However, in-play, being bad at Intellego is easy to compensate for. You just need to have a friend who is good at it, and is willing to tell you the answer.
Also, in-play the effectiveness of Intellego is the most dependent on storyguide / troupe attitude. When a character tries to use Intellego to gather information, for example, it is very easy for the storyguide to consider this "cheating" and frustrate the effect (which is not to make a value judgement about this). The outcome of Intellego effects is frequently what the storyguide says it is, whereas the effect of something like Perdo is a little less open to interpretation.
This is debatable, but I'd give your idea at least even odds of winning the debate (I've found that muto also spawns debates quite frequently, perhaps that's just how I use it).
Sdelear is making an NPC, so your point (regardless of its veracity) is not strictly relevant to my blatant attempt to manipulate him or her into making a character more to my liking.
I had the horse as simply an Cr(Re)An effect to generate a trained warhorse that is immune to the gift. I figure such a spell should be fairly common among martial magi. The more interesting issue is the effect of the gift on allied and hostile horses. I get the feeling it would resemble the long lived legend that horses fear camels. Second sight allows her to see invisible opponents. Not perfect, but being invisible will do just about as much good as lurking behind a bush. Actually, looking at her awareness score, I think you'd be better off lurking behind a bush. Strong faerie blood means she can also see in low light and darkness, I suspect that some evenings she gets busy reading and winds up doing so in complete darkness when she forgets to light the candles.
I switched it from Muto since her large size is such a major problem in learning spells. MuVi would allow a wizards boost +1 mag size. Also 8'6" tall, red skinned with (stub) horns in the Roman tribunal. MuIm change appearance self sun is level 4 (1 base, +2 sun, +1 size). I suspect it will come in handy.
awareness 2 is pretty good and perception 0 is average so she's not a lost cause when it comes to looking behind bushes. On the other hand, I've got no books here to check with, but wouldn't second sight need to penetrate in order to work on a magus?
Once again I'll claim serf's parma, what is the individual size for an image? Do you need a size increase for a muto Imaginem spell? Even with a deficient technique you can pull off a level 4 spell.
Second sight isn't resisted. See this thread discussing it. I haven't checked errata, if David Chart's not authoritative enough.
The base size for Imaginem is that of an adult human being, last paragraph on page 143. I would personally allow it up to +1 sized humans as corpus allows this. Where it goes wonky is when you try and make an imaginary castle. How does that compare to a person...
Unfortunately she is a +2 size human, requiring an extra level for size. For a magus, giant blood seems more like it should be, at best, a minor virtue. Second sight allows you to see invisible on a Per + Second Sight Roll of 6+the magnitude of the spell (so +4 in most cases).
I'm splitting this edition up into three posts. The first deals with story, the second notes and statistics, the third provides the season by season advancement.
THE STORY
Sarah and Sher arrived at the ruins of Veii, a ruined Etruscan city about a day outside of Rome, in the Fall of 1112. There she was Sarah introduced to Arria's husband Oisin,a Merinita magus specializing in Arcadian travel. Sarah quickly took to teaching Sher the Parma Magica and the four began sketching plans for erecting a mystic tower within the powerful region encompasing the cities former citadel.
Plans for magical construction soon ran into a snag. While hunching over drawings and sketches the four found themselves in an intense discussion of what they wanted. After about twenty minutes the magi realized that they had been talking to two new voices. Both the servant spirit of Minerva (located in a ruined temple on the site) and the areas Genii loci possessed differing ideas on what should be erected. Over the next several days many of the sites ghosts and other supernatural residents chimed in. The issue quickly became divisive. Supporters of the Genii loci favored a new fortress. Those favoring the temple of Minerva, wanted a reconstruction of a villa once found in the citadel. Eventually, the magi of Veii found themselves forced to call in Mathematicus of Bonisagus, a noted hermetic architect, to mediate the dispute. The compromise solution called for a fortified manor house conjured by Mathematicus. This cost Sarah her carefully horded rook of Creo vis.
Soon after the creation of a permanent structure on the site, Sher and Sarah found themselves under almost constant investigation by the Quaesitores. Only one of the tribunals Quaesitores, Germanicus of Guernicus proved capable of staying at the covenant for any length of time. After spending four seasons in a row investigating repeat allegations that Sarah was a demon or that all Sahirs were diabolists Germanicus filed a request for recognition at the next tribunal that this was not the case, and that the magi making the charges compensate him for his wasted time.
Soon after Germanicus gave up the investigation Abraxas of Tytalus declared Wizards War against Sher Ex Miscellanea. Sher's sodalis promised to help defend him. It did no good. A week into the war Sarah saw Sher suddenly stand up, then drop dead the apparent victim of Perdo Corpus spell.
Sher's death devastated Sarah. The only structure in her life came from almost obsessive study of Rego Corpus in order to invent a large size version of Leap of Homecoming to return to Surat. To add further insult Sarah found herself summoned to tribunal in 1115 to defend charges of diabolism made against her by Abraxas.
At the tribunal Abraxas put forth a number of letters and lab texts, written in Arabic, taken from her covenant.
“What do these say?”
“I don't know they are in some form of infernal glyph but clearly they deal with demons.”
From Sarah, “They're written in Arabic.”
“Scippio the Mercer can read Arabic. What do they say?”
“This is an outline for a tractus on demons found in Hind, with comments on combating them. This text looks like some form of Demon's Eternal Oblivion, but I can't make out these figures.”
“They're Hindu numerals. They go from one to nine and there's a special one for nothing. If you use them like this [quick example] it's easier to keep track of what you are doing.”
“ACKH!”
“What was that?”
“Mathematicus's apprentice seems to be having some difficulty. Mathematicus, do we need to take a break, you're looking a bit pale yourself.”
“Well then what about this one?”
“It's written in Hind. It's from the um I think it's from the god Avyappan to the tiger Avyappan. This um, looks like a report on the doings of the creatures in a magical forest.”
Avyappan goes up to Scippio and looks at him plaintively until he hands over the letter. Later Avyappan gives a similar look to the tribunal scribe before taking a ink well and parchment off his desk. At the end of the tribunal the tiger puts a letter addressed in Latin, by a claw dripped in ink, to the Temple of the God Avyappan in Gujarat into the hand of the Primus of House Mercer. The Primus takes the letter with the admonition that “this might take a some time to deliver.”
The charges against Sarah quickly fall apart. Sarah and Abraxas spend the rest of the tribunal glowering at each other, with Sarah absent mindedly fiddling with the handle of her dagger. Toward the end of meeting Mathematicus invents a quarrel with Abraxas leading to a Perdo Corpus certamen. The contest shows Abraxas possessed of a powerful Parma and highly skilled in Perdo Corpus. At the verge of victory Abraxas botches and enters into a prolonged twilight. The redcaps quietly canceled the betting pool forming on Sarah's likelihood of killing, or being killed by, Abraxas.
After the tribunal Oisin talked Sarah into joining the Fianna, a mystery cult Oisin belonged to. This would offer Sarah greater ability to confront Abraxas when he emerged from twilight. Sarah's depression only began to lift after mastering Leap of Homecoming for Ceremonial Casting – making it much easier to travel to see her son. After mastering the spell Sarah cleared out Sher's lab and re-appropriated the space for a ceremonial casting chamber. Relieved to see some life out of her, her covenant mates vote to approve funds for purchasing a complete set of large casting props, so long as the chamber becomes available for the use of all the covenants magi. About this time Germanicus joined the Covenant.
The new expense brought a spotlight on the covenants somewhat strained finances. With births among the covenfolk, expenses increased. All of the magi became involved in an attempt to expand their trading enterprise in Genoa. Sarah found herself both writing to merchants in Syria and giving pirates a first hand lesson in why not to attack a ship flying a hermetic banner.
