Character Creation for Egon

[Arthur]

@Egon

1. Age. Again, I just went with what the rest of the group is going with, just to keep things consistent. I know that you get more XP for every later life year, but you are also (potentially) shortening your character's life because of this. But to stay consistent, I followed what the group used.

Just wanted to make sure you knew it wasn't mandatory to take the same age as the other. It is only coincidence that they all picked the same starting age. As it's a trade-off between a bit more initial xp vs having to get a longevity ritual sooner, it doesn't unbalance things at all. And Ars Magica isn't about being balanced anyway! Older magi can be vastly more powerful... or not, depending on how you evaluate that power.

@Egon

4. As I mentioned previously, I'm game to be pulled into any story regardless of whether or not my character is/is not directly involved. However, as I was thinking on things with the Virtues, I kind of thought about the property that may be held (forge/workshop), current employees, and the potential for generating income in a mundane city. Magi need cash too, right? Inheriting the workshop at some point would give him the chance to do that, while also having access to a legitimate business that he has to run. That, yes, will interfere with his other duties. And dealing with an estranged family who basically gave him to the covenant? There's some good RP opportunities right there. All kinds of chances to do some good RP, not to mention that the RP over this flaw will give me a chance to further learn the ins and outs of dealing with mundanes in this system.

And on that note, I thought we could only use the core book? I'd rather flaws from Mystery Cults, but MC won't let me switch to a mystery template. Which means the flaw isn't available (unless I modify one of the generic ones).

I'm suggesting a flaw from HoH:MC only because it is essentially the Hermetic story equivalent of the mundane Heir flaw. Magi do need cash, sort-of-ish, but that is usually generated by the covenant rather than from personal property. It provides very little advantage to have a mundane forge in Strassburg, considering that you'll be joining the covenant of Fengheld (which is over 300 miles away), to establish a new chapter house who-knows-where (I know where it will be, but I'm not telling yet). And by the time you inherit, that source of income would probably mean very little to your magus.

So unless your character tried to maintain contact with his mundane family during apprenticeship, it is unlikely that they'd even know where you are now. Magi don't mix much with normal folks, unless they have a Gentle Gift. Which means that all you would get from the Heir flaw is very distant trouble, which would be easy for you to avoid (or hard for me to pull you into). When you are a magus, being the Heir to a mundane isn't of much interest, unless it is for someone someone very rich or very powerful politically (like a duke or a bishop).

But if you still want to take Heir, I can live with it.

@Egon

5. Interesting. We cast spells using formulaic magic (mostly), but stuff in the lab - stuff that you would think requires exact notes and all - doesn't. I'm going to have to think on this one a bit. I want to try and get things that make sense for my character; I'll have to revisit this...unless the Mystery Cult flaws are on the table now?

Oh, stuff in the lab can still use detailed notes (lab texts, see pp.101-102), but that doesn't mean you need to know a spell. Enchanted items simply use different lab texts than formulaic spells do. The only thing you gain by knowing the spell is the Similar Spells bonus (see p.101).

@Egon

6. For Abilities, I've got Metalsmith instead of Blacksmith. The two are, if I am correct, similar, yes? And I've got that entire starting package, except Philosophiae is at 3 instead of 1, and Metalsmith is at 4 instead of 5. If I make Metalsmith 5 and Philo 2, I end up with...1 XP over what I have to be at to spend (I need to spend 150 on spells, and with what I've got currently, changing these puts me at only having 149).

My point is that "Metalsmith" is not a valid choice for a Craft ability in Ars Magica. It is too broad because it covers too many different materials (iron, copper, silver, gold, bronze, etc.)

From p.64: "In general, Craft Abilities are distinguished by the material they work with, although you may also take a Craft Ability that allows the character to work with several materials in one specific way."

So valid choices would be Blacksmith (working with iron), Weaponsmith (making weapons from any material), Wheelwright (making carts with both wood and iron), Silversmith, Goldsmith, Bellmaker (making bells of bronze, brass or iron).

@Egon

7. So I am going to play around with the Arts, and go with what you've got mentioned there. That leaves me with 20 XP to deal with to get to 420 (remember, need to have 150 for spells). Now, someone mentioned Corpus, so if I make Ig 5 and Co 5...that puts me right there on 420.

Actually, just to be clear, spells are not purchsed from the general pool of xp. It's a seperate pool of 120 levels of spells + 30 levels because of the Skilled Parens virtue.

