I love natural philo! If we do decide to go the art and acedeme route, my ancient loremaster could work with you. Maybe we could even work together to make a breakthrough! ... Not sure what a natural philo breakthrough would do but it would be damn cool. Also note on medical theatrics: Cure fatigue, break limit of energy, win Certamen.
I haved to change my my Mercenary Leader story a bit as he needed Latin and so he was teached by a privat teacher in his early years trough the winter saisons and even spend 2 years in Oxford trying for a Baccalaureus with focus on Civil & Canon Law.
But he wasn't sad when he haved to return to the Mercenary Group bevore the exams as he wasn't realy up to the task of becoming a Lawyer.
As part of a Mercenary group he also got around a lot especial in the Scottish Highlands.
Questions for the great narrator Z. Should we make threads for characters? And do have Art and Academe?
Here's the start of the bio of my mage. I'll finish it this weekend and do a grog and companion this weekend (likely tomorrow).
I still think we should consider Obsidian Portal. I think I'll start a campaign with the information that we've gathered so far, linking all the wiki pages, and invite you guys to see it to see if it's something you like.
Anyway - on to Reperius:
You want to know my past? If you insist. My life had an inauspicious beginning. I was deformed as a newborn and left exposed to the elements to die by still unknown parents in the low hills of Hungary. Luckily, my short journey in life was extended by the quick witted intervention of a greedy furrier. You see, this not uncommon practice of exposure happens to gifted children on occasion. The magi of the most organized tribunal in the order are often on the lookout for such an occurrence. Some mundanes, including this furrier, have become aware of this hermetic interest and sometimes collect such children in the hope of some reward. I don't know what he collected in silver or other treasures for my delivery.
I was taken to the covenant of Két Ujja and examined (so I'm told - I was much too young to remember this myself). It was found that I had the gift. Moreover, the deformity I was afflicted with could easily corrected with the application of magic and vis. (I don't blame my parents - they couldn't have known.) Moreover, I don't even remember the deformity nor its particulars other than it was something about my leg. It was decided that I should be healed and shipped to Coeris, where our noble house Tremere would decide what to do with me.
I was healed, given the name Razvan, and raised for several years by the mundanes. Particularly by a turb Custos named Orban. I remember running around and helping him by being a sort of fetcher. My gentle gift made me popular among the turb and I became something of a mascot as various people taught me how to run and swim, even to ride a horse (a bit). I knew I was slated to become an apprentice, but it didn't weigh heavily on me in those days.
At the age of eight I was given as an apprentice to Silania of Tremere. She is a fine magus and was good teacher. I was given proper Latin and lesson by lesson, I was shown my true place in the world. Her lessons were not easy, but I eventually I could detect her love in them. For my apprenticeship was not a mere education of magic and the rules of the Order. Oh no, my Mater made sure that every lesson of technical significance was laced with secondary meaning about culture, service, and ethics. Through Silania's teachings and others in the house I came to understand how fortunate I truly am to be in a house of brothers and leaders with the highest aspirations for civilization and order for the good of all. This was only confirmed further when I was fostered for two years in the Novgorod tribunal under the care of Lubo of Tremere. Indeed, one could not see a more stark contrast between the possible and despair as to compare Transylvania and Novgorod. I also spent a year under Martius of Tremer in the Rome tribunal, where I learned what civilization could bring and how such gifts can be wasted by the petty ambitions of the self-seemingly powerful.
I wish I could say that passing my gauntlet was a momentous triumph, but like almost all Tremere I failed to earn my sigil. In many ways I didn't think that much of the event. I always thought of it as another progression through my career of serving the house and the Order. For many Tremere, the gauntlet can be an intimidating event, but for I who grew up in the halls of the Domus Magnus, who took supper in the same hall as the Prima, who's lessons sometimes consisted of confidences of the inner strategies of the most skilled of planners and generals, it felt more like more of the same - advancement. Don't misunderstand, it was difficult and challenging and but for a bit of what I still feel was a little luck, I made reasonable showing. It was expected that my performance would be adequate and when it was there were warm embraces all around. There was the customary ceremony where I was given the very robes you see on me now (although I like to think they are somewhat darker now than then) and the name I now bear and shall bear beyond death or twilight, Reperius.
Sounds like a plan to me!
Very nice! Really good glimpse inside the Tremere mind too, which is something I've still not achieved myself.
