Character Creation for callen (OOC)

Imbued makes any creature with Magic Might associated with that Form either afraid or agressive towards the maga. Unless you were planning on binding a creature without Might, or not associated with Mentem (which would have been strange considering her specialty), it would have impossible to approach or befriend one.

But that is a moot point since your maga won't have that virtue. :wink:

Yes, we probably lost our necromancer/healer. If you want to go with a secondary in healing, I don't think it would be a problem.

But there are two different issues here. It is not required for a Familiar to have Might associated with Mentem to be bound using Mentem. It is required for a Familiar to have Might associated with Mentem to be affected by Imbued. So Imbued doesn't pose any problem for binding a Familiar with Mentem unless you specifically want the Familiar to have Might associated with Mentem.

It's not totally a moot point because I'll probably bind a Familiar with Mentem later, but the Familiar probably won't have Might associated with Mentem.

OK, that's good to keep in mind as I'd been taking pains to avoid that from the very beginning.

is your mmf supposed to be "permanent mental changes"? or was that too broad? because as-is won't effect your hero spells. Though maybe that's just as well?

Creo is such a useful technique that I think it doesn't count for overlaps anyway. Everyone ends up with at least a decent score in it. Wolfgang will end up with a good CrCo too, just as a side effect from studying for his PeCo and CrIg combat magic.

Oops. Thanks. I copied from an error a while ago that I'd fixed.

Yes, you're right, especially about Techniques in general as there are only 5. I was worried about the CrCo + Mercurian Magic combination. Mentem is much more a focus than Corpus, but it isn't hard to be a great healer if Creo is high, Corpus is moderate, and you've got Mercurian Magic.

I understand. You're not looking for a creature with Might associated with Mentem, even though you want to use Mentem to bind it. In that case, you are correct that it would not cause a problem if you had Imbued.

I had a thought this weekend that would create opportunities for Mariana with her Feminine Gift (until she gets initiated to the full Gentle Gift).

Near Laimunt valley are two Abbeys, Lucelle to the north and Moutier-Grandval to the south.

Instead of having both be abbeys for monks, perhaps we could change Lucelle Abbey to be a nunnery. This would generate interesting opportunities for stories, since that abbey probably has several interests in the valley. So much better if one of the covenant's vis sources is near or even inside the abbey...

What do you think?

That's cool. Also, Mariana might establish some sort of small school for women or something like that, and having a partnership with a nunnery could fit well there.

Separately, I've edited above to remove Imbued and make some other small adjustments to fine tune things. I think I need to write up a trivial spell or two up there, nothing big.

I'll progress through the seasons quickly as I've already written a huge portion of it, just adjusting. I did also think through how the Cult of Heroes would use her. Learning their spells isn't the hardest, but unless you're talented with CrMe in some way, developing new ones would take a huge effort. But they could get her to develop new, more efficient CrMe Rituals for them, somewhat like that canonical, more-efficient, CrCo healing spell.

End of Apprenticeship (spring 1195)

Being one of the few to swear the Oath of Hermes at a Grand Tribunal was an honor not lost on Mariana. She enjoyed her status and freedom and got to know as many magi as possible. On top of the general socializing, Mariana was able to reunite with the Redcap parents of her children, most of whom she had not seen in several years.

Unlike most the other apprentices just promoted, Mariana was not looking for a new home. She knew she would remain at Aedes Mercurii for quite a while and was happy about that. The Cult of Mercury had plans for her, and she was happy to partake. But she would also have to work for the covenant to earn her junior membership there.

The Mercere Portal made returning from the Grand Tribunal trivial and gave her enough time to move into one of Aedes Mercurii's many abandoned labs. Mariana chose one that appealed to her, as it was well-organized, even if it had been partially gutted to move supplies to other labs (Aura 5, -3 Basic, +1 Highly Organized = +3, just flavor on how it comes about).

.

Serving the Covenant (summer 1195, 1st season after apprenticeship)

Right away Mariana was put to work for the covenant to earn her keep. In her first seasons she was slower with the vis sources and stores, as she had to familiarize herself with them as well as maintaining them. The difficulty varied for her. Her skill with Rego made for some easier, though slow, spontaneous telekinetic magic to get things from hard-to-reach places. But milking a special Pyrenean ibex proved tricky because it reacted poorly to her Gift and she lacked specific training with Animal to help her deal with the situation.