[Egon]

I think I'll switch to the flaw from HoH, thanks. Any time the GM gives the evil smiley face, it can't be good news. Besides, if it makes more sense AND the GM is suggesting it for a new player, then I'm game for it.

As for Metalsmith, it's valid in Meta-Creator, which is why I took it. I totally understand having to select the specific type of metal. And I am going with Iron anyhow, so maybe I should switch this to Blacksmith just to show that's what it is instead of creating confusion.

And I know about the spell levels. Meta-Creator lumps all that into one large pool of XP (which is rather lame, in my opinion), so I have to be careful about what I'm spending and where I'm spending it otherwise I'll forget something.

I'll adjust the character sheet and get the full, formal, good-to-the-last-drop version posted tonight some time.

And I cannot thank you enough for the help with this. While I can play, and I am capable of doing PBP, the mechanics of this system are a bit much at times.

EDIT: Asking because of the allowance of Primogeniture Lineage. Any other MC flaws allowable? Or is this a one-time, take-it-or-leave-it allowance? I'm asking because the hermetic flaws from the core book make no sense for my character other than Blatant Gift...and that seems kind of cheesy to take. It's like I'm saying "There's nothing else that makes sense, and there's no side effect from this one, so I'm taking it". I want a flaw that not only makes sense, but also has some effect that is cool or odd. Beyond that, the only other one that I am thinking of is Chaotic Magic, but that one might be bad in the lab. Thoughts?

[Arthur]

@Egon

And I cannot thank you enough for the help with this. While I can play, and I am capable of doing PBP, the mechanics of this system are a bit much at times.

Yes, the system is complex and can be somewhat overwhelming at first. But it also offers a richness that I haven't found in most other systems.

@Egon

EDIT: Asking because of the allowance of Primogeniture Lineage. Any other MC flaws allowable? Or is this a one-time, take-it-or-leave-it allowance? I'm asking because the hermetic flaws from the core book make no sense for my character other than Blatant Gift...and that seems kind of cheesy to take. It's like I'm saying "There's nothing else that makes sense, and there's no side effect from this one, so I'm taking it". I want a flaw that not only makes sense, but also has some effect that is cool or odd. Beyond that, the only other one that I am thinking of is Chaotic Magic, but that one might be bad in the lab. Thoughts?

As I mentioned, the reason I suggested Primogeniture Lineage in the first place is because it is only a more Hermetic version of Heir. As such, it simply reformulates the Heir flaw into something that makes sense for a (Verditius) magus.

There's a few other virtues and flaws that are similar in nature, which I would probably allow. For example, from the Verditius chapter of HoH:MC, I would allow the Masterpiece virtue (similar to Relic) and the Vendetta flaw (essentially the same as Feud).

Blatant Gift is actually one of the most severe flaws, even though its mecanical may seem rather small. A -6 penalty to social interactions may not seem that crippling, but it comes on top of a feeling of mistrust (see p.75). Someone with a Blatant Gift is always seen by mundanes as someone they cannot trust: "Treat the Blatantly Gifted character as having a well-established reputation for dishonesty and treachery of a dangerous kind, as well as for the possession of ill-gotten gains. People interacting with a Blatantly Gifted maga are extremely wary and rather hostile." Imagine meeting a well-known criminal, who is also creepy in person, and having him try to convince you to have dealings with him.

That feeling applies when dealing with anyone not protected by Parma Magica -- which often includes your own grogs. So it's a flaw that isolates and marginalizes you from the mundane world. So I'd advise against it for a new player to Ars Magica. It simply causes kills too many of the interactions that can happen during stories.

As for major Hermetic flaws that you might want to consider, I'll make a few suggestions:

• Deficient Technique can be taken for one of the techniques you don't expect to need much. In your case, Muto or Perdo might be good possibilities.
• Difficult Longevity Ritual means your character won't live as long as the others, but it doesn't come up that often during play. Most sagas don't last more than a few decades. So your magus might begin to show the effects of aging, but it won't prevent you from roleplaying. It only becomes relevant when your character reaches the age of 35.
• Rigid Magic means your magus cannot use raw vis when casting spells. That would be ritual spells, for the most part. It doesn't affect what you do in the lab, such as enchanting items.