[quote="Thumper"I still think we should consider Obsidian Portal. I think I'll start a campaign with the information that we've gathered so far, linking all the wiki pages, and invite you guys to see it to see if it's something you like.[/quote]
I'm not really familiar with Obsidian Portal. I've been giving rpol.net a whirl the last week or so and like it so far. What's OP like?
I love the way they developed the Tremere house in 5th ed. They used to be stereotyped as villains. When I'm trying to describe them to people now I oftentimes go with a comparison to US Marines. They're loyalty to each other is cultural, not merely born from a sense of hierarchy, which they have but its based on a meritocracy so they like it that way. The old emphasis used to be on their individual ambition based on that they don't have their sigil. Now the emphasis is that they don't mind not having their sigil because they expect to earn it, not just win it, and they trust their superiors to know when that should happen.
So think of meeting US Marines, as a non-marine in a bar - they can be your friends. It's just that although you can be their friends (and loyalty is an ethic so that means something), you'll never share the bond that they have with each other as Marines.
I find that that sense of loyalty and progress is an excellent glue that works great with all people, but just more so with fellow house members.
Here is obsidian portal: obsidianportal.com/ Basically it's a way to turn the game into a wiki, which is probably more useful in an Ars game than almost any. There are some good intro videos that explain it better.
Indeed. Obsessed with their inane idea of civilization and outdated duels, when they should be focused on SCIENCE! EVOLUTION! and PROGRESS!
Only a lab-head would look at civilization and think it inane. Its the cultural embodiment of progress. It is the thing that progress in science is in service of. At least that's what Reperius would think. He'd say something more diplomatic. That bio is probably written more in the form of what he might say to an apprentice or a fellow Tremere. I think the thing that makes him interesting with regard to the Tremere culture is that he actively thinks about it, whereas most other Tremere just live it without thinking too deep necessarily. He figures these values saved his life and made him more than he could be otherwise, and it could do that for anyone. That's why he's generous - he figures enhancing other's chances is the best way to keep from wasting human potential. He's an optimist, but with an understanding that to see that optimism to fruition only happens when you get to work on it. He's probably unnerved by the thought of 'evolving' beyond being human, but is diplomatic enough not to let that keep him from encouraging the research we would all benefit from. He wouldn't let his unnerve show, but he'd confide it to superiors or trusted amici.
Sorry, I haven't been around for awhile. Real life got in the way. I think it would be a good idea to set up threads for individual characters. Could you each set one up for your mage, post their stats and I'll have a quick look. My confession here is that this is the bit of a campaign I like least, making up characters and checking them over. When table-topping I rely on mature, sensible players to come up with reasonable characters so I can get on with the game.
I have recently gained Art and Academe, Lords of Men and The Church. I'm still waiting for the Houses books.
Would anyone mind if I started a bit of description of Mythic Edinburgh?
Mine too, which is why having to come up with a new character concept for the third time was such a big blow. I really wish you'd let me know my concept was problematic first, instead of declaring your hardlined 3Aura long after.
I still haven't hit on any inspiration, and I don't foresee coming up with any new ideas any time soon, so I think I have to resign.
If you do change your mind about necessitating a covenant my character can't live in, or if you can compromise on some way my character can somehow participate in the covenant without dying, PM me.
Please do! 
Dunno if you'll see this, but maybe a compromise is to lower the threshold of the flaw to 3. I wouldn't have a problem with that myself; it still means you need to stay within the covenant for the majority of the season. Making it a weaker covenant aura really doesn't seem to help your character any, so I don't see any balance issues with weakening the effects of the flaw or anything.
A other idea could be that your Lab & Living Space have a higher Aura then the rest.
One way to do it is via enchanting the lab via "Increase of the Room's Modest Aura" from TMRE 99 but it would require some mage knowing this mystery to do it for you. Its also a powerfull constant enchantment ewhat might be a problem with warping.
A other is try your luck via the VIM guidlines from RoP:M 14
Sorry guys, I've been on a trip for the last few days, but I will return home tomorrow. I'll give Tempestpuer his own thread then.
Wow looking at Ramons shows me that so fare I know nothing about how to make a powerfull character.
Thats why I haved to look how he managed to put such a strong character together in hope I don't anger him with this. 
[spoiler]If I didn't made a error he have 865 exp in Ability and Arts and 220 in spells.
His puissant saved him 105 exp and he got 110 plain exp from other virtues.
Together with the default exp I get to 920 exp.
