GO TO GRAND TRIBUNAL!!!

Games Discussion Ars Magica
1

Hi!

Well, 5 years into our Manx saga now. Now we need to go to the grand tribunal and declare ourselves to be in existence AND what tribunal we want to belong to. I have to flesh out the Grand Tribunal, and things being how they are, I would like you all to make a tongue in cheek tribunal :stuck_out_tongue: Sooooo… I am using the people of this forum as the leaders of the Order of Hermes :slight_smile:

Would you mind helping me about this? I need to flesh out the characters. Take this as an EXTREMELY tongue in cheek thread, where you can make fun of almost anything, but try to be accurate about the people you talk about. Any kind of suggestions appreciated. My play mates read this forum from time to time, so think that they will know about you already (as persons). Finding you at tribunal is bound to be funny :slight_smile:

Tribunals and house are just suggestions at this stage. Feel free to suggest whatever you want, either for your own or other characters :wink:

So, let’s start with the list of characters:

  1. Alexios ex Miscellanea

  2. Alexius Albus ex Tremere. Politician and tribunal mover. Recently he has been busy trying to come up with a master stroke to destabilize a whole tribunal, a project that is starting to mature. He has been in charge of the Tremere knowledge network (since you cannot trust thos pesly bonies to be of any use after all) and sharing it with other interested researchers.... for a price. (Alex White)

  3. Andrew Gronosky ex Mercere (Rome). Head archivist at Harco. Famous for his debate on the intricacies of scrying and invisibility in the Roman tribunal. His new archiving system at Harco has brought him much applause.

  4. APSmith

  5. Callen

  6. Charlie ex Miscellanea (Loch Leglean). A filthy little rat that thinks he is bigger than he is (NB: my players will kick him around, at least) and tries to push an agenda that nobody around him is interested in. …..
    Internal joke. My name sounds quite similar to Charlie in English, and I am the one generally betting to play sagas in Scotland, so my players will appreciate it. I am sure they will mess with this character “just because”. (open character for the forum to kick around)

  7. Cornelius

  8. Davidus Chartaeus ex Bonisagus. The creator of the florilogiums we all appreciate. A power in house Bonisagus and the whole of the Order. He resides in Durenmar, but his studies in linguistics have him travel around quite a bit.

  9. Direwolf ex Tytalus.

  10. Dwightewarsh

  11. Eirik

  12. Erik Tyrrell

  13. Exar Kun

  14. Firth5

  15. Fhtagn. A bringer of despair, heretic, and summoner of primigenic creatures. Creepy.

  16. Fuldry

  17. Fixer ex ______ (Normandy)

  18. Gerg

  19. Jabir ex _________ (Levant). Jabir is levantine alchemist: He dresses funny (from a western perspective). He is always jibber-jabbering incomprehensibly about one ancient secret or another. He might belong to a (clearly not God-isnpired) sect or cult. Careful around this one.

  20. Janus Michaelus ex Trianomae. (Rhine). This magus is a bright one, but not a strong researcher. He is a really good teacher, though. He became a fairly competent magus quite rapidly. Being a trianomae he is a generalist, and well travelled. After some extensive traveling, he came to the conviction that speaking a lingua franca is the base for communication and a prospering order. He has now stopped any research or traveling, and lives by teaching apprentices of other magi . He forcefully claims apprentices that have deficiencies in Latin, Area Lore or Magic Theory and gives them back to their parentes after a few years (for a fee). He dislikes fairies and House Merinita which he sees as Clowns and Troublemakers. He is also distrustful of magi that are too exotic (especially if they deal with spirits). Being rather hedonistic, he also doesn't understand why most magi seek power - he is more interested in personalities than in magic muscle. Recently he has started training a filius of his own. There is a rumour about the toddler showing a scary interest in ignem - and little else. He is among those who think Timoteus ex Tremere brilliant yet has learned to avoid debates with him (because the outcome is invariably the same).