[Egon]

With much help from everyone, I present to you the completed character sheet. I may need help with spells - I selected what sounded good AND would probably be known by my character based on his background, but I'm always up for suggestions on making my first true, playable ArM5 character better.

[hr][/hr]
Wolfram Höger
Apprenticed to Gudrun Tigurina ex Verditius, Artificer at Durenmar

Background
Wolfram was born to a semi-prominent ironworker/forge-jockey in Strassburg, the 3rd of 5 children. And although he had a special affinity for working with iron from an early age - it was estimated that he might outshine his father by the time he hit his early teens were he to continue as a metalsmith - his disability would probably cause more problems than it would be worth. Having dwarfism is not a recommended stature when working with hot metals and fire. But he loved being in the shop with his father, even if his father was somewhat less than enthused about his only son's disability.

By the age of 9, he had started to display some interesting talents. It seemed that metals were more pliable in his hands, and his definite gift for being a metalsmith was showing through. However, his magical Gift was also starting to show through, and it was beginning to make people around him more uncomfortable than normal. If not for a chance meeting with Gudrun Tigurina - who was in Strassburg to purchase materials for his own crafting - the boy may never have been discovered. But when Gudrun ran into the boy in the shop, it immediately struck him that this youngling was definitely Veriditius material. An affinity for a craft, and the Gift? A few hours of conversation later, and Wolfram's father was happy to ship the boy off to Durenmar as an apprentice magus.

Appearance
Short and a bit stocky. Wolfram rises to a towering 3'2", and weighs in at a ghastly 70 total pounds. He has brown hair and eyes, and is normally seen wearing clothing appropriate for a blacksmith instead of a magus. He always carries a small hammer on his right hip, with a small knife on his left.

Age: 25 (born 1182 AD)
Size: -2
Gender: Male
Confidence: 1 (3)
Characteristics: Int +2, Per +2, Str -1, Sta 0, Pre -1, Com 0, Dex +1, Qik 0

Virtues: The Gift, Hermetic Magus, Verditius Magic, Major Magical Focus (Metals, specifically Iron), Affinity with Blacksmith, Book Learner, Inventive Genius, Personal Vis Source (Terram)[sup]1[/sup], Puissant Magic Theory, Puissant Terram, Skilled Parens

Flaws: Deficient Technique (Muto), Dwarf, Overconfident, Primogeniture Lineage[sup]2[/sup]

Personality Traits: Overconfident +3, Honest +2, Enjoys Complex Plans +1

Abilities

• Area Lore, Strassburg (Geography) 2
• Artes Liberales (Mathematics) 1
• Awareness (Searching) 1
• Bargain (Enchanted Items) 2
• Blacksmith (Forging Wheels & Gears) 5
• Brawl (Knives) 1
• Code of Hermes (Tribunal Procedures) 1
• Concentration (Lab Work) 2
• Folk Ken (Magi) 2
• French (Lorrain) 2
• Guile (Fast Talking) 2
• High German (Native; Extensive Vocabulary) 5
• Latin (Hermetic Usage) 4
• Magic Theory (Enchanting Items) 4+2
• Order of Hermes Lore (Politics) 2
• Parma Magica (Terram) 1
• Philosophiae (Natural Philosophy) 2

Magical Arts: Cr 5, In 4, Mu 0, Pe 0, Re 5, An 0, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 5, He 0, Ig 5, Im 0, Me 0, Te 10+3, Vi 0

Wizard's Sigil
For a brief moment, the heat of a searing forge. Followed immediately by the brief scent of smelting iron.

Spells:

• Gift of the Frog's Legs (ReCo 15) +10
• Heat of the Searing Forge (CrIg 10) +10
• The Miner's Keen Eye (InTe 20) +17
• Palm of Flame (CrIg 5) +10
• Pilum of Fire (CrIg 20) +10
• Pit of the Gaping Earth (PeTe 15) +13
• Rise of the Feathery Body (ReCo 10) +10
• Touch of Midas (CrTe 20) +21
• The Unseen Porter (ReTe 10) +18
• Wall of Protecting Stone (CrTe 25) +18

Personal possessions
Carried: Small Hammer, Small Knife. May occasionally be seen with a leather-bound book and quill.

Advancement

Notes
1 - The Personal Vis Source is the collection of iron shavings from the dirt deposited onto Wolfram's clothing throughout daily life. The dirt is collected weekly, and then the shavings are filtered out of that dirt monthly. This amounts to about 3 pawns of Terram Vis every year.