The largest target available, Sarah often found herself targeted in a fight. Becoming tired of taking wounds, Sarah set out to create a Talisman that would help defend herself against attack. After recovering from her latest wounds Sarah spent significant time over the next three years at Duremar studying magic theory and Castra Solis reviewing Parma Magica. Unfortunately, the ruby given to her by Sher remained outside of her ability to enchant. Instead, Sarah selected a smaller (semi-precious ruby) and obtained an Ovum Angium to add the tough virtue.
Sarah's visit to Castra Solis coincided with the Flambeau tournament. The last official use of Test of the Flames took place during the 1122 tournament. During the spells final use two archmagi, both immune or nearly immune to fire, sat in the flames playing chess. More junior magi, aided by an item casting wards against heat and flame, played in the fire. The scene, as the flames began to jump higher and began to singe off the participants clothing (very good roll on the damage dice) became the subject of Ernesto of Jeribiton's painting The Flambeau. The work currently hangs in the council room of Castra Solis. It remains somewhat controversial as it could be used in sympathetic magic against a number of the houses members. The depiction of the various magi (including a somewhat demonic looking Sarah) and their familiars would likely be considered heretical if it came to the attention of the church.
In 1122 Veii seemed like a Spring convenant headed into a powerful Summer. Two years later the magi were wracked by internal divisions. Oisin, an unaging magus forever twenty six, found himself married to a wife with an apparent age in her early forties. In 1124, Hypatia of Bonisagus filia Mathematicus, gave birth to a son by Oisin. Only two years out of apprenticeship Hypatia, a lab rat, did not know Oisin was married. Complicating matters, Oisin had initiated Hypatia into the Fianna. Sarah, friends with both women, found herself caught in the middle.
Arria Sentina promptly declared Wizard's War on Hypatia. Sarah managed to talk Arria into calling off the conflict, pointing out that Oisin shared more than a little bit of blame. Unfortunately, Hypatia had already gone into hiding. Unable to locate her, the covenant hoped for an uneventful war. They were in for a shock. A specialist in Hermetic Astrology and mentum, Hypatia of Bonisagus seemed one step ahead of the magi of Veii. The amount of collateral damage inflicted in the war could only be described as astonishing. This included the burning of the covenants ceremonial chamber, seemingly caused by candles containing an alchemical substance. Arria was using the chamber at the time.
In disgust, Sarah made arangements to study at a library in Cordoba for an unspecified period of time. In Sarah's absence the situations at the covenant continued to deteriorate. Hypatia tracked Sarah down and convinced her to come back, telling her that her friends had been excommunicated.
“I'm surprised you found me here, I didn't know you spoke Arabic.”
“Not really, but the librarian knows some Hebrew.”
“A Jinn that old, shouldn't surprise me.”
“Jinn? The Order of Solomon?”
“No, just Sahirs.”
“Here?”
“In this section of the library? I should think so.”
“But you are, and they are. . .”
“Not going to use destructive magic in a library.”
In Arabic “relax, she's an astrologer. She isn't going to throw lightning bolts at you.”
“Come on, now that you're here I expect we can get one of the Sahir astrologers to treat us to dinner.”
Getting the excommunication lifted and Arria on Oisin's marriage annulled proved a major drain on the covenants silver stores (500 pounds). The church agreed to annul marriage on grounds of infertility. Like many magi, Arria's longevity ritual rendered her infertile. Oisin, having not yet begun his ritual, remained fertile. This argument almost failed until Sarah realized that all the magi involved had missed the obvious, the difference in apparent age between the two. While the Church found longevity rituals hard to handle, annulling the marriage of a young groom married to an older wife who could no longer bare children proved relatively routine. This did nothing to help Arria's mood.
After the end of the marriage Arria disappeared into the magic realm for almost a year, returning with a sudden urge to learn more about the Parma Magica (the transformed human virtue and a driving desire to outlive Oisin). After Arria's return Sarah spent half a year in Hibernia as part of a cult initiation. During the trip she found that Lambaird possessed an excellent Summa on Vim. Sarah quickly reached an agreement, under reciprocal cow and calf oaths, to swap a copy of Veii's Ignem Summa for a copy of the Vim work. Her covenant mates were somewhat less enthused. Obtaining the resonant materials to make a copy of a great work is not easy. Sarah, much to Germanicus's surprise, pointed out that the Summa was her personal property and that the volume in the covenants library was a copy of the work kept in her lab. The covenant already possessed a copy ready to trade!
Gemanicus need not have worried. The next year Sarah acted as a Hoplite for the first time. Aiding Germanicus in an investigation, Sarah helping to track down and slay a Faerie impersonating a powerful magus, and already responsible for the death the death of at least one redcap. For her part Sarah gained a substantial stock of Ignem vis, including several resonate items. This almost made up for having to deal with Oisin in order to change the folk tale that gave birth to the faerie.
At the end of 1128 the Magi of Veii found that they would face charges for creating excessive magical wealth at the next tribunal.
The Covenant at Veii
Location: Roman Tribunal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veii)
The Covenant at Veii
City (Rome)(Major), Seat of Power (the Pope)(Major), Fallen Temple (minor), Church Territories (minor), Monster (Major), Cursed (minor)
Regio, Aura (+4), Health Site (+2), Secondary Income, Great Text (Major), “Inhuman” covenfolk, Hidden Resources.
The covenant at Veii is located in a powerful magic regio just twenty miles northwest of Rome. It would seem like a great covenant site, if it were not for its curse. "No Roman may long endure in [the ancient Etruscan City of] Veii." After a season, any Roman will feel a strong compulsion to leave the site. What constitutes a Roman varies on a case by case basis. In general any Magus gauntleted in the Roman tribunal or born in Italy will be considered a Roman. This restriction does not apply to Etruscans. Whom constitutes an Etruscan can be difficult to determine. Additionally, any person excommunicated by the Pontifex Maximum of Rome (the Pope) is not considered a Roman.
Due to the high aura almost all of the covenfolk possess some form of supernatural ability aligning them with the magic realm. The covenants main sources of income arise from selling spices and other goods brought back by Arria Sentina to other covenants and in running a trading operation through Genoa. A powerful magic spirit, a servant of Minerva, still resides in the ruins of an ancient temple to the god located at the cities citadel (where the covenant is). Initially the covenant has a vis income of only 20 pawns a year, but additional (hidden resources) are available – albeit much of this constitutes divine vis from Rome.
Summa Ignem 16/19 (quality 16/level 19) – Exceptional Text Major Boon
Summa Aquam 14/16
Summa Auram 16/14
Summa Terram 15/15
Summa Rego 16/12
Summa Corpus 15/15
Summa Code of Hermes 15/3 (24 points)
Oisin of Merinita (Arria Sentina's husband)
Age 28 in 1112
Int +3, Per 0, Str -2, Sta +1, Prs +4, Com +2, Qui -2, Dex 0
Virtues/Flaws: Diedne Magic, Strong Faerie Blood (Sidhe), Great Characteristic (Prs), Arcadian Travel, Puissant Guile. Free Expression, Faerie Magic (house), Dark Secret (from Diedne Magic), Driven (Restore the House), Reckless, Mentor, Deficient Perdo, Weird Magic, Motion Sickness.
Personality:
Restore House Diedne +3
Torn between two Houses +2
Shifty: +1
Oisin comes from a line of Diedne magi that joined House Merinitia during the Schism. The husband of Arria Sentina, his mentor is the spirit of a Diedne that has apparently been lost to twilight. Oisin is torn between his desire to see the magical tradition of House Diedne continue and his interest in the Merinita mysteries. While Oisin is not motivated by animosity towards the order, the same might not hold true for his spirit mentor.