  21. Johannes Epistulae ex Guernicus (Hibernia). An authority in the lesser magic users out there, and a good author respected for his. He is understanding, but can kick your nose if you are too much of a prat. (John Post)

  22. Leonis Bjornaer.

  23. Mark Lawford

  24. Marcus Sirleus (Marc Shirley)

  25. Marius JPC ex _____ (Iberia).

  26. Michaelle Nepheus ex Guernicus. One of the main leaders of house Guernicus. THE LAW at tribunal. What she says is done. Period. She tends towards the transitionalist approach, but she is worse than Marcus ex Flambeau when it comes to unwanted visitors that talk when it is not their turn. She comes from Magvillus

  27. Marcus ex Flambeau (Iberia). A firebrand and political mover in the Hermetic Iberian landscape. Hates moor wizards, hates moor nobles… well, he hates the moors in general. He likes to hunt BIG game and thinks Timoteus of Tremere is a senseless revisionist since he has travelled to the valley where Flambeau died. There was no aura and no traces of magic there, but he KNEW the "final confrontation" story is true. He had a vision there. Or so he says. If you challenge that stance, you will be roasted. Be sure about that. Besides that, your paradigmatic flambeau. He will rise high. Or die soon. Quicksilver is just too slow to define him.

  28. MTKnife

  29. Ladyphoenix

  30. LuciusT ex Verditius ()

  31. Ravenscroft ex Bjornaer (Loch Leglean/Rhine)

  32. Ricardus Amor (Richard Love)

  33. Timoteus ex Jerbitonis (Greater Alps). One of the most prolific authors of the Order and a redefiner of some of the roots of the Arts. Some people hate him for that, while others think him almost as brilliant as Bonisagus for the same reasons. His extensive library at Valnastium helps him immensely in his research. He has a “Bonisagus mood” in him, wanting to share as much research as he can.

  34. Tugdual

  35. Ulf

  36. Ultraviolet

  37. Verticius

  38. Vrylakos

  39. Lupus filius Barringeri scholae Bonisagi ab Campscapel. (Normandy). A Vim specialist usually wrapped up in intangible or invisible subjects. Study requirement has caused difficulties and had him branch out into Philosophy and Artes Liberales between sojourns to steadily more magical locales. Known for memorable debates on the targeting and manipulation of absences, holes and lacks. Has a standing offer of lending his enchanted Dragonproof Shield to needy covenants. (There may exist witticisms about it relying on an absence of dragon in order to work.) [Wolf of Campscapel]

  40. Yair ex _____(Levant)

2

I like your idea, even if I'm not sure I understood well the principle.

So here it is (i'm taking it from my last IRL saga).

Kaeïos of house Flambeau (school of Sebastian), from the Provence Tribunal. A greek magus, from the Theban tribunal where his Parens, Kollossos of house Flambeau, an eremite, taught him the basics of the Hermetic magic. After that time, he left the greek tribunal because he found himself in many way too contraried by his Parens mentality (his parens do think that non gifted humans are worthless and that golems - automata - undeads are more useful) and joined a little covenant in Provence where his sodales were trying to impose the Cult of the Old Gods of the Greek/Roman pantheons, something that the young Kaeïos, very interested in Necromancy, has found fantastic.

Being only 5 young magi trying to enforce in their tribunal - and after that, in all tribunal, the Idea that God is only one idea of the Divine, and that old Gods are more appealing [normally, in our saga, we found the Christ' true testament, and discovered that the Crucified Christ was a double of Jesus, but not the Son of God, and thus that Jesus never did on the Cross... way too odd to adapt here :wink:], they have had many worries with the more conservative Flambeau's.

But anyway, they managed to gain a little weight when they discovered that the well known "Order of Odin" - an ancient enemy of the Order, was not what it seemed (they were only rebels and treators to the "real" Order of Odin, which had no intention and no desire to fight the Order), they ended up by getting prestige, and time and ressource.

