Character Development

Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: Base Camp
641

Someone completely different from my last posted Magus -- and new! I've got the Fourth Crusade in there, and some elements of personal broken-ness, but he's not quite as evil as the last one, and a good deal more tragic a figure.

Again, copypasted from my notepad document, complete with notes to myself and poor/shorthand grammar.

Alexios ex Criamon

born 1189 in constantinople
apprenticed 1199 to a criamon magus who was on his way east, age 10
1199 - 1204, studies in and around constantinople, age 10-15
1204, constantinople falls -- his parens is in a meditation when the venetians come. the apprentice is forced to take up a sword and defend his master, killing a man and wounding several more.
1204-1214, something broke in constantinople -- he realizes he is uncapable of purity. parens trains him anyway, in hopes that he can find a place. Ages 15-25
1214 finishes apprenticeship. age 25
1218 starts on the Path of Strife, age 27
1224, first longevity roll. age 35
1227, game starts. Age 38. 12 years out of apprenticeship

Apparent age: 36

V&F
The Enigma (0)
Death Prophecy "By my own hand" (+3)
Personal Vis Source (+1) Corpus, from the wound in his chest, which reopens every year on the anniversary of the fall of Constantinople
Major Magical Focus (+3) Changing the Body (MuCo and ReCo)
Improved Characteristics (+1) +3 characteristic points
Enduring Constitution (+1)
Affinity with Corpus (+1)
The Avenue of Faith in Strife (+0) May use Enigmatic Wisdom as Magic Sensitivity and Single Weapon (sword)
The Avenue that Splinters (+0) Labyrinth meditation to destroy non-MR items, and kill every mundane thing in a space 500 ft per enigmatic wisdom. 4x attack bonus, and can injure non-magical immune creatures (penetration enigmatic wisdon x 5)

Inscribed Shadow (-1)
Warped Magic (-1) Causes mirrored stigmata on target in blue flame.
Painful Magic (-3)
Hatred (-1) the crusaders
Weird Magic (-1)
Fury (-3) the shedding of innocent blood
Blatant Gift (-0)

Arts
Cr 7
In 4
Mu 10
Pe 8
Re 10

An 5
Aq
Au 1
Co 15
He
Ig 2
Im 2
Me 4
Te 1
Vi 2

Skills
Greek 5
Enigmatic Wisdom 3
Charm 2
Brawl 2
Awareness 2
Athletics 1
Guile 1
Music 1
Folk Ken 2
Concentration 3
Latin 4
Artes Lib 2
Magic Theory 4
Parma Magica 3
Penetration 3

Int 3 Pre -2 Str 1 Qik 0
Per 1 Com -1 Sta 2 Dex 2

Spells:
Grip of the Choking Hand (PeCo 25)
Incantation of the Milky Eyes (PeCo 30)
The Walking Corpse (ReCo 35)
Seven-Leauge Stride (ReCo 30)

wiki spells
Dead Man's Eyes (InCo(Im) 15)
Symphony of Hearts (InCo 25)
-- as Beat of Many Hearts but D: Conc
A Giant Amongst Men (MuCo 15)
The Great Bird's Span (MuCo(An) 30)
Blade of the Mind (PeCo 25)
-- Swift Knife of the Chirugeon but T: Ind
Mind Trick of the Tremere (ReMe 20)

Warping Score 3 (26)

Stigmata: Jagged, harsh patterns, spreading up from the hands and radiating outwards from the scar on his chest, and mirrored in his shadow. When in his Fury (or when viewed through his talisman) they burn with a cold blue flame.

Sigil: Jaggedness.

Items

Longevity Ritual +6 bonus

Talisman: A five-fingered gauntlet, intricately carved from solid pieces of amber; deceptively solid, that causes the stigmata through it to blaze fiercely.
+3 corpus +4 affect by touch +4 maniulation at a distance

Room 24: used 5

The Foe Lifted: ReCo 37
Hurls a target quickly in any direction you please. Base 15 +2 voice +2 no words +2 lvl (3x/day)

Inescapable Mark
InCo30 Base 4 +1 conc +5level item maintains conc +4 arc
When touched to something with an arcane connection to a person, the wearer gains the ability to track them unerringly, until they are found or the connection fades. The Muto requisite causes the subject to display a shadow of Alexios' stigmata.

