Covenant Building

Qcipher's points spent:

[size=150]75 personal buildpoints:[/size]

Vis source: Weeping Madonna
This carved statue is of the weeping Madonna, carved by monks trying to convert pagans in the lowlands near the Loch. Knowing that the locals would often gather at a 'Heathen Fane' with a prominent rock for their Spring festivals, the monks commissioned a sculptor who came and carved a beautiful and touching statue of the Madonna once the Spring Festival ended. Despite being tormented by fae the entire year, the monks protected the sculptor who managed to finish the statue the day before their festival. When the locals arrived they found the statue and the monks instead of their pagan stone. The monks were able to convert many of them, especially when the statue began weeping water in time with Good Friday at 3 in the afternoon. The Weeping Madonna is in a low level faerie regio throughout most of the year, but on the afternoon of Good friday until Easter Sunday a Divine Aura becomes dominant and the statue begins to weep. The water is Vim vis. The monks do not collect it as they are suspicious of the fact that the area is still faerie dominated most of the year. At the same time, they do not care too much for wizards to collect it for their use. Often a monk or monks can be found here during this time and must be dealt with to collect the water.

5 pawns of Vis 25 build points

The Crooked Path of Himinis (Verditian Cult Lore level 6 Quality 17) 35 Build Points
A book on Verditian Cult Lore, it is written in codes and runes that make it difficult to read if one is not a member of House Veriditius and initiated into some of the Cult's Mysteries (it requires deciphering as if the writer had the Incomprhensible flaw and a level 40 effect, or some other mechanic for deciphering if one is not a Veriditius with at least a 1 in Verditian Cult Lore). Those with the proper skill or patience can learn much of the secrets of the Verditian Cult and also earn the ire of the vengeful Confraternity of Himinis the Mad, as you have justified their paranoia by daring to learn their secrets without trying to join their brotherhood. Currently Aodhan is in possesion of the book but swears that his Pater gave him the copy.

Magister Vermicello Rolenti (Teacher 13 build points)
The Magister is a somewhat young man, but considered to be quite brilliant and charming. He's also run afoul of something that House Verditius is quite familiar with; Vengeful Corsicans. Members of House Veriditius have agreed to protect him in return for tutoring in the finer points of Latin and Philosophaie as well as Instruction techniques. Aodhan is protecting him now since Scotland is very far away (he hopes) from the Corsiacan family he offended.
Comm +3, Teaching +5, Philosophaie +5, Artes Liberales +5, Latin +5

Silver stocks 2 Build Points
Aodhan sold some of his apprentice works for a modest sum of 20 pounds of silver.

[size=150]250 Build Points:[/size]

Arguing with one's Reflection (Summa Magic Theory Level 6, Quality 17) price 18+17 =35 bps
A summa written by Adolphus ex Criamon based on reflections on a mystical pool at his covenant. Other Criamon regard the book as a failure as it offers almost nothing for understanding of the Enigma.

Commentary on Arguing with One's Reflection (Tracti Quality 12) Bps 11 (1 free point for a Commentary)
The first of seven such commentaries on this somewhat controversial book. This was written by Malidoxus of Bonisagus, a member of Adolphus's Covenant. This Commentary was Malidoxus's attempt to get his amicus's book published with other works distributed by his House, but was refused. Partly they say because of the too close relationship between the two and partly from dogmatic refusal by Bonisagus to include non-Bonisagus writings.

Commentary on Arguing with One's Reflection (Tracti Quality 12) 11 Bps (1 free point for a Commentary)
The second of seven was written by a member of Ex Miscellenea who claimed that the book was a trap intended by Criamon to inflict Twilight upon the reader. This book includes a declaration of Wizard's War at the end of it from Agrima Ex Miscellenea to Adolphus with corresponding letters from three of Adolphus's covenmates prmoising War in return should she try to harm Adolphus. It is noted that Agrima may have shown wisdom at last in her rather short and Twilight prone magus career when she stayed at her Covenant during the period of War rather than pursue it.

Vis source: 7 Pawns. 35 Build points
Gillebhrìghde the shoemaker. In a small faerie regio at the outside of a highland village is a single resident; Gillebhrìghde the shoemaker. His small house is shingled with the soles of shoes that he's acquired from people who leave them outside their doors on the first night of summer. Those he takes shoes from, if they are good natured about it and walk barefoot through their normal lives for a week without a complaint about their missing shoes will find a brand new pair of shoes on their doorstep of exceptional quality at the end of the week. The shoes are worth Rego vis, he only will ever take 7 pairs of shoes at a time from the local villagers. The priests frown on the practice, but for the most part see it as harmless.