Hypatia of Bonisagus filia Mathematicus
Age: 20 in 1124
Int +4, Per +1, Str -2, Sta +0, Prs +0, Com +4, Qui +0, Dex -2
Virtues/Flaws: Planetary Magic, Affinity with Artes Liberales, Book Learner, Hermetic Divination (Astrology), Minor Magic Focus Lucrum (Possessions and Finance) , Great Com, Great Int, Great Teacher, Puissant Magic Theory, Curse of Venus, Ambitious, Sheltered Upbringing, Twilight Prone.
Personality
Collector of Lab Texts +1
Naive +2
Told by those who knew Hypatia of Alexandria that she looks nothing like her +1
Arts: Cr 15(+3), In 5, Mu13, Pe 5, Re 12
An 5, Aq 10, Au 9, Co 15, He 6,Ig 15, Im 5, Me 0, Te 5, Vi 12
Pilum of Fire CrIg CrIg 20 58 1 5 Multicasting
Arc of Fiery Ribbons CrIg 25 58 1 5 Fast Cast
Flash of the Scarlet Flame CrIg 15 58 1 5 Fast Cast
Blade of Virulent Flame CrIg 15 58 1 5 Quiet Casting
Unseen Arm ReTe 5 21 1 5 Quiet Casting
The Unseen Porter ReTe 10 21 1 5 Quiet Casting
Dagger of Ice CrAq 10 36 1 5 Penetration
Quench the Raging Conflg PeIg 20 30 1 5 Fast Cast
Healing Touch (+ Size) CrCo 25 42 1 5 Quiet Casting
Purification Festering Wnd CrCo 25 42 1 5 Stalwart Casting
Demon's Eternal Obliv PeVi 5 21 1 5 Multicasting
Wind of Mundane Silence PeVi 20 21 1 5 Fast Cast
Touch of Midas CrTe 20 27 1 5 Stalwart Casting
Ball of Abysmal Flame CrIg 35 58 1 5 Magic Resistance
Mighty Torrent of Water CrAq 20 43 2 15 Fast Cast, +1 Initiative
Leap of Homecoming ReCo 40 30 2 15 Ceremonial Casting, Stalwart Casting
Circuling Winds of Prot CrAu 20 31 1 5 Fast Cast
Talisman: The Ring of (Ridiculously) Many Component
Ivory Ring, with an Ovum Angium, Ruby (small), Red Coral, a Magnant and Jade. Opened with 10 pawns.
Gives the Tough virtue (Ovum Angium, see RoP:M).
Ruby +6 Fire
Ivory: Healing Wounds +5
10 Pawns / 5 Remaining
Pretenatural Growth and Shrinking Size +1 MuCo(He, An, Te) 22.
3, +1 touch, +1 Concentration, +1 size, +1 extra effect +5 Item maintains concentration. +2 (3 uses/Day)
The Faerie Heritage Disguised MuCo 17
3, +1 Touch, +1 Concentration, +1 Size, +5 Item maintains Concentration. +2 (3 uses/day)
Changes the targets appearance as desired.
Lab Lights CrIg 9
From Lab Text, Hickory Disk +4
5 (light of a cloudy day) +4 constant effect
A fairly standard text in the order to create a lesser device to give a lab the magical lighting virtue.
Mystery Cult: The Fianna
The Fianna are a Diedne trap. The group takes it name from a mythical band of Irish warriors lead by Fionn mac Cumhaill. As a boy Fionn was order to cook the Salmon of Knowledge for his master. One drop of the Salmon fell on Fionn's thumb-which he then instinctively put to his mouth. Ever after Fionn would possess great wisdom when he put his thumb to his mouth. In later life Fionn would rise to lead a band of twenty seven Fian. Fian consisted of young, landless, nobles. The Fenian Cycle of Irish folklore follows the band as they face both mundane and magical foes.
The Hermetic Fianna are a Diedne plot. The group is designed to act as irresistible lure for magi from the Latin houses. The groups mysteries focus on internalizing and broadening a magus's power. The cult offers a very valuable secret, unaging, early but at the price of a mystically binding oath. There are actually three different versions of the oath (the first oath, the Bonisagus oath and the Flambeau oath). The Flambeau is attributed to Sarah of Flambeau and Oisin. The groups secret masters prefer this form due to Sarah's well known connection to the East. The Flambeau oath looks like nothing else, which helps to deflect suspicion from the groups true aims.
The secret goal of the cult is to create a cadre of Diedne at the highest levels of the order. Initiates learn how to use small magics in a number of situations. The outer mystery focuses on expanded awareness. Cult members then learn to expand this technique to provide improved longevity. Later initiations show how to combine small magics to strengthen formulaic casting and to provide additional combat prowless. Further initiations focus on broadening the use of internal power to other situations.
The ultimate ability is reputed to be Life-Linked Spontaneous magic. This is wrong. In the final initiation, the cult member realizes that the techniques he has learned can be applied to spontaneous spells, giving Diedne magic. The idea that simply learning Diedne magic would suddenly make a group of senior magi pawns of House Diedne shows that the Diedne involved in the cult may no longer be thinking clearly.
Initiations are broken into three stages:
Glaine ár gcroí (Purity of our hearts)
1st Intuitive
2nd Unaging
Neart ár ngéag (Strength of our limbs)
3rd Flawless Magic
4th Faeries Sympathy (Warrior) Major Virtue*
Beart de réir ár mbriathar (Action to match our speech)
5th Luck
6th Self Confident
7th Diedne Magic
*Remember that botches while using Faerie Sympathies create warping.
Initiate the Outer Mystery
Initiate Intuitive (Target 15)
Cult Lore 6 (4+2) + Prs 4, Mystagogue Sacrifices Time (+3), +2 Sympathetic Bonus
To learn the outer mystery, the Mystagogue spends a season teaching cult lore to the initiate. The initiate learns to intuit the correct course of action.
Initiate Unaging
Target 15
Cult Lore + Prs 10 + 3 Gain Minor Flaw (Higher Purpose) +3 Required Travel, +2 Sympathetic Bonus.
Oath:
In the second initiation the initiate must travel to the forest of Sliabh Bladma. There he swears an Oath to the Fionn and it's goals. The Flambeau version of this oath reads:
I am the light in the Darkness
I swear to defend the weak
Provide Voice to the Voiceless
Hope to the Hopeless
I will hold my friends close
And respect the secrets of my Mystae
But I shall not hide if they fall to hell
Should I fail in this oath, may god have mercy on my soul.
Eat the Salmon Of Knowledge
Target: 30 (but normally 21)
Initiate Flawless Magic
10 Skill, +3 Prior Bonus, +9 Major Ordeal, +3 Travel, +3 Quest, +3 Sympathetic Bonus
The initiate must find the Salmon of knowledge. Once found he must cook it for the Mystagogue. During preparation one drop of oil will fall on the initiates thumb. The mystagogue will then tell the initiate to eat the fish (though in one notable case the mystagogue had to then prepare the fish with Rego magic for a Magus who-for ever after in the group-would be known for his legendary lack of cooking skill). The initiate gains Flawless magic as well as the Necessary Condition must kiss or suck thumb (phantom limbs can be kissed for a Magus lacking hands, but not for one shackled or lacking arms).
To make handling the covenant more manageable, I've taken to updating the covenants population numbers every 5 years. I'm afraid the covenants year by year notes are tied up in the notes about Sarah. I'll try to pull them out next time. T
In order to preserve my sanity I've had the covenant introduce a system of vis tokens, which can be traded for form vis on a 1:1 basis or technique vis at 2:1. The covenant has also dedicated one magus's worth of vis salary to improving it's library. This has brought about sustained growth using the rules from covenants. Currently, I'm assuming each scribe/illuminator pair turns out 2 tracti a year, and that these are then traded for more tracti – none under the cow and calf oath. When a tracti is needed, I'll roll some dice to see if they have it.
