Diotima ex Jerbiton

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: Oppidum of Héviz
1

Diotima ex Jerbiton was born in Nicaea in the Theban tribunal, in a Greek family that fled the siege of Constantinople (she was born in 1205, after the fall). She can trace her descent to the Justinian Dynasty. Her Gift was discovered by Hypatios ex Jerbiton weeks after the the Theban Tribunal of 1214. Instead of reporting her and having her wait seven years to be presented at the next Tribunal, Hypatios took her with him to Valnatium, Domus Magna of House Jerbiton, and took her as apprentice in the Great Alps Tribunal. This is technically legal, but neither Diotima nor her parens are likely to be welcomed back in the Theban Tribunal without some major coup to bolster their reputation.

Diotima has made a name for herself as a translator of texts, both mundane and hermetic, between Greek and Latin. She is coming to Héviz to investigate the ruins of the Roman fort, hopefully to find some old texts there. Magically, she is known as a generalist, not particularly good at anything but also without any hole in her training.

Diotima's talisman is a quill, made from an eagle feather, with the barbs filled with various materials, causing it to ripple from Purple to Gold to Silver to Black depending on how it is held to the light. Diotima's familiar is a two-headed eagle.

[spoiler]Diotima has never forgotten her parents' flight from Constantinople. She has devoted her life to restoring the Byzantine Empire, and her fame as a translator is just a facade. She is really coming to Héviz because it's as close as she is likely to get to Constantinople without attracting too much attention. She has made a secret study of the art of Mentem, and has been using it, and her familiar, to influence events in Constantinople. In fact she has broken the 'non-interference with mundane' clause of the Oath quite thoroughly, although so far no one has noticed. She has used her familiar to collect Arcane Connections from Constantinople and people there, and Arcane range Mentem spells (and her familiar) to spy on people in Constantinople and has discreetly passed some of that information along to the spymaster of the Empire of Nicaea; she has implanted suggestions in lower-level functionaries and servants to subtly impair the effort of the ruler of Constantinople, and has arranged the demise of some key servants (messengers, spies) through suggestions and on a few occasion murder, making sure in the latter case the body was never found. All that magic was cast under Shroud Magic effects, at time and places designed not to draw attention. So far she hasn't been found out, either by mundanes or other magi, but some of the spell traces she left will last for years.[/spoiler]

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Characteristics: Int +3, Per -1, Pre +1, Com +1, Str -1, Sta +1, Dex +0, Qik +0
Size: 0
Age: 55(38)
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: 2(20)
Confidence Score: 1(3)
Virtues and Flaws: [spoiler]Affinity with Mentem[/spoiler], Famous (translator), Gentle Gift[sup]M[/sup], Hermetic Magus, Privileged Upbringing, Puissant Classical Greek, Puissant Latin, Puissant Magic Theory, [spoiler]Puissant Mentem[/spoiler], Social Contacts (scholars)[sup]H[/sup], The Gift, True Friend (Peripha)[sup]F[/sup], [spoiler]Driven[sup]M[/sup] (to reestablish the Byzantine Empire), Dark Secret[sup]M[/sup] (oathbreaker), Weak Magic Resistance[sup]M[/sup] (caster wears a symbol of authority)[/spoiler], Infamous Master
Personality Trait: Driven 4, Loyal (Peripha) 3, Secretive 4
Reputations: Translator (among scholars) 4, Rulebreaker (Theban Tribunal) 3
Combat:
Brawl (Dodge) Init 0, Defense +2
Brawl (Fist) Init 0, Attack +1, Defense +1, Damage -1
Brawl (Knife) Init 0, Attack +2, Defense +1, Damage +1
Soak: 7 (1 Stamina + 2 Bronze Cord + 1 Form Bonus + 3 Doublet of Impenetrable Silk)
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)

Abilities: Languages: Classical Greek 4+2 (writing), Latin 4+2 (writing), Romaic Greek 5 (writing)
General: Athletics 1 (running), Awareness 2 (searching), Bargain 1 (books), Brawl 1 (dodge), Charm 1 (first impressions), Concentration 3 (spells), Etiquette 1 (court), Folk Ken 2 (nobles), Greece Lore 3 (history), Leadership 1 (inspiration), Legerdemain 1 (magic tricks), Music 1 (flute), Order of Hermes Lore 1 (history), Rome Lore 3 (history), Teaching 1(2) (languages)
Academic: Artes Liberales 3 (ceremonial magic), Philosophiae 2 (ceremonial magic)
Arcane: Code of Hermes 1 (mundanes), Finesse 4 (grace), Magic Theory 5+2 (Mentem), Parma Magica 4 (Mentem), Penetration 2 (Mentem)

Arts: Cr 9, In 9, Mu 9, Pe 9, Re 9, An 5, Aq 5, Au 5, Co 5, He 5, Ig 5, Im 5, Me 5 [spoiler]29+3 actually, but Diotima hides her knowledge of more than the basics of Mentem[/spoiler], Te 5, Vi 5

Twilight Scars: none
Possessions: Talisman; a chip of stone from a pillar of the Hagia Sophia fixed as a permanent Arcane Connection; lab notes for the spells she knows (except Shroud Magic) and the effects she has enchanted into her talisman; writing materials, purple dye, purple ink, 30 years of correspondence with scholars; clothing, knife, flute, crotales (musical instrument made of a series of tuned cymbals), palfrey
Encumbrance: 0
Appearance: Diotima is a woman of average size. She has long black hair, which she usually wears in a simple braid, and favors dresses of simple cut but expensive materials (silk or the best wool), with tight-fitting sleeves.
Sigil: When casting a spell, words in Latin and Greek, in purple ink appear on the skin of Diotima. Less powerful spells bring only letters, more powerful whole sentences with their translation. Diotima's voting sigil is a purple quill.