Vis source: 6 Pawns 30 Build points
The Devil's Fart. A deep hole lies in the forest not far from the Loch, with a nasty rotten egg smell that emnates from it. The locals stay well away from it, claiming that a demon lives there. In fact there's nothing infernal about it, this is a somewhat legendary vis source that was once used by the Flambeau arayed against Damhan-Allaidh and then again during the Schism War and has been forgotten. It provides 6 pawns of Ignem vis in the Fall in the form of yellow scaly sulfur deposits.

The orphaned Tracti

This is a rather large selection of books that were overlooked when the library was raided. They are all Tracti that had been well read and were of no immediate value, but could be immensley valuable to new readers.

Magic Theory: (3 Tracti at 11 each)
The Essential Art An often copied Tracti alleged to come from the notes taken from a lecture by one of Trianoma's apprentices.
Gifts of the Ether Alleged to have been written for Pralix's haphazard army of Magi, these tracti were given to the newly formed Ex MIscellenea to aid their learning.
The Primer for Mendatus A Tytalus who was insulted for his writing skills produced this high quality tracti and delivered it to Mendatus with a challenge for Wizard's War. It was later found that he did not write the book, and its writer is unknown. As it happened shortly before the corrupton of House Tytalus, there are some who are suspicious of reading it.

Finesse: (3 Tracti at 11 each)
On crafting with the hands of God A religious Ex MIscellenea claimed that the Art was Holy and he often conjured items of great quality to prove it.
As Fast as Death A far circulating tracti on Finesse that members of Flambeau, Tremere and Tytalus all claim one of their House members wrote.
Illusion as Art Attributed to a pompous Jerbition, this focuses on Finesse as used to create beautiful illusions.

Parma: (3 Tracti at 11 each)
The Red Parma Book The title of this book is unknown, its cover is obscured with a red stain that resists any attempts to clean it. Supposedly this is blood either from the Hedge Wizard who stole it and was later killed, or from the fool Magi who allowed it to be stolen by a Hedge Wizard.
Parma Fabulae A standard book on Parma that is often circulated among House Bonisagus as a gift to new Covenants throughout the British Isles.
The Shield of Law This is a book that was written by a member of House Guernicus extolling the virtues of the Parma and also explaining its affects on maintaining law and order within the Order at large.

Code of Hermes: (2 Tracti at 11 each)
Tribunal Notes: This is a collection of notes gathered into the form of a Tracti, written by an unknown Redcap from the last Tribunal held in Loch Leglan.
The Incident at Risen Vale A book written from the perspective of a travelling Quaesitor who attempted to solve a series of Hermetic crimes at the now lost Covenant of Risen Vale. The magus who wrote it and the Covenant are unknown, but the book includes gruesome depcitions of murder scenes and the means that the Quaesitor used to try and trap the perpetrators. An early Hermetic mystery novel.

Stocks:
50 pounds of worth of green gold coins, crushed together into a large lump from the pressure of the ocean. Gathered from the wreckage of a ship off the coast of Scotland. Alleged to be the Veregild of a raiding group of Vikings. 5 Build Points

10 pawns of Terram in the form of chess pieces 2 Build Points

[size=150]Illusory Build Points 41[/size]

Corpus Revealed Level 20 Quality 11 31 Build Points
A rare treasure, this book must have been overlooked when the library was raided. Written by a Verditius in Rome, it is regarded as an excellent book on Corpus. Unfortunately it will be discovered only after reading it for at least a Season that it is an inferior copy and provides no value.

Vis source: Muto 2 pawns of vis per year 10 Build Points
A faerie ring of mushrooms that grow in the Fall, this was regarded as a minor vis source by the Covenant. It is discovered that the vis source may have dried up, possibly by the incorporation of a Fall Saint's day celebration instead of the more Pagan celebrations that used to take place right before they grew.