642

History: Ysild grew up in Durenmar and was surrounded with books from her early childhood on, her mother being one of the librarians of the covenant. Although she also liked to play outside, she loved staying for long hours in the library and her mother taught her how to read and write. Later on, Ilzear, an apprentice of her age with whom she was friend taught her the basics of artes liberales. During the first years of apprenticeship of Ilzear, Ysild was allowed to attend to some of his lessons, and that’s how she learned a little about the order of Hermes. Later, Ilzear’s master didn’t allow her to attend the lessons anymore, but Ilzear secretly continued to teach her a few things. Also, as soon as she knew how to read, she started learning anything she could by secretly going to read in the library. One evening she got caught and was severely reprimanded. Because Ysild was heart-broken not to be allowed to use the library anymore, her mother suggested training her to be a librarian.

When she was around ten, she was caught again trying to read books she shouldn’t have had access to, by a servant. Being very afraid of being thrown out of the covenant, she gazed into the servant’s eyes and told him that he would never tell anyone about it. To her astonishment, he said yes. It was the first manifestation of her capacity of entrancement.

When she wasn’t in the library, Ysild was often to be found around animals. She had talked to them as if they were humans as far as she could remember. It took her a while to realize that not all people could do the same. She told her mother and her friend about it. Both oh them recommended that she shouldn’t talk too much about it.

One evening, she was asked to bring a book to a laboratory where Soral filia Elidan, a visiting Criamon maga, was working. Unfortunately, she arrived right as there was an accident in the lab including imagimen vis. Both of them got caught in a magical cloud of vision. The vision included several dead people who were former members of the covenant. They stayed trapped in there for hours, until the cloud finally dissipated. Ysild was weak after that but recovered after a week. However, since then, she sometimes experiences visions that leave her very disturbed or upset, and that tend to tire her a lot. On top of that, the world of the ghosts seemed to have taken interest in her, and she developed a second sight talent from then. The Criamon maga somehow also took interest of the girl, although it wasn’t sure if it was out of a feeling of guilt or rather a purely experimental interest.

A few years later, Soral died under strange circumstances (a fever that nothing could cure) and she came back in Ysild’s life taking the form of a ghost. She never left her since then, giving her advice from time to time, scolding her when she thinks she deserves it. Ysild sought advice from magi to know if there was any way to get rid of her intrusive guest, but nothing was found. She applied to be a librarian at Nova Castra, hoping that the ghost wouldn’t follow her that far. But that was in vain. Soral followed her during all her travel, and Ysild was quite tired as she finally arrived to Nova Castra.

643

Had a look at the revised version of Ysild. Comments:

  • You're limited to a maximum of 1 story flaw. Animal Companion and Plagued by Supernatural Entity are both story flaws, and Visions possibly is as well (it seems to be listed as both supernatural and story, and I'm not quite sure if that means it's both, or that it can be either).
  • Something I forgot with Second Sight last time - each of the virtues that gives you a supernatural ability also gives you a score of 1 in it (i.e. 5xp free). You've therefore got an extra 15xp to play with.
  • I assume the characteristics are unchanged from the previous draft? You might want to consider tweaking them to work better with your supernatural abilities (Presence for Entrancement, Comm for Animal Ken, Per for Second Sight). Then again, that's quite a broad spread, and it's entirely a question of optimisation rather than rules. Entrancement at +4 isn't going to reliably achieve anything very impressive, though (you need a +3 bonus against the target's stamina roll to get them to do something innocuous; more dangerous things start being +9 to +15).
  • "Mundane" as a speciality needs a bit of clarification. Do you mean "normal human with no supernatural virtues", or something different.
  • Your Latin speciality is narrower than it needs to be - either "writing" or "Hermentic Usage" would be fine.
644

Comments on Alexios. It'd have been easier to check with a snapshot of him at gauntlet. Which method of advancement did you use? Xp totals look reasonable, but I haven'tchecked seasons add up.