Spells Known:
Provenance, InAn 15(+17)
R:Touch, D:Conc, T:Ind
Allows the caster to read the origin, age, and history of an object made of animal products. Diotima created that spell to authenticate old parchment, but it will work on other objects. The Concentration duration allows the caster time to learn all the details the spell can reveal.
(Base 5: origine, age, history of an object made of animal product, +1 Touch, +1 Conc)

Doublet of Impenetrable Silk, MuAn 15(+20)
R:Touch, D:Sun, T:Ind
Change an item made of animal material — silk, wool, or leather — so it cannot be cut or penetrated by weapons. A simple cloth doublet becomes the equivalent of armor with no Load and a +3 Soak bonus. Armor made of quilted material or any kind of leather improves its Protection by an additional +3. The magic does not make the armor better at absorbing shock, so this +3 bonus is the limit that can be bestowed without changing the material into
something completely different. At the storyguide’s option, the bonus given by this spell may not apply against strictly blunt weapons like clubs and staves.
(Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)

The Color of Imperial Pride, CrAq(An) 20(+20), Ritual
R:Touch, D:Mom, T:Group
This spell fills a group of containers, in total up to the size of 10 average barrels, with the liquid dye processed from the Murex sea snail, Tyrian (or Imperial) purple. At the caster's discretion the dye may be concentrated enough to serve as ink or diluted to the right concentration to dye clothes.
(Base 2 (fill a container with liquid), +1 Touch, +2 Group, +1 variable concentration)

Parching Wind, PeAq 20(+18)
R:Voice, D:Mom, T:Part
Removes most of the water from any object, including plants (with a Herbam requisite), possibly making the object brittle and fragile. With a Corpus or Animal requisite, the spell can affect humans or animals. This causes +10 damage, against which armor is no defense, and makes the target extremely thirsty.
(Base 5, +2 Voice, +1 Part)

Cloak of Duck's Feathers, ReAq 5(+18)
R:Touch, D:Sun, T:Ind
Makes water run off one object or creature, protecting the target and the target’s apparel from dampness. The spell is broken if the target is submerged in water.
(Base 1, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 for slightly unnatural control)

Eyes of the Cat, MuCo(An) 5(+20)
R:Touch, D:Sun, T:Ind
The target gains the eyes of a cat, which allow him or her to see in near darkness (but not in absolute darkness, such as a lightless subterranean cavern).
(Base 2, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, requisite free)

Bridge of Wood, CrHe 20(+15)
R:Touch, D:Sun, T:Ind
Creates an ornate and exquisitely carved bridge made from living leaves, vines, and wood. The bridge can reach up to 20 paces, and is five paces wide. It is sturdy enough to support creatures of up to Size +4.
(Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +2 size)

Wall of Thorns, CrHe 20(+15)
R:Voice, D:Sun, T:Group
Within seconds, this spell creates a straight wall of woody, thorny bushes up to 20 paces long, 1 pace thick, and 4 paces high. The thorns, which are unnaturally resilient, have a +15 Soak, are cut by edged weapons only, and cutting through requires inflicting a Heavy Wound. Bodily forcing one’s way through the wall requires a Strength stress roll of 9+ and does +15 damage whether the attempt succeeds or fails. If the roll botches, an additional 5 points of damage are suffered. The wall grows out of existing bushes or fertile soil. An Athletics stress roll against an Ease Factor of 9 allows a character to scale the wall, but the character takes +10 damage in the process.
(Base 1, +2 Voice, +2 Sun, +2 Group, +1 size)

Summoning the Distant Image, InIm 25(+18)
R:Arc, D:Conc, T:Room
You can see and hear what is happening in a distant place if you have some sort of Arcane Connection to either the location or a person there.
(Base 2, +4 Arc, +1 Conc, +2 Room)

Thoughts Within Babble, InMe 25(+44)
R:Per, D:Conc, T:Hearing
You can understand the speech of those within the target area. Perception or Communication stress rolls are needed for difficult exchanges. You also understand people who misuse a language that you do speak; you know what they meant to say, as well as hearing what they actually said.
(Base 5, +1 Conc, +3 Hearing)

[spoiler]Opening the Tome of the Mortal Mind, InMe 45(+45)
R:Sight, D:Conc, T:Ind
You can thoroughly probe and understand the contents of the mind of the target, including his or her immediate and long-term motives, personal strengths and weaknesses, and other pertinent information. This spell is similar to the lower level Peering into the Mortal Mind, but the increased range and duration allows for more discrete and thorough probing. Diotima does her best to hide the fact she knows (and can cast) this spell.
(Base 25: learn all the information you want from a person's mind, +3 Sight, +1 Conc)
Mastery 1: Magic Resistance[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Opening the Tome of the Distant Mortal Mind, InMe 50(+45)
R:Arcane, D:Conc, T:Ind
You can thoroughly probe and understand the contents of the mind of the target, including his or her immediate and long-term motives, personal strengths and weaknesses, and other pertinent information. This spell is similar to Opening the Tome of the Mortal Mind, but with Arcane Range. Diotima does her best to hide the fact she knows (and can cast) this spell.
(Base 25: learn all the information you want from a person's mind, +4 Arcane, +1 Conc)
Mastery 1: Ceremonial Magic (+52)[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Death of the Mind, PeMe 45(+42)
R:Arc, D:Mom, T:Ind
Leaves a person a mindless hulk, erasing all memories, including all abilities and skills. With time the person might be reeducated, but to all intent and purposes will be a whole new person. Diotima does her best to hide the fact she knows (and can cast) this spell.
(Base 25 (leave a person a mindless hulk), +4 Arcane)
Mastery 1: Magic Resistance[/spoiler]

Gaze of the Cockatrix, ReMe 20(+49)
R: Sight, D:Diam, T:Ind
The target becomes sleepy and falls asleep within a few seconds
(Base 4, +3 Sight)
Mastery 1: Magic Resistance