While all this kept her busy, it also left plenty of room in her schedule to look after her two youngest children, including celebrating Elena's seventh birthday just before the end of the season. Fortunately she was naturally talented enough with Parma Magica that she was able to shield both of her children from the Gift's effects already, making for much better family time.

And now that she was starting to have some vis of her own, rather than collected by the covenant or her parens, she asked the Redcaps to procure copies of a few lab texts for her. The ones she requested were Mercury's Winged Sandals (ReCo 20), Perception of the Conflicting Motives (InMe 15), Posing the Silent Question (InMe 20), The Miner's Keen Eye (InTe 20), Wizard's Communion (MuVi 15), Facilitate the Stifled Mentem Spell (MuVi 20), and Suppressing the Wizard's Handiwork (ReVi 25). She would owe the Redcaps 4 p.v.f., 3 for the purchases and 1 for them, due when the first text arrived.

.

Mechanical bits:

Exposure: Creo +1, Parma Magica +1 β†’ Creo 4 (1), Parma Magica 1+2 (1)
Vis: Personal +1 Me β†’ 1 Me

.

Reading from Gregory of Tours (autumn 1195, 2nd season after apprenticeship)

Mariana spent her first truly free season as a maga reading the covenant's copy of Decem Libri Historiarum , studying Magic Lore. She was particularly interested in learning about the natural magical properties of materials for later consideration for a Talisman. Afterward she let the Redcaps know of objects or rumors of objects she would be interested in hearing about.

As studying didn't take her abroad so much, Mariana had notably more time at the covenant. Mostly that allowed her to dote on her two youngest children. But the covenant had an interesting, long-term visitor as well. Celerius of Mercere had spent most of his time in Iberia, but he was currently moving things between Iberia and the rest of the Tribunal. Being on the edge of the Provençal Tribunal and having a Mercere Portal made Aedes Mercurii an ideal location to be based at. To Mariana he was a handsome man with some flare and stories from exotic lands. Thus began a hot and heavy affair that would never lead to more children, as Celerius had received his first Longevity Ritual four years earlier.

.

Mechanical bits:

Exposure: Magic Lore +12+3 β†’ Magic Lore 2 (Objects of Virtue)
Vis: Personal +2 Me β†’ 3 Me

.

Preparing for the Cult of Heroes (winter 1195, 3rd season after apprenticeship)

Midius of Flambeau, on behalf of Ophilia, provided Mariana with the covenant's copy of Genesis Magica by Yannis ex Jerbiton (Creo Summa L14 Q15), instructing her to study it closely for several seasons, and that she would receive more instructions later. As Ophilia's second in command, instructions coming from Midius were not surprising; and knowing they wanted her trained for their rituals, working on Creo wasn't surprising, either. So Mariana dutifully set to work studying.

Mariana continued to spend time with her family, celebrating Rolando's sixth birthday. Her steamy affair with Celerius continued as well. Mariana received her first pawn of covenant disbursement at the end of the year, only one pawn because she was so low ranking. Overall these felt like very good times, advancing herself while having time to be a mother and being able to enjoy life's pleasures.

.

Mechanical bits:

Books: Creo +15+3 β†’ Creo 7 (1)
Vis: Dues +1 Vi, Personal +1 Me β†’ 4 Me, 1 Vi

.

Her First New Spell (spring 1196, 4th season after apprenticeship)

The first of Mariana's requested lab texts started arriving. With the upcoming Flambeau tournament as well as searching for materials for her Talisman on the horizon, Mariana figured transportation would be a good thing to start with. So she applied herself to her lab text for Mercury's Winged Sandals. Overall, the work was exciting in its own way. She was gaining a key capability, whether for exploring or for combat.

