My next magus in the saga (whenever that happens) is going to be haunted by the ghost of an old Mercurian priest ancestor. So I think it's a cool concept.[sup]1[/sup]
Where do you figure you picked the old fellow up? And how/why did you bind him? I think the story of how he came to be your spirit familiar would shape who you want him to have been.
Another issue is explaining why a ghost that old wouldn't be able to reveal lost secrets. The plan for my magus is to say that over the ages memory of the details of Mercurian rituals has faded from the ghost's memory. He'll have a strong personality and strong opinions, but no lost knowledge. That's something you'd have to address, I should think, in order to keep balance in the world.
[sup]1[/sup] - but see my comment on your character thread about whether Mystery Virtues like Spirit Familiar are appropriate to be selected as starting Virtues.
Indeed, however look at this bit in the House Rules section on Familiars
Glad you approve! I had similar thoughts about loss of memory etc. However another option is simply, the Cult/Hermetics already know and or have integrated what the ghost knows. So some combination of the two? Like I said, I was leaning towards a Priest of Pluto. My thoughts being, he went crypt robbing... err I mean exploring for the cult, sometime during his apprenticeship and encountered the ghost. The two got to talking, the ghost took a liking to the very polite (scared shitless), respectful young magus and decided to accompany him.
As for the comment in the other thread (it keeps getting eaten by the forums it looks like), take a look at Cabal Legacy on page 20 of TMRE, it allows me to do just that. The idea being, he's been 'raised' as it were, inside the Mystery Cult, as opposed to joining later.
Ah, I hadn't noticed that. It's another of those flaws that looks more like an advantage than a disadvantage.
Though I'm still not sure how "most magi associate him with the Mystery" or "when a magus with Cabal Legacy speaks, magi often think he speaks for the entire cabal," as the Flaw says, when you keep your membership hidden.
Story flaws can be like that sometimes. Well, as you mentioned your reluctance to associate with Necromancers before, it could easily be that folks (rightfully) assume that he's a member and treat him as such (assuming of course they even know about the cabal), despite not having any proof. The House wouldn't care, as long as he keeps taking orders and doing his job, but others might, especially the more devout ones, and others might be interested in what he can do (for them)!
It's a story flaw, it leads to... stories. That's what's important yeah?
if you look here it explains that there really was no idea of a precious gem vs semi-precious in the middle ages, and if there were what those would be would have shifted wildly over time, but canonically this is not the case for Mythic Europe where the stones have been fixed since at least Ancient Greece and they are intrinsic properties. Also these values reflected other mystical attributes, and one certainly has to admit that the number 4 is of a certain significance within mythic Europe. If we want to go outside the standard 4 recognized today there is not one stone but nearly a score to choose from as potential other precious stones, and amethyst is but one of these. I would argue that both opal and pearl (despite not really being a stone) are both stronger contenders. Also even today depending on quality and the 4 Cs a simple rose quartz can be more valuable than an emerald (I at one point actually owned an emerald whose qualities put it in that category), so the issue is not one of price.
Now we could have 4 precious stones and stick with REDS, we could go with 5, 10 (one for each form) 15 (one for each art), or other traditional mystical numbers like 7, 12 or 13.
I think Frederika's world view is begining to infect how I interpret everything that happens in this game. And because of that, I'm beginning (referencing the Back to Bellaquin thread) to seriously dislike Valgravian...
At this point, I think Rika could rant for a good page on why he's a stuck-up, sanctimonious muck-raker. And how dare he even insinuate that Frederika would even possibly be involved in petty theft* when it's clearly his own incompetence that has lead to his missing articles!
*not to necessarily say Erika wouldn't involve herself in petty theft (with all the appropriate justifications) - just that she would resent the mere notion that she would be involved in something so base when she isn't actually involved at all. Have I mentioned that I enjoy how capital-P Proud she is?
I believe Marko put a ruling for this, and I believe you're going a little overboard... Should have put this on the wiki..........
Thing is, I can't find where...
IMO, yes, of course.
Ah, thanks! That's it!
How to put it?
IMO, the familiar / animal companion is already cheesy.
Having it give you a more powerful familiar? Please, no.
Note, also, that, even there, such an animal is "A good example is a newly gauntleted maga with a Magic Animal Companion as a Minor Flaw. Not yet a familiar yet potentially so", meaning that:
Newly gauntleted maga, which, as far as I understand, isn't the case here.
No beginning play with it being bound, or knowing MT.
There's no guarantee that it will be suitable familiar material.
I really don't mind changing the flaw for something else if that's the general feeling, it's largely a non-issue for me as I took it more for fluff purposes than anything else. Also, I have no issues making his familiar either Might 10 or 15 as opposed to 20.
Edit: In fact, having a lower Might Familiar allows me to do more with the Bonds, so that's always a huge plus.
I think I'm allowed to take things personally when I'm accused of being a thief - and with not a shred of evidence to back it up!
Either Valgravian doesn't have a way with words. Or he just really, really rubs Frederika the wrong way. I'm really not sure which! (besides, I'm going to be taking things personally long after I cease to be a young mage - or maybe unaging means I'll always be young in that regard...)
I'm curious about the covenant's relationship with the church and what representation they have in Arans. I seem to recall that there's a priest in residence, though I might be misremembering. I'm also not certain which bishop we fall under. I have the germ of an idea for a story, but need more information about Andorra's relationship with the church before I can make it grow into a real story.
I believe the Bishop of Urgell who has entered into a pact with faeries allowing them nearly free reign within the dominion areas he has authority over (this was spelled out in Bernat's entry to the covenant and Stranger Danger) the full details of which are not yet available. I was under the impression there was a priest somewhere about and of course there is Adan who most explicitly should not be counted.