I keep getting an error when I try to post this, I don't know if it's definitely posted yet, so forgive the possible double post:

Qcipher's points spent:

[size=150]75 personal buildpoints:[/size]

Vis source: Weeping Madonna
This carved statue is of the weeping Madonna, carved by monks trying to convert pagans in the lowlands near the Loch. Knowing that the locals would often gather at a 'Heathen Fane' with a prominent rock for their Spring festivals, the monks commissioned a sculptor who came and carved a beautiful and touching statue of the Madonna once the Spring Festival ended. Despite being tormented by fae the entire year, the monks protected the sculptor who managed to finish the statue the day before their festival. When the locals arrived they found the statue and the monks instead of their pagan stone. The monks were able to convert many of them, especially when the statue began weeping water in time with Good Friday at 3 in the afternoon. The Weeping Madonna is in a low level faerie regio throughout most of the year, but on the afternoon of Good friday until Easter Sunday a Divine Aura becomes dominant and the statue begins to weep. The water is Vim vis. The monks do not collect it as they are suspicious of the fact that the area is still faerie dominated most of the year. At the same time, they do not care too much for wizards to collect it for their use. Often a monk or monks can be found here during this time and must be dealt with to collect the water.

5 pawns of Vis 25 build points

The Crooked Path of Himinis (Verditian Cult Lore level 6 Quality 17) 35 Build Points
A book on Verditian Cult Lore, it is written in codes and runes that make it difficult to read if one is not a member of House Veriditius and initiated into some of the Cult's Mysteries (it requires deciphering as if the writer had the Incomprhensible flaw and a level 40 effect, or some other mechanic for deciphering if one is not a Veriditius with at least a 1 in Verditian Cult Lore). Those with the proper skill or patience can learn much of the secrets of the Verditian Cult and also earn the ire of the vengeful Confraternity of Himinis the Mad, as you have justified their paranoia by daring to learn their secrets without trying to join their brotherhood. Currently Aodhan is in possesion of the book but swears that his Pater gave him the copy.

Magister Vermicello Rolenti (Teacher 13 build points)
The Magister is a somewhat young man, but considered to be quite brilliant and charming. He's also run afoul of something that House Verditius is quite familiar with; Vengeful Corsicans. Members of House Veriditius have agreed to protect him in return for tutoring in the finer points of Latin and Philosophaie as well as Instruction techniques. Aodhan is protecting him now since Scotland is very far away (he hopes) from the Corsiacan family he offended.
Comm +3, Teaching +5, Philosophaie +5, Artes Liberales +5, Latin +5

Silver stocks 2 Build Points
Aodhan sold some of his apprentice works for a modest sum of 20 pounds of silver.

[size=150]250 Build Points:[/size]

Arguing with one's Reflection (Summa Magic Theory Level 6, Quality 17) price 18+17 =35 bps
A summa written by Adolphus ex Criamon based on reflections on a mystical pool at his covenant. Other Criamon regard the book as a failure as it offers almost nothing for understanding of the Enigma.

Commentary on Arguing with One's Reflection (Tracti Quality 12) Bps 11 (1 free point for a Commentary)
The first of seven such commentaries on this somewhat controversial book. This was written by Malidoxus of Bonisagus, a member of Adolphus's Covenant. This Commentary was Malidoxus's attempt to get his amicus's book published with other works distributed by his House, but was refused. Partly they say because of the too close relationship between the two and partly from dogmatic refusal by Bonisagus to include non-Bonisagus writings.

Commentary on Arguing with One's Reflection (Tracti Quality 12) 11 Bps (1 free point for a Commentary)
The second of seven was written by a member of Ex Miscellenea who claimed that the book was a trap intended by Criamon to inflict Twilight upon the reader. This book includes a declaration of Wizard's War at the end of it from Agrima Ex Miscellenea to Adolphus with corresponding letters from three of Adolphus's covenmates prmoising War in return should she try to harm Adolphus. It is noted that Agrima may have shown wisdom at last in her rather short and Twilight prone magus career when she stayed at her Covenant during the period of War rather than pursue it.

Vis source: 7 Pawns. 35 Build points
Gillebhrìghde the shoemaker. In a small faerie regio at the outside of a highland village is a single resident; Gillebhrìghde the shoemaker. His small house is shingled with the soles of shoes that he's acquired from people who leave them outside their doors on the first night of summer. Those he takes shoes from, if they are good natured about it and walk barefoot through their normal lives for a week without a complaint about their missing shoes will find a brand new pair of shoes on their doorstep of exceptional quality at the end of the week. The shoes are worth Rego vis, he only will ever take 7 pairs of shoes at a time from the local villagers. The priests frown on the practice, but for the most part see it as harmless.

Vis source: 6 Pawns 30 Build points
The Devil's Fart. A deep hole lies in the forest not far from the Loch, with a nasty rotten egg smell that emnates from it. The locals stay well away from it, claiming that a demon lives there. In fact there's nothing infernal about it, this is a somewhat legendary vis source that was once used by the Flambeau arayed against Damhan-Allaidh and then again during the Schism War and has been forgotten. It provides 6 pawns of Ignem vis in the Fall in the form of yellow scaly sulfur deposits.