Though busier than reading, Mariana still had time for several other, smaller activities. Celerius departed early in the spring, leaving a bit of a void compared to past seasons. Though he hung around just long enough for a great celebration of Mariana's 28th birthday. Mariana also took part in Mercuralia, a standard for her, having grown up in the Cult of Mercury. With the arrival of spring Mariana's children were excited to get back outdoors. Watching and helping them grow and frolic nicely filled the remainder of her time. At the end of the season she competed in the tournament at Castra Solis, being quickly eliminated from Certamen. She fought mostly defensively and lasted fairly well for one just under a year out of apprenticeship. She would have to make a better showing in four years.

.

Mechanical bits:

Lab Total: Int 3 + Re 11 + Co 1 + MT 7 + Lab/Aura 3 = 25 β‰₯ 20
New Formulaic Spells: Mercury's Winged Sandals (ReCo 20)
Exposure: Magic Theory +2 β†’ Magic Theory 4+2 (2)
Vis: Personal +2 Me, Paying the Redcaps -4 Me β†’ 2 Me, 1 Vi

.

More Study for the Cult (summer 1196, 5th season after apprenticeship)

Mariana returned from Castra Solis at the beginning of the season, and it was time to set to work on the Creo text again. It was quite an in-depth book and so made for fascinating reading.

Elena's eighth birthday arrived toward the end of the season. Ophilio and the Redcaps were paying a lot of attention to her. No Gift had yet emerged, though, so it was likely Elena would go on to be trained as a Redcap like her older brothers before her. Mariana spent more time with Rolando than she did with Elena, allowing Elena to receive some tutoring in advance of whatever sorts of studies she would soon begin.

.

Mechanical bits:

Books: Creo +15+3 β†’ Creo 9 (2)
Vis: Personal +1 Me β†’ 3 Me, 1 Vi

.

Even More Study for the Cult (autumn 1196, 6th season after apprenticeship)

Still working toward being able to develop some strong CrMe for the cult's rituals but wanting a break from Creo, Mariana spent the season studying the covenant's summa on Mentem, Minds Easily Manipulated by Invictus of Tremere (Mentem Summa L14 Q 15). It was a good book, but it also inspired Mariana to do better. To help earn her status as an archmaga, she should write a new Branch for Mentem. She would have to pocket that idea for later.

Reading kept her around the covenant, too, which made more time for her children. There wouldn't be so many years left with her children, so spare time like this was greatly appreciated.

.

Mechanical bits:

Exposure: Mentem (+15+3)x1.5 β†’ Mentem 9 (3)
Vis: Personal +2 Me β†’ 5 Me, 1 Vi

.

More Covenant Service (winter 1196, 7th season after apprenticeship)

Mariana spent another season dealing with the covenant's vis sources and other things as necessary. Being able to fly made traveling about simpler and made things like catching the mountain-peak wind in a bottle for Auram vis fairly straightforward. She had to use several simple wards to protect herself from the chill and the wind, too.

The winter was brutal, especially as Mariana's bed was noticeably cooler than it had been last year. Being cooped up with her children when not out and about was nice; knowing she did not have many years left with her little ones, Mariana spent what time she could with them. Rolando's seventh birthday didn't bring a lot more height for him, but that didn't stop him from celebrating his growth.

.

Mechanical bits:

Exposure: Creo +1, Parma Magica +1 β†’ Creo 9 (3), Parma Magica 1+2 (2)
Vis: Dues +1 Vi, Personal +1 Me β†’ 6 Me, 2 Vi

Her First Adventure (spring 1197, 8th season after apprenticeship)

At the beginning of the spring Mariana received word from a Redcap about a sighting of an Owl of Virtue, one of several things she'd mentioned interest in a couple years prior. She traded a pawn of vis for silver so she could tip the Redcap the customary pound. After celebrating her 29th birthday with her family and enjoying a little time outdoors with her children again after long days chased the winter's cold away, Mariana was ready to set out to search for the owl.

She went through a number of preparations for her journey, mostly setting up what should be reasonable spell effects to manage the journey and help her scouting. While her travel to the forest was quick, she was able to observe a little non-covenant life on the way. She was disheartened to see how poorly several women were treated, but she had a goal and put this to the back of her mind for now. She spent many weeks searching through the forest. She came across a little bit of Herbam and Vim vis, which she happily collected, but the target of her hunt was elusive.