[spoiler]Distant Suggestion, ReMe 50(+48), Arc/Sun/Ind
You implant a complicated command into a person (or thinking creature), which it carries out to the best of its abilities. Diotima does her best to hide the fact she knows (and can cast) this spell.
(Base 20: Give a person one complex command, which he tries to carry out to the best of his ability, +4 Arcane, +2 Sun)
Mastery 1: Ceremonial Magic (+55)[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Shroud Magic, MuVi 25(+20)
R:Touch, D:Mom, T:Ind
This spell allows a magus to suppress or alter the sigil in a spell that is currently being cast. The spell to be shrouded can be up to level 50. This invention of Shroud Magic reveals a pattern of arabic letters under Intelligo Magic. Diotima does her best to hide the fact she knows (and can cast) this spell, and has in fact destroyed her lab notes for it.
(Base effect, +1 Touch)[/spoiler]

Talisman:
A quill made from one of Peripha's feathers, with the barbs filled with gold, silver, imperial purple (from the purple dye murex), cinnabar, mercury and Ink of Hermes. The tip of the quill is black (from the Ink of Hermes), gradually turning into purple, red (from cinnabar), gold, and finally silver (silver and mercury, near the base).
Capacity: 24 / 10 used
Attunements: +5 Muto, +3 Aquam, +3 Terram, +3 Vim, +2 Intelligo; +5 control people

Effects:
Binding the Mundane Codex, ReAn(all) 15
R:Touch, D:Mom, T:Group, unlimited
This spell binds up to 1,000 prepared bifolds into books. Usually these bifolds have already been written upon, but magi may use this spell to create
blank books if they wish. The spell fails if any of the necessary pieces of a codex are missing. This spell may create flap-books, lacking wooden boards within their covers, with no Finesse roll. Binding mundane materials into the book which are not derived from animals, like cover boards or registers, requires an Intelligence + Finesse roll against an Ease Factor of 12. This spell allows readers of the book to claim the +1 quality bonus for sound binding.
Trigger: running the feather against the materials and saying Βιβλίο (Biblio)
(Base 1, +1 Touch, +2 Group, +1 size, +10 levels unlimited)

Hide to Parchment, ReAn 20
R:Touch, D:Mom, T:Group, unlimited uses
This spell stretches, shaves, and dries a stack of animal hides, as if a percamenarius had worked on them. Stretching makes hide flexible instead of leathery, while shaving makes it smooth enough for writing and thin enough for binding. Drying prevents mold from forming on the vellum, but if excessive makes it brittle.
A Perception + Finesse roll is treated as a Craft: Percamenarius roll to determine the quality of the vellum created.
Trigger: Running the writing tip of the quill against the hides and saying Περγαμηνή (Pergamene)
(Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 Group, 10 levels unlimited uses)

Thoughts Distinctly Burned, ReAq 20
R: Voice, D:Ring, T:Ind, unlimited uses
This spell controls ink so that it makes patterns on the pages that correspond to the magus’s words. This spell does not allow a magus to write faster
than the core rules permit, but does allow impaired magi to write when they would otherwise require a notary. A Finesse roll makes the writing particularly precise and neat, which is usually unimportant. Diotima's version of the enchantment has her quill tracing the words by itself, a cosmetic effect.
Trigger: tracing a ring with the quill encompassing the inks and writing surfaces (parchment, paper) laid out (this requires a larger writing surface, or a desk with an inlaid ring), then leaving the quill inside and saying Γραφή (Graphe)
(Base 1, +2 Voice, +2 Ring, +1 to allow many colors of ink, +10 levels unlimited uses)

Chamber of Summer Breezes, CrAu(Ig) 20
R:Touch, D:Sun, T:Ind, unlimited uses
This spell creates a breeze of fresh, dry, warm air that continually moves throughout a room, keeping the air unpolluted and the humidity and temperature constant. This spell is often cast on armarii and book chests.
Trigger: Fanning the air with the quill and saying Ζέφυρος (Zephuros)
(Base 1, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 unnatural, +1 requisite, +10 levels unlimited)

The Welcome Addition of False Sunlight, CrIg 20
R: Touch, D:Ring, T:Ind, 24 uses per day
This spell creates a steady, cool, smokeless light that does not flicker.
Trigger: tracing a ring with the quill (in ink, or just in the dirt, although that last may not last long, or tracing over an existing ring) and saying Φως (Phos)
(Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Ring, +5 levels 24/day)