So I think he just spend 1 year developing spells instead taking 30 exp and it probably works out.[/spoiler]
I.e. Virutes like Book learner; Seconary Insight or Apt Student dont realy work with the fast 30 exp per year methode and then puissant looks like the much bether way if one start many years later.
Apt Student was for me the reason why I left the path of the default Exp giving and instead designed a covenant and looked that in the totall sum I keep around the default 30 exp/year.
A intersting thing I found out this way is that for the time as apprentice it means that the parent need to have com+teaching at less then 0 or even have to be incompehensible to keep around the 240 exp if the character have Apt Student.
The alternative would be that the char have extra exp similiar to strong parents just from this virtue.
If you really want a strong character, be sure to pick a minor focus, as well as Affinity + Puissant in the two relevant Arts. Something like Affinity and Puissant with Creo, Affinity and Puissant with Ignem, minor focus in creating fire. Then sink as much xp as you can in these Arts. 10 years post Gauntlet you should it casting totals around 70, it'll make my character look like a weakling. Oh, and Skilled Parens is a very good virtue.
515 xp in regular Abilities, 25 in spell masteries, 330 in Arts or 870 total by my count. And 220 spell levels. My two Puissants together give me the equivalent of 99 xp in extra levels at the moment, my two affinities worth 105. Skilled Parens is worth 90 xp if you count the extra spells, Educated 50.
Puissant is better for Abilities you want to have between level 6 (4+2) and 11 (9+2). Below that you are better off with one of the flat '+50 xp' virtues (Educated, Warrior, Arcane Lore, Well-Traveled...). Above that you are better off with Affinities. Of course you can take all of those, they are compatible. For Arts Puissant is better between 12 (9+3) and 18 (15+3), above that it's Affinity, below that a flat 50 xp (although you won't be able to put it directly into Arts). The virtues you name don't really work in regular character creation (Book Learner is nice, but how much time to you lose getting access to the books ? Same with Apt Student and finding teachers. Secondary Insight can be made to work easily enough, but it still takes a House Rule).
I once designed a character for another game that was like 50 years Post Gauntlet and the ST had house rules for all of those (which I didn't use) as well as for creating and selling magic items (I made a Verditius and used those extensively). It took forever to get the game started, even if it was fun.
Yes, well, don't forget that some of the exposure xp you're probably counting on will be in 'Profession: Privy Cleaner' or 'Profession: Water Bearer' But yes, the way the other ST made it work was to give a 'free' Privileged Upbringing' with Apt Student and then additional xp for years spent studying certain abilities, up to a limit in these abilities. It works, but it must be a major headache to keep straight if the ST has to check the numbers... and he did, for 50 years post Gauntlet magi !
Ups right strong Parents is 90 exp in totall and not 60, also somehow I missed 5 exp.
I also mixed up Affinity with Puissant 
Right now I only consider to take puissant Finesse instead of Voice of the Forest to give Quendal a level equal to a Mastercrafter when it comes down to crafting magic as it is all he ever will need there.
For his magic I know Quendal is not good in his arts as I traded some power now for flexibility he can keep even after the first step into the Becoming.
(beside this major virtue becomes something good to sacrefice later in a initation when it start to becomes useless)
Maybe I should also trade Cautious Sorcerer for Skilled Parens to not have extrem weak parens and get some art+form+sta to 25+ from the 90 exp but that would mean I have to rewrite a part of the story.
You have a very nice mix of virtues to grow into, so I wouldn't call your character weak. You might want to add your post-Gauntlet experience to your character sheet however, or at least your Finesse, he will look better.As for trading off Voice of the Forest, it's true that it should be less useful in an Urban Covenant, and bumping up your Finesse is a nice way to offset your below average Arts: use aimed spells that don't have to penetrate Parma, so you don't need high casting scores for Penetration.
Since no one liked my bard teacher in the covenant, I cut it out and decided to reincarnate him as my companion. A quick look at Scottish bards found this:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muireadhach_Albanach
Irish bard exiled in Scotland, founder of a famous dynasty of Scottish bards and the founder of Scottish barddom, lived at about the right time, in not quite the right place (Lennox, not Edinburgh) and even had some martial abilities (killed a tax collector, went on crusade). So I'm going to change the name a little (so no one is confused when I change other things) and create a different Irish bard, probably a couple of decades younger, exiled to Scotland for killing a different man and who will take part in a different Crusade (the Fourth, not the Fifth) and come back to Edinburgh at the right time to join the covenant. Unless someone has an objection ?