Covenant of the old North - Discussion

The Roman road will still be in place between Carlisle and Newcastle. It is about a quarter of a mile behind the line of lHadrians wall. I know this because it is still there now, in use for the military only and referred to ad the "military road". I have driven it a couple of times when the A69 is closed and the police open the old road up. It is straight as a ruler and just goes up and over any hills. It is quite a sight even today.

Are we definitely going with that site? If so, I'd like to think about names. We can go with an English name or a Latin one. Should we be named after the wall, or something related to the north or the border?

If we go with Latin, I think "valli limes" (wall of the border - as Hadrian's Wall was the northern limes of the Roman empire) or "termini vallum" (end of the wall, as it is the western end) would work nicely.

I will follow up on this tonight with the list of Hooks and boons we have agreed on.

I do think that Hidden Resources is allowed with Poverty because they are unknown at the start. I don't think we are expected to stay impoverished for the entire game.

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Why waste a boon on it? Just do it, role play making money. If there isn't a reason for our characters to be here, why are we? What's our motivation?

Hidden Resources can be combined with poverty, its not Secondary Income, its extra build points available later. Think of it as books of spells, artifacts, vis and items of magic 'found' later on. It is especially good with the Ruined Covenant hook. (I like this combo, in fact I am going to use it in my campaign :slight_smile: )

Then what's debate? Why then the question of if "it's allowed"? Just do it.

Magus would certainly vote for a Latin name. I like «termini vallum» better «valli limes», assuming the Latin is correct, which I cannot validate.

I do not think it is a good idea to focus on the border. I think we are more like to play on being in the middle, taking advantage of possible association with Loch Leglean as well as Stonehenge. We may disagree in character of course :slight_smile: Termini vallum is rather neutral in this respect, I think it is ok.

An alternative suggestion, Hadrian's Crossroad (or its Latin translation).

Hadrian crossroads is Hadriani bilious itineris. I prefer Termini Vallum of the three suggestions.

Hooks
Roman ruins (Surroundings Minor hook) -1
Ruined covenant (Surroundings, Major hook) -3
Vis salary (Minor resources hook) -1
Poverty ( minor resource hook) -1
Centralized Kingdom (minor relations hook) - this just makes sense. -1
Faerie Court(minor Surroundings hook) - i like this one but it can go. -1

The area will be very story driven.

aurax2 ( minor boon) +2
Hidden resources x2 ( minor boon) +2

I took out Regional Produce as that was the secondary income mentioned by John Graham. I took out vast as it was stated did not fit with the ruined Covenant.
Right now we are at -4
Suggestions for more boons?
I heard the major site boon of Aura which would give us an area for labs with aura 6 and the rest 5
Someone said Criminals ( minor resident boon Difficult access ( minior site boon) or Hidden Ways ( minor surroundings boon)

Good. I vote to keep those.

All of these are good ideas. My personal order of preference is
1 Local ally (+1) or possibly the major version. It is a harsh world and we need friends.
2. Hidden ways. Sounds fun. And it has some defence value.
3. criminals. At least if we don't have other grogs.
4. Major boon Aura. Very useful and very expensive. certainly a boon to attract the magi in spite of danger.
5. Difficult access. Useful. Only argument against is that I don't see such a spot on the map.
l would also argue for the Tribunal Border major hook. The location is spot on,

I agree that tribunal border as a major hook is absolutely a must given the location. If the story teller agrees that would leave us at -7. I would then vote for:

  1. Aura - Major +3 (total +3)
  2. Powerful Ally - Major +3 (total +6)
  3. Hidden ways - Minor +1 (total +7)

If Powerful Ally is too much then I would vote for Local Ally - Minor +1 and two more levels of Hidden Resources.

What/who would be the powerful ally?

I was thinking a random Cumbrian baron as local ally. I can't quite come up with a background story, without knowing what brought us to this particular corner of Cumbria.

We could consider swapping out the Powerful Ally to Exceptional book (35 build points, max level 20, max quality 25) as a major relationship boon if Powerful ally does not suit Emrlric. Caernos has just the background to arrive with such a book and to have no idea how valuable it is. This could gives us a really strong reason to intereract with other covenants as they try to trade for copies. It would be worth plenty in trade and lots and lots in cash money. Great story opportunities I would say. We could decide what the book actually is when everyone makes their 60 build point picks. Thoughts?

I like the idea of the exceptional book, but it strikes me as very similar to the Parma book that Emelric rejected ... In fact, I think it is an oversight in Cov that a 33p Parma book is available for bp, it should have been a boon, but it obviously depends on how common such books are supposed to be in the world.

Personally, I am hoping more for mundane plots, than for Hermetic plots, and therefore I argue for the ally. However, I think local ally (+1) is fine. Powerful ally is both more expensive and harder to justify in the story. If Hermetic plots are going to be prominent, then of course, the book is great. I am not against such Hermetic plots, I am just more in favour of mundane plots :slight_smile:

In terms of story potential, we might want to kick out the major aura boon. Both the book and the ally are easier to exploit for a plot. Obviously, Magnus would go for the aura, but I as a player is quite happy to let it go :slight_smile:

To revise my previous list.
1 Local ally (+1) - some Cumbrian baron. It is a harsh world and we need friends.
2. Hidden ways (+1). Sounds fun. And it has some defense value.
3. Exceptional book (+3)
All of these, I believe, are good for story potential. If we assume the -7 that you calculated previously, we have two points more to go, and taking from what has been suggested, we have.
4. Criminals (+1). At least if we don't have other grogs, and their local lore may be critical to justify hidden ways and other boons and hooks.
5. Difficult access (+1). Useful. Only argument against is that I don't see such a spot on the map.
Then the 7pts are spent, and everything below would be good ideas that we cannot afford.
6. Major boon Aura (+3). Very useful and very expensive. certainly a boon to attract the magi in spite of danger.

Of course, the munchkin's choice would be exceptional book + major aura boon + hidden ways as you suggest. I shall be happy with that too.

Now I really want to hear Emelric's opinion.

I agree on needing Emelric's opinion and for him to decide otherwise we will never settle on anything. I am happy to plat any combination of any hooks and boons as long as we start roleplaying - PLEASE (no offense meant from capital letters, I am just getting desperate to start - lol)

I'm not a fan of exceptional book because we are poor. It makes no sense that just gauntleted magi would be trusted with the book. And if it is left over from the ruined covenant then it is part of the hidden resources.

I would go

  1. Hidden ways (+1)
  2. Criminals (+1) - I think they go together.
  3. Major boon Aura (+3)
  4. Local Ally(+1)

Is there any interest in a primer book on Art of Memory? I was thinking of one. Maybe an Artes Liberales and Philosophiae commentaries on Aristotle or Euclid as well. Oops wrong thread I think.

The story would work from the exceptional book angle as our new covenant is not Caernos' own ruined covenant and him bringing the exceptional book is not a hidden resource of the covenant we will be establishing but rather a left over Boon of his home, ruined covenant, if that makes sense?

What about a magic theory book as one of your picks. We all need it and no one else seems to have mentioned one yet. If you do, max out the level (8?).