2 - Wolfram is in line for Primus of House Verditius. The current line: Wolfram, 1st apprentice to Gudrun, 1st apprentice to Stouritus, 1st apprentice to Imanitosi.

Photograph

[Arthur]

Only a few minor adjustments needed. 8)

@Egon

Personality Traits: Passionate +3, Honest +2, Enjoys Complex Plans +1

There should also be Overconfident there, probably with a value of +3 or more, to reflect his personality flaw.

@Egon

• Blacksmith (Forging) 5
• German (Native; Extensive Vocabulary) 5
• Slavic (Slang) 2

"Forging" is a bit too vague and broad for a specialty of Craft: Blacksmith, as it could basically be applied to everything.

Regarding languages in Straaburg. The main languages at the time were probably the Swabian dialect (specialty) of High German (which is different from Low German) and the Lorrain dialect of French. I don't know where you would have picked up a slavic language, but if you did it would be called West Slavonic.

@Egon

Spells:

• Object of Increased Size (MuTe 15) +7

Because of the Deficient Muto flaw, you wouldn't be able to learn this spell.

@Egon

Notes
2 - Wolfram is a descendant in line for Primus of House Verditius. He shares a common ancestor with the current Primus (Imanitosi); at some point in the lineage, the Gift failed to manifest in some children, who then went on to have mundane families and forget about the magical line. Wolfram is the first child in the mundane line to show magical talent in at least 5 generations, but because of the common ancestor, he is in line for Primus at some point.

The lineage of magi isn't based on blood, but rather on the master-apprentice relationship.

Primogeniture means that the first son inherits. The Primogeniture Lineage flaw means that you were the first apprentice of Gudrun Tigurina, who was himself the first apprentice of Stouritus, himself the first apprentice of the current Primus, Imanitosi.

[Egon]

@Arthur

Only a few minor adjustments needed. 8)

@Egon

Personality Traits: Passionate +3, Honest +2, Enjoys Complex Plans +1

There should also be Overconfident there, probably with a value of +3 or more, to reflect his personality flaw.

I thought about that, but thought that the flaw would resemble this. I can definitely add it though.

@Arthur

@Egon

• Blacksmith (Forging) 5
• German (Native; Extensive Vocabulary) 5
• Slavic (Slang) 2

"Forging" is a bit too vague and broad for a specialty of Craft: Blacksmith, as it could basically be applied to everything.

Regarding languages in Straaburg. The main languages at the time were probably the Swabian dialect (specialty) of High German (which is different from Low German) and the Lorrain dialect of French. I don't know where you would have picked up a slavic language, but if you did it would be called West Slavonic.

According to Wikipedia, in the article on Metalsmithing (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metalsmith), forging is the act of shaping metal with a hammer. This is what I was going for with the specialty, but if that is too broad then I can read up on forging and narrow that down a bit.

As far as languages...that's another one on Meta-Creator. German is defined, but most of the High and Low German dialects are not. And I'm not sold on Slavic; I merely took it to show that I have a third language, and one that's closely related to German. Again, I can change things up if absolutely necessary.

@Arthur

@Egon

Spells:

• Object of Increased Size (MuTe 15) +7

Because of the Deficient Muto flaw, you wouldn't be able to learn this spell.

The description of the Flaw doesn't indicate that though. And I can't find anything in the book that prohibits someone with a Deficient Technique from learning a spell in that Technique. Can you point out where that is stated please? I have no problem selecting a different level 15 spell; I just didn't see that I couldn't take this one as the description of the flaw doesn't indicate such.

@Arthur

@Egon

Notes
2 - Wolfram is a descendant in line for Primus of House Verditius. He shares a common ancestor with the current Primus (Imanitosi); at some point in the lineage, the Gift failed to manifest in some children, who then went on to have mundane families and forget about the magical line. Wolfram is the first child in the mundane line to show magical talent in at least 5 generations, but because of the common ancestor, he is in line for Primus at some point.

The lineage of magi isn't based on blood, but rather on the master-apprentice relationship.

Primogeniture means that the first son inherits. The Primogeniture Lineage flaw means that you were the first apprentice of Gudrun Tigurina, who was himself the first apprentice of Stouritus, himself the first apprentice of the current Primus, Imanitosi.

