Please note the changes in the skill set and Arts after the second year.
Changed Parma Magica to Penetration.
Year 3: 1180
Winter: As the winter paints the landscape in its bleak colours, Bertran takes the opportunity to write another book for the covenant, and be free from obligations for the next two years. Talking to his pater, he decides on the subject of Perdo, and writes De Re Putescere. (Perdo tractatus Q7; Scribe +2 = 0)
Spring: With spring Bertran resumes his studies, picking up a copy of Foundation of Creation (the bad one) from the library, only to find out later it is far too basic. He considers the season wasted. (Creo +6 = 6)
Summer: Returning to the library Bertran decides not to risk another basic book, and once again picks up Second Flames to study. (Ignem + 16 = 9+3)
Autumn: As he receives his second pawn of vis for work done to the covenant, Bertran approaches his pater to teach him Parma Magica. Gervais is otherwise busy, but promises to do so when the snows fall. Bertran agrees then and decides to use his laboratory for the first time and distill vis, so that he can keep the two pawns of Muto vis. (CrVi 5+0+3+2+4 = 14, 2 pawns of Vim Vis; Magic Theory +2 = 3)
Year 4: 1181
Winter: As promised, Gervais teaches Bertran about Parma Magica during the winter. (Parma Magica +12 = 2)
Spring: Bertran once again takes Second Flames, hoping to master the book soon. (Ignem +16 = 10+3)
Summer: And finally Second Flames is mastered. (Ignem + 16 = 12+3)
Autumn: With Autumn Bertran changes subject, learning about the valuable art of Vim from Ars Magica. (Vim +21 = 6)
Please note the changes in the skill set and Arts after the third and fourth years.
Your maximum Hermetic age is 42, but can be as low as 40.
Ok, this means year 2 is the Tribunal of 1179. Does it happen in Summer?
I can't recall if Tribunal is summer in Cannon ArM, but i always thought it made the most sense that way and have played it that way. So yes, tribunal is in the Summer, and the tourney is right after.
Everything is looking good for this character.
Noting your obvious desire for travel, the Covenant's council asks you represent the covenant in some business matters in your fifth year. The covenant is purchasing a potent magical item from Verdi, and they need a young magus with some combat skill to ride along and guard the payment, and the item on its return. The group will depart by ship in the Spring, will travel for several months before arriving at Verdi. You will have the summer free at Verdi to study in their library or just kick around the Roman tribunal. In the autumn, you will return to the covenant, spending the season traveling. If you wish to take a tome from the library with you to study, you may instruct a scribe to prepare a copy in the Winter before you leave, however, it will not be bound or illuminated. (Prof: Scribe 6, you can have anything he can copy in a season - quick copy is allowed if you want to take the -1 Quality. whatever book you pick- if you choose one will- have -2Quality compared to whats in the library because it will not be bound or illuminated). If the mission is a success, you will be awarded with a senior councilman's personal notes on Pillum of Fire, which you were seen practicing with earlier. (Summa on Pillum of Fire Mastery L3 Q8)
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Right then. I'll change the description of Summer 1179 then, to include a note that he actually missed the Tribunal, giving his sigil to Gervais to be used as proxy.
Also, great hook there, thanks. I was actually going to put in a bit about him suggesting another book and his pater saying no, we've decided you are to retrieve a luctatio but your idea sounds more interesting!
Although I can't help but wonder... why didn't they just use the portal at Maurice's sanctum, to which they should have access by now?
Just curious really, and chances are Bertran didn't actually know of its existence anyway.
EDIT: Also out of curiosity: the reward summa would be MINE right? Not borrowed or anything? I'm assuming the copy would otherwise be the Covenant's, but I don't understand when I'm supposed to study it... during Summer aty Verdi, or during Autumn as I return to the covenant?