She probably never would have found it without the guidance the Redcaps had given, but armed with it she had much better odds and finally did come across the raptor. While it became aware of her quickly, its speed was no match for the speed at which she could use sleep spells, and it would have had difficulty penetrating her Parma Magica if it had tried to oppose her magically. Cleverly, it set upon her with its talons instead. While it didn't last long, it did manage to hurt her. Slitting the bird's throat as it slept was easy, though messy, leaving Mariana with her wounds and her prize. To her surprise, a Weasel of Virtue brought her some herbs to help her recover.

.

Mechanical bits:

Adventure: Area Lore: Europe +2 β†’ Area Lore: Europe 0 (2), Awareness +2 β†’ Awareness 1 (2), Parma Magica +3 β†’ Parma Magica 1+2 (5), Mentem +2 β†’ Mentem 9 (5)
Vis: Adventure +1 He +1 Vi +4 dedicated InVi (in skull), Exchange -1 Me, Personal +2 Me β†’ 4 InVi (dedicated, in skull), 1 He, 7 Me, 3 Vi
Money: Exchange +10 lb, tip -1 lb β†’ 9 lb
Warping: +1 Warping Point β†’ Warping Score 0 (1)

.

Her Adventure Continues (summer 1197, 9th season after apprenticeship)

The weasel seemed to want something from Mariana, sticking around with some sort of intent. After she recovered through a combination of CrCo magic and the weasel's medicine, she followed the weasel. Eventually it led her to find the intelligent snakes that were causing problems for it. With the weasel's help she scouted for a while, making sure she knew how many enemy snakes there were. Then, between her magic and the weasel's combat prowess, they were able to slay the snakes. Over those many weeks Mariana and the weasel started to form a friendship of sorts, and the weasel joined her as she headed home.

Mariana spent unfortunately little time with her family, as her return at the end of the season was only just in time to celebrate Elena's ninth birthday with her family, what might turn out to be their final birthday celebration together the five of them. That would depend on when a Redcap came calling to collect Elena. Mariana simultaneously looked forward to and dreaded that day. And she didn't really have that much longer with Rolando.

Upon returning home Mariana also spoke to Ophilio about making a Longevity Ritual for her. It would be expensive, she knew. But it would take her ages of study to manage anything vaguely close to what he could do. She also knew his schedule could be busy, so she would have to make arrangements well in advance. Fortunately, as the head of the Cult of Heroes, he looked favorably on her and made sure he fit her in; not favorably enough for a discount off the 20 p.v.f., though - too bad.

.

Mechanical bits:

Adventure: Area Lore: Europe +1 β†’ Area Lore: Europe 0 (3), Awareness +2 β†’ Awareness 1 (4), Parma Magica +3 β†’ Parma Magica 1+2 (8), Creo +2 β†’ Creo 9 (5)
Vis: Adventure +3 Pe, +2 An, +1 Vi Personal +1 Me β†’ 4 InVi (dedicated, in skull), 3 Pe, 2 An, 1 He, 8 Me, 4 Vi
Money: 9 lb
Warping: +1 Warping Point β†’ Warping Score 0 (2)

.

Binding Her Familiar (autumn 1197, 10th season after apprenticeship)

After returning home Mariana spent more time with the Weasel of Virtue, working in the laboratory to cement their bond. With its significant medical talent she found it took to Creo well, and its natural intelligence meant it meshed with Mentem, too.

Mariana was pleased to see the remaining lab texts she had requested had arrived while she was away. The significantly added to her collection.

A big part of why Mariana chose not to adventure this season was to be near her children before she would have to head out on other business. It also wouldn't be that long until Elena was taken as an apprentice, and even Rolando was getting there; so Mariana cherished the time they could spend together this season perhaps more than any other. And her children doted on their new companion animal, which pleased the weasel as well.

.

Mechanical bits:

Lab Total: Int 3 + Creo 9 + Mentem 9 + MT 6 + Lab/Aura 3 = 30 β‰₯ 30
Familiar Bond: Gold Cord 2, Silver Cord 0, Bronze Cord 2
Exposure: Creo +1 β†’ Creo 9 (6), Magic Theory +1 β†’ Magic Theory 4+2 (3)
Vis: Familiar Bond -6 Me, Personal +2 Me β†’ 4 InVi (dedicated, in skull), 3 Pe, 2 An, 1 He, 4 Me, 4 Vi
Money: 9 lb

.