[/quote]
This is due to interpretation my part of the description of the flaw (again). The flaw states that I would be one of the Primus' descendents, and I interpreted that as being familial (blood-related). Not that it was in terms of master to apprentice, but that we shared a common ancestor and were descendants of the Verditius bloodline. Easy change up to the sheet, however.

So, in summary:

1. I can add Overconfident at +3.
2. I need clarification on whether or not I need to narrow down forging based on what I've written.
3. I need clarification on if I need to switch to a high german dialect OR if I have to have a dialect as my specialty.
4. I'll change to Western Slavonic.
5. I need clarification on Deficient Technique based on what I've seen in the book.
6. I can wipe the description I have for Primogeniture from my character sheet and just name the lineage from myself through Gudrun to Stouritus, to Imanitosi.

[Bitter]

So, in summary:

1. I can add Overconfident at +3.

I'm not sure but I think you have to switch one of your personality traits to Overconfident at +3

2. I need clarification on whether or not I need to narrow down forging based on what I've written.

IMHO you have to specify a kind of production made of metal for the specialty to be narrow enough

4. I'll change to Western Slavonic.
5. I need clarification on Deficient Technique based on what I've seen in the book.

my guess is that he made the following calculation : (13+int 2+magic theory 6+ 3 aura )/2 from flaw = 12 which is too low to learn the spell

6. I can wipe the description I have for Primogeniture from my character sheet and just name the lineage from myself through Gudrun to Stouritus, to Imanitosi.

For spells, there 's nothing wrong with your selection, personally, I'm no sure it's a good thing but when I select spells; I try to make sure I have at least :
-1 defensive spell (usually a low level imaginem spell, but this really depends o nthe magus speciality, it should at least protect you against basic mundane attacks
-1 offensive spell that's at least useful against mundane threats (no penetration needed) and preferably one offensive spell I can use against target with magic resistance (either bypassing magic resistance or with a decent penetration)
-1 escape spell (ReCo teleportation, any kind of flight)
-when I have room, I like to have a spell to help deplacement (flight, fast running, mount creation, teleportation etc...)

let's review your spells :
Heat of the Searing Forge (CrIg 10) +10
very logical for your character, can be useful to damage someone or to make sure his weapon is resisted by your parma

The Miner's Keen Eye (InTe 20) +17
useful for your character if he plans to get his minerals himself (for maybe increased quality depending on Arthur's interpretation), for the average character pretty useless.

Object of Increased Size (MuTe 15) +7
Doesn't really seems so amazing to me, you can probably break or sink things from the increased mass of maybe block paths, I've never seen it into play but this can prove useful with smart uses.

Palm of Flame (CrIg 5) +10
not the kind of spells I would learn as a formulaic, can be logical as a mean to ignite your forge daily maybe, but you can cast it spontaneously otherwise.

Pilum of Fire (CrIg 20) +10
This is your go-to offensive spells against target without magic resistance

Pit of the Gaping Earth (PeTe 15) +13
This can be a good defensive spell and possibly a good offensive spell if used with preparation (spears under the sand for example) only works outside.

Probe for Pure Silver (InTe 4) +17
I would not learn a level 4 spell like this that I can easily spont (soon without fatigue)

Touch of Midas (CrTe 20) +21
Can be interesting, but it's use is almost forbidden but the Hermetic code for trade.

The Unseen Porter (ReTe 10) +18
Very common and useful utilitarian spell

Wall of Protecting Stone (CrTe 25) +18
Good yet very obvious defensive spell.

Ward Against Faeries of the Mountain (ReTe 6) +18
Not very useful.

spells to consider IMHO :
ReIm Wizard's sidestep
ReTe Sling of vilano (from HoH:Societas)

[Arthur]

@Egon

So, in summary:

1. I can add Overconfident at +3.
2. I need clarification on whether or not I need to narrow down forging based on what I've written.
3. I need clarification on if I need to switch to a high german dialect OR if I have to have a dialect as my specialty.
4. I'll change to Western Slavonic.
5. I need clarification on Deficient Technique based on what I've seen in the book.
6. I can wipe the description I have for Primogeniture from my character sheet and just name the lineage from myself through Gudrun to Stouritus, to Imanitosi.