With all that, they managed to improve their own skills and prestige.

Kaeïos of Flambeau was already well known for his participation during the Crusade of 1204, during which, being only a young magus traveling on the roads to Constantinople for his Parens duty, he saved 3 fellow older magi from death by the use of vis and a ritual he did just learn some times ago (hermetic prestige was a starting virtue of the character).

Being interested in arts of Corpus and Mentem, and with his parens teachings (focus in Necromancy), he started to develop spells.
His well known familiar (Cassius, the ghost of a former magus of house Bonisagus, dead during lab experimentation, whose ghost stayed in his lab because he was unfinished with improvement of magic theory and also his best friend during apprenticeship at Sparta) and his driveness in Immortality (major personality flaw) helped him.

First he discovered a spell allowing him to never fear battle (a ReCo(Me) allowing him to have a soldier able aswell as himself to fight) then he discovered a way to revive the deads (the core spell) but found it too limited. By experimentation, he also discovered a way to teleport himself without the need of arcane connection (I had the "motion sickness flaw" and picked teleportation as a very useful bypass) to any place he could remember or imagine.

In the same time, he started to look about the Canaanite Necromancy secrets.

During one of his trips with his sodales of Phenix Ignem, they discovered a young man with the Gift (Andros, from "Sorcerers Slave" 2d edition adventure) he trained and made his first filius.

During the same time, he made contacts to powerful archmagi of his House to pass their ordeal to becoming an archmagus.

Now, Kaeïos attempt to create a powerful longevity ritual by experimentation, aswell as a new guideline (something in CrCo as "cannot die during the duration"). After what, he will try to join the [i forgot the name of the mystery of the living ghost(MRE)].

His arts (at +- 100 years old) would have been something as 30 in Corpus and Mentem (affinity in both), 20 in Creo and Rego, 15 in Intellego, Perdo and Vim, 10 in Muto, and 9-5 for the others (he didn't care about and just learned them to teach properly his apprentice).

Important fact, unknown to many, he had a puissant + affinity in penetration (which allowed him to win many certamen and wizard's war by the bypassing use of skeleton armies!); at 35 yo, his score was 11+2 so I guess that at 100 yo, it would have been 15 or 16+2.

He had many Cr/Co spells (being a necromancer) and at his 40 yo, he started to look for "offensive" spells (relying on his great penetration score + his level 40 intangible tunnel + his level 40 teleportation spell

His way of fighting: use arcane connections, teleport skeletons/create skeletons, then teleport real grogs, make them bring other arcane connection; the enemy, surrounded by many good looking men could not discern easily grogs and undeads. His "killing style" was: teleport the magus in that volcano (the Etna, in which he many times cast an arcane connection [some good ReIg'd stone (one of his sodales, Elyse of Bjornaer (cat) was a Ward focus magus and they did get along well!) cut in half and fixed etc]).

Politically, he is for anything that can undermine the power and influence of "Christian" House and factions (Guernicus traditionnalist, Flambeau follower of Garus, Jerbiton from the new Andru faction [in our saga, Andru was an intrtiguing magus with a plot to make Mythic Europe a magogracy by the use of the Christian Faith]...

3

Exar, the idea is that you define YOURSELF, not your character :slight_smile: How YOU would be as a magus of the Order of Hermes :slight_smile: You can also decide to define other posters of this forum if you want.

I need to define A LOT of magi for the grand tribunal that my players will be going to, and insterad of making the whole (quite dull, and in tnen ed quite frustrating) exercise of building up 40 NPCs, I decided to use the people and personalities of this forum, NOT their characters but their REAL WORLD personalities :slight_smile:

My fellow gamers read this forum, and are aware about the personalities and posting moods of most people around here. Blasting them with these same characters at tribunal will both enrich it and make it much more of a fun session :slight_smile: Take advantage of this forum to laugh about yourself and/or other people. I am open to be beaten to crap, for example :stuck_out_tongue:

In that sense I am interested in Exar Kun, magus ex Jaerbitonis of the Novgorod tribunal, not in your real life saga character :slight_smile: Hope I am posting this more clearly now :smiley: Thanks!

