Lab notes are free to consult (but not necessarily to copy or translate, I assume). Lab texts are in the second floor and to have access to the second floor you must pay those capitalist pi... cof cof... I mean, make a contribution to the library.
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Haha true enough!
Alrighty, so in the interest of keeping the ball rolling so I can hopefully finish up next week, here we go, year 8!
Year 8, Spring:
With tensions in the city continuing to rise, especially given the rumors about prince Alexios Angelos and some deal he had allegedly struck with the Crusaders, Belisarius' work in the lab took on a greater, almost frantic urgency. This would carry over into council discussion, as Belisarius advocated the covenant adopting a war footing, an act opposed by most of his peers. The only saving grace for the Jerbiton magus was the presence of Vorsutus, a relatively new arrival in the city that he had quickly befriended. While the pair didn't see eye to eye on everything (their very different experiences with mundanes giving them wildly different opinions of the latter), the two magi were far more alike in philosophy than not.
Belisarius: Learn ReCo 20 Mercury's Winged Sandals, + Insert other ReCo spell here once familiar stats are finalized and I a final know lab total, +2xp Magic Theory, exposure.
Dolabrius: +2xp, Magic Theory, exposure
Year 8, Summer:
Belisarius' fear mongering soon proved apt as the Crusaders launched a siege of the city. The Byzantine leadership proved entirely incompetent, losing the Tower of Galata and then the Golden Horn in short order. Ignoring his shocked covenmates, Belisarius quickly joined in the defense of the city, assisting the Varangians in their defense of the walls as they repulsed the Crusaders. It would prove to be the only success the Romans had as Alexios III finally took offensive action. But to say that it was an epic disaster would be something of an understatement, and the disgraced Alexios III abandoned his subjects, slipping out of the city and fleeing to Mosynopolis.
Livid, Belisarius' wrath was something to behold the next time the magi of Thermakopolis met. It was only the intervention of his pater Mathieus that eventually mollified the young magus, rewarding him for his actions in defense of the city, and promising him that the magi would take concrete steps to ensure such a thing could not happen again.
Belisarius: +5xp Parma, +5xp Concentration, +Purified Ruby (+2 fire-related effect)
Dolabrius: +5xp Finesse, +5xp Concentration
Year 8, Fall:
If the siege wasn't enough, riots were quick to envelop the city as the people of Constantinople rebelled against their new emperor. Doubly so as the young emperor ordered the destruction and melting of valuable Roman icons in order to extract their gold and silver to pay his Latin masters.
Trusting in his peers to handle matters, and having seen the devastation caused by uncontrolled fire firsthand, Belisarius began work on an enchanted device meant to prevent such a catastrophe from ever happening again. Unfortunately, Belisarius' work was not complete in time, and when the Great Fire broke out, it destroyed a large part of Constantinople, and left large swathes of the population homeless.
Belisarius: +2xp Ignem, exposure
Dolabrius: +10xp Magic Theory, L10 tract
Year 8, Winter:
The utter devastation of the Great Fire only caused Belisarius to redouble his efforts, and he threw himself into his work, seemingly only leaving the lab to eat, sleep, or train with the covenant turb. Having seemingly been proven right twice now, his covenmates had given up fighting the young magus and were now pursuing projects of their own, all attempting to help protect the city in their own way. While he had doubts about the efficacy of their works, putting his faith in sword and steel rather than mental manipulation and illusions, Belisarius couldn't gainsay their dedication to the cause.
Belisarius: +2xp Ignem, exposure
Dolabrius: +10xp Magic Theory, L10 tract
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Year 9, Spring:
The year had barely begun when the blinded and incapacitated Isaac II died. While allegedly of natural causes, rumors, as always, flew as to the 'true' cause. To make matters worse, opposition to his son and co-emperor Alexios IV had grown during the preceding months of tension and spasmodic violence in and around Constantinople. As such, the newly emboldened Senate elected a young noble Nicolas Canabus as emperor, however he quickly declined the appointment and sought church sanctuary.
In response, the nobleman Alexios Doukas moved against the isolated emperor, whom he overthrew, imprisoned, and had strangled in early February. Doukas then was crowned as Emperor Alexios V Doukas Mourtzouphlos. He immediately moved to have the city fortifications strengthened and summoned additional forces to the city in preparation for the inevitable conflict.
This backdrop of violence and political instability lent an air of desperation to the work of the magi of Thermakopolis. All knew it was a matter of when, not if, the Crusaders responded. For his part, having finally finished his previous project, Belisarius was able to turn his attention to a book detailing the use of Perdo magic. Never one to do well with just vague academic discussion of a topic, Belisarius was able to acquire a human skeleton from a physician friend to better aid in his study.