1. Perfect
2. Yes, because forging would cover most of what blacksmithing is about. I would suggest narrowing the specialty to a certain type of items (examples: tools, wheels and gears, farming implements, weapons, armor) as it makes it much easier to determine whether the specialty applies to a certain item being enchanted.
3. Your language would be High German. The specialty could be either the one you had selected (extensive vocabulary) or the regional dialect (Swabian)
4. Perfect. You can keep the current specialty (slang) or select a regional specialty from: Sorbian, Polish, Czech, Slovak. Or you could have switched to French (specialty Lorrain), as it was more common in Strassburg.
5. It is only indirectly because of the flaw. Because of Deficient Muto, your lab total is currently too low for you to be able to learn the spell: Int 2 + Magic Theory 6 + Muto 0 + Terram 13 + Aura 3 = 24, which gets divided by 2 beacuse of Deficient Muto. So 12 vs the spell's level of 15.
6. Good for me!

[Bitter]

too slow to edit ^^

[Egon]

Changes made to the character https://forum.atlas-games.com/t/character-creation-for-egon/9873/44.

1. Changed Passionate +3 to Overconfident +3
2. Changed German to High German.
3. Changed Slavonic to French.
4. Changed Blacksmith specialty to Forging Wheels and Gears.
5. Dropped several spells: Object of Increased Size, Probe for Pure Silver, Ward Against Faeries of the Mountain.
6. Added several spells: Gift of the Frog's Legs, Rise of the Feathery Body.
7. Altered the Primogeniture description to show the line from myself (Wolfram) to Imanitosi.

Anything else I need to do here?

[Egon]

Is there anything else I need to do here with my character?

[Egon]

Siegfried von Ottwaller
Wolfram's shield Grog

Background:
A military veteran, Siegfried was forced into being a shield Grog at Durenmar as punishment for his criminal ways. He used to be a bandit, traveling along the road that stretches between the monastery of Gengenbach in the west to Waldmössingen, preying on the helpless merchants that decided to travel through the Black Forest as a means to make a living. Which went horribly wrong when he and his band of not-so-merry men happened upon a caravan that featured a singular maga traveling to Durenmar with her contingent of Grogs. The battle was not pretty, with Siegfried's entire side being wiped out in a matter of minutes thanks to the magics of this peregrinatore Flambeau. But rather than be killed, Siegfried surrendered, and the maga took him to Durenmar to be punished for his crimes. The council saw something in the man, and decided he may be put to better use in defense of the covenant should they need it. One more grog never hurt anything, and if he died in defense of the covenant or one of its magi at some point, then he'd have been considered to have repaid his debt.

He has been now ordered to protect Wolfram, primarily due to his sentence, but also because of Wolfram's political lineage. Durenmar is looking to regain the lost power that they once had, and a potential Primus who can change the domus magna for House Verditius is a powerful thing. So Siegfried has been given the unenviable task of making sure the lab rat doesn't get himself into trouble...or worse. And having to work closely with one maga is something that Siegfried doesn't really want to do.

Appearance:
A bit grizzled, with greying hair and beard. He's missing his left ear, and he has a few scars on various parts of his body (nothing too grotesque, just the standard "I took a knife here" and "I got kicked there" type of stuff). Mostly seen with a scowl on his face, but he has been known to crack the occasional smile.

Age: 32 (born 1175 A.D.)
Size: 0
Height: 170 cm
Weight: 75 kg
Gender: Male
Confidence: 1 (3)
Characteristics: Int 0, Per +1 (keen vision), Pre 0, Com 0, Str +2 (brutal), Sta +1 (trained), Dex +1 (precise), Qik +1 (athletic)

Virtues: Piercing Gaze (Intimidation: +3), Warrior (50/50), Puissant Single Weapon

Flaws: Branded Criminal, Missing Ear (Hearing: -3), Reckless

Personality Traits: Reckless +3, Intimidating +2, Cynical +1

Abilities:
Animal Handling 1 (horse)
Area Lore: Holy roman empire 3 (geography)
Athletics 3 (running)
Awareness 3 (keeping watch)
Bargain 3 (alcool)
Brawl 4 (Dagger)
Carouse 3 (power drinking)
Charm 1 (first impressions)
Covenant Lore : Durenmar 2 (personalities)
Etiquette 1 (magi)
Folk Ken 2 (soldier)
French 2 (prose)
German 5 (slang)
Guile 3 (lying to authority)
Hunt 3 (covering tracks)
Leadership 3 (armies)
Ride 2 (battle)
Single Weapon 5+2 (Mace)
Soldier 3 ()
Survival 3 (forest)