Cheers,
Xavi

4

Is the Bjornaer based on my rabbit avatar?
Cause thats pretty funny as its Untalkative Bunny. :laughing:

5

Lupus filius Barringeri scholae Bonisagi ab Campscapel. (Normandy)

Vim specialist usually wrapped up in intangible or invisible subjects. Study requirement has caused difficulties and had him branch out into Philosophy and Artes Liberales between sojourns to steadily more magical locales. Known for memorable debates on the targeting and manipulation of absences, holes and lacks. Has a standing offer of lending his enchanted Dragonproof Shield to needy covenants. (There may exist witticisms about it relying on an absence of dragon in order to work.)

6

I think that i can be Bonisagi or Myscellanea, je. Thanks.

7

Jabir is an alchemist coming from the Levant Tribunal who belongs to a strange mystery cult and is always jibber-jabbering incomprehensibly about one ancient secret or another.

8

This could be fun. Especially since Verticius is my character in a saga and is (somewhat) different from my own nature. I'll have to ponder this for a day and get back to you...

-K!

9

Edited the entries for Jabir and Wolf of Campscapel :slight_smile: Feel free to edit the entries of OTHER people. Seeing how thirsd parties view each other might be even MORE fun than to see how each one sees himself :stuck_out_tongue:

Cheers,
Xavi

10

Finally i'd decided Ex Myscellanea i think.

11

How detailed do you need these characters - just concepts or down to specialties?

Whatever physical characteristics there once might have been, age and a lack of exercise have long reduced physical fitness to average at best. Only the eyes are above average - surprising when one considers how much time he spends with books. Though he doesn't wear a beard, Janus can't really be called clean-shaved since he keeps forgetting about using a balde or visiting a barber.
This magus is a bright one - his way from cradle to gauntlet was one of the fastest in order history. A generalist, he spent his early years getting the art minimum to enable him teaching others.
Then after some extensive traveling, he came to the conviction that speaking a lingua franca is the base for communication and a prospering order. He has now stopped any research or traveling, and lives by teaching apprentices of other magi . He forcefully claims apprentices that have deficiencies in Latin, Area Lore or Magic Theory and gives them back to their parentes after a few years (for a fee).
He dislikes fairies and House Merinita which he sees as Clowns and Troublemakers. He is also distrustful of magi that are too exotic (especially if they deal with spirits). Being rather hedonistic, he also doesn't understand why most magi seek power - he is more interested in personalities than in magic muscle.
He has started training a filius of his own five seasons ago (the child shows a scary interest in ignem - and little else).
He is among those who think Timoteus ex Tremere brilliant yet has learned to avoid debates with him (because the outcome is invariably the same).

12

That would be more or less what I am searching for :slight_smile: Your outcome was more detailed than what I expected, really well done. Some kind of physical description (rough outline, so that I can use it straight IMS) would be amazing :slight_smile:

Cheers,
Xavi

13

Ok then... mmh.

ExarKun, house Tremere.
Being in an organisation which decide what you have to do is good. You can enjoy leasure while being helpful. If I'm not asked to do something, I certainly won't. House Tremere want to keep the Order alive. Good, it's exactly what I want too. Surely I'm reclusive and have the blatant gift. It doesn't bother me much; if they need my help it's not for talking but for my own skills. And when I can go to my lab, I'll create stories and read other's. Coeris has its little pecky politician game, and maybe it's interesting. I do not care. I'm in Normandy, and the Exarch has confidence in me. I'm not his right hand, but I'm the best skilled when it comes to deal with demons. I do know them, and they fear me. They should, because I do not care about these temptations. I will die a day, and if it's now, I'm ready. So come, demons, tempt me. I'll take you to where you belong, until I die for the sake of the world. And if I miss it, I don't care. All is about trying and I tried the most I could. Life is only temporary and what's beyond is nothing.