  • I'll leave it to MtKnife whether he wants a death prophecy in the game. I've got no inherent problem with it, although I'll note that I would consider killing yourself in a horrible botch to count under it.
  • The Magical Focus seems reasonable, but I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "Changing the Body" in the context of Rego Corpus. Could you give some examples of the sorts of times you'd expect it to apply?
  • I think you should have picked up a Higher Purpose flaw from his second Ordeal.
  • Unless you mean him to be a complete hermit, he should probably have some Order of Hermes Lore and Code of Hermes.
  • He needs a House Criamon Lore of at least 3 to have undergone two initiations (pg 60 of HoH: MC).
  • Given his background, he should probably have picked up at least minimal weapons skill before he got to his Initiations. It's possible I'm misreading the character here, though.
  • The Walking Corpse has a Mentem requisite.
  • Does A Giant Amoung Men actually require an extra +3 magnitudes for size? Adding +1 size magnitude increases the size of a target that can be affected by up to ten times (pg 113), i.e an increase in size of +3 (pg 192). That isn't quite the same as increasing the size of a target, though. Other opinions?
  • Is "The Great Bird's Span" "Wings of the Falcon" on the spellswiki, or something else? I can't find the name as written. If so, I'd be inclined to say it was Base 25 rather than 20, in direct correlation with the Muto Animal base line (presumably only changing part of you into an animal is actually more unnatural than changing all of you, which makes a reasonable amount of sense).
  • I've no rules problem with "Blade of the Mind", but inventing a spell that can amputate only your own limbs seems a bit limited.
  • I'm not sure you'd have been able to find labtexts for the wiki spells, so you'd probably need to put seasons towards inventing them if you haven't already.
  • Are you looking to get a decrease in the penalty of pain levels from Painful Magic from Enduring Constitution? I'm inclined to say it's probably reasonable, but check with MTKnife.
  • Your abilities need specialities still.
  • His warping score's quite high, but then again he is a Criamon.
  • I don't think The Foe Lifted works as is - Voice Range needs to have sound, or it has a range of zero.
  • Also, could you have enchanted The Foe Lifted? (Are you applying the focus?) I make your ReCo lab total 37 before the focus, which isn't enough to accumulate points above the enchantment level.
  • I don't think Inescapable Mark works quite as you'd want it, either - the device would gain the information, not the wielder, and you'd need to put in a linked trigger to communicate it somehow. I'm admittedly going largely off analogy with Watching Ward here. Also, shouldn't it be base 3 rather than 4, and what Muto requisite?
645

Thanks for the bookkeeping -- this is far and away the oldest Magus I've ever made (and his advancement was a late night project), and I've not played in a while, so I'm not surprised he's chock full of errors. By the time I was at the magic item, I was a bit fatigued, so I'm not surprised it's faulty, and I'm tempted to either scratch it or rework it completely.

I used the basic advancement (40xp a year times twelve years), with -10xp for each lab season.

Thanks for catching Blade of the Mind, and I'm not sure either why I'd be cutting off my own limbs. That's tiredness for you.

As for "Changing the Body", I wanted something broader than merely "self-transformation", which is a minor magical focus. I meant PeCo, not ReCo, stuff like Incantion of the Milky Eyes (or sawing off your own arm, for that matter).

Other errors are easily fixed, and I'll hack 'em out over a couple of days. Unfortunately, in order to be a product of the fourth crusade, he needs to be quite a few seasons out of apprenticeship, and old magi are a lot more paperwork and thusly a lot more error-prone.

EDIT:
To keep the errors down, and get myself back in shape, I'll be re-making him season by season.

646

I would say that means it's both. In addition, I think that if she's truly Plagued, the relationship should be less benign--what you've described above sounds more like Ghostly Warder.

Scott

647

I can work with it if you want to do that.

As for the rest, Salutor reads characters way more carefully than I do, so take the advice offered.