For the mundane library, I've used the large library rules out of Transforming Mythic Europe.
1114: Extract Vis (+2mt), Rego 7 (summa), Rego 10 (Sher Killed by Abraxas of Tytalus), Corpus 10 (+15 xp). Covenant Purchase Creo Summa 15/16. Gain Leap of Homecoming (+ Size), Lose 1 vis token.
1115: Corpus 11 +15 XP, Corpus 13, Extract Vis Adventure +7xp (tribunal, +7xp, +1 twilight point, +2 Mt, +5 Order of Hermes Lore), Corpus 14 (+15). +1 Vis token, 4 Q: 12 Rego Tracti.
1116: Corpus +13[limited], Invent Leap of Homecoming.,Gain Fianna Lore +15; Initiate intuitive, Rego Tracti A (+12), Covenant gains food preserving Object (+1 health all labs, -4 pounds provisions).
1117: Creo 11(+3) +15xp, 12 +3 Creo +15xp, Extract Vis (+2 mt), Adventure (7xp Parma Magica +5xp, Penetration +2xp, also gain unaging and higher purpose). Gain 5 Vis tokens, Covenant gains Mu 17/14 Summa. Germanicus joins covenant.
1118: Practice Leap of Homecoming (Ceremonial Casting) Gain Medium Prop Co, Study Creo (+15xp) – Covenant gains casting space + large Rego prop -5 pounds silver, 14(+3) Creo (15xp) Corpus Casting Props, Extract Vis (+2mt) Pe casting props. Gain 6 vis tokens (12).
1119: Create Heat the Frigid Tower (+2mt), all labs gain magic heating (Ig Casting Props),5 Muto +17 and Mu props(large), 4 Speak Parsi +23xp, Adventure (7xp, medium wound, +5 power, +2 Profession Merchant). Income Source Upgraded to Major.
1120: Three Seasons Studying Magic Theory in Duremar +45xp Mt, Extract Vis (+2xp Mt), +3 vis tokens (15) (Vi Casting Props).
1121: Gain Ovum Angium, Practice Sanskrit +8, Enchant ring (-10 vist tokens 5 remain)(+2mt)(auram props), Attune Talisman +6 ignem(+2mt)(terram props), Extract Vis (Aquam Props)+3 vis tokens (8). Covenant Gains Summa Corpus 15/15.
1122: Study Parma at Castra Solis +48xp, Adventure (+8 XP, +5xp Power, +3 Order of Hermes Lore)(Cr Props) Vis tokens _3 (11).
Covenant gains Summa Imagonem 15/16. Roots of the Arts In, Pe, Te, Vi, He 21/6. Other primers, Me, An 15/5.
1123: 5 An (summa)(An props), 6 He (summa)(he Props), 7 Mu (+17xp)(Cr Props), Make Coral Amulets (7)(+2 mt)(Au Props). Covenant starts educational program. +7 Vis tokens (18)
1124 9 Muto (summa) Me props. 11 Muto Im props, 12 Muto Int Props, Make Coral Amulets (+2mt). +7 vis tokens (24). Soap Opera begins.
1125: The Faerie Heritage Disguised (+1 Size) +2mt (note conformity)(22 vis tokens), Preternatural Growth and Shrinking (+1 size) +2mt (conformity)(casting chamber destroyed)(19 vis tokens), Finesse +15 xp, Adventure +7xp (+5 charm (1), +2xp folk ken)(Major Covenant Expense).
1126: Intrigue +16 xp (taught), Church Lore 2 +15 xp, Cult Lore +11xp (Loaned tracti), Extract Vis (+2mt) +7 Vis Tokens (31).
1127: Study Cult Lore +16xp; Gain Flawless Magic and Restriction + Commitment for Text +1 twilight point ; Invent Circling Winds of Protection +2mt, Imagonem 5 (+15xp), +8 Vis Tokens (39). Covenant gains Terram 16/15 and Perdo 15/15.
1128: 15 Ignem (+16xp), Adventure (+7xp, +3 Mu, +4 Order of Hermes Lore), Create Lab Lights (5)(+2mt), Study Vim 12(+17xp)+8 Vis tokens (56).
Sorry to take so long. Have been researching my dissertation over spring break. I need to do up some covenant turns, I'll do a larger than normal section on the covenant next time.
Magic Items
Charged Items used to Attack Sarah
This item cannot work on Sarah as it is capped at size +1 and she is size +2. Even if it could her skill in Corpus, plus the Magic Resistance from her familiar (15+10) exceed the arrows penetration.
(Base 30, +1 touch, +10 Penetration).
.
Creating Items of Quality using the Verditus mystery allows for some really crazy attack, damage and soak totals.
Character Stats
Sarah the Younger
Int +4, Per 0, Str 0, Sta +1, Dex -2, Qui 0, Prs +0, Com +3
The Gift, Major Magical Focus (Unnatural Fires)*, Sihr, Great Int, Inventive Genius, Faerie Blood ('Afrite), Affinity with Ignem. Flaws: Will be detailed later
Faerie Sympathies: Fire +0, Ice (Negative) -0
*Note: As creatures of smokeless fire, this focus would also apply to Jinn.
Story
The Magi at Veii saw the pending tribunal as a threat to the covenant. Tribunal tradition allowed on Magus to stay behind when all the magi of a covenant were summoned to appear. Sarah thought that this would be her. Arria insisted that a twilight had recently left her terrified of going into a foreign Aegis. While not true, this served to hide the fact that Arria, now a magical creature with a low might, could no longer enter an Aegis. Sarah found herself both taking Arria's place at tribunal and taking over her role in the covenant's book trade.
Sarah's social skills, proved somewhat lacking. Germanicus convinced her that, while she had been acquitted of all charges at the last tribunal, the covenant was much more likely to face trouble this time around. The covenant obtained an instructor from Venice to help Sarah to master the finer points of etiquette (etiquette and intrigue skills).
Sample dialog
“Hold your back up straight dearie and look ahead. Good posture. Let's go meet the archbishop.
[A short while later] You did well, now tell me which of the archbishops servants is most likely to be a spy? Which is most likely to be bribed to to slip poison into his drink. Dearie, don't look so surprised, there is more to surviving at court than simply keeping proper posture.”
The tribunal did not go well. Just prior to the tribunal, the magi were informed that one of their vis sources was being contested. With everything revolving around building alliances for the upcoming interference case, the claim against a vis source came out of the blue. To make matters worse, Sarah dramatically botched an attempt to solicit allies at the tribunal, while leaning on her faerie sympathy, both alienating those she was talking to and gaining a warping point.
Veii ended up as a proxy for a political fight between Harco and Verdi. The tribunal recognized the right to magically created goods, including gold but not silver, and invest the proceeds in a mundane business so long as the magically created goods were sold outside of any hermetic tribunal. At the same time it ruled that using magic to instantaneously transport goods and silver equated to creating them with creo magic.
Veii might have faced severe sanction had it not been for Hypatia. Using hermetic astrology Hypatia calculated the amount of silver in Rome. This number proved so large that it became apparent that Veii could not cause inflation.
The tribunals rulings caused Veii to lose magical transport of goods as a source of income. Worse, the covenant suffered the lose of a valuable vis source (4 pawns/year).
Returning from the tribunal Sarah grumbled that “it's time to stop having people do unto us and start doing unto them.”
Sarah spent the next three years preparing for wizards war. When ready she declared wizards war on all five magi of the covenant whom had taken Veii's vis source, and demanded that they return it in order to call off the war. On the night of the next full moon, Sarah armed her grogs with wands casting Pilum of Fire and road out to plunder the vis sources of the target covenant.