Owner: Bertran ex Flambeau
Location/Building: Tower near Carnacis' village
Floor: 3rd
Size: +2
Refinement: 0
General Quality: 0
Upkeep: 0
Safety: +2
Warping: 0
Health: 0
Aesthetics: +1
Virtues:
Spacious (Minor, Structure),
Flaws:
Specializations:
Personality Traits:
Features:
Year 5: 1182
Winter: As the winter inevitably arrives once more and Bertran's spirit is quieted by the cold he approaches his pater Gervais on the matter of another book to be written. Gervais has little time for him, but dismisses the idea as foolish. After a short scolding on why Bertran should face his weaknesses rather than cower away when they are exposed, Gervais departs the covenant once again, telling Bertran the Council will have other requests of him come spring. Bertran acquiesces to his pater's judgment and refrains from writing the book. He tries going out during the winter time, to explore Morbihan under snow, but finds the whole thing much too bleak and unnatural. He returns after three days and locks himself up in his lab, requesting a branch of hickory from the servants. When he comes out he bears The Flare Spitter, a wand of hickory which he enchanted for whatever it is the Council has in store for him. (Magic Theory +2 = 3)
Spring: Come spring Bertran learns he is to retrieve an item comissioned from the Verditii at Verdi. He accepts the mission, but because of his pater's secrecy during winter, is not allowed to take any books. So his season is spent mostly interacting with the sailors and the grogs. As they reach Verdi, he is greeted by one Salvicente - who in Bertran's opinion looks much too young to be a crafter of such power as the council described to him. Salvicente turns out to be the filius of Archmagus Andrea di Piati - who, he also learned, was far too busy to come out of his laboratory at all. (Folk Ken +4 = 0)
Summer: The high season is spent making friends with Salvicente and studying a summa on Muto (L9 Q21). It turns out Salvicente is quite interested in the many applications of Muto in enchanted items, and the two promise to correspond on the matter as often as possible, to share their discoveries and ideas. (Muto +21 = 8)
Autumn: When the time to return arrives Salvicente hands Bertran a small wooden chest, unadorned and unlocked. The Flambeau tries his best to be polite when he asks to verify its content but the Verditius just smiles and bids him farewell.
Charged Item: The Flare Spitter CrIg 30
The wand creates a bolt of fire that is hurled at the target, causing +10 damage at +30 Penetration.
(Base 5, +2 Voice, +15 levels Penetration,)
CrIg Lab Total 36 (Cr 6, Ig 12+3, Int +2, Magic Theory (Ignem) +4, Aura +4, Hickory (Material) +4, Similar Spell (Pillum of Fire) +4, -3 Cyclic Magic) = 2 Charges.
I think that I didn't know about the portal when I came up with the idea. One likely in game explanation is secrecy. Its a fairly large transaction, and Verdi would expect the payment to come by boat. Bringing it some other way may raise questions. Better to just let the magi see what they expect to see.
Yes, the PoF summa would be yours, neatly bound and scribed. You will not be given it until you return from Italy. You are given the option of having a copy made of one of the covenant's books to study on the boat to Verdi and back. That copy (of fairly low quality) would go back to the covenant library when you were done with it.
While you are at Verdi, you may request a season to study (but not copy) almost any book they have. Basically you can study a summa of Quality (30-level) in any Art, or a tractatus of level 14 in any art. If you want an Ability Summa or Tractatus let me know for which ability and I'll tell you what they have.
I see one problem, and one potential subject for debate.
First, I see merit to both sides of the +1/+1 or +1/+2 Penetration debate for items. I'm inclined to allow majority rule on this, because the playing field is even. If you all want +2 penetration per point of lab total that's fine; but bad wizards will play that way too.
However, adding the effect expiry to charged items is, I think, against the RAW or at best exploiting a loophole in the RAW and I'm inclined to close it. From a balance perspective effect expiry costs essentially nothing on such throw away items because the clock doesn't start ticking until its first used. More to the point, ArM5 says that an effect expiry can allow you to complete an enchantment faster, but not make one that you cannot make. Your lab total is too low to make a 12 charge wand. You can add an expiry because you want one for whatever reason, but because a charged item is not instilled in the "normal" way (adding excess lab total until it equals the effect level; or being able to do so in a single season for a lesser item) the boosting of the excess doesn't have any effect- you can't make it "faster" because all charged items take one season. Nothing about expiry suggests that it should be able to act as a "lab total" booster- it is just to make some item more quickly at the expense of them running out of juice at some point.
The bottom line is I'm not going to allow effect expiry to multiple the lab total in a charged item. You may choose to make this item with 2 charges, or do something else in this season.
Thanks for the answers and fair enough on the rulings. I'll stick with the item as is for 2 charges - let's just hope it's enough for the trip! 
One more question: if I claim 10 xp, say, on sailing to Verdi, I also get 2 Warping Points.
But I also can, since the trip TO Verdi was uneventful, just claim practice or exposure of some sort, and not get the Warping. Yes?
Yan,
As we develope all of the backstories, Hypetus (to be known as Menoetius later in life) is interested in the type of hedge magics you have enountered. He is specifcially interested in those with fertility focused powers and those that may have been developed in times past that effect lineages. Any help?
Sure, I'll try to cook something up in the BG and let you know.