First value for xp is actual xp counting toward an Ability or Art; second is xp equivalent (spell level, lost season, ...) Year Age XP Ability or Art Notes 1209 4 75 Romaic Greek Early Life 45 xp 1209 4 10 10 Greece Lore 1209 4 5 5 Athletics 1209 4 5 5 Charm 1209 4 15 15 Folk Ken 1209 4 5 5 Awareness 1209 4 5 5 Brawl 1210 5 50 50 Classical Greek Priviledged Upbringing 1210 5 10 10 Awareness Later Life: 15 xp/year 1210 5 5 5 Bargain 1211 6 5 5 Leadership 1211 6 5 5 Etiquette 1211 6 5 5 Legerdemain 1212 7 5 5 Music 1212 7 5 5 Greece Lore 1212 7 5 5 Teaching 1213 8 15 15 Concentration 1214 9 15 15 Concentration 1229 24 30 30 Artes Liberales Apprenticeship 240 xp on Abilities and Arts, 120 spell levels 1229 24 75 75 Magic Theory 1229 24 5 5 Parma Magica 1229 24 5 5 Code of Hermes 1229 24 5 5 Order of Hermes Lore 1229 24 15 15 Creo 1229 24 15 15 Intelligo 1229 24 15 15 Muto 1229 24 15 15 Perdo 1229 24 15 15 Rego 1229 24 15 15 Animal 1229 24 15 15 Aquam 1229 24 15 15 Herbam 1229 24 0 20 The Color of Imperial Pride 1229 24 0 5 Eyes of the Cat 1229 24 0 5 Cloak of the Duck's Feathers 1229 24 0 15 Provenance 1229 24 0 15 Doublet of Impenetrable Silk 1229 24 0 20 Parching Wind 1229 24 0 20 Bridge of Wood 1229 24 0 20 Wall of Thorns 1230 25 30 30 Creo 1230 25 15 10 Mentem Affinity 1231 26 15 10 Mentem Affinity 1231 26 30 30 Muto 1232 27 40 40 Latin 1233 28 15 15 Corpus 1233 28 15 15 Imaginem 1233 28 15 10 Mentem Affinity 1234 29 60 40 Mentem Affinity 1235 30 60 40 Mentem Affinity 1236 31 40 40 Parma Magica 1237 32 30 30 Rome Lore 1237 32 10 10 Latin 1238 33 60 40 Mentem Affinity 1239 34 10 Longevity Ritual +6 CrCo Lab Total 27 6 pawns of vis 1239 34 10 Fix Arcane Connection: Hagia Sophia View of the Nave 1 pawn of vis 1239 34 10 Bind Familiar MuMe Lab Total 46; need 25 + 23 (Might) - 10 (Size) = 38; Binding Level 45; 9 pawns of vis 1239 34 15 0 Bronze Cord 1239 34 15 0 Golden Cord 1239 34 15 0 Silver Cord 1239 34 10 Teach Familiar Magic Theory Com 1 + Teaching 1 + 3 + 6 (single student) = 11 xp 1239 34 2 0 Teaching Exposure 1240 35 40 40 Finesse 1241 36 10 10 Finesse 1241 36 30 30 Rego 1242 37 15 15 Philosophiae 1242 37 15 15 Greece Lore 1242 37 15 10 Mentem Affinity 1243 38 15 15 Penetration 1243 38 30 20 Mentem 1243 38 5 5 Parma Magica 1244 39 60 40 Mentem Affinity 1245 40 30 30 Intelligo 1245 40 15 10 Mentem Affinity 1246 41 15 15 Terram 1246 41 15 15 Vim 1246 41 15 10 Mentem Affinity 1247 42 30 30 Perdo 1247 42 15 10 Mentem Affinity 1248 43 15 15 Auram 1248 43 15 15 Ignem 1248 43 15 10 Mentem Affinity 1249 44 60 40 Mentem Affinity 1250 45 10 Mental Communication, both direction, with images and emotions; CrMe 15 x 2 Lab Total 64 1250 45 30 Opening the Tome of the Distant Mortal Mind InMe 50 Lab Total 55 1251 46 20 Opening the Tome of the Distant Mortal Mind InMe 50 Lab Total 55 1251 46 20 Distant Suggestion InMe 50 Lab Total 55 1252 47 30 Distant Suggestion InMe 50 Lab Total 55 1252 47 10 Death of the Mind PeMe 45 Lab Total 55 1253 48 35 Death of the Mind PeMe 45 Lab Total 55 1253 48 5 Opening the Tome of the Mortal Mind InMe 45 Lab Total 55 1254 49 40 Opening the Tome of the Mortal Mind InMe 45 Lab Total 55 1255 50 15 Gaze of the Cockatrix ReMe 20 Lab Total 55 1255 50 25 Thoughts Within Babble InMe 25 Lab Total 55 1256 51 10 Open Talisman 10 pawns of vis (from gold component) 1256 51 10 Fix as Talisman 1256 51 10 Talisman Effect: Hide To Parchment, illimited ReAn 20 Lab Total 41 2 pawns of vis 1256 51 Attunement: +5 Muto 1256 51 10 Talisman Effect: Chamber of Summer Breezes, illimited CrAu 20 Lab Total 41 1256 51 Attunement: +2 Intelligo 1257 52 10 Talisman Effect: Thoughts Distinctly Burned , illimited ReAq 20 Lab Total 49 (Scribing) 1257 52 Attunement: +3 Vim 1257 52 10 Talisman Effect: The Welcome Addition of False Sunlight, illimited CrIg 20 Lab Total 42 1257 52 Attunement: +3 Aquam 1257 52 10 Talisman Effect: Binding the Mundane Codex ReAn 15 Lab Total 49 1257 52 Attunement: +3 Terram 1257 52 10 Increase Talisman Capacity MTx2 = 14 14 pawns of vis 1257 52 Attunement: +5 control people 1258 53 25 Shroud Magic Lab Total 27 1258 53 5 5 Opening the Tome of the Mortal Mind Mastery Ability 1258 53 5 5 Opening the Tome of the Distant Mortal Mind Mastery Ability 1258 53 5 5 Distant Suggestion Mastery Ability 1259 54 25 Summoning the Distant Image Lab Total 27 1259 54 5 Gaze of the Cockatrix 1259 54 5 5 Gaze of the Cockatrix Mastery Ability 1259 54 5 5 Death of the Mind Mastery Ability Total Vis used: 54 pawns. At some point Diotima cast her Color of Imperial Pride Ritual, for 4 more.

Aging Rolls

Age  LC  LR  BC  SD  Result
35   +2  +6  +2   4   -2  no apparent age increase 
36   +2  +6  +2   4   -2  no apparent age increase
37   +2  +6  +2   2   -4  no apparent age increase
38   +2  +6  +2   6    0  no apparent age increase
39   +2  +6  +2  10    4  
40   +2  +6  +2 1,4    2  no apparent age increase
41   +2  +6  +2   5    0  no apparent age increase
42   +2  +6  +2   6    1  no apparent age increase
43   +2  +6  +2   4   -1  no apparent age increase
44   +2  +6  +2   3   -2  no apparent age increase
45   +2  +6  +2   5    0  no apparent age increase
46   +2  +6  +2  10    5  
47   +2  +6  +2   5    0  no apparent age increase
48   +2  +6  +2   5    0  no apparent age increase
49   +2  +6  +2   2   -3  no apparent age increase
50   +2  +6  +2   6    1  no apparent age increase
51   +2  +6  +2   2   -2  no apparent age increase
52   +2  +6  +2   6    2  no apparent age increase
53   +2  +6  +2   9    5
54   +2  +6  +2   7    3
2

Cool history, and some interesting magical elements with the quill and especially the familiar.