Scott

648

Doesn't make so much of a difference given you're reworking him using a different method, but it's actually 30xp, -10xp per season of labwork, per year, rather than 40. Detailed character creation usually gives more powerful characters, at the cost of requiring a lot more work.

649

Work is good. It'll get me feeling Ars Magica again, and keep him from showing up in the middle of a meeting.

650

I made Alexios at gauntlet, but the forums horribly mutilated his formatting. This should take you to him.

651

Comments:

  • You've listed House Criamon Lore, Concentration and Penetration as requiring 10xp rather than 15xp for a score of 2.
  • Before allowing for this, you've spent 295xp rather than 285xp (240 + 45).
  • I'm still a bit surprised he hasn't picked up any ability to use his sword.
  • Similarly, I would have expected him to pick up a rank in Code of Hermes and Order of Hermes Lore.

Other than that, looks fine. Layout is nice and easy to read.

652

Indeed, aside from Salutor's critiques, he looks fine. Note though that that particular Death Prophesy is an especially easy one for the SG to invoke in a perverse way.

Scott

653

Good; I'm looking forward to it.

654

I have not given up on Sulayman Criamonis. i just had a short deadline dropped on me which took up all of my concentration. But now advance him another 5 years ( after making the corrects suggested )
I will post the invented spells ( that are non-standard in my next post)
After 5 years:(for reference)
Abilities:
Arabic(poetry) 5
Folk Ken(Peasants) 2
Greek(books) 4
Survival (Desert) 1
Theology: Islam(Quran) 3(38)
Artes Liberales(Astronomy) 2
Latin(conversation) 4
Islamic Law( 1
Bargain (haggling) 1(10)
Chirugry(diagnosis) 1
Teaching(Arts) 2
Concentration(spells) 1
Profession(scribe)( 1
Awareness( 1
Parma Magica (creo) 2
Magic Theory (inventing spells) 3(36)
Enigmatic Wisdom(Twilight) 2+2
Magic lore 1 (Order of Suleiman) 1
House Criamon Lore(Paths) 3

Arts:
Cr 16+3(143) In 5(17) Mu 3 Pe 1 Re 6(21)
An 5 Aq 0 Au 4(13) Co 8(38) He 5
Ig 3 Im 11(67) Me 4 Te 2 Vi 4(13)

Spells:
Bind Wound CrCo10 (27)
Airs Ghostly Form CrAu5 (23)
Jupiter’s Resounding Blow CrAu10 (23)
Stench of the twenty Corpes CrAu10 (23)
Trap of entwinging Vines CrHe15 (24)
Call to Slumber ReMe10 (10)
Revealed Flaws of Moral Flesh InCo10 (13)
Sense the nature of Vis InVi5 (9)
Lamp without Flame CrIg10 (21)
Wall of Living Wood CrHe25 (24)
Gentle touch of the Purified Body CrCo20 (27)
Wizard’s SideStep ReIm10 (17)
Discerning Own Illusions InIm15 (16)

The next 5:
Year6:
s1: Invent Illusion of stench CrIm10(Group) Invent Illusion of a wall CrIm 10, Exposure MT (38) - Lab total = 41
s2: Phantasmal Animal CrIm20 Exposure MT (40)
s3: Study Summa Finness 14xp Finness 1(14)
s4: Adventure Constantinople xp5 Finness2(21), xp5 Scribe(10)

Year7
s1: Study Summa Corpus 10xp 1+1xp Creo(145), 1xp In5(18)
s2:Study Tractatus Magic Theory 10xp Magic Theory 4
s3: Assist Matthias of Criamon in research Exposure MT2xp(52) payment 3 Cr vis
s4:Develop +8 Longevity ritual LT=40

Year8:
s1: Invent Aura of Ennobled Presence MuIm10 MT 2xp (54)
s2: Invent Panic of the Trembling Heart CrMe 15 MT 2xp (56)
s3: Invent Circle of Undisturbed Rest ReIm5 MT 2xp (58)
s4: Read Summa of Terram +14 xp Te5(15) 1+1xp Creo(147) 1xp Re(22)