Sarah's party; herself, her familiar, three heavily armed and mounted grogs and the turb captain, all enjoyed some version of second sight. The group discovered three magi (Flambeau, Bjornear and Tytalus) along with eight grogs on foot (partial leather scale, spears and round shields) lurking in ambush behind an invisibility spell. Sarah's party decided the ambush the ambush. (The party gets one free ranged attack on the way in and one round of melee to attack the magi before their shield Grogs can get into place).
(Round 1)The group charged their enemies. Sarah, observing that the grogs wands did no damage, suspected wards against heat and flame. Singling the grogs to focus on Veblan, the Flambeau, Sarah put a lightning bolt through the Tytalus's Parma, killing her instantly (10 + 7 (casting roll) + 18 (burning 9 pawns of Auram vis)+2 penetration = soaking 30 points of damage).
(Round 2) Suddenly, Avyappan appeared from nowhere to grapple with a lion, also seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Had anyone but his target been able to interpret Avyappan's growls they would have heard “silly child, one does not ambush the master ambusher.”
Then it was Sarah's turn to learn what it felt light to be hit by lightning. The Tytalus put a black arrow to his bow and loosed it, harmlessly into Sarah's armor. Or at least it would have been harmless if it's enchantment had not dropped Sarah's Parma. Veblan of Flambeau then hit Sarah with an Incantation of Lightning. (38 (8+30) Damage vs +24 Soak (8+18) = 14 damage). Veblan stands stunned as his spell causes Sarah only a medium wound. Then the Grogs hit him hard.
Sarah has more difficulty with the Bjornaer. Her Attack Total is 13 (5 +5(horse charging) +3 (mounted) – 3 wounded + 2 roll+1 specialization). The Magus's defense total is 3 (dex) + 3 brawl +1 dodge + 14 roll. Sarah can't score a hit on the shapechanging b*stard whom then multicasts clenching grasp. All of her grogs, except the turb captain-a Jinn with might 10-drop dead. Hostile grogs surround Sarah, causing no damage to the heavily armored maga. (Three shield grogs still trying to protect the magi, one trained group of 5 with skills at 4 and Vanguard at 5. Gives skill of 21+2 dex+2 weapon bonus, attacking skills of 5, -3 wounds +4 sword and shield +3 mounted = attacker base advantage 16 (15 after dice). Damage bonus is +7 (damage +5, +2 strength) =+21 damage – 18 soak = +3 which become -1 after dice).
(Round 3) Looking at Bjornaer and muttering, I should have done this the first time, Sarah puts a Ball of Abysmal Flame through his Parma (+20 casting total, +2 penetration, +2 power, +2 roll, +20 from spending 10 pawns of Ignem Vis against a Parma + Form bonus of 22!). Unfortunately the spell causes only a heavy wound (0 on damage roll). The Bjornaer grins and hits Sarah with an arrow causing no damage and triggering a corpus effect that fails do to Sarahs size. Meanwhile the turb captain hit her non-magical attackers – killing one. Sarah then fastcasts circuling winds of protection (Sarah spends a confidence point to help win the initiative roll). The hostile grogs cannot make their size rolls and go flying.
(Eound 4) Facing an increasingly desperate situation, Sarah casts Flash of the Scarlet Flame on the Bjornaer, botching and taking a warping point, as well as temporarily blinding herself. Avyappan then hits the Bjornaer from behind, his shield grogs having been scattered in the wind, and rips his throat out. The turb captain kills another Grog (we're down to 5 hostile Grogs). The rest, no longer in an organized group, run away.
With most of her Grogs dead, Sarah decides that the war has been lost, loads the lion (the Bjornear's incapacitated apprentice) up, and heads back to her covenant in hopes of ransoming him back to his house. A week later the targeted covenant capitulates-giving up the contested vis source.
In the council meeting after the war the conflict between Arria and Oisin came to a head. Oisin seemed almost obsessed with gaining his sodalis's support in an attempt to have the tribunal award his son to him as his apprentice. Oisisn had shown no interest in the boy, lacking either Faerie Blood on the Gift, until his mother revealed that he had the gentle gift-taking him as her apprentice. His sodalis saw no way to obtain the chosen apprentice of a Bonisagus Maga whom did not wish to give him up. Instead, they were much more interested in replacing lost Grogs.
Losing his temper Oisin howled “not all of us at this table are human. If you won't help me, let's watch you die b___!.” And cast a PeVi spell at Arria. Sarah failed to land her fast cast Mighty Torrent of Water before Oisin could release the spell. Deciding that Oisin needed to be put off balance Sarah continued with the spell. Mighty Torrent of Water is, under most circumstance, non-lethal. Unfortunately, the torrent forced Oisin back into a wall where he hit his head and died (+30 damage).
As the dust settles Arria has lost the transformed human virtue and Oisin is-messily-dead.
Oisin attacked a fellow magus in front of a Quaesitor and a Hoplite. Initial investigation by senior magi of house Guernicus leaned toward declaring his death a suicide. Receipt of a letter from Oisin, to be delivered after his death, accusing Arria of being a magical creature changed this. Final disposition of the case was held over until the next tribunal. In exchange for support from Harco, the magi of Veii voted to allow Alexander, and gifted Mercer, to join the covenant.
Just as her hermetic life became complicated, a Jinn appeared at the covenant with a request that Sarah come to Surat at once. Several years before Sarah's son had married Nasrin-Luke and Catherine's daughter. While neither Luke nor Catherine possessed the gift, Nasrin proved gently gifted and adept at the study of Solomonic travel. Now Sarah's grandaughter, also named Sarah, showed signs of the gift. More worrisomely-she also spontaneously started small fires around her. The elder Sarah found that she could suppress this by placing the bayut under an Aegis not including the younger Sarah. The baby did not like being in a foreign Aegis. In order to help Sarah made arrangements with Nasrin to open a portal between the two women's labs. Sarah then began the somewhat unusual task of childproofing a hermetic lab.
With the death of Oisin, one of the cults most talented Mystogouges, the Fianna found themselves in turmoil. One group, including Hypatia, backed Sarah. Another felt that she should be expelled from the cult. The rift, eventually, split the cult in two. The bulk of the cult members continued on as the Fianna. Sarah's handful of followers declared themselves the Knights of Hermes.
The fighting within the cult spilled over into the tribunal. In order to ready Sarah for tribunal her Sodalis pulled what could only be considered epic strings to secure instruction for in intrigue and charm from Guido Del Castillo, the Cardinal-Priest of the Church of San Marcos in Rome. The friendship between Sarah and the Cardinal would continue for several years.
The fight between the two mystery cults, Fianna and Knights of Hermes, spilled over into the tribunal. The legal question facing the body was complex. Sarah had killed a fellow magus for attacking a magus whom had become a magical creature-losing the protection of the code-whom then changed back into a magus as a result of the attack. While Sarah suspected Arria was no longer human, she had no proof at the time of the attack. Further, if Sarah was not named Oisin's inherritor, Arria saught the dead magus's items in recompense for his attack.
Many in the tribunal proved more interested in the possibility of a transformation preserving the gift than the legal aspects of the case. The tribunal noted that Sarah could have aborted her attack, but also that her talisman held more powerful attack spell capable of penetrating the Parma of almost every magi their. With prompting from the presiding Quaesitor the tribunal found that Arria was not covered by the code at the time of the attack. Sarah was found guilty of slaying a magus and sentenced to the loss of her talisman. In attacking Arria, instead of seeking a declaration that the code no longer applied to her, Oisin was recognized as having committed a low crime. For her help in containing the criminal, Sarah was awarded his possessions. Given Sarah's recent success in wizards war, many members of the tribunal breathed a sigh of relief to see her talisman destroyed.