A Quiet Season in the Cold (winter 1197, 11th season after apprenticeship)

Mariana continued to study from the Creo text, as instructed. While it was still very informative, the excitement of the book was starting to wane through lack of novelty. Nonetheless, Mariana could see where she was headed and was making notable improvements in that direction, providing her plenty of energy.

In the meantime she paid for one of the covenant's scribes to instruct her Familiar in Magic Theory. He wasn't a trained instructor, but Mariana was happy to have anyone who could teach her new friend.

Again, this kept her near her children so she could enjoy these last seasons they would have the five of them. They celebrated Rolando's eighth birthday together. Mariana continued to try to cherish these remaining seasons.

.

Mechanical bits:

Books: Creo +15+3 β†’ Creo 11 (3)
Vis: Dues +1 Co, Personal +1 Me β†’ 4 InVi (dedicated, in skull), 3 Pe, 2 An, 1 Co, 1 He, 5 Me, 4 Vi
Money: MT instruction -2 lb β†’ 7 lb

.

More Reading for Family Time (spring 1198, 12th season after apprenticeship)

For her birthday Mariana had two big celebrations, one with her family as this might be the last the six - now counting her Familiar, who became known as Vita - of them had together, and one with a bunch of Redcaps in a Roman orgy. It was her 30th birthday, after all. Mariana also celebrated Mercuralia, as she typically did.

The spring gave Vita a chance to explore the area and its herbs. She was happy to have the opportunity, and it was nice to get out into the spring weather.

For her own work, Mariana kept her head buried in Minds Easily Manipulated by Invictus of Tremere (Mentem Summa L14 Q 15). She was progressing quickly through it. The more she read, though, the more she was convinced she could eventually do better. But soon she would have to return to Creo to manage what the cult wanted.

.

Mechanical bits:

Books: Mentem (+15+3)x1.5 β†’ Mentem 11 (11)
Vis: Personal +2 Me β†’ 4 InVi (dedicated, in skull), 3 Pe, 2 An, 1 Co, 1 He, 7 Me, 4 Vi
Money: 7 lb

.

Another Season of Service (summer 1198, 13th season after apprenticeship)

Mariana was still low in the pecking order, but fundamentally she didn't mind earning her keep. She spent the season collecting vis and taking care of other covenant business. It was easier than it had been a few years ago, with her improved skills and added spells.

Vita continued to learn about the local herbs in the generally nice weather. And she spent time with the family, enjoying some love from the little ones, especially from Rolando when we felt lonely after Elena's departure. For this summer the Redcaps came for Elena. The family celebrated quite a bit, as they had for Elena's two older brothers. But Elena's departure saddened Mariana more than even Bernardo's, her first, departure. With her Parma Magica Mariana had been able to spend more quality time with her youngest two children. And Elena was her only daughter, so that bond was special in another way. But becoming a Redcap would put Elena in a great place for the rest of her life, so Mariana accepted in wholeheartedly, even while weeping.

Mechanical bits:

Exposure: Awareness +1 β†’ Awareness 1 (5), Parma Magica +1 β†’ Parma Magica 1+2 (9)
Vis: Personal +1 Me β†’ 4 InVi (dedicated, in skull), 3 Pe, 2 An, 1 Co, 1 He, 8 Me, 4 Vi
Money: 7 lb

.

A Final Season on Mentem (autumn 1198, 14th season after apprenticeship)

Mariana decided to finish studying Minds Easily Manipulated by Invictus of Tremere (Mentem Summa L14 Q 15) before her season with Ophilio arrived. This would keep her around Rolando that much more.

Family life was subdued this season. The dynamic of the past several years had been shaken up by Elena's departure. Mariana still spent a lot of time with Rolando and Vita. There just wasn't the same energy that there had been. Still, getting out and about before the full cold of the winter set in was a good thing. And Vita could continue studying the local herbs in the nice weather.