3

Peripha is Diotima's familiar. Diotima first met her while traveling in Anatolia, in the Sultanate of Rum; a bounty had been placed by the local lord for a giant two-headed eagle, and several party of hunters were scouring the countryside. Diotima went investigating out of curiosity and found Peripha, a normal sized and apparently one-headed eagle that radiated magic. When the sun went down Peripha reverted to her normal two-headed (although normal-sized) form, and Diotima knew she had found the prize. Diotima befriended the bird and smuggled her out of the local country, and named her after Periphas, a king of Attica changed by Zeus into an eagle (Diotima, not well versed in bird anatomy, at first named her Periphas before taking out the final s when she realized the eagle was a female).

Peripha adamantly refuses to talk about her past, claiming to remember nothing, but Diotima suspects that at some point she was used as an experimental animal by an Hermetic wizard. Diotima also suspects that wizard came to a bad end, and when angry at a human Peripha has been known to mutter about 'eating that fool's brain for a snack'. She also suspect that Peripha has been living on her own for a couple of centuries, as there are legends about a giant two-headed eagle 'large enough to carry off a bull in its claw' all through Turkey, and Peripha certainly has the ability to change her own size. And she is greedy, and will change her size to match her prospective meals. Whenever Diotima settles at a covenant she buys a small herd of cows just to keep Peripha off of the neighbours'.

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Peripha, two-headed golden eagle, apart from the second head a large but not exceptionally so member of the specie. Gender: female. Body Length: 3'1" (94 cm). Wingspan 7'2" (218 cm). Weight 14 lbs (6.3 kg). Coloration: dark brown, with a golden head. Size: -2

Might Form: Animal. Might Score: 23. Might Points: 23
Confidence Score: 1. Confidence Points: 3

Animal Qualities: Extra Natural Weapons (Talons, Second Beak), Keen Vision, Fast Flyer, Pursuit Predator
Virtues and Flaws: Magical Animal[sup]RoP:M[/sup], Magical Convenfolk[sup]RoP:M[/sup], Animal Monstruosity (second head)[sup]RoP:M[/sup], Greedy, Lesser Immunity: Blindness, Piercing Gaze
Magical Qualities and Flaws Improved Might x6, Improved Powers (3pts Focus Power, 1 pt Vision of Heat Light, 1 pt Brain Snack), No Fatigue, Susceptible to Deprivation
Focus Power: Self Transformation (max level 23). Peripha can change her own form, mimicking any MuAn or MuAn(Fo) spell with target Personal and a level <=27 (changing size, changing herself into another animal, changing herself into a statue...)
Personal Power: Vision of Heat's Light (InIg 20, see AM5 p.141), Ig, Cost 0 (2 - 1 Personal Power - 1 Improved Powers), Init 0. Peripha can see the heat given off by creatures (and other sources). This is quite useful for hunting by night, but recognizing individual people is almost impossible.
Lesser Power x2: Brain Snack, (as Inmost Companion, MuMe(An) 40, AM5 p.149, turns someone's mind into a bird) Me, Cost 2 (-4 Improved Powers), Init -6. Diotima suspects the magus who experimented upon Peripha fell to this power, based upon Peripha's occasional comments about 'eating a fool's brain'.

Characteristics Int +3, Per +2, Pre +2, Com -3, Str -4, Sta +1, Dex 0, Qik +2
Abilities Romaic Greek 5 (written), Latin 4 (classical latin), Classical Greek 4 (Attic), Artes Liberales 2 (music), Athletics (carrying burdens) 5, Awareness (alertness) 4, Brawl (Talons) 2, Charm (first impressions) 1, Finesse (grace) 4, Folk Ken (magi) 2, Hunt (large mammals) 4, Legerdemain (filching) 1, Magic Theory (helping in the lab) 5, Music (cymbals) 1, Order of Hermes Lore (personalities) 1, Survival (mountains) 3
Bound in 1239, Peripha has 20 years worth of exposure experience, and one season (11 xp) worth of being taught Magic Theory
Reputation Cattle thief 3, among Anatolia's peasants

Combat
Dodge Init +2, Dfn +4
Beak Init +2, Atk +5, Dfn +5, Dam -3
Talons Init +1, Atk +5, Dfn +7, Dam -2

Bound using the arts of Muto (mutated eagle, Muto-based powers) and Mentem (intelligent animal, Brain Snack power).
Bond Level 45, Golden Cord 2, Silver Cord 2, Bronze Cord 2
Bond Enchantments:
Mental Communication, from familiar to master and master to familiar, with images and emotions, illimited (CrMe 15 x2)

4

I edited my first post with the full character. I left quite a few things blacked out (spoilers !) in case someone does not wish to dive into all of Diotima's dirty secrets. And check out my [strike]Swiss Army Knife[/strike] Greek Scholar Quill ! It has a light, a fan, an umbrella, a voice recorder and tools for making parchment and books, all built into it ! (most of the effects are from Covenants).

5

Familiar updated and upgraded to be based on a 15 Might base score (as per RoP:M), +2 for size and +5 for 5 instances of the Improved Might Quality. This gives him decent Magic Resistance (22) and some penetration for its one power (12), but nothing that should threaten a magus. He can definitely take on a normal human however.

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Here's a try at a foederatus contract for Diotima. The contract is based on the assumption that Diotima approached the Tribunal with her research idea, so she doesn't get paid for the work but retains a share of what she finds. Tell me what you think ?

Charter of Right negotiated between Diotima filia Hypatios ex Jerbiton and the Transylvania Tribunal.