After the tribunal, Sarah's attention turned to the needs of her mystery cult. Early the previous year Sarah, tired of most standard lab texts inability to handle a caster of her size, had convinced a Knights of Hermes mystagouge to created a script for Flexible Formulaic Magic. In order to help separate the Knights from the Fianna, Sarah acquired a large number of magical texts from India. Sarah then translated several on using various forms of concentration in combat magic. These meditative techniques would help form the basis for a change in cult lore. The prior owners of the texts were not far behind. Entering into a deal to allow her purchases to be copied, Sarah then found herself explaining to her Sodalis why strange hedge magi were coming and going from her sactum
Having come to an agreement with Nasrin to take Sarah the Younger as an apprentice, Sarah found her access to India reduced for a year as Nasrin worked on a permanent connection between the Covenant and Bayut's auras. At the behest of the other magi of Veii this portal would be located somewhere other, though perhaps not more defensible than, Sarah's la. At the same time an invitation from House Tremere arrived for Sarah to study Reala as Tablinum. House Tremere offered to compensate Veii for the loss of Sarah's services for a year. In return, Sarah would offer a series of lectures about her experiences fighting in the first crusade. Since the crusade no magi had participated in a major mundane military operation.
If house Tremere hoped to impress Sarah with the organization of the tribunal they failed miserably. Sarah objected vehemently to the common uses of Wizards March within the tribunal. While the tribunal seemed less chaotic than Rome, it also killed magi on a far more regular basis than Rome. The high point of her visit came when a storm wizard mistook her for a giant and tried to kill her. After dealing with miserable weather for three days, Sarah finally cornered the wizard and slew him with a well placed lightning bolt.
The Data
[table][tr][td]Year[/td][td]Winter[/td][td]Spring[/td][td]Summer[/td][td]Autumn[/td][td]Correspondence[/td][td]Gain Vis token[/td][td]Total Tokens[/td][td]Vis Expenses[/td][td]Notes[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1129[/td][td]Code of Hermes (2)+15[/td][td]Etiquette 2 +23 (taught)[/td][td]Intrigue (3) +23 (taught)[/td][td]Adventure +5xp (Bargain (Books) 1) +1 Warping Covenatn loses lowest income source[/td][td][/td][td]8[/td][td]64[/td][td]0[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1130[/td][td]Install Effect Talisman +2mt[/td][td]Install Effect Talisman +2mt[/td][td]Open 10 Spaces Talisman +2mt[/td][td]Practice Book Trading +4[/td][td]+4 Bargain[/td][td]7[/td][td]56[/td][td]15[/td][td]Talisman +10 Vrs Demons, +2 rego, +4 Aquam[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1131[/td][td]Instill Effect +2mt[/td][td]Instill Effect +2mt[/td][td]Create Incendor Homines (+2mt)[/td][td]Book Trading Bargain +2xp[/td][td]Bargain +4[/td][td]7[/td][td]58[/td][td]5[/td][td]Talisman +4 Rego Corpus, +4 Rego Terram[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1132[/td][td]Create IH (+2Mt, Mt now 7)[/td][td]Invent Incantation of Lightning (Magic Resitence) +2mt[/td][td]Invent Opening the Intangible Tunnel Level 20 (Magic Resistance) +2mt[/td][td]Adventure (Wizards War +8xp, +5 Xp penetration, +3xp Second Sight, Medium wound ) +2 Reputation Hard to Kill[/td][td]Bargain +4[/td][td]5[/td][td]53[/td][td]10[/td][td]Covenant Regains Vis Source[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1133[/td][td]Adventure +5xp Intrigue[/td][td]Teaching +2xp[/td][td]Parma Magica +12 (treatise)[/td][td]Parma Magica +11 (Treatise)[/td][td]Order of Hermes Lore +4[/td][td]8[/td][td]56[/td][td]5[/td][td]Oisin dies, Alexander the (Gifted) Mercer joins. Purchase Sword of the Mad Mega -20 pounds)[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1134[/td][td]Adventure +6 xp (Speak Parsi +5xp), Charm +1xp[/td][td]Install Portal (Lesser Feature and Focus) (+2mt)[/td][td]Refine Lab (+2mt)[/td][td]Refine Lab +2mt[/td][td]Mystery Cult Lore +4xp[/td][td]8[/td][td]64[/td][td][/td][td]Gain +20 Creo Vis, Lose Captive Apprentice)[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1135[/td][td]Leadership (2) +16 taught[/td][td]Adventure (+5 xp Cult Lore)(4)[/td][td]Parma Magica (7) +11 (treatise)[/td][td]Intrigue (4) +5 (Practice)[/td][td]Intrigue +4[/td][td]7[/td][td]66[/td][td]5[/td][td]Purchase Armor of the Mad Maga (-50 pounds)[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1136[/td][td]Gain Flexible Formulaic Magic[/td][td]+22XP Charm Taught[/td][td]+22XP Intrigue (5) (taught)[/td][td]Extract Vis and Adventure +5xp Charm (3)[/td][td]Mystery Cult Lore +4xp[/td][td]8[/td][td]74[/td][td][/td][td]Friendship with GUIDO DEL CASTELLO, Lose Talisman[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1137[/td][td]Speak Sanskrit +25xp[/td][td]Speak Sanskrit +25 xp (5+4+9+7)[/td][td]Speak Latin +25xp[/td][td]Extract Vis[/td][td]Divine Lore +4[/td][td]8[/td][td]77[/td][td]5[/td][td]-215 pounds silver (buys a good bit of a Budhist Temples Library)[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1138[/td][td]Speak Latin +25[/td][td]Adventure +6 (deal with libraries prior owners +5 bargain, +1 Etiquette )[/td][td]Translate Summa (+2 Concentration)[/td][td]Extract Vis +2mt[/td][td]Church Lore +4[/td][td]8[/td][td]80[/td][td]5[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1139[/td][td]Translate Summa +2 concentration[/td][td]Translate Tractuc +2 Concentration[/td][td]Translate Tractus +2 concentration (5)[/td][td]Write Tractus Concentration +2 scribe[/td][td][/td][td]0[/td][td]80[/td][td][/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1140[/td][td]Study Reala Second Sight 3 seasons (+30xp)[/td][td][/td][td][/td][td]Adventure +7xp (Code of Hermes +5XP, +2xp Teaching)[/td][td]Cult Lore +4xp[/td][td]8[/td][td]83[/td][td]5[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1141[/td][td]Study Mentum (6+21xp)[/td][td]Teaching +2xp[/td][/tr][/table]
I'm sorry to wait until you've posted further to comment on earlier posts. My goodness those suma are extraordinary. Is that the way that you play? It differs from what I do greatly.
Um, they are sound texts under the rules found in Covenants. Covenants says sound = Level + Quality of between 28 and 31. In most cases that will be a magus with an arts score of 40 writing at level 15, shifting 5 points into a higher quality and gaining +1 from resonate texts (so 15/15 for a Magus with either Com+3 or great teacher). According to covenants these texts cost around 1 pawn/level. To insure I have the power level at RAW, I'm directly pulling the text score out of Covenants page 94. I use to think these were high, but there's a character I'm going to introduce in about another 20 years of game time with maxed out Com and great teacher whom is going to be encouraged to spend one season a year writing for use in trade.
If you have to justify it in your game, Veii has a magus with a minor focus in travel (Arria) whom has the busybody flaw and has-probably-traveled to almost every covenant in Mythic Europe in order to gossip and work out book trades.
Well except for the Ignem text that is a result of the great text major boon and the vim text that was the result of a trade of a copy of the ignem text. Both of those are level + quality =35.
I don't dispute that it is possible. I'm surprised that you have such texts in 12 of the 15 arts. Perhaps I'm missing it, but I don't see that you'v bought any inferior suma with your build points. It was a question regarding our differing tastes and vision of the setting not an aspersion on your command of the system.