The orphaned Tracti

This is a rather large selection of books that were overlooked when the library was raided. They are all Tracti that had been well read and were of no immediate value, but could be immensley valuable to new readers.

Magic Theory: (3 Tracti at 11 each)
The Essential Art An often copied Tracti alleged to come from the notes taken from a lecture by one of Trianoma's apprentices.
Gifts of the Ether Alleged to have been written for Pralix's haphazard army of Magi, these tracti were given to the newly formed Ex MIscellenea to aid their learning.
The Primer for Mendatus A Tytalus who was insulted for his writing skills produced this high quality tracti and delivered it to Mendatus with a challenge for Wizard's War. It was later found that he did not write the book, and its writer is unknown. As it happened shortly before the corrupton of House Tytalus, there are some who are suspicious of reading it.

Finesse: (3 Tracti at 11 each)
On crafting with the hands of God A religious Ex MIscellenea claimed that the Art was Holy and he often conjured items of great quality to prove it.
As Fast as Death A far circulating tracti on Finesse that members of Flambeau, Tremere and Tytalus all claim one of their House members wrote.
Illusion as Art Attributed to a pompous Jerbition, this focuses on Finesse as used to create beautiful illusions.

Parma: (3 Tracti at 11 each)
The Red Parma Book The title of this book is unknown, its cover is obscured with a red stain that resists any attempts to clean it. Supposedly this is blood either from the Hedge Wizard who stole it and was later killed, or from the fool Magi who allowed it to be stolen by a Hedge Wizard.
Parma Fabulae A standard book on Parma that is often circulated among House Bonisagus as a gift to new Covenants throughout the British Isles.
The Shield of Law This is a book that was written by a member of House Guernicus extolling the virtues of the Parma and also explaining its affects on maintaining law and order within the Order at large.

Code of Hermes: (2 Tracti at 11 each)
Tribunal Notes: This is a collection of notes gathered into the form of a Tracti, written by an unknown Redcap from the last Tribunal held in Loch Leglan.
The Incident at Risen Vale A book written from the perspective of a travelling Quaesitor who attempted to solve a series of Hermetic crimes at the now lost Covenant of Risen Vale. The magus who wrote it and the Covenant are unknown, but the book includes gruesome depcitions of murder scenes and the means that the Quaesitor used to try and trap the perpetrators. An early Hermetic mystery novel.

Stocks:
50 pounds of worth of green gold coins, crushed together into a large lump from the pressure of the ocean. Gathered from the wreckage of a ship off the coast of Scotland. Alleged to be the Veregild of a raiding group of Vikings. 5 Build Points

10 pawns of Terram in the form of chess pieces 2 Build Points

[size=150]Illusory Build Points 41[/size]

Corpus Revealed Level 20 Quality 11 31 Build Points
A rare treasure, this book must have been overlooked when the library was raided. Written by a Verditius in Rome, it is regarded as an excellent book on Corpus. Unfortunately it will be discovered only after reading it for at least a Season that it is an inferior copy and provides no value.

Vis source: Muto 2 pawns of vis per year 10 Build Points
A faerie ring of mushrooms that grow in the Fall, this was regarded as a minor vis source by the Covenant. It is discovered that the vis source may have dried up, possibly by the incorporation of a Fall Saint's day celebration instead of the more Pagan celebrations that used to take place right before they grew.

For some reason, I thought the way that Illusory Resources worked was that everybody would submit their points, then I would go through and decide which ones were "illusory". shrug

Oh, and Arya - when you get back to your books, do you want to go through and decide what laboratory equipment that is, or do you want me to?

I dunno, personally I agonized over my bps, and I would be really crankypants if the stuff I really wanted got yoinked.

If you're volunteering to do the arithmetic for me, then I am a-ok with that :slight_smile:

Uhhh....woops!

It's all going into the "Player Submissions" pile...but like I said, if there's stuff on that list that you feel can't be included in the Illusory Resources stuff, let me know. Otherwise, it's all fair game.

Maybe these should be Flawed Resources,that's what I was thinking of when I picked Illusory, and I take the Enemies (Fengheld) flaw for Talia?
Flawed resources allows a successful story resolution to preserve up to half the resources. They'll still hate me, and may have less hate for the covenant as a whole.

That actually makes more sense. I'll make the change in the PSP post. Everyone still gets 291 covenant build points, but someone (or several someones) may be coming after 250 of the total points.