Introduction:

The maga Diotima ex filia Hypatios ex Jerbiton, a scholar of noted accomplishments, has sought permission to study the Roman ruins of Castellum or Keszthely near Héviz, and to temporarily settle in the Transylvania Tribunal to do so. The following agreement was arrived upon and voted at the Transylvania Tribunal of [sup]1[/sup]

Chapter I: Duties and Priviledges in the Tribunal

  1. The maga Diotima shall be allowed to settle at the Héviz Oppidum, and to pursue her research there. She must seek permission from the Tribunal to relocate within the Tribunal.
  2. For the duration of her stay the maga Diotima shall be deemed a Foederati resident of the tribunal. She may freely vote or seek office at the Tribunal[sup]2[/sup]. She must abide by all of the Tribunal's custom and rulings, including the rulings below, which take precedence if they contradict an earlier ruling or custom.
  3. The maga's Diotima's voting sigil shall be a quill or feather, dyed purple.
  4. The maga Diotima may freely use the title of philologa, as befit her accomplishment as a scholar and translator. She may not use the title of archimaga.
  5. The maga may not wear grey or black at the Tribunal. She may not wear decorations of any kind, save for the color purple, which she may wear in ornaments and jewelry but not in her main clothing. This specifically includes permissions to wear feathers died purple, in part or in totto, as decoration.

Chapter II: Duties and Privileges at the Héviz Oppidum

  1. For the duration of her stay the maga Diotima shall be deemed a full resident and member of the Pannonia Covenant and the Hépiz Oppidum, with all the right, privileges and duties attached thereto.
  2. She shall hold a vote in all covenant and oppidum matters.
  3. She shall receive a full share of the support the covenant and oppidum customary offers its magi, including food, clothing, writing materials, and a laboratory.
  4. She shall take on her fair share of the duties of the covenant and oppidum.
  5. Should she undertake duties for the Tribunal, covenant or oppidum beyond the part expected of all members, she shall receive adequate compensation as is customary in the oppidum.
  6. Should she require additional resources beyond what is offered all the members of the covenant or oppidum she must negotiate appropriate terms with the oppidum. In particular the oppidum may be entitled to an appropriate share of the proceeds of these resources.

Chapter III: Ownership of resources

  1. All the personal possessions the maga Diotima brings into the Tribunal shall remain hers, to keep and freely take away should she leave the Héviz oppidum or the Tribunal. She will deposit a list of such possessions to avoid misunderstandings.
  2. The maga may freely trade, use or give away her personal possessions, and any new possessions thus acquired or created shall become her personal possession, as written above.
  3. The maga may freely offer her expertise and work as a translator and writer within and outside the Tribunal, and keep the proceeds thereof, to become her personal possessions. She may only trade vis and magic items within the Tribunal in accordance with Tribunal rulings on the subject, but may keep the proceeds of such trades as her personal possessions..
    [strike]4. Regarding all valuable objects, artifacts, and texts unearthed from the soil or ruins of the Transylvania Tribunal, the following rules apply:
  4. Objects of a purely monetary value objects thus unearthed shall be deemed to be owned in equal part by the Tribunal and by the maga. If the Pannonia ovenant has offered significant resources toward their unearthing, such as grogs to work on the project or money to hire workers, it shall also own one part[sup]4[/sup], thus satisfying clause 6 of Chapter II. The objects shall be divided as soon as it is convenient so that each owner receives his or her share. Diotima's share shall become part of her personal possessions, as written above.
  5. For objects of purely historical value such as texts, ownership shall remain with the Transylvania Tribunal. Such objects will be entrusted to the care of the library of the Héviz oppidum, to be made available to all scholars, save that the maga Diotima shall have precedence if several scholars seek to study the same artifact.
  6. For objects with both a historical and monetary value, first chance at possession shall remain with the Tribunal, under the conditions written in clause 6, save that the Tribunal must pay out a share of the monetary value to Diotima and the Héviz oppidum as detailed in clause 5. If the Tribunal chooses not to pay ownership then passes to Diotima, provided she pays, or finally the oppidum of Héviz, who then does not have to pay.
  7. If a disagreement occurs regarding the value of artifacts mentioned at clause 5 and 7, the Tribunal's evaluation shall be deemed binding. However Diotima shall then have the right to buy out the Tribunal's (and oppidum's) shares of the object by paying over the full value of the object to the Tribunal (or half to the tribunal and half to the oppidum if it has part ownership as written above), in which case the object shall pass into her personal possessions.[/strike]

Notes:
[sup]1[/sup] date of the last Tribunal before the start of the saga
[sup]2[/sup] Yeah, right, and she can expect all of one vote, too, if she does so.
[sup]3[/sup] If that's all right with the other players
[sup]4[/sup] is a two or three way split okay for treasures unearthed ? what do you think ?

6

Weak magic resistance (caster wears purple) seems a bit...off. This might not be a flaw at all, if purple is considered a royal color, limited only to the monarch and family or nobility generally, and would also depend on whether magi defy this law or not. A quick google search suggests that the color purple's restriction to nobility may not be accurate, or may have happened later, or may only be limited to England in the 14th century...
And after 30 years of post gauntlet activity, someone probably does know about this weakness. Who are they, and are they a friend, enemy or frenemy?

7

The color purple, in certain forms, was limited in both Ancient Rome and the Byzantine Empire.

Regarding the Byzantine Empire, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrian_purple and Sundered Eagle, the Theban Tribunal, p. 45, insert 'The Color Purple': until 1204 the Byzantine Emperors had the monopoly of the harvesting of true purple, and only the imperial family could wear purple silk.
In Ancient Rome only the Emperor's symbol of office was a purple cape trimmed in golden thread, and he was the only one allowed to wear such a cloak; and Roman senators were the only ones who could wear the badge of their office, a Tyrian purple stripe on their toga. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumptuary_law

Of course the monopoly ended with the sack of Constantinople in 1204, so purple should merely be a very expensive dye.