.

Mechanical bits:

Books: Mentem (+15+3)x1.5 β†’ Mentem 13 (13)
Vis: Personal +2 Me β†’ 4 InVi (dedicated, in skull), 3 Pe, 2 An, 1 Co, 1 He, 10 Me, 4 Vi
Money: 7 lb

.

Her Longevity Ritual with Ophilio (winter 1198, 15th season after apprenticeship)

The season she had arranged with Ophilio was upon her. She had only just barely saved up enough vis to pay him. She would get to see the master at work; he was known for being the longevity expert of House Mercere, after all. And as Mariana and Vita were able to assist him well, her ritual would be quite strong.

Most of the season went well, with everyone cooped up for the winter. But things really fell apart at the end of the season for Mariana. First her father died defending Pila of Flambeau as she pursued her hoplite activities. While it was an honorable death, that did little to console Mariana. Meanwhile she tried to do her best with Rolando as his ninth birthday arrived and he mourned the loss of his grandfather. But then the Redcaps came for Rolando to begin his apprenticeship. With only Mariana, her mother, Rolando, and Vita there and grieving, his send-off wasn't as celebratory as the other children's had been.

Mechanical bits:

Longevity Ritual: 23nd magnitude
Exposure: Magic Theory +2 β†’ Magic Theory 4+2 (5)
Vis: Dues +1 Co, Longevity Ritual -2 Co -4 Vi, Payment -3 Pe -2 An -1 He -11 Me, Personal +1 Me β†’ 4 InVi (dedicated, in skull)
Money: 7 lb

Back to the Grind (spring 1199, 16th season after apprenticeship)

Having just spent a season with Ophilio, Mariana knew he would be disappointed if she didn't get back to work on Creo. This also served her well in preparation for the tournament in a little over a year, as she would have two very solid Techniques paired with two very solid Forms.

This spring she also took part in the Mercuralia, but her heart just wasn't in it with the loneliness after losing her father and her last child having been led away. She finds a companion in Wolfgang, sharing different sorts of loneliness. As he's quite willing to spar as she prepares for the tournament, this companionship works especially well. If he keeps coming around, this could grow into a good camaraderie.

And, of course, there was Vita. The two both missed the children, as Vita had become fond of them doting on her. This season Vita studied more Magic Theory under the same scribe.

.

Books: Creo +15+3 β†’ Creo 12 (9)
Vis: Personal +2 Me β†’ 4 InVi (dedicated, in skull), 2 Me
Money: MT instruction -2 lb β†’ 5 lb

.

Trudging Onward (summer 1199, 17th season after apprenticeship)

The spring just bled into the fall. Mariana's studies continued. The process was tedious, but her ambition provided plenty of tenacity to get through the work. And the end being in sight nearly excited her if not for her mourning. Vita and Mariana continued to comfort each other, becoming more of a pair and their only companions. Vita spent time outside learning more about herbs, though, rather than studying more Magic Theory.

.

Mechanical bits:

Books: Creo +15+3 β†’ Creo 14
Vis: Personal +1 Me β†’ 4 InVi (dedicated, in skull), 3 Me
Money: 5 lb

.

A Little More Reading (autumn 1199, 18th season after apprenticeship)

Mariana's studies continued. This time she was given a Mentem tractatus, Toward a Theory of Mind by Damen (Q9). The cult was about ready for her to work on rituals, and the excitement almost broke through to her. Vita and Mariana continued to comfort each other, becoming more of a pair and their only companions. Vita continued to spend time outside learning more about herbs, though, rather than studying more Magic Theory.

.

Mechanical bits:

Books: Mentem (+9+3)x1.5 β†’ Mentem 15 (2)
Vis: Personal +2 Me β†’ 4 InVi (dedicated, in skull), 5 Me
Money: 5 lb

.

Working for the Covenant (winter 1199, 19th season after apprenticeship)

Another dreary winter of work. But it kept her busy when the anniversary of her father's death rolled around. While she was out and about doing chores in the cold, Vita stayed warm under the tutelage of the scribe. While going about her chores, Mariana paid a little more attention to her magical defenses, keeping in mind the upcoming tournament.