Year 9:
s1:Explore Regio in search of familar Awarness1 5xp Magic Lore1 5xp
s2: Invent Foras Vim ReTe15 2xp MT(60) From Lab notes
s3: Study Summa Animal 10xp An6(25) 1+1xp Creo (149) +1 Mu3(7)
s4: Study Summa Intelligo 10xp In7(28) 1+1 Im11(69), +1 xp An6(26),+1 xp Te5(16), +1xpVi4(14)

Year 10
s1:Assist Matthias of Criamon in research Exposure MT2xp(62) payment 3 Cr vis
s2: Study Summa Parma Magica +14xp Parma2(29)
s3: Study Tractatus Regio 10xp Re7(32) 1xp Vi5(15) 1xp An6(27), 1+1xp Im(71), Au4(14)
s4: Befriend familiar (Nubbins) 5xp Awarness2(15) , 5xp Enigmatic Wisdom2(20)

==============================
Abilities:
Arabic(poetry) 5
Folk Ken(Peasants) 2
Greek(books) 4
Survival (Desert) 1
Theology: Islam(Quran) 3(38)
Artes Liberales(Astronomy) 2
Latin(conversation) 4
Islamic Law( 1
Bargain (haggling) 1(10)
Chirugry(diagnosis) 1
Teaching(Arts) 2
Concentration(spells) 1
Profession(scribe)( 1(10)
Awareness( 2
Parma Magica (creo) 2(29)
Magic Theory (inventing spells) 4(62)
Enigmatic Wisdom(Twilight) 2+2(20)
Magic lore 1 (Order of Suleiman) 1(10)
House Criamon Lore(Paths) 3
Finness 2(21)

Arts:
Cr 16+3(149) In 7(28) Mu 3 Pe 1 Re 7(32)
An 6(27) Aq 0 Au 4(14) Co 8(38) He 5
Ig 3 Im 11(71) Me 4 Te 5(16) Vi 5(15)

Spells:
Bind Wound CrCo10 (27)
Airs Ghostly Form CrAu5 (23)
Jupiter’s Resounding Blow CrAu10 (23)
Stench of the twenty Corpes CrAu10 (23)
Trap of entwinging Vines CrHe15 (24)
Call to Slumber ReMe10 (10)
Revealed Flaws of Moral Flesh InCo10 (13)
Sense the nature of Vis InVi5 (9)
Lamp without Flame CrIg10 (21)
Wall of Living Wood CrHe25 (24)
Gentle touch of the Purified Body CrCo20 (27)
Wizard’s SideStep ReIm10 (17)
Discerning Own Illusions InIm15 (16)
Illusion of stench CrIm10
Illusion of a wall CrIm 10
Phantasmal Animal CrIm20
Aura of Ennobled Presence MuIm10
Panic of the Trembling Heart CrMe15
Circle of Undisturbed Rest ReIm5
Foras Vim ReTe15

655

Edit: Stat'd him out to age 25. Now I've grown kinda attached to him and sort of want to upgrade him to a Companion.

Leon,
Hunter/Linguist Grog for Patrick the Unrepentant (Based on The Hunter Grog template in MRB, pg 21)

Personality: Brave +3, Loyal +1, Socialable -2

Virtues: Wanderer, Warrior, Linguist, Well-traveled
Flaws: Delusion (thinks he used to be a catfish), Social Handicap (keeps bringing it up), Ability Block (logic)

Characteristics:
Int 0 Per +3 Age: 25
Pre -2 Com -2 Size: 0
Str 0 Sta +1 Confidence: GROG
Dex +2 Qik +2 Warping: 0

Abilities
AreaLore Germany(game trails) 2
Athletics (climbing) 3
Awareness (woodlands) 5
Bows (from cover) 4
Craft: wood (weapons) 2
Hunt (deer) 5
Stealth (hunting) 4
Survival (woodlands) 4

NLanguage, Low German (fish) 5
Language, Latin (orders) 2
Lang Gaelic (orders) 2
Lang, Castillian (directions) 2
Lang Greek (directions) 2
Lang [b](campaign local - Rus?) /b 0 (2.5xp)