Personal possessions
Survival Kit; Full Leather Scale Armor (Soak: 6) (Soak: 6; Protection: 5)

Combat Statistics
Dodge: Init: +1, Attack --, Defense +5, Damage --
Fist: Init: +1, Attack +5, Defense +5, Damage +2
Dagger: Init: +1, Attack +8, Defense +6, Damage +5
Mace: Init: +1, Attack +12, Defense +9, Damage +10
Kick: Init: +0, Attack +5, Defense +4, Damage +5
Soak: +6
Fatigue levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: -1 (1-5), -3 (6-10), -5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20), Dead (21+)

Advancement

[Arthur]

You can go ahead and create your Magus character sheet like the others as a seperate topic. That topic will be used to evolve him as time goes by.

[Arthur]

Question regarding your magus. What are his reasons for leaving Durenmar and joining Fengheld? Just trying to start your introductory stpry and I want to use the correct handles.

[Egon]

You know, I was thinking about that myself recently. Why would a Verditius magus up and leave his home covenant - which happens to be the seat of both the Tribunal AND the Grand Tribunal - and make for Fenheld. Which, by the way, happens to be a semi-rival to Durenmar. Why would he do that? And I've got a couple of ideas, any of which I would be ok with you using. Listed in no particular order:

1. Durenmar's power is fading. It's no secret that while they are the traditional seat of the Grand Tribunal - and the Rhine Tribunal - the covenant is slipping from Autumn into Winter. And the council at Durenmar is doing its best to keep that from happening, while Fengheld is trying their hardest to steal that power from Durenmar. I mean, the only thing really keeping Durenmar in power besides tradition is their library. And given the political lineage of Wolfram, it's probably in his best interest to start schmoozing and schmaltzing with the other members of his house at some point. Without pissing off his own former master Gudrun (who, according to the lineage, is in line before Wolfram). And that's the rub - how does one go about politicking in his own house? How do you keep your master happy while swaying the thoughts and opinions of the other members to support you? There is a master Verditius at Fengheld who might be a good starting point. Peter is more concerned with his grapes and his familiar than he is with politics perhaps, but that won't stop Wolfram from at least trying.

2. It is very common for a young magus out of apprenticeship to become a peregrinatore in the tribunal. It is also very common for these magi to go to Fengheld, a covenant that has a reputation for taking in these wandering magi; they have a spare set of labs exclusively for these wanderers to use while under the treatise of being peregrinatore at Fengheld. Wolfram isn't a true wandering type, but he is a stickler for tradition and history and a magi's place in the Order. So he's decided to be one of these wandering magi until he feels he has done his service and found a place to firmly settle down. Not to mention that negotiating the terms of his stay at Fengheld would give him some practice when it comes time to do serious politicking, either on his own behalf or that of a group of magi.

3. As mentioned previously, Fengheld has a master Verditius magus who uses his magic to grow and cultivate grapes. Wolfram uses his magic to create things in his laboratory, and I've already established that he's a forge-jockey of sorts specialized in wheels and gears. It's entirely possible that he's going to Fengheld to share/swap knowledge with Peter. Learn a bit more about Herbam (which he's a bit deficient in)? Maybe in exchange for helping Peter out with some Terram, or helping create some machines/tools to help the cultivation of the grapes easier?

Those are the big ones. Obviously the first one goes along more with my character's background (Primogeniture Lineage), but all three of them could very well be intertwined into one larger picture/story (politicking for Durenmar, learning Herbam, helping Peter, doing all of this under the terms of peregrinatore, etc.).

If none of these appeal to you, let me know and I'll come up with something else!

[Arthur]

I created the prelude story thread for Wolfram and I'll soon start the story of his travelling to Fengheld.

However, to avoid delaying the troupe, I also plan on soon starting the common thread of the magi being gathered together. So, for you, both threads will be happening in parallel. This will let you explore the capabilities of your magus in the prelude thread, while at the same time interacting with the others and being involved in the preparations for the chapter house.

More on this later...

[Egon]

I'm ok with that. I know that the story needs to move forward, and I'm coming in after the original troupe was put together. I also know that real life has been hurting a lot of us lately, so things need to move a bit awkwardly or in a different speed than was originally planned.