14

32. Ricardus Amor (Richard Love) ex Bonisagus
A carefully presented and annoyingly pedantic theoretician, Ricardus has written a number of tractatus upon the interaction of Hermetic and hedge (and other exotic) magical traditions. His own spellcasting is known to specialise in the creation of exotic beers, along with various Hermetic aids to the brewing process, which his agents sell to monastic brewers. Ricardus' covenant, Septentrio Palma, is built in a hidden regio and houses a curious mix of Hermetic legal and theoretical scholars who act as an ad hoc review panel of many Quaesitorial and Tribunal decisions. Despite their extensive written correspondence with many of the important members of The Order the magi of Septentrio Palma hardly ever leave their regio and this is the first Grand Tribunal that a member of their covenant has attended in person. Ricardus' companion, Paola, is said to be an (unGifted) Folk Witch. She is dreadfully bored by Hermetic politics and intends to wait out the Grand Tribunal visiting a nearby coven of Folk Witches.

15

Ack nooooo! :mrgreen:

Most likely a Bonisagus of the not quite mad scientist/absentminded professor traditional style. Most probably deeply involved into original research to break Hermetic limits or integrating some odd magic into the hermetic system. But mostly a´la shotgun style, discussing and assisting with the research of others and forgetting about his own half the time.

If something looks like it can be improved, he´ll take it apart and hopefully put it back together again, sometimes even achieving the wanted "better than it was".
Slightly lazy when nothing interesting is around. Can read day and night without stopping if a book is interesting enough.
Cares little of luxuries. Will dress for convenience and usefulness. Might be convinced to dress up for an occasion but probably wont bother.

Politically, will act from behind the scenes and avoid being the public promoter of something, instead talking individually with key persons to sway a vote his way. Unlikely to bribe or threaten but may present gifts without any strings attached as a way to influence more indirectly.
A political savage that is unlikely to ever actually join a permanent grouping or ever vote with such a group "just because". Interested in most matters and will be annoyingly meddlesome far too often.
Makes no difference between mundanes and magi(and probably resented for it by many).
Responds to bribes by accepting them and then voting in whatever way he intended to vote anyway(together with his absentmindedness, this might have created a reputation of either truly severely bad memory, untrustworthyness or being a wicked scheemer).
Responds severely to threats, although not necessarily openly or directly, may seem to have ignored a threat.
Probably has a reputation for being extremely bad for your health to threaten.

If important enough, will take a leading position and speak up publicly, and strongly. And if leadership is lacking in a group where he has interests, will take over to get things done as well and quickly as possible while making sure to find someone else to take over so he can get back to his books and his lab again.
Will use power and leadership ruthlessly if needed but would rather not have it at all.
Avoids responsibility but if need be, will shoulder as much as it takes for as long as it takes.

Skyhigh Magic Theory, -want... -learn... -ALL...
Pitifully low Parma Magica, but some rather serious defensive spells with fastcast
Minimal Penetration score, will rely on using complex indirect effects against anyone with too strong Magic Resistance, quite possibly through tricks not generally known or even thought possible
Decent but not good Finesse

Some fair skill with Athletics, "outdoor abilities", "combat abilities" and stealth from his younger days, but little in the area of interpersonal skills.
Lesser skill in several languages, decent score in academics.

Flawless Magic
Cyclic Magic(Night)
Cautious Sorcerer
Inventive Genius
Book Learner
Strong-Willed
Intuition
Method Caster
Affinity (Magic Theory)

Enemies(somehow, there´s always some people that gets really annoyed by him)
Nocturnal
Meddler
Driven(Knowledge!)
Weakness(underdogs)
Motion sickness
Compassionate
Limited Magic Resistance(Auram)

Fairly generalistic in Arts with Creo, Rego, Imaginem and the elemental Forms being somewhat preferred.
High on Intellect, Quickness and Perception, above average Presence. Once very low communication but have spent the resources to magically raise it fairly high.