I see you've got another thread going I'll put in a comment there
Most were purchased for vis in play. Veii's initial summa's were
Summa Ignem 16/19 (quality 16/level 19) – Exceptional Text Major Boon
Summa Aquam 14/16
Summa Auram 16/14
Summa Terram 15/15
Which were looted by somebody in the Levant, looted again by the crusaders then looted by Sarah's parens Mortalis, only to in turn be looted by Sarah (in other words predefined in play) and
Summa Rego 16/12
Summa Corpus 15/15
Summa Code of Hermes 15/3 (24 points)
With the Rego and Corpus coming from Arria whom is a specialist in travel magics. The covenants started with summa in only six of the fifteen arts (with five purchased through build points), the rest came later. I think a small number of good books, with large gaps in the collection, better models a small library in the middle ages than a large number of poor texts.
Since the way I did the Covenant at Veii has become somewhat controversial, here are its stats:
The Covenant at Veii
City (Rome)(Major), Seat of Power (the Pope)(Major), Fallen Temple (minor), Church Territories (minor), Monster (Major), Cursed (minor)= 12
Regio, Aura (+4), Health Site (+2), Secondary Income, Great Text (Major), “Inhuman” covenfolk, Hidden Resources. By 1241, Replace Fallen Temple with Chapter House, drop hidden resources, add Powerful Ally, add wealthy (minor) but demote secondary income source to poor.
Vis Income - 42 Pawns/Year
8 Pawns - Scribal Hospitality
5 Pawns - Creo (Divine Vis)
4 Pawns - Aquam
6 Pawns - Corpus
5 Pawns - Terram
5 Pawns - Ignem
5 Pawns - Auram
4 Pawns - Rego
Aegis
Normally 20 though a level 40 is available.
[table][tr][td]Magi of Veii[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Germanicus[/td][td]Guernicus specializing in dealing with the church[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][/td][td]Int +3, Per, +2, Str -2, Sta 0, Dex 0, Qui -2, Prs +1, Com +2[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][/td][td]Doctor in Artibus (Civil & Canon Law), The Gentle Gift, Temporal Influence, Clear Thinker, Minor Magic Focus (Changing Memories), Great Teacher, Hermetic Prestige*, Personal Vis Source***, Quiet Magic****[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][/td][td]Favors, Dark Secret (provided Abraxas with AC to Sher to kill him), Pious (minor), Motion Sickness, Flawed Parma Magica (Ignem), Deficient Form (Ignem)[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][/td][td]Familiar: A Cat[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Arria[/td][td]See Earlier Post + 10 additional points of virtues and -5 flaws (this character is heavily involved in exploring the magic realm)[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][/td][td]Familiar: A Ghost (Spirit Familiar)[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Sarah[/td][td]See Earlier Posts[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Alexander[/td][td]Gifted Redcap – Alexander is a Member of the Knights of Hermes[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][/td][td]Int +3, Per +1, Str +0, Sta +1, Dex +1, Qik +1, Prs +1, Com +1[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][/td][td]Improved Characteristics, Method Caster, Minor Magic Focus (travel), Mercurian Magic, Affinity with Creo, Puissant Finesse, Cautious Sorcerer, Book Learner, Puissant Creo*, Untuitive**, Uaging**, Flawless Magic**[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][/td][td]Ambitious, Pessemistic, Illegitimate Lineage, Enemies, Missing Eye, Weird Magic, Higher Purpose**, Restriction**[/td][/tr][/table]
House Virtue
** From Mystery Cult
*** Gained after character creation, income from legal services.
**** From Adventuring in the Magic Realm
Income Sources:
Trade from Persia/Syria through Venice and Genoa (more the former now than the latter) - 250 mythic pounds.
Tale of Tuscan Wine - Minor Source 40 mythic pounds.
Inflation: This covenant is within a day's travel of Rome (20 miles). It is is a drop in the bucket next to the money coming through the Church.
Magic Items:
Preservation of the Storerooms Contents CrHe(An) 19.
Lesser Enchanted Device-A Small Marble Statuette
Casts a CrHe(An) version of Charm Against Putrefaction. Cuts provisions cost by 4 pounds and gives all labs a +1 healthy specialization.
(Base +2, +1 touch, +2 Room +2 Day +4 levels Constants Duration, 70 year expiry)
Incendor Homine (*3) CrIg 30
Pen: +10, 24/day
Casts Pilum of Fire
Expiry 70 Years.
Lab Lights (*5) CrIg 9
From Lab Text, Hickory Disk +4
5 (light of a cloudy day) +4 constant effect
Heat the Frigid Tower
CrIg 24 Hickory Disk (+4 Ig)
Base 1, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +4 Structure, +4 levels(constant effect)
Bandage the Weeping Wounds (*7) CrCo 15
Charged Items casts Bind Wounds on a creature of size up to +10.
The Magus Rides ReAn (*6) 30
Charged Item
A Small Amulet that casts Mastering the Unruly Beast on a creature up to size +10. Useful for when a magus needs to ride a horse that is not use to a gifted rider.
A (Non-Hermetic) Passage to India
Greater Spirit Binding – Carved Soft Stone Arch
Contains a Bound Might 12 Earth Elemental
Casts a level 25 version of We Will Meet Again As the Seasons Turns
This portal, located in Surat, can be used to link Bayut with any other aura of at least strength 5. Currently, it is used to create a connection between that Bayut at Surat and the Covenant at Veii.
Library
Note: Hermetic Texts are in Quality/Level Format
[table][tr][td]Creo[/td][td]15/16[/td][td]Animal[/td][td]15/5[/td][td]Ignem[/td][td]16/19[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Int[/td][td]15/15[/td][td]Aquam[/td][td]14/16[/td][td]Imagonem[/td][td]15/16[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Muto[/td][td]17/14[/td][td]Auram[/td][td]16/14[/td][td]Mentem[/td][td]16/15[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Perdo[/td][td]15/15[/td][td]Corpus[/td][td]15/15[/td][td]Terram[/td][td]16/15[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Rego[/td][td]16/12[/td][td]Herbam[/td][td]21/6 + 15/15[/td][td]Vim[/td][td]17/18[/td][/tr][/table]
Tracti and Lab Texts: 84 Volumes not yet described.
Note: Mundane Texts Use the Large Library Rules out of Transforming Mythic Europe
Parma Magica Collection Costs 48 Pawns (15 Sarah, 15 Arria, 18 Covenant) + 180 pounds silver, -20 traci stores.
Concentration (Sanskrit) includes 27 “dead” texts not sufficient to increase level or quality.