.

Mechanical bits:

Exposure: Mentem +2 β†’ Mentem 15 (4), Parma Magica +1 β†’ Parma Magica 2+2
Vis: Dues +1 Vi, Personal +1 Me β†’ 4 InVi (dedicated, in skull), 6 Me, 1 Vi
Money: MT instruction -2 lb β†’ 3 lb
Warping: +1 Warping Point from Longevity Ritual β†’ Warping Score 0 (3)

.

Her First Cult Ritual (spring 1200, 20th season after apprenticeship)

Ophilio had tasked her with learning these rituals so she could improve upon them. As the task would be difficult, Vita joined her in the lab.

She had plenty enough flexibility in her schedule for Mercuralia. It was good to see Wolfgang there again. But the visit was brief as she had to return to the Matres and Matrones.

.

Mechanical bits:

Lab Total: Int 3 + Cr 14 + Me 15 + Foc 14 + MT 7 + Lab/Aura 3 + Fam 4 = 60 β‰₯ 60.
New Formulaic Spells: Intelligence of the Heroes (CrMe 60), Wizard's Vigil (ReVi 60)
Exposure: Creo +1, Mentem +2 β†’ Creo 14 (1), Mentem 15 (6)
Vis: Personal +2 Me β†’ 4 InVi (dedicated, in skull), 8 Me, 1 Vi
Money: 3 lb

.

Mastering the Ritual (summer 1200, 21st season after apprenticeship)

Mariana traveled to Castra Solis to compete in the tournament. She made a notably better showing in Certamen. It helped that her Arts were stronger overall and that she'd improved in Parma Magica. Her biggest boost was that she suckered another magus about her age by choosing Vim, which he vetoed to allow her to choose Mentem. But she still couldn't stand up to most the Flambeau and those Tremere who showed. At least Creo was now a strength so the CrIg-focused Flambeau didn't best her quite so quickly.

She returned quickly from the tournament and set to work. Ophilio knew the risks of casting an unmastered ritual, both in terms of Wizard's Twilight and terms of the wasted resources. So he provided Mariana with a tractatus on spell mastery (Q12). Mariana knew mastering this ritual would help her create better rituals and allow her to serve the cult better. Meanwhile Vita started looking around the unused lab spaces, wondering if there would be a good place for her to make medicines.

.

Mechanical bits:

Books: Spell Mastery: Intelligence of the Heroes +12+3 β†’ Spell Mastery: Intelligence of the Heroes 2 Adaptive Casting, Lab Mastery
Vis: Personal +1 Me β†’ 4 InVi (dedicated, in skull), 9 Me, 1 Vi
Money: 3 lb

.

Working for the Cult (autumn 1200, 22nd season after apprenticeship)

With the ritual in hand, it was time for Mariana to help out. She traveled about Europe with Vita, visiting Redcaps in different places to cast the ritual on them. Much of the season was spent either flying or recovering from the casting, but she learned a lot about casting the ritual in the process. She was also compensated for her work, as House Mercere members will do.

.

Mechanical bits:

Exposure: Creo +1 β†’ Creo 14 (2), Mentem +2 β†’ Mentem 15 (8)
Vis: Payment +2 Me +3 Vi, Personal +2 Me β†’ 4 InVi (dedicated, in skull), 13 Me, 4 Vi
Money: 3 lb

.

New Preparations (winter 1200, 23rd season after apprenticeship)

Mariana had put off work on her Talisman long enough at this point. It was time to get back to work, especially after the long season spent casting rituals for the cult. She chose to study the covenant's excellent Intellego root (L6 Q21). Meanwhile Vita stayed in to remain warm, trying out some herbal remedies.

.

Mechanical bits:

Books: Intellego +21+3 (capped at 21) β†’ Intellego 6
Vis: Dues +1 Vi, Personal +1 Me β†’ 4 InVi (dedicated, in skull), 14 Me, 5 Vi
Money: 3 lb
Warping: +1 Warping Point from Longevity Ritual β†’ Warping Score 0 (4)

Some time ago I proposed a house rule for tracking the fractions instead of rounding up. You were the only one to comment on it, and it was never officially adopted.