Not exactly "me", but me mixed up with a couple of my characters.

16

Davidus Carta of House Bonisagus

He gained great fame with a series of summae that are still the standard texts in the Order, but recently he has produced nothing of his own, merely editing the works of others for release to magi as a whole. Rumours speak of dark pacts imposed on the most influential authors, forbidding them to speak of what they wrote before his editing, but no-one is willing to say much. He is also said to know great secrets of Magic Theory, which he may let slip in the more social environment of a Tribunal -- but then, who knows how these stories start, or whether they are reliable? After all, one story claims that he currently spends most of his time beyond fabled Serica. Tall and relatively thin, his Longevity Ritual has just started to allow signs of ageing to show. Perhaps not coincidentally, he has let it be known that research on improved Longevity Rituals would be very welcome in the House's florilegia.

17

Ooh - can I play? :slight_smile:

Njal Ex Miscellanea is a specialist in Intellego magics who spends much of his time deciphering and interpreting ancient manuscripts (primarly from the Levant), writing books and epistles that he seeks to share with his fellows of the Order, and teaching large numbers of apprentices. A dedicated educator, he is likely to expound at great length upon the progress of his research, given half a chance, even if his sodales show little real interest. He is a(nother) thinly-built magus who normally dresses in dark robes and a brightly-coloured cloak.

18

First off, I'm honored to be one of the Chosen.

I'll add to Niall's post, having gamed with him at Grand Tribunal USA. (Well done, with the character description Njal!) He is particularly animated when he speaks, and often gets carried away, so much so that his physical features morph into the people or emotions he describes. His imagonem magics are quite potent, and he has a wicked sense of humor.

19

Hyacinthum Ultra ex Jerbiton
(aka Ultraviolet or Scipius)
Confraternity of Havacus Enginericus

A native Dane many generations back was always a pragmatic, scientific person and a builder. Even though he did not hail from an academic familiy he went the way of Science. During this time he fell in with a crowd practicing the activities of taking upon themselves the mannerisms and peculiarities of different fictional roles and interacting with one another in a series of imagined situations. This crowd formed the social network of Hyacinthum Ultra, and although this was many years ago some of this crowd still hangs on. These activities are still practiced and furthered by him. He has recently started to take a more active role in the writings for these activities.
With the scientific academica of the House Jerbiton he has become involved in an advisory capacity with the master builders of the era. Although he had a short stint with a more practical role, the advisory role suits him best. At present day he helps the master builders turn theur building shells into habitable areas through the use of hypocaust and venting. Therefore he hails from the Confraternity of Havacus Enginericus.
Born, raised and still living in the Scandinavian region he hopes to further the cause of the Order and eventually form a Scandinavian Tribunal. He makes a home in a rural area but still close to the major hub or Aros with a small family with the first offspring not yet a year old, where thay maintain and expand a respectable library.

20

Very interesting people :slight_smile: Thanks!

Anyone not considered must have been an oversight on my part, so feel free to contribute (and be contributed to!)

However, I am seeing people posting more about their real life personality, not their INTERNET personality. This is what we are after here :slight_smile: A lot of people does not behave the same in both environments. For example, a lot of people might not know your real profession (or they might) but the info on who you are should be based on your Atlas Forum and Ars Magica-related stuff, not on your real world life experience.

I think it might be even funnier if people define OTHER posters more than themselves. The result might be more weird, but somewhat more accurate as well :slight_smile: For example, accordinfg to my gaming mates (talked to 2 of them yesterday) Direwolf75 is a classic tytalus whatever he thinks he is :mrgreen:

Cheers,
Xavi