Grog - Ismael, a simple Gamekeeper

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: Ad Astera per Aspera
1

Ismael, a "simple" Gamekeeper

Characteristics (after aging): Int +2(1), Per -1(0), Pre 0, Com +3, Str -1(1), Sta -1(1), Dex -1(0), Qik 0
Size: 0
Age: 50 (48), Height: 5'6'', Weight: 143 lbs, Gender: Male
Decrepitude: 1(5)
Warping Score: 0 (0)
Confidence: No
Virtues: Sense Holy/Unholy, Clerk, Good teacher
Flaws: Humble, Small Frame, Arthritic

Personality traits: Humble +1, Closed Lipped +1, Philisophical +1
Reputations: none
Combat:
Dodge: Init: +0, Attack ‑‑, Defense +0, Damage ‑‑
Fist: Init: +0, Attack 0, Defense +0, Damage +-1
Kick: Init: ‑1, Attack 0, Defense 0, Damage +2
Soak: -1
Fatigue levels: OK, 0, ‑1, ‑3, ‑5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: ‑1 (1-4), ‑3 (5-8), ‑5 (9-12), Incapacitated (13-16), Dead (17+)

ABILITIES

[tableborder][tr][th]Ability[/th] [th]Specialty[/th] [th]Value[/th] [th]XP[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Animal Handling[/td] [td][center]5[/center][/td] [td]Rabbits[/td] [td][center]75[/center][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Area Lore, Egypt[/td] [td][center]5[/center][/td] [td]Madrassahs[/td] [td][center]75[/center][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Area Lore, Malta[/td] [td][center]5[/center][/td] [td]History[/td] [td][center]80[/center][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Artes Liberales[/td] [td][center]3[/center][/td] [td]Teaching[/td] [td][center]30[/center][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Bargain[/td] [td][center]2[/center][/td] [td]food[/td] [td][center]18[/center][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Dead language, Ancient Egyptian[/td] [td][center]5[/center][/td] [td]Teaching[/td] [td][center]75[/center][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Dead Language, Ancient Ethiopian[/td] [td][center]5[/center][/td] [td]Teaching[/td] [td][center]75[/center][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Etiquette[/td] [td][center]3[/center][/td] [td]Islamic Scholars/Clergy[/td] [td][center]35[/center][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Folk Ken[/td] [td][center]2[/center][/td] [td]Fitting in[/td] [td][center]15[/center][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Islamic Law[/td] [td][center]3[/center][/td] [td]Sharia[/td] [td][center]30[/center][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Islamic Theology[/td] [td][center]3[/center][/td] [td]Teaching[/td] [td][center]30[/center][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Living Language, Arabic (native)[/td] [td][center]5[/center][/td] [td]Writing[/td] [td][center]Free[/center][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Living Language, Romany[/td] [td][center]2[/center][/td] [td]Covenfolk[/td] [td][center]15[/center][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Philosiphiae[/td] [td][center]3[/center][/td] [td]Teaching[/td] [td][center]30[/center][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Profession: Chamberlain[/td] [td][center]0[/center][/td] [td]Covenfolk[/td] [td][center]2[/center][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Sense Holy/Unholy[/td] [td][center]4[/center][/td] [td]Evil[/td] [td][center]50[/center][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Teaching[/td] [td][center]6[/center][/td] [td]Single Student[/td] [td][center]107[/center][/td][/tr][/tableborder]

Equipment: Gloves, snare, hand shovel, wire, copy of Asrārnāma, by Attar (Persian mystic poet) carefully hidden under his pillow.
Encumbrance: 0 (0)

Aging rolls:
Stress Die/Die total/age modifier/living conditions/Total/effect
4 4 3 0 7 +1 age (Madrasah living condition modifier +0)
1+3 6 3 0 9 +1 age
1+2 4 3 0 7 +1 age
1+2 4 3 0 7 +1 age
0 (no botch) 0 3 0 3 +1 age
2 2 4 1 5 +1 age (retired to Malta for health reasons, gain +2 living conditions due to healthy/idyllic surroundings)
9 9 4 1 12 1 age point Str, +1 age
7 7 4 1 10 +1 age, +1 age pt Sta
2 2 4 1 5 +1 age
0 (no botch) 0 4 1 3 +1 age
1+9 18 4 1 21 +1 age point Int/Per (reduce Per from 0 to -1), +1 age
2 2 4 1 5 +1 age
0 (no botch) 0 4 1 3 +1 age
7 7 4 1 10 +1 age, +1 age in Dex, (reduce Dex from 0 to -1, Decrepitude gains a level, 0 to 1)
8 8 4 1 9 +1 age
3 3 5 1 7 +1 age

Ismael lived the life of an accomplished scholar, and then retired to Malta. He firmly believes in a clean break from his former life and now has dedicated himself to pastoral meditation with the same focus that conquered academia in Egypt. He is of a philisophical bent, occasionally making a comment betraying his former status, but otherwise is reticent to speak of his past, deflecting any questions. This is further reinforced by his language barrier in the caravan, being only able to convey the most simple concepts in Romany. If given an apprentice animal handler, he would give him a full Islamic education in addition to teaching animal handling, but otherwise is little interested in a return to academia (despite missing teaching).

Advancement:
Spring 1220 Adventure 8:
Etiquette 5
Bargain 3
Summer 1220 Exposure 2
Profession: Chamberlain 2
Fall 1220 Adventure 5
Area Lore (Malta) 5
Winter 1220 Exposure 2
Teaching 2

2

First issue is that Malta does not grant a +2 to aging rolls...
also Egyptian is not a writing system- Arabic and Coptic are fine, but Coptic is a form of Egyptian writing, you could take Latin or Greek, Aramaic, Syriac, Hebrew, or Persian from that part of the world... others are more exotic possibilities...
Coptic is not a language and at this point is not dead- it is actually the writing system used for the 'modern' Egyptian language which was spoken up until the 17th century, and is alive and well in the 13th.
Finally, for his living language given that he didn't appear to be a part of the caravan, as he was living in Malta rather than traveling with them, wouldn't he have learned Maltese instead of Romany?

3

Malta, no. The little patch of Malta he called his, maybe. Warmth during the winter, cool sea breezes during summer, what's not to love? Obviously the covenant may have a different modifier, and he's no spring chicken, you know.

If you'd rather drop his healthy living modifier to+1 or even 0, that would be fine. It will get him a little closer to kicking the bucket, but the whole idea behind this character was to have a hidden gem that may pass away without the magi ever knowing his true worth...

4

Lets drop it to +1.

5

I think the confusion here stems from the fact that AM pg 13 refers to Dead Language (Egyptian) and Dead Language (Coptic).

6

JH is correct, I chose the two language from Ancient Magic to be pre-packaged and go together, assuming someone is interested in Adamic, and figures out Ismael is the beginning of that path.

My research showed Maltese has not actually evolved into a language yet, Siculo-Arabic being the dominant language spoken by the masses of both Malta and Sicily (Italian becoming increasingly common among the nobles). He should get along fine with the Maltese population. He started learning Romany when he was hired by the caravan, shortly before the dissolution, which is why he's so bad at it.

7

Lets just switch Coptic to Ethiopian, since that is another African nation whose history descends into the depths of mythology.