the first two effects as a minor supernatural virtue, something like Mythic Craft (Type) that grants the ability Mythic Craft (Type) +1, which can be improved. The first effect brings the crafted items closer to their Platonic ideal. The second effect makes the item amazingly good at its purpose. Thus, barrels become better at storing (preserving) their contents; foodstuffs become tastier and more nourishing (a man could live on bread alone 
); jewelry makes the wearer appear even more impressive, etc. Exact effects would need to be determined by the troupe.
I think the Ease Factor you have for this is good, with the bonus for the crafter from the ability.
I assume Pious is major? Because it can be minor too, so you should mark it.
What's his native language? The only ones listed are French (which is too low at 2) and Latin (which you can't take as native language).
You also seem to be missing 5 xp, probably because you purchased Sense Holiness/Unholiness from 0 instead of 1.
Just so you know, Petronius also knows both of these spells. Doesn't mean Aedituus can't or shouldn't start with them, but if you'd rather go with something else, feel free. I notice that one of your high scores if Vim and you only have a low-level Vim spell.
For the third part I was thinking about a the most versatile but hardest things for him. For example, a cask of wine granting a +3 bonus to recovery for Moon (CrCo, Base 2, +1 Touch, +3 Moon, so EF 25), a bucket of nails that drive faeries away (PeVi), or something like that.
On one hand I'm not entirely satisfied with the details of that third ability, and could see dropping it by keeping the virtue minor. On the other hand, that's the one with the most versatility, which may achieve some effects impossible to Hermetic magic. That's why I figured I'd put it forward to the troupe's review. Suggestions would be welcome to make it better.
BTW, I was not seeing this as a different ability score than the mundane Craft, because then you end up with 2 different abilities -- one for the mundane stuff, and one for the magical sutff. That didn't make sense for me, particularly when looking at the similar "Touched by (Realm)", which allows the character to make Wondrous Items (City & Guild, pp.70-73). That's what I used as a basis, along with Mythic Herbalism in HMRE.
I like the idea of social contacts, so gave Amelie that virtue, and the flaw Weakness (for good food) to balance it and perhaps explain how she might decided to follow a magus into the forest. 
I am pretty happy with the rest of the character, so I am posting her here.
Amelie
Characteristics: Int:+1, Per: 0, Pre: +2, Com +1, Str 0, Sta +1, Dex +1, Qik 0
Size: +0; Age: 21 (21); Decrepitude: +0; warping score: +0; Confidence: 1 (3)
Virtues: Ghostly Warder, Privileged Upbringing, Puissant Ability: Leadship, Social Contacts (Merchants), Well-Traveled
Flaws: Tormenting Master (abandoned employer/husband), Continent, Non-combatant, Proud, Weakness (for good food)
Personality Traits: Loyal 2, Persistent 1,
Reputations: Trouble-maker 1 (merchants around Trier)
Abilities:
Native Language, French 5
Animal Handling (horses) 2
Area Lore (Mosel) 3
Artes Liberales (arithmetic) 3
Awareness (body language) 1
Bargain (wine) 3
Carouse (staying sober) 1
Charm (older men) 2
Civil Law (business) 2
Craft (Permancarious) 2
Etiquette (nobility) 2
Folk Ken (townsfolk) 3
Guile (hiding emotions) 1
Intrigue (contracts) 3
Leadership (inspiration) 2 +2
Living Language (German, Rheintal) 4
Organization Lore (Merchants Guild) 3
Profession: Merchant (wine) 4
Survival 1
The only daughter of a successful wine merchant, Amelie enjoyed traveling with her father, Emile, while her mother, Marie, remained at home, worried that she would not find a suitable husband for her daughter. Emile kept Amelie with him on his travels as he appreciated her advice and her ability to manage the drovers and other workmen who accompanied them. Amelie was eventually married to Emile's less-than-expert assistant, Julien, who doted on his new wife. Although fond of Julien, Amelie never felt particularly devoted to her husband, but played the part of the dutiful and loving wife, as this enabled her to continue traveling with her father and Julien.
Tragedy struck when Amelie's parents and Julien were killed in a fire. Amelie survived and tried to continue the business, but inheritance laws being what they are, and public attitudes about a woman in charge of a business eventually forced Amelie to sell her family's remaining stock. It did not help that Julien's devoted ghost remained behind, trying to give advice and help. Amelie traveled a bit and thought about joining a convent, but the idea of being so confined conflicted with her upbringing. As her funds dwindled, she took a job with a permancarius in Trier, at the recommendation of the wine merchant, David, who knew her father. She proved adept not only at the new work, but also at managing the people around her. The owner, Florian, also recognized and started using her talents with the bookkeeping, and decided to have her marry his own son, a rather loutish young man named Armin. Between her own dislike of Armin, and the ghost's weeping that she should marry another, Amelie started feeling a little confined again.
Julien (Amelie's dead husband and ghostly warder)
Characteristics: Int: +1, Per: +2, Pre: 0, Com +2, Str 0, Sta 0, Dex 0, Qik 0
Size: +0; Age: (20); Decrepitude: n/a; Confidence: 1 (3)
Personality Traits: Protective +2, Morose +1
Might: 10
Abilities:
Area Lore (Rhine Gorge) 3
Artes Liberales (rhetoric) 3
Awareness (keeping watch) 2
Charm (first impressions) 1
Dominion Lore (angels) 1
Folk Ken (townsfolk) 2
Latin (Church ceremonies) 2
Living Language (French) 5
Living Language (German, Rheintal) 4
Medicine (anatomy) 3
Organization Lore (Merchants Guild) 1
Philosophiae (natural) 2
Profession: Merchant (wine) 1
Second Sight (ghosts) 1
Powers: Physician's Eye, 5 points, Init 0, Corpus: as the InCo spell.
Before becoming a merchant, Julien was studying to be a doctor, but needed to abandon his studies. Upon his death, his ghost took on the attributes of his original profession. This, along with his current condition has made Julien a little morose, with a tendency to comment on the mortality of those around him.