Belisarius: +15xp Perdo L10,Q15 book
Dolabrius: +10xp Finesse tract
Year 9, Summer:
Ahmad delivered Belisarius' finished sword just in time for tensions to finally boil over. The crusaders and Venetians, incensed at the murder of their supposed patron, demanded that new emperor honour the contract that Alexios IV had promised. When the emperor refused, the Crusaders assaulted the city once more. In response, the magi of Thermakopolis stood among the de-enders, watching the Latin ships sail across the strait, decks bristling with siege engines,towers, and spears. Their heroic defence was a catastrophe, though. Their spells frightened their allies, who fled the wall more afraid of the wizards who stood alongside them than the encroaching crusaders. While the first assault was prevented, it claimed the lives of two magi. A third fell the next day when the crusaders mounted the walls, and a fourth died in the fires set that evening. Even his pater Mathieus, an archmage and master of the Hermetic arts fell to the invaders and their demonic overlords.
However Belisarius' fate was far different than the others. Thanks to his Gentle Gift, he had long since been readily accepted by the soldiers. Of course the fact that he had spent years helping drill and train them no doubt went a long way too. Between this and his focus in protective wards, despite being at the forefront of the fighting, the Jerbiton magus emerged almost entirely unscathed. However one man can not hold back an ocean, and that was precisely what the crusaders were, a flood and blood crazed madmen, intent of raping and plundering the city to their heart's content.
Its defenders slain or fled, and with fires raging throughout his beloved city, Belisarius led the surviving soldiers under his command to retrieve what they could from Thermakopolis before it was consumed by either man or flame. At the head of a small group of covenfolk and soldiers, the Jerbiton magus made his way to the harbor where they were able to forcibly commandeer a vessel and escape the doomed city.
Belisarius: +5xp Parma, +5xp Concentration, +Excellent (+3) Longsword
Dolabrius: +5 Finesse, +5xp Concentration
Year 9, Fall:
Having fled Constantinople, Belisarius and the other survivors ended up in the one place where he knew they could always count on for refuge, Castra Solis. The Primus was delighted to see that his ersatz apprentice had survived the sack, having heard of the destruction wrought upon the city (and by extension Thermakopolis) and feared the worst. With the promises that the Jerbiton magus that he and his fellows would be welcome for as long as they needed, the survivors could breathe a sigh of relief, the cloud of despair that surrounded them since their flight lifting if just only a little bit.
Using the Primus' contacts, and reaching out to a few of his fellow Jerbiton, Belisarius sent out a number of letters seeking to find a more permanent home for the survivors of Thermakopolis. But these sort of things took time, and thus, he quickly settled back into the familiar rhythm of life at Castra Solis and got to work opening his talisman.
Belisarius: Open Talisman, 15 pawns, +2xp Vim, exposure
Dolabrius: +10xp Finesse tract
Year 9, Winter:
With winter setting in, there was little else to do but wait and continue his lab work. Sharing his decision to open the ruby set into the hilt of his talisman first, the Flambeau Primus agreed that it was a good first choice and took the opportunity to rib the young magus about how they'd make a proper Flambeau out of him one of these days. When not working in the lab, Belisarius spent most of his time with his fellow survivors. While he suspected that most of the covenfolk might stay here in Castra Solis, the soldiers led by Thorsten had made their thoughts on the matter quite clear, they'd be staying with the magus who had fought alongside them.
Belisarius: Attune Talisman (Ruby, Fire Effects), +2xp Vim, exposure
Dolabrius: +10xp Finesse tract
I think Belisarius is 1 pawn short of being able to handle 15 pawns in the lab in a single season. (Magic Theory 5 + Puissant 2) * 2 = 14.
Vim specialty for MT should take give him the last point he needs since he has to use Vim vis for it. Unless I'm mistaken?
I don't think it would. The art of Vim isn't involved in the amount of raw vis one can handle in the lab. In the same way, a specialty with Terram wouldn't help either, even though the sword is made of metal.
Seasonal use of vis in the lab is straight Magic Theory.
Before you go on opening the talisman, can you also walk us through it's design? (I assume iron?) longsword? Ruby in the pommel? Any other materials?
You are opening it in one season and attuning in another. I think you can do both in he same one. So:
- Yaer 9 Autumn: prepare for enchantment + attuning to one bonus;
- Year 9 Winter (if desired): enchant (or open more spaces) + attuning another bonus
Nope. First season is preparing for enchantment. It's not a talisman yet, so it cannot gain an attunement during that season. Making it a talisman requires a second season, during which a first attunement bonus is gained.
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I stand corrected. I was mistaking it because you can prepare more spaces if wanted (and attune further bonus during that).
Still, Belisarius could enchant the first spell (or open more spaces) in the talisman AND attune to the ruby on winter (if he has enough vis for such). Making a better usage of his season.
EDIT: Strike that. I just repeated myself, didn't I?
The item must be prepared to be enchanted OR attuned. Then, after attuned as a talisman, it can be further enchanted AND have its bonus opened based on S&M.
I need a break.
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At the moment, he still needs to raise his Magic Theory score by 1 before he can prepare the sword for enchantment.