Now, as for the flaw, I didn't intend it to mean 'be dressed all in purple', merely 'wear a purple item'. A purple armband, or indeed a thread of purple tied as a ring around a finger, would suffice. And I imagine magic would have no trouble getting their hand on some. But if you think this is not strong enough for a major flaw, I'll rethink it.

8

IMS I tend to prefer things that happen regularly for major flaws like this one. Like weak resistance when near a fire, or alone, or at night, or indoors, or when on wet terrain. Magic can ameliorate all those conditions, but it is bothersome to do so and requires some effort. Refusing (or wearing) something of a certain color is easy enough to be justifiable (IMS) as a minor flaw, but 99% of the time it will not come up, so not a major flaw.

Xavi

9

That Tyrian purple wikipedia article suggests that purple might be even more scarce after 1204, since no one could muster the financial resources to manufacture the dye and the nobility turned to vermilion as a substitute. It isn't that the monopoly ended it is that the entire industry appeared to have ended due to the sack of Constantinople.

10

And there you have a potential source of income for a Theban tribunal :slight_smile:

11

Reading the Wikipedia article on the color Purple, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple#Var ... _of_purple , the manufacture of Tyrian purple actually ceased in 1453, when the Ottoman Turks took Constantinople and destroyed the dye works. Other dyes were then substituted (bishop wear purple, and did at the time, for instance). After all purple, as a color, can be obtained with a mixture of red and blue, and there are several dyes for both.

As for the flaw, notice that I did not say 'wear Tyrian purple'. Just purple. I intended that any adversary, given a few days, could obtain some to use against Diotima if he so wished (at least any adversary with magic powers powerful enough to go through Diotima's Parma even with the help). Admittedly this is still something that won't occur naturally during a random encounter.
But you are right, while wearing purple is certainly fairly easy for an opponent to utilize, it wouldn't count as a relatively common circumstance. Which means... I might have to turn to Necessary Condition (touching purple) instead, which is certainly allowable enough in canon and so much less trouble for Diotima (taking her purple away would be much more challenging than procuring some). Or I could try Restriction (target is or wears purple), which is... interesting. But might be disallowed. Although if an opponent were to learn of it, he could easily abuse it.

12

I love spell checker dyed purple :mrgreen:

As to the rest. The oppidum has a Librarian in residence so that will not be needed.

As a Foederati, you are a member of the Covenant of Pannonia. There are only 5 Covenants by law in Transylvania. Everyone is a member of one of the Covenants. Oppida are like charter houses but mobile and with a purpose. Almost made for PbP games as magi may come and go.

13

I think died purple is entirely my fault, not the spell checker's.

I tweaked the contract a little to reference the covenant of Pannonia and remove the specific duties of librarian.

14

I added the year by year breakdown.

Still to do: fix that weak magic resistance (caster wearing purple), arrange the longevity ritual (vis cost a problem), and do the aging rolls.

15

All right, so vis is tight and I ended up having to remove on effect from my talisman so I could skip the increase of capacity. I also had to rearrange the seasons so my vis expenditures don't come in until I actually have the vis to spend (this is all the fault of the stingy ST who won't let us spend the MTx5 / year of the standard rules; what's wrong with spending 35 vis a year 5 years in a row, I ask you ? :slight_smile:)

And suddenly I found myself with a little extra to spend on learning spells. And since we've been discussing Tyrian purple, and I can just manage a CrAq level 20 ritual, I thought I'd create one to create some Tyrian purple dye.
First, the dye is extracted from a sea snail's mucous secretion; and presumably I'll be creating it in a liquid form. Is Aquam all right as a Form by itself, or do I need an Animal requisite ?
Second, what guideline should I use ? Is purple dye a 'processed liquid' ? Is the CrAq level 2 guideline 'Fill a container with water' appropriate ?
And of course, third, this obviously comes in under the rules about flooding a mundane economy with magically created goods. Which may or may not apply in the Transylvania Tribunal; but in any case does not apply to trading with other magi while specifically mentioning the good is magically created, and does not apply to selling a shipload of purple silk in Alexandria (because there is no Tribunal, hence no law :slight_smile: ).

Hmm, let me give it a try...

The Color of Imperial Pride, CrAq 20 (Ritual)
R:Touch, D:Mom, T:Group
This spell fills a group of containers, in total up to the size of 10 average barrels, with the liquid dye processed from the Murex sea snail, Tyrian (or Imperial) purple. At the caster's discretion the dye may be concentrated enough to serve as ink or diluted to the right concentration to dye clothes.
CrAq Base 2, +1 Touch, +2 Group, +1 variable concentration.

I have a couple of extra magnitudes to use if I want to, I'm not sure I need to however...

16

The base size for processed liquids is: "a base Individual one hundredth the size, a pool about one pace across and half a pace deep." So, converted to feet, it's 3ft x 3ft x 1.5ft= 13.5 cu ft. An average refrigerator is 18 cubic feet, so it's a lot of dye for the base individual size.

I think you need the Animal as a casting requisite, but it doesn't add a magnitude. So, you could fill 10 13.5 cu ft barrels of dye, based on the spell designed.

There should probably be an Int+Finesse roll to see how "perfect" it is. How much dye is needed to dye stuff, how long does it last? It seems like a lot, but if dye can't be reused once it's dyed something, perhaps not.

17

Potentially a great idea for making money. The question is I suppose; is there a market? Is it only Royalty now or can others buy it? If it's only royalty there might be difficulty breaking into the market. If it's been opened up, then my impression is the growing merchant class we are so near to might make for good opportunities.

So assuming there is a market, can we get a decent price for the vis paid? To be honest we'd need more than a standard income IMO to make up for the cost of even a low level ritual. I'd want more than 10 pounds per pawn.