Combat
Short bow
Init -1, Attack +9, Defense +6, Damage +6

Soak +3 (partial leather, Stamina)

Wound Penalties -1 (1-5) -3 (6-10) -5 (11-15) Incap (16-20)

Equipment , Encumbrance 2 (2)
Partial heavy leather armor, short bow, arrows, survival kit

Five years ago, Leon was the subject of a badly botched Mentem spell. As a result, all knowledge of his actual life was replaced by the memory of a catfish he had recently eaten -- including the memory of that fish's capture and gutting. Waking up surrounded by a cadre of wizards in the middle of a fight with a demonic beast, he fervently hopes that one of the wizards transformed him into a warrior in order to fight the demon (otherwise, he reasons, the demon conjured him, which means he's a Bad Guy).

The German-based covenant to whom he originally belonged briefly tried to repair his memory, and then gave up on him. Patrick took pity on him, and claimed him as his shield grog ("Mo' like he's mah backup," Patrick insists). Patrick never seems to tire of trying to prove to Leon through disputatio that he is a man.

656

Now that I seem to have all the numbers worked out functionally, I'm taking one last look at him for concept coherence.

Changes:

Concentration specialty changed from "ignoring sounds" to "ignoring magic addiction." He didn't start studying Concentration until he turned 31, so making this skill his effort to "get on the wagon" seems sensible.

Changing flaw "Oversensitive - Slurring the Irish" to "Compassionate." Both are minor Personality flaws. I realized that with the apathy that comes with Lost Love, the character needs a motivational force to keep him active beyond the Visions.

Now that he no longer has the Discreet flaw, the personality trait by the same name gets replaced with Compassionate +3

I'm considering changing "Restriction - Keep Hands/Feet Uncovered" to "Weak Magic Resistance (Urban Environments)." This major flaw should come from the same supernatural source which gave him Animal Ken, Inoffensive to Animals, Warrior, Independent Study, and Weird Magic at birth. My original thought was that he was born to be a forest guardian type, except that the neighborhood we're in is apparently quite low on trees. Still, I want him to be favored by some kind of semi-sentient magical force of nature, so tying his power to nature seems okay, but it still doesn't feel like a perfect fit. Any suggestions for a major flaw that would work?

I've also finally found time to finish reading the Tytalus section, and made some adjustments to his backstory to fit into canon better. Patrick has made a poor showing among the Tytalii, unable to rise to meet the challenge of his Lost Love, and will have an additional negative "Reputation: Wolf-puppy" among his house. I'll be writing up his full backstory after I post this.

657

Connor O’Dunningham, who would become Patrick Tytalii fillius Peremis, was born in Ireland during a wicked snowstorm. His mother found shelter in a regio of caves inhabited by Grey Herons of Virtue. The herons took pity on the mother, and gave her succor through the childbirth, and thus Connor was born touched by magic (The Gift, Animal Ken, Independent Study, Warrior, Inoffensive to Animals, Weird Magic, and Servant of the River Delta).

When the storm passed days later, his mother brought him back to Dunningham, and they rejoined his merchant father, Michael Dunningham, as he traded among the local villages. His Gift was evident to all, and he was quickly noticed and collected by the magae of Five Trees Covenant.

Five Trees Covenant was founded by five maga, as part of some Byzantine political backlash, and now only three maga remained in heated stalemate. By some trick of the gods, that year the covenant was blessed to discover four Gifted children, ripe for apprenticeship. One child each for the Tytalus, the Flambeau, and the Merinta, and one to passed on to others. But which for whom?

When the dust settled, Connor was in thrall to Peremis Tytalii, but his mater seemed nigh-crazed with the conflict within the covenant. She was obsessed with warding spells, ever pushing him to experiment. When he failed to live up to the rigors of the Book of Instruction, she often punished him with work among the livestock and guard beasts. Somehow, he endured his hellish years and came out the stronger -- just as she had hoped. (Self-Confident, Inventive Genius, Flexible Formulaic Magic, Minor Focus Wards, Affinity with Rego).