Covenant Log
[table][tr][td]Year[/td][td]Silver[/td][td]Surplus[/td][td]Expenses[/td][td]Vis[/td][td]Vis Income[/td][td]Expenses[/td][td]Tracti[/td][td]Tracti Created[/td][td]Purchases[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1113[/td][td]38.5[/td][td]38.5[/td][td]0[/td][td]0[/td][td]0[/td][td]0[/td][td]2[/td][td]2[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1114[/td][td]77[/td][td]38.5[/td][td]0[/td][td]0[/td][td]0[/td][td]0[/td][td]4[/td][td]2[/td][td]Creo 15/16[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1115[/td][td]109.5[/td][td]42.5[/td][td]-10[/td][td]0[/td][td]0[/td][td]0[/td][td]6[/td][td]2[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1116[/td][td]132[/td][td]42.5[/td][td]-20[/td][td]0[/td][td]0[/td][td]0[/td][td]8[/td][td]2[/td][td]Covenant Gains Food Preserving (T: Room) Item, possibly story – expired/warped food (or vis source)[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1117[/td][td]159.5[/td][td]42.5[/td][td]-15[/td][td]0[/td][td]0[/td][td]0[/td][td]10[/td][td]2[/td][td]Mu 17/14[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1118[/td][td]157[/td][td]22.5[/td][td]-25[/td][td]10[/td][td]10[/td][td]0[/td][td]12[/td][td]2[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1119[/td][td]290[/td][td]153[/td][td]-20[/td][td]15[/td][td]10[/td][td]-5[/td][td]16[/td][td]4[/td][td]All of covenant gains magical heating. Income Source Upgrade: major story arch[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1120[/td][td]413[/td][td]153[/td][td]-30[/td][td]25[/td][td]10[/td][td]0[/td][td]20[/td][td]4[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1121[/td][td]546[/td][td]153[/td][td]-20[/td][td]20[/td][td]10[/td][td]-15[/td][td]24[/td][td]4[/td][td]Corpus 15/15[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1122[/td][td]679[/td][td]153[/td][td]-20[/td][td]8[/td][td]10[/td][td]-22[/td][td]28[/td][td]4[/td][td]Roots of the Arts In, Pe, Te, Vi, He 21/6. Other primers, Me, An 15/5.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1123[/td][td]312[/td][td]153[/td][td]-520[/td][td]18[/td][td]10[/td][td]0[/td][td]32[/td][td]4[/td][td]Major silver “donation” to church.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1124[/td][td]426[/td][td]144[/td][td]-30[/td][td]28[/td][td]10[/td][td]0[/td][td]36[/td][td]4[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1125[/td][td]550[/td][td]144[/td][td]-20[/td][td]38[/td][td]10[/td][td]0[/td][td]40[/td][td]4[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1126[/td][td]674[/td][td]144[/td][td]-20[/td][td]48[/td][td]10[/td][td]0[/td][td]44[/td][td]4[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1127[/td][td]798[/td][td]144[/td][td]-20[/td][td]28[/td][td]10[/td][td]-30[/td][td]48[/td][td]4[/td][td]Terram 16/15 and Perdo 15/15.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1128[/td][td]919.5[/td][td]141.5[/td][td]-20[/td][td]28[/td][td]10[/td][td]-10[/td][td]52[/td][td]4[/td][td]All labs get magical lighting[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1129[/td][td]940.5[/td][td]51[/td][td]-30[/td][td]23[/td][td]10[/td][td]-15[/td][td]56[/td][td]4[/td][td]Gain 16/15 Mentem, Loss of regular income source[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1130[/td][td]961.5[/td][td]51[/td][td]-30[/td][td]33[/td][td]10[/td][td]0[/td][td]60[/td][td]4[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1131[/td][td]982.5[/td][td]51[/td][td]-30[/td][td]30[/td][td]10[/td][td]-13[/td][td]64[/td][td]4[/td][td]Wands casting Pilum of Fire[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1132[/td][td]1003.5[/td][td]51[/td][td]-30[/td][td]34[/td][td]10[/td][td]-6[/td][td]68[/td][td]4[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1133[/td][td]994.5[/td][td]51[/td][td]-60[/td][td]44[/td][td]10[/td][td]0[/td][td]72[/td][td]4[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1134[/td][td]1040.5[/td][td]76[/td][td]-30[/td][td]39[/td][td]10[/td][td]-15[/td][td]76[/td][td]4[/td][td]Intelligo 15/15, 2 Tracti allocated Parma Magica, gain minor income source (Winery)[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1135[/td][td]1036.5[/td][td]76[/td][td]-80[/td][td]49[/td][td]10[/td][td]0[/td][td]80[/td][td]4[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1136[/td][td]1082.5[/td][td]76[/td][td]-30[/td][td]59[/td][td]10[/td][td]0[/td][td]84[/td][td]4[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1137[/td][td]913.5[/td][td]76[/td][td]-245[/td][td]54[/td][td]10[/td][td]-15[/td][td]88[/td][td]4[/td][td]He 15/15, Purchase of approx 200 Saksrit texts[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1138[/td][td]959.5[/td][td]76[/td][td]-30[/td][td]59[/td][td]10[/td][td]-5[/td][td]92[/td][td]4[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1139[/td][td]735.5[/td][td]76[/td][td]-300[/td][td]64[/td][td]10[/td][td]-5[/td][td]96[/td][td]4[/td][td]Adjustment to covenants silver supply to reflect purchases by others.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1140[/td][td]781.5[/td][td]76[/td][td]-30[/td][td]69[/td][td]10[/td][td]-5[/td][td]100[/td][td]4[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1141[/td][td]797[/td][td]50.5[/td][td]-35[/td][td]76[/td][td]10[/td][td]-3[/td][td]84[/td][td]-16[/td][td]Parma Magica Library, Gain A (Non-Hemetic) Passage to India[/td][/tr][/table]
Covenant records
1118: Gain 10 dependents
1123: Gain 2 dependents, 5 laborers, 1 cooper, 2 vinters, 1 each scribe, illuminator and book binder. Library adds 50 Mundane Texts.
1128: -5 Dependents, +2 Vinters, +1 Blacksmith, +1 Tinker, +1 Carpenter Library adds 100 mundane texts.
1133: Add Librarian, +1 Vinter, Gain Minor Source of Income (Winery)
1141: Add Extra Lab at level +2 upkeep. All labs labs gain superior equipment.
And now to generate some (more) controversy.
The Buyut at Surat.
Aura *2, Informants, Local Ally, Prestige
Poverty (minor), School (Major), Hedge Tradition (Major), Tribunal Border (Major), Urban(Major)
A buyat al-hikma located in the merchants quarter in Surat in (modern day) Gujurat province, in India. This area is under Muslim rulership in 1141. The community in the merchants quarter is made up of merchants from both Persia and Arabia as well as well as Mazdeans looking for greater religious freedom than available in Persia.
[table][tr][td]Sahirs of Surat[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Luke[/td][td]Solomonic Physician (ungifted)[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Catherine[/td][td]Language Instructor (Solomonic Storytelling and Physic)(ungifted)[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Sedgewig[/td][td]Solomonic Storytelling and Alchemy (ungifted)[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]“Hermetic” Sahirs[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Nasrin[/td][td]Solomonic Travel (Gentle Gift) Vizer – Member Ex Misc[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Rashne[/td][td]Summoning and Astrology (Gifted) – Member Ex Misc[/td][/tr][/table]
[table][tr][td]Weapon [/td][td]Init[/td][td]Attack[/td][td]Def[/td][td]Damage[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Large Teeth[/td][td]+5[/td][td]+16[/td][td]+11[/td][td]+5[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Claws[/td][td]+4[/td][td]+13[/td][td]+14[/td][td]+4[/td][/tr][/table] Virtues/Flaws
Improved Characteristics *5, Great Quick * 1, Great Dex *1, Perfect Balance, Large Teeth, Magic Animal, Unaffected by the Gift
Magical Friend, Overconfident, Difficult Underlings (Hermetic Cats), Enemies
Magic Qualities/Inferiorities
Minor Power * 3, Personal Powers *2, Improved Might (+1), Minor Virtue (Educated), Temporal Influence (Hermetic Cats), Improved Init, Greater Virtue (Immunity: Fire), Improved Powers
Susceptible to Deprivation, Acclimation Prone
Essential Trait: Tiger +3
Powers
Fear of the Mouse (RoP:M 71)
Hands of the Magic Animal
Cat Like a Shadow
Sight Beyond Sight
Teleport Through Fire (allows the Tiger to jump out of any fire that he can perceive-including with sight beyond sight).
I came across this in the archives. While I currently don't have time to try and do a thread like this one, I do appreciate the usefulness of this one and would enjoy seeing another.
Plus the story is, to be frank, awesome.
I do apologize for this unauthorized use of necromancy.
I may get back to this. The disagreement on the book scores was somewhat vehament, to the point that I questioned the applicability of the project to:most sagas.
