Cygna ex Bjornaer

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: Phoenix - Rise from the A
1

Saga: Phoenix – Rise from the Ashes
Setting: southern France
Current Year: 1222

House: Bjornaer
Clan: Arelie
Sept: tbd

Age: 24 Size: 0 Confidence: 1 (3)

Decrepitude: 0
Effects of Aging: None

Warping: 0
Effects of Warping: None

Characteristics:
Intelligence: +4
Perception: 0
Strength: -1
Stamina: 0
Presence: 0
Communication: +1
Dexterity: 0
Quickness: +1

Virtues: Status: Hermetic Magus; The Gift; Affinity with Mentem; Animal Ken; Enchanting Music; Gentle Gift; Great INT; Heartbeast; Puissant Mentem; Unbound Tongue (HoH: MC 38); Wilderness Sense

Flaws: Deficient Ignem; Delusion: is haunted by the shade of Adorjan Versalez; Diabolic Past; Necessary Condition: Singing i[/i]; Susceptible to Infernal Power; Wrathful i[/i]

Birth Name: Katerina Alexandrova
Year Born: 1198
Gender: Female
Race/Nationality: English/Russian
Place of Origin: England
Religion: Orthodox
Title/Profession: Magus
Height: 178 cm (5'10")
Weight: 64 kg (140 lbs)
Hair: White
Eyes: Black
Handedness: Right

Abilities: Animal Ken i[/i] 1; Area Lore: England (old covenant area) 1; Artes Liberales i[/i] 1; Awareness i[/i] 2; Brawl i[/i] 1; Code of Hermes (Wizards March) 1; Concentration i[/i] 1; Craft: Baking (desserts) 1; Craft: Sewing i[/i] 1; Enchanting Music i[/i] 1; English (native)i[/i] 5; Finesse i[/i] 1; Folk Ken i[/i] 2; Heartbeast (changing to human form) 1; House Bjornaer lore (Clan mysteries) 1; Latin i[/i] 4; Magic Lore i[/i] 1; Magic Theory (inventing spells) 3; Music (singing) 1; Parma Magica i[/i] 1; Penetration i[/i] 1; Russian (Novgorodian dialect) 5; Survival i[/i] 1; Swim (long distance) 1; Wilderness Sense (directions) 1

Personality Traits
Hot-tempered: 3
Devout: 1
Swan: 1
Brave: 0

Reputations: None as yet

Combat
Armor Worn: None
Combat Modifiers: 0 Soak: 0 Armor Load: none

Weapons Init Atk Dfn Dam Load Rng
Dodge +3 n/a +3 n/a 0 n/a
Fist +2 +1 +2 -1 0 n/a
Kick +1 +1 +1 +2 0 n/a
Knife +2 +2 +2 +1 0 n/a
Staff +3 +3 +4 +1 2 n/a

Equipment
Knife
Staff
Wizardly robes

Burden: 2

House: Bjornaer
Covenant:
Wizard’s Sigil: The sound of flapping wings, which grow louder as the magnitude increases
Domus Magna: Crintera (Rhine Tribunal)
Primus: Falke
Parens: Grus
Covenant of Apprenticeship: Riversedge (Stonehenge Tribunal)

Magical Arts
Creo: 6
Intellego: 6
Muto:6
Perdo: 3
Rego: 5

Animal: 3
Aquam: 0
Aurum: 3
Corpus: 3
Herbam: 0
Ignem: 0
Imaginem: 0
Mentem: 10 (1 xp left over)+3 [affinity, puissant]
Terram: 0
Vim: 3

Spell List
Form of the Phlegmatic Heartbeast (MuAn 20); HoH: MC p. 36
Lay to Rest the Haunting Spirit (PeMe 20)
Posing the Silent Question (InMe 20)
Thoughts Within Babble (InMe 25)
Ring of Warding Against Spirits (ReMe 20)
Whispers Through the Black Gate (InCo(Me) 15)

2

Wait....so what is your heartbeast form?

3

Considering the avatar and the name I'm guessing Swan :smiley:

I'll change my character and sorry!

Helena should now be called StepyonToeses Ex Bonsiagus.

Also it's strange all 3 of us went with female characters.

Right, off to update my character again!

ps. YAY for someone with Gentle gift!

4

Weylund is a generous soul - he has offered to adapt his character so we don't end up with two swans. Thank you, weylund!

About cygna:
A civilized Bjornaer. :smiley:
I like the virtues - a lot.
The flaws are still a bit odd (three personality flaws? Which flaws are major?)
445-10xp for ench music/wilderness sense=435xp skills
arts: 145xp
total: 550xp (this is my calculation without 2 native languages)
240xp apprentice+45 xp child = 285xp + 15xp per year before apprenticeship (17*15xp=255xp)
She was apprennticed at 22??
So she must be older then 24!
Certamen skill doesn't exist in ArM5.