Seeing his hated brother, Salamandrus Flambeau, and sister, Saffron ex Merinita, pass their Gauntlet, he pressed for his own quickly, and surprised his mater by defeating her in physical combat, despite never having touched a weapon to her knowledge.

Surviving his Gauntlet, he returned to Dunningham, found his childhood sweetheart, and quickly wooed her. Maeve had grown up to be one of the most cunning huntresses in all of Ireland. By age 21, Patrick had a wife and a lovely daughter, and though he kept in contact with his mater and other magi, he otherwise eschewed Hermetic society. Such egotism cost him dearly, as his daughter Leah was repeatedly kidnapped by magical beasts which took an inexplicable interest in this babe who grew up outside any Aegis.

On one adventure recovering his beloved, Gifted daughter, Patrick met Edward Longshanks IV, an English Magister in Arbitus with questionable ties to the Order of Hermes. Patrick eventually joined the mathematically-focused cult, though he was more enamored of their philosophical underpinnings than their mysterious agenda. He was an able player in their game, and contented himself with the large family he was raising and his place among his secret brotherhood, never counting the enemies he was making as he did the bidding of the cult.

It would prove to be his undoing. At age 28, he returned from a hunting trip to find his covenant, Laguna Sententia, a burning ruin. His wife and family dead, he fell into a deep despair, and fled into the woods, speaking only to the animals around him. He was plagued by visions of his eldest daughter and wife, begging him to come back into the world, but he only fell deeper into grief. The only joy he could find was in the power of magic, and he quickly became addicted to the rush of power. (Reputation (Ireland) 3: Suspiciously Sole Survivor)

However, Peremis was not content to lose her apprentice to such a sorry state. She tracked him down and dragged him beyond the island and into the wider world. Near Hamburg, they joined with Metapontium Covenant and the Fraternity of Samos in their efforts to uncover a diabolist. The fight left one grog, Leon, addle-minded. Leon would have otherwise been left to his fate by the other magi of his own house. Patrick took sympathy on the man, guided by the visions of his daughter. (He did not realize it at first, but this was precisely why the other Tytalus magi acted as if they would abandon the grog.)

In showing compassion for the addle-brained Leon, Patrick rediscovered compassion for the world, and rediscovered a purpose for his own life. He began once more to hunt exotic monsters, whose parts were valuable to the labwork of other magi. He needed resources and social contacts, if he is to restore Leon’s mind. He might even find some clue as to the villans who had destroyed his family. (Reputation (OoH) 3: Beast Hunter)

In his quest for such knowledge, he ran afoul of Salamandrus Flambeau and Saffron Merinita, whom he had bullied when they were all apprentices at Five Trees Covenant. Still harboring much resentment over their youth together, the two acted in concert to up-end Patrick’s plans. The result was two certamen challenges, both of which Patrick lost. (Reputation (Tytalus) 3 : Born Loser/ “Wolf-pup”)

In defeat by Salamandrus, Patrick must forever identify himself as “The Unrepentant” when using his name (note that this probably would not stand up in court, were it ever brought to a trial).

By Saffron’s will, he was to journey to the edge of civilization and aid Viola Merinita in the task of establishing the new covenant there, for no less than three years. (Saffron’s relationship to Viola is left to that player’s discretion, and could easily be no more than a casual acquaintanceship. Saffron chose the Base Camp saga project as Patrick’s punishment simply because it was as far from Ireland as she could think of.)

658

There is a substantial forest reasonably nearby, if you still want to do that. Are you looking for a Story Flaw here?

Scott

659

While I can think of plenty of Story flaws that might suit, I've already got Visions, which apparently counts as both minor Supernatural and minor Story.

660

An etenral injunction seems overly harsh for Certamen--plus, what is he unrepretant for?

I'm not clear on where Five Trees Covenant is--knowing that would help me answer this question.

I can't find a draft character sheet for Patrick, but could you take Enemies for Salamandrus and Saffron?

Scott