All told, I'm just happy and thankful that I'm getting in the game. If I have to work in 2 different threads with stuff happening at 2 different time periods, then that's the way it has to be!

[Arthur]

@Egon

You know, I was thinking about that myself recently. Why would a Verditius magus up and leave his home covenant - which happens to be the seat of both the Tribunal AND the Grand Tribunal - and make for Fenheld. Which, by the way, happens to be a semi-rival to Durenmar. Why would he do that? And I've got a couple of ideas, any of which I would be ok with you using. Listed in no particular order:

1. Durenmar's power is fading. It's no secret that while they are the traditional seat of the Grand Tribunal - and the Rhine Tribunal - the covenant is slipping from Autumn into Winter. And the council at Durenmar is doing its best to keep that from happening, while Fengheld is trying their hardest to steal that power from Durenmar. I mean, the only thing really keeping Durenmar in power besides tradition is their library. And given the political lineage of Wolfram, it's probably in his best interest to start schmoozing and schmaltzing with the other members of his house at some point. Without pissing off his own former master Gudrun (who, according to the lineage, is in line before Wolfram). And that's the rub - how does one go about politicking in his own house? How do you keep your master happy while swaying the thoughts and opinions of the other members to support you? There is a master Verditius at Fengheld who might be a good starting point. Peter is more concerned with his grapes and his familiar than he is with politics perhaps, but that won't stop Wolfram from at least trying.

2. It is very common for a young magus out of apprenticeship to become a peregrinatore in the tribunal. It is also very common for these magi to go to Fengheld, a covenant that has a reputation for taking in these wandering magi; they have a spare set of labs exclusively for these wanderers to use while under the treatise of being peregrinatore at Fengheld. Wolfram isn't a true wandering type, but he is a stickler for tradition and history and a magi's place in the Order. So he's decided to be one of these wandering magi until he feels he has done his service and found a place to firmly settle down. Not to mention that negotiating the terms of his stay at Fengheld would give him some practice when it comes time to do serious politicking, either on his own behalf or that of a group of magi.

3. As mentioned previously, Fengheld has a master Verditius magus who uses his magic to grow and cultivate grapes. Wolfram uses his magic to create things in his laboratory, and I've already established that he's a forge-jockey of sorts specialized in wheels and gears. It's entirely possible that he's going to Fengheld to share/swap knowledge with Peter. Learn a bit more about Herbam (which he's a bit deficient in)? Maybe in exchange for helping Peter out with some Terram, or helping create some machines/tools to help the cultivation of the grapes easier?

Those are the big ones. Obviously the first one goes along more with my character's background (Primogeniture Lineage), but all three of them could very well be intertwined into one larger picture/story (politicking for Durenmar, learning Herbam, helping Peter, doing all of this under the terms of peregrinatore, etc.).

If none of these appeal to you, let me know and I'll come up with something else!

Regarding Wolfram's reason for leaving Durenmar, here's what I think might work and explain his desire.

First, Durenmar is a very popular covenant, but it has only limited space. So only a very limited number of younger magi are accepted here. It is the covenant's policy that magi apprenticed here are not offered membership when they Gauntlet. And most of them are unable to pay the hefty vis fee for staying as visitors, nor can they contribute anything worthwhile to the library in exchange for the privilege to study from it.

Second, you pater encouraged you to travel and meet other magi, in order to develop a network of contacts both in-House and with other Houses. Fengheld, being a very large covenant (almost thirty magi) would be a logical place to start. The fact that there is (at least) another Verditius there is a good thing. There might also be other Verditius in residence. Plus, with that many magi in residence and an environment quite different than that of Bonisagi-dominated Durenmar, it would be a good opportunity for Wolfram to learn more about politics.

Third, the fact that Fengheld is considered vis-rich is nothing to sneeze at, since enchanting items can require a lot of vis over the years. Even if as a junior magus you might not have easy access to that vis, just the fact that the vis is there opens possibilities to you.

[Egon]

I'm good with any/all of those reasons for leaving Durenmar and making for Fengheld. The list I came up with was almost entirely from a political point of view based on Wolfram's Virtues and political leanings; if you've got anything that you want to incorporate or throw at me to make things seem better or a bit more real, I'm all for it.

[Arthur]

I indeed plan on doing that eventually. For now, I am simply focusing on the immediate reasons he had for moving to Fengheld.