A personality trait brave is needed for fear rolls; default is +0.

5

Yes, Cygna's heartbeast is a swan. The most vicious and brutal thing on two wings :laughing:

The two Major flaws (according to my spreadsheet) are Necessary Condition: Singing and Wrathful (Hermetic and Personality respectively).

My math (which, admittedly, isn't what it once was) has 495 total xp on Abilities. Less the 45 for Early Childhood and the 95 in Apprenticeship (plus the 145 in Arts made 240) leaves 24, which leaves me redfaced because 24 ≠ 9. I'll work on that when I get back from Dad's doctor appointment.

I had forgotten that they nixed certamen in the new rules, I'll fix that, and add the Personality Trait Brave: 0.

A couple of flaws come from her new background and from her family upbringing.

Ray

6

I personally don't mind having a swanmay in the troupe...might make for some interesting rp/discussion/what have you.

And I had noticed that we all seem to be playing ladies. Maybe we could call ourselves the Glamazons. And our covenant sigil could be a lady's head, with hands cupped overhead holding a ball of fire. (anyone who gets this ref might get a free a.r.c. when I get my book finished :laughing: )

7

First edit on Cygna is up. Makes a big difference when you're doing 15 points per year of age at apprenticeship as opposed to 15 points per year of age. ouch.

Next step, spells list.

8

She's 24?
0-5 (early childhood): 45xp+Language
6-9: childhood (15xp/year): 60xp
10-24 apprenticeship 15 years: 240xp + 120 spell lvls

345 xp to spend
if you have a supernatural ability (e.g. Heartbeast), the first lvl (=5xp) is free.

9

Third time's a charm?

10

:smiley:

11

Well, let's see
-20xp for virtue-based skills
100xp for 20 skills lvl 1
30xp for two skills lvl 2
50xp for skills lvl 4

160xp skills (plus two native languages, which I will accept because none of the two is the native language in the covenant region)

Arts
30xp 5 arts lvl3
15xp 1 art lvl5
63 xp 3 arts lvl6
37xp Terram (please note the total number of xp with your affinity art - it makes calculations easier)

145xp arts

total: 305xp

0-5 early child 45xp
6-8 45xp for 3 years
9-23 apprentice 240xp
available: 330xp

recommendation: raise Magic theory to 3

==================
I still do not know which flaws are major, please add major to major flaws, do not take more than 2 personality flaws and one story flaw.

12

Yet another edit, this time to include the recommendations for Abilities that JeanMichelle made, and to adjust the Flaws. I had had Wrathful as a Major, although I had intended it to be Minor. Fixed that, and added the Major Story Flaw Diabolic Past, which fits with her background as I had envisioned it.

Still working on the spell list.

13

We have a house rule saying that major story flaws count as minor (I know where the story is going).

14

So....what's the background? I'm particularly curious to know why she likes to bake cakes and mend shirts, and if she's learned how to make Devils Food Cake yet.

~duck~

15

Especially with Wrathful as a Major Flaw.

Thing is , my (male) character has taken Profession: (Clothier).
Though i could as yet take a Rego Craft spell for cake instead of bread.

16

Post it! Post it!

I still have no idea what a Rego Craft Spell is. What book is that from?

Also, why would you take Prof:Clothier instead of Craft:Tailor ?

17

Rego Craft is from covenants. It means that you can use finesse and a rego spell to create things like a craftsman (by magically crafting). Difficulty is three higher than for mundane crafting (but it is quicker).

18

Ah, okay. So...umm...switch Diabolic Past and Wrathful (Diabolic Past is Minor, and Wrathful Major)

19

ReMe 20

R: Eye
D: Conc
T: Ind

The target of this spell is compelled to answer any and all questions put to him truthfully for the duration of the spell.

(Base: 10; +1 Magnitude to increase Range to Eye; +1 Magnitude to increase Duration to Concentration)

20

Compare with Quaesitorial Spell, HoHTL, pg 73:

THE PENITENT’S CONFESSION
R: Eye, D: Conc, T: Ind, Level 30
The target will truthfully and willingly relate his involvement in anything the magus questions him about.
The subject will do his best to inform the magus as fully as possible; he will not ramble in inane detail, be overly literal or in any other way evasive. He may bring up related matters not asked about specifically if he genuinely believes it might be of interest.
This effect qualifies as scrying and causes warping, so very few magi will voluntary submit to it. Magi may allow this spell to be used on their servants however.
(Base 20, +1 Eye, +1 Conc)

That chapter may have different ideas for you which yield similar results.