Regarding the spell, I'd say it needs Animal also, but no extra Magnitude. The question then is, can we build a better spell? Using Rego, could we squeeze out the dye and process it and save on casting a Ritual? If we can and it proves to be a profitable venture then it's worth making a Ritual spell (for when there's a bad season or something) as well as investing in magic items that could cast the Rego spell and save the Magus's time and possible botching/risk.

I like this idea, I think it adds some mystique and flair to the Covenant, just need to work out the snails/bugs.

18

All right, fair questions, here is what little answers I found on the web so far:

The dye is extracted from the hypobranchial gland of a specie of predatory sea snail, either by 'milking' it (extra labor intensive), physically removing the gland (the approach described by Pliny the Elder), or even crushing the whole snail.
Salt and potash are then added. This is necessary to reverse the oxidation process which occurs in a matter of minutes, and keep the dye water soluble.
The dye is left to steep three days under the sun. The dye slowly turns from white to yellow-green, then green, then violet, then a red which turned darker and darker. The process has to be stopped when the desired shade is obtained.
The dye is then reduced by boiling, from '100 amphorae' (1 amphora, as a measure for liquids, is 1 cubic foot) to 500 pounds. It is still liquid, and can then be used to dye cloth by just leaving it in the dye for five hours. (the dye could also be dried into a powder form and then added to water later).
When the German chemist Paul Friedländer tried to recreate Tyrian purple in 2008, he needed twelve thousand mollusks to create 1.4 ounces of pure dye (i.e. dried, not dissolved in liquid), enough to color a handkerchief.
City & Guild, has prices for dye. P.138 it mentions purple as the most expensive dye. P.141 Expensive dye is listed at 20,000 pounds of silver per ton of dye, or 10 pounds of silver per pound of die (in other words the dye sells for its weight in gold). And Expensive is not even the best quality possible for a product, just the best that can reasonably be sold in bulk.

So, back to the questions:

  • Purple dye was so expensive in part because it lasted very well. The burial shroud of Charlemagne was dyed in Tyrian purple, and it is still purple today. So that should not really be an issue. Color on the other hand might be.
  • Since it is a processed product Jonathan.Link is right, an Int+Finesse roll will be required. Historically the bluer hues were preferred to the redder ones, so color would be a good thing to link to the roll. According to HoH-S, p.60 and 61, I don't need a roll to make the equivalent of a roll of 9 (work of semi-skilled artist), which in itself should be good enough to get some kind of purple dye. A roll of 12 would be the work of skilled artists, a roll of 15 the work of highly skill artist, and so forth. I have a +7 to the roll, so no worry there, i should get some good dye.
  • As for quantity, it's not clear what the right concentration is for dry dye. On the other hand the base individual is about 10 cubic feet (I say 9 based on a half spherical pool, Jonathan.Link says 13.5 based on a half cubic one, details...) and the spell as written creates 10 of those. Assuming it's mostly water, that's 3 tons, or 6,000 pounds, of liquid dye. Even at a 1/100 solution that's still the equivalent of 60 pounds of dry dye, worth 60 pounds of gold, compared to 80 for Touch of Midas. And I could get more. For dying purposes that works out at about 20,000 handkerchiefs, or say 20,000 square foot of cloth ?
  • Frankly, for price, I think we're better off just agreeing at a worth based on game balance. Say, the same as Touch of Midas. Because we couldn't sell too much without driving the price down anyway.
  • Speaking of market, the Byzantine Imperial monopoly is gone, and while there are local sumptuary laws restricting what people may wear in some places, these laws were all local. Purple was the color of bishop and cardinal (the latter was later changed to red), and of royalty, so even in the worst case scenario that's still a few hundred people who can (and would love to, in some case must) wear it.
  • Using Rego magic... we'd need the snails. Hundreds of thousands of sea snails, and the covenant is not by the sea. So we'd need a ritual to create the snails anyway, unless you want to consider that the dye is the equivalent as 'horse dung', and real if the snail is fed mundane food. In which case we'd need to create the snails with at least Moon duration, feed them on mundane food (they are predatory snail, so we'd need more real seafood suitable for a small sea snail), then start the Rego magic process... Too complicated, probably.

My reason for the spell was primary that Diotima likes purple. She traces her descent to an early dynasty of Byzantine Emperors (but not the current one, so she has no right to wear it herself under Byzantine law). Her casting sigil is a purple feather. Her talisman is partly purple. I'm thinking of having her write in purple ink (a Byzantine Emperor also has a Bible made written in gold ink on purple parchment, I might try that). And she'll have a major flaw based on purple as soon as I decide which one. I'm currently thinking of Restriction (target wear/is purple), because the Weak Magic Resistance (caster wears purple) was voted down and Necessary Condition (caster wears purple) is not something simple (if it were, then the Weak Magic Resistance would have worked). I think the ritual should also be a decent way to turn vis into silver, probably a little better than the suggested value of the Mythic Pound, but there's no need to make it too good, that would only create more problems down the line.

19

Well, based off that, it does look like we'd get more than our money's worth (I'd equate that as being well better than 10 pounds of silver per pawn), and the fact that it's not gold that's being directly introduced; we'd have to first cast the spell and then do the legwork of getting it to market and selling it, with conjured gold or silver we'd just be spending it. So this could be quite profitable and skirt (for awhile anyway) the creation of wealth laws. We could also ship it to different areas if closer markets start getting saturated (over-dyed? :wink: ) and maybe even sell it to Magi. While magi might be able to easily create their own dyes, I'd say they are just as susceptible to flattery and the whims of fashion as anyone, and owning some genuine magical Transylvanian Purple might become a product.

I'd still like to find a way to create it without vis, but that's something that can be developed over time. Initially this looks like it would pay for the cost in vis and then some, which is what I'd want.

20

I just realized: if I take the flaw Restriction: Target wears/is purple, I can't cast a spell that creates purple dye !

Okay, what other flaw involving purple can I come up with ? Even minor flaws would work actually, they don't have to be major or hermetic.