Updated list.

Items marked with an asterisk (*) are able to be Flawed Resources.

Level 15, Quality 15 summae in: Creo, Intellego*, Animal, Auram, Corpus, Vim*. (180bp)
The Scrying Pool: In Glencoe, there is a spring of incredibly pure, clean water. If one draws from the spring on the autumnal equinox, the spring produces 10 pawns of Intellego vis. (50bp)
Level 6, Quality 15 summa in Parma Magica (33bp)
Lab Text, Incantation of the Body Made Whole*, CrCo40 (8bp)
Lab Text, Wizard's Communion, MuVi20 (4bp)
Lab Text, Aegis of the Hearth, ReVi25 (5bp)
Lab Text, Sight of the Sigil, InVi50 (10bp)
5 pawns of Creo vis* (1bp)

Hmmmm...if we have an Exceptional Book, why didn't Duncan plunder it?

thinkthinkthink Either it was loaned out, or for whatever reason it wasn't on the Catalog that he had access to. If we can get an Exceptional Book that we can agree on, then yes.

Oh, I was under the impression that the stuff we are spending bps on are the things our characters show up with. Otherwise I wouldn't have spent any bps on summae, because the L15Q15 books would have been ganked by him as well.

Though, having just read the "Magical Things" stuff in RoP:M... maybe we have an exceptional book which is sentient and possesses Might :slight_smile: That would be particularly appropriate for an exceptional Vim text, IMO. Maybe a Vim text imbued with the personality of the doddering old whackjob-- err, "Criamon," who suffered a Twilight event while writing it?

Oh lord no, it's Faileas in a book. What have you done?

The limit for Arts Summae was L15Q17. And Duncan was prevented from getting all the best books, so it's reasonable that some remained. I also created a mess of Low quality, low level books that he would've ignored.

The 291 bp is the stuff that's already at the covenant. The 75 personal build points is stuff/people (blank specialists/teachers, not actual grogs) that you either show up with or that you know of that the covenant doesn't (e.g. the Weeping Madonna).

But yeah, a sentient book does sound awesome. "Oh, finally, somebody wants to read me. I tell you, you young magi have no appreciation for the timeless classics like me. Why, I remember one time...wait. What's that? Is that...is that gravy on your fingers? No! Get away! Librarian! Murder!!!"

I LOVE IT.

That's the boon I want. And we are going to call him Joe.

My thoughts on B/H we should have:

Criminals (minor residents boon) - drink up, me hearties, yo-ho.
Rebellious Covenfolk (minor residents hook) - y'arrrr
Superiors (minor residents hook) - the existing three magi
Exceptional Book (major external relations boon) - Joe, either on Vim or a Technique
Infamous (minor external relations hook) - Duncan
Demonic Interest (major surroundings hook) - Duncan's friends

Rebellious Covenfolk is major, [strike]as is Superiors[/strike]. (edit - saw Superiors as Major and missed the Minor variant, too...and it sounds like Minor is more like what you're describing.)

Do you want to be...oh, I don't know, treated or seen as lesser than the three npc magi?

Other than that, they all look good.

Does anyone have any preferences on what subject Joe should be an expert in?

By my recokoning that brings us to:
[table][tr][td]Boons:[/td][td]5[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Hooks[/td][td]7[/td][/tr][/table]

Boons
Healthy Feature +1
Criminals +1
Exceptiona Book +3

Hooks
Flawed Resource +1
Rebellious Covenfolk +1
Superiors +1
Infamous +1
Demonic Inerest +3

How about pushing the Healthy feature up to +3 which will balance out the boons and hooks?

PB says Rebellious Covenfolk is also Major, so we'd still need more to balance.

Beatings will continue until morale improves!

Not really wild about a lot of stories dealing with getting covenfolk inline while also dealing with Superiors. It's like we'd all have the difficult underlings flaw while simultaneously having Tormenting Masters. Maybe we just drop Rebellious Covenfolk, or change it to Incompetent covenfolk, meaning they are unskilled, and have been left to their own devices for too long? Trying to teach them/train them will have possibilities of rebelliousness as we teach them new skills...

I don't really want the senior magi treating us like juniors, I just figured they would. As far as whether or not we're spending time getting the covenfolk in line, from the covenant description, we're already going to be doing that anyway, and might as well get points for more Boons out of it.

That said, I don't think Incompetent Covenfolk is really compatible with Criminals. Either they are good at something (larceny and battle) or they're not.