I'm just wondering if it should be settled once and for all...

Regardless, I can move a random point or two around and end up with the same result. If we want to do it, we certainly can. I don't see Affinity as one of the strongest Virtues overall, so I don't see that the added house rule and tracking all the fractions provides much value. If Affinity were so much stronger, sure, holding it back some might be reasonable. But look at Affinity v. others. So far, between character creation and these seasons of advancement, she's gained 37 points. That includes the fractions rounding up. Starting with Arcane Lore would more than cover that. Book Learner would have picked up 33 so far and will apply to much more other stuff in the future.

I only brought it up because it was never settled one way or the other, and the summa she was studying conveniently allowed her to reach a score of 14 exactly at the end of a season. :wink:

I am officially dropping the idea of adding that House Rule. :sunglasses:

I'm actually thinking Book Learner might be better anyway. Book Learner + Affinity or Book Learner + Puissant, rather than Affinity + Puissant. I'm not trying to make Mentem skyrocket so much because of the Minor Magical Focus. I think I'm spread too much while working with something too focused.

Yes, 14/15 landed there nicely. But I could easily have dropped a few points in from adventure if it hadn't landed so nicely.

I need to go back and reconsider Book Learner, which I'd dropped earlier in favor of the two Mentem Virtues, rather than keeping it plus one of them.

I'm working on the Weasel of Virtue. I'm looking at low Might, around the Animal Companion level so that the Familiar is less independent and not super-powerful. Male weasels are Size -6 to -5. The females are a little smaller, generally Size -6. But weasels are also know to grow noticeably larger than average; and a Weasel of Virtue, then, should likely be Size -5. Lesser Immunity: Basilisk's Gaze is fitting, though quite narrow. Educated to give access to Medicine makes a lot of sense, too, with the legends of them bringing herbal remedies and being great at medicine. Perhaps a Ritual Power to bring weasels back to life - ultra-narrow there, so maybe Might recovers at a reasonable rate. Int around +1 seems fitting for being a medic, and otherwise points should mostly go to physical stuff since they're supposed to be able to take on a basilisk.

Profession: Apothecary might be sufficient to identify herbal remedies. Maybe Herbalism (A&A) or Mythic Herbalism (HMRE or HoH:S) instead. Seems more appropriate than the human-centric Educated.

Yes, I was going to to Herbalism from A&A. Then I noted that for some reason it requires access to Academic Abilities. I thought the point of it not being Academic was to avoid that. Mythic Herbalism is an option I was considering as well.

Oh! I followed the paragraphs across the images incorrectly. It doesn't require access to Academic Abilities. Yay! Herbalism is what I'd wanted rather than Medicine anyway.

Edit: I figured I would also build the Familiar with Abilities at game start, even though I'm writing in what Vita is doing at different times. I figure those are more explanation about why the points showed up in places like Magic Theory rather than actually raising Abilities here.

Work in progress...

Weasel of Virtue

Size: -5
Season: Summer
Magic Might: 13 (base 8 - grog level)
Int +1, Per +1, Str -9, Sta +1, Pre -1, Com 0, Dex +1, Qui +7
Virtues: Affinity with Herbalism, Arcane Lore, Herbalism, Lesser Immunity: Basilisks' Gaze, Magic Animal, Puissant Herbalism
Flaws: Magical Friend
Qualities: (4 Minor Virtues), Improved Abilities
Inferiorities: Susceptible to Deprivation

(Area) Lore 1 ()
Athletics 3 ()
Awareness 4 ()
Brawl 4 (Against Serpents)
Herbalism 9+2 (Theriacs)
Hunt 4 (Serpents)
Magic Theory 4 (Assisting)
Profession: Apothecary 5 ()
Stealth 3 ()
Survival 2 ()
Swim 1 ()

Might should be higher, I think. Base 15 +5 for size.

Not necessarily. Might 10 is a medium-power companion while 15 is for high-powered ones. So I think Might 15 is fine for a lower-powered companion.

However, that raises a question. Companions should be played by a different player (RoP:M p.34):

Is someone interested in playing Mariana's familiar? Otherwise a grog-level familiar may be more appropriate.