It's not that I'm saying Vim should apply to all vis usage in the lab, but in this particular instance, using all Vim vis, it should be applicable. It would be no different than having a specialty in Corpus and having that count towards your limit during a healing ritual. Or when binding a familiar using Creo and getting your specialty in Creo to apply there.
But if this is going to be an area of stark disagreement, I'll just change it to vis usage and move on.
Happy to! So it's alchemical steel, which doesn't have a material bonus. Up to the troupe if it wants to allow it to use iron's or not. Not going to sweat it either way. And yes, longsword with the perfected ruby in the pommel. Beyond that, I didn't think there would be too much room to add materials unfortunately, but that's fine, it does what it needs to do.
You are using vis Vim, but you aren't using the associated Art. When you add effects it's very different, since in a way those are like "spells", so you are using the Art. But just opening an item for enchantment, no.
In fact, i'd say that you should change your exposition exp in Vim too (same reason).
I'd say: yes. All iron swords were technically steel swords after all since they used charcoal to make them anyways xD And at the end, the bonus comes from the symbolism that iron had, shared by the steel too.
Yep, alchemical steel sounds like iron to me. It's explicitly defined as "purifid iron" in A&A. But if we rule that iron is different from steel, it should be classified as steel IMO. So I think it boils down to "for S&M purposes, is steel iron or not". I can go both ways, tbh.
Agree with Gaxxian. +2 exposure in Vim doesn't seem proper, the project itself involved no use of Arts to begin with.
The vis limit for spell casting is based on the Art score, so a Magic Theory would not apply to that either. The only MT specialty that I would accept is "enchanting items".
As for retroactively changing the specialty... the last time Belisarius studied Magic Theory was in Year 1. Are you sure he didn't use that specialty in all those years? Why not roll with it and have him realize he cannot enchant it yet and do it later when he settles at the covenant and has had time to study Magic Theory a bit more? 
Agreed.
Actually, a sword also have a guard and a handle, which can be made of different materials. 
So long as you do not exceed the following limit (ArM5 p.97, Preparation for Enchantment): "A compound item of this sort may not contain more components than your Magic Theory score, as binding disparate things together magically takes some skill." So you can have up to 7 components. Right now, between the steel and the ruby, you have 2.
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You also (iirc) don't need to enchant ALL the sword to obtain the shape bonus... you could enchant just the guard + handle (using a material that helps even further your magic) and use a lot less vis.
Also, since the blade would still be no-magic, you wouldnt need to penetrate to hit.
First time I've heard of the Magic Theory specialty "not" applying to vis manipulation. Which really seems like ... one of the few meaningful bonuses from a Magic Theory specialty. Though I suppose one could specialize expressly in "vis" or "labs" I suppose, most specialties follow the usual magical art theme. Enchanting Items as a specialty (one of the examples) also seems like one that would apply to vis manipulation re: items in particular.
Vim is the most common one used in many lab activities, so there is a certain perspective if it makes Vim a "no brainer" choice as a specialty but that is distinct from whether specializations are intended to apply to vis activities. Perhaps curbing that potential is the motivation? I merely speculate.
Regardless it seems like a sufficiently specific/less common view that it should be documented or it will (unpleasantly) surprise someone again in the future. Surprises after investment/effort is expended (barring experimentation I suppose?) are generally not fun.
First time I've seen a player trying to apply an Art specialty in Magic Theory to the vis limit. To me, that stretches the definition of an Art specialty. If one wants to have a specialty that applies to the vis use limit, one simply has to choose "enchanting items", as I mentioned in my previous post. Or another specific lab activity, such as "longevity rituals" or "familiars", now that I think of it. I could see that as increasing the vis use limit for those specific lab activities.
An Art specialty in Magic Theory already applies quite broadly to the lab total -- to inventing spells using that Art, enchanting effects, and any other lab activity that uses that Art.
So I don't see this as a "less common view". That's a label I would apply to the interpretation that an Art specialization in Magic Theory applies to the vis use limit. Claiming it's a surprise seems like an attempt to put the blame on me for an unwarranted (and unsupported by the rules) player assumption/interpretation. I am not amused. 
A specialization in an Art certainly can't be applied to an activity where the Art is not used? Had it be an specialization in items (as many verditi have), I'd agree that the specialization is merited.
I'd not say that Vim is used in many lab activities either? It's used where the Art of Vim is involved.
I don't see this as a less common view. Rather, treating Vim as a free pass to add specialization for everything seems like the exception for me.
He could, but part of the ideabehind the design is to touch the blade to people and cast touch spells.
The blade wouldn't be magical either way. A magical item is not blocked by Parma or MR. A magical effect is.
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Ooohhh... F D:
Tell that to Hugh of Flambeau and his axe talisman (MoH pg.51) 
Just to add my 5 cents.
Belisarius can have up to 7 Shape and Material bonuses. He currently has:
Sword
Iron
Ruby
so that leaves 4 more shapes and materials to be used. Which means that the shape of the ruby might also be a bonus he can use, and he can add special materials for the handle and guard, and maybe another ornament, like a metal filigree down the blade, or some such.