Maffeo ex Mercere

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

Maffeo ex Mercere - Campaign start

Characteristics: Int +3, Per 0, Str -1, Sta 0, Pre 0, Com +3, Dex 0, Qk -1
Size: 0
Age: 26 (26), Height: 1.75m, Weight: 75k, Gender: Male
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: 0
Confidence: 1 (3)

Virtues: Puissant Muto (House free), Hermetic Magus (free), Gentle Gift, Affinity with Muto art, Cautious Sorcerer, Skilled Parens, Affinity with Charm, Educated, Improved Characteristics, Mutantum Magic (HoH:True Lineages p.107)

Flaws: Waster of Vis, Disjointed Magic, Limited Magic Resistance (Corpus), Lesser Malediction*, Temperate, Favors

  • central to character concept

Personality Traits: Cautious +2, Friendly +1, Leader -1

Combat:
Dodge: Init: -1, Attack ‑‑, Defense +1, Damage ‑‑
Fist: Init: -1, Attack +1, Defense 0, Damage -1
Kick: Init: -2, Attack +1, Defense -1, Damage +2

Soak: 0
Fatigue levels: OK, 0, ‑1, ‑3, ‑5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: ‑1 (1‑5), ‑3 (6‑10), ‑5 (11‑15), Incapacitated (16‑20), Dead (21+)
Encumbrance: 0

Abilities:

Ability[tab][/tab] Rank[tab][/tab] Specialization[tab][/tab] XP (V,C, Ll, Ap, IP)

Area Lore: Harco 1 [tab][/tab] (Countryside) 5 (C5)
Awareness 1 [tab][/tab] (Searching) 5 (LL5)
Brawl 1 [tab][/tab] (Dodging) 5 (C5)
Charm 5* [tab][/tab] (Putting people at ease) 75 (C25, LL15, Ap10)
Concentration 1 [tab][/tab] (Reading) 5 (Ap5)
Etiquette 1 [tab][/tab] (Guilds) 5 (LL5)
Folk Ken 1 [tab][/tab] (Magi) 5 (LL5)
Guile 1 [tab][/tab] (Lying to authority) 5 (C5)
Intrigue 1 [tab][/tab] (Covenants) 5 (LL5)
Language: Arabic 2 [tab][/tab] (Trading) 15 (C5,LL10)
Language: Italian 5 [tab][/tab] (Piedmontese) 75 (C free)
Profession: Scribe 5 [tab][/tab] (Clear writing) 75 (LL30, Ap20, Ip25)
Profession: Illuminator 2 [tab][/tab] (Gold leaf) 15 (Ap15)
Artes Liberales 2 [tab][/tab] (Grammar) 15 (V15)
Dead Languages: Latin 4 [tab][/tab] (Hermetic usage) 50 (V30, Ap20)
Philosophiae 1 [tab][/tab] (Natural) 5 (V5)
Code of Hermes 1 [tab][/tab] (Mercere) 5 (Ap5)
Finesse 1 [tab][/tab] (Writing) 5 (Ip5)
Magic Theory 4 [tab][/tab] (Inventing spells) 50 (Ap50)
Parma Magica 1 [tab][/tab] (Mentem) 5 (Ap5)

(*Affinity)

Hermetic Arts

Art[tab][/tab] Level[tab][/tab] XP
Creo [tab][/tab]5 [tab][/tab] 15
Intellego [tab][/tab]0 [tab][/tab] 0
Muto [tab][/tab]12*+3 [tab][/tab]52
Perdo [tab][/tab]0 [tab][/tab] 0
Rego [tab][/tab]5 [tab][/tab] 15

Animal [tab][/tab]8 [tab][/tab] 36
Aquam [tab][/tab]0 [tab][/tab] 0
Auram [tab][/tab]0 [tab][/tab] 0
Corpus [tab][/tab]8 [tab][/tab]36
Herbam [tab][/tab]0 [tab][/tab]0
Ignem [tab][/tab]0 [tab][/tab]0
Imagem [tab][/tab]0 [tab][/tab]0
Mentem [tab][/tab]0 [tab][/tab]0
Terram [tab][/tab]1 [tab][/tab]1
Vim [tab][/tab]5 [tab][/tab]15

Total: 170

Spells Known:
The plunder of 20 geese [tab][/tab] Muto Animal 15 (Covenants p.96)
Doublet of impenetrable silk [tab][/tab] Muto Animal 15
Ward against rain [tab][/tab] Rego Auram 10
Curse of the unruly tongue* [tab][/tab] Muto Corpus 5 (Boosted, Tethered)
Disguise of the new visage* [tab][/tab] Muto Corpus 15 (Harnessed, Tethered)
Curse of Circe [tab][/tab] Muto Corpus(An) 30 (Boosted, Harnessed)
Aura of ennobled presence [tab][/tab] Muto Imagonem 10 (Boosted)
The crystal dart [tab][/tab] Muto(Re) Terram 10
Ink of noblest metal [tab][/tab] Muto Terram(Aq) 20 (Covenants p.97)
Wizard's Communion [tab][/tab] Muto Vim 20

Total: 150

Detailled Accounting

Early Childhood (0-5) (45 xp)
Area Lore:Harco (5), Brawl(5), Charm (25), Guile(5), Arabic(5) Native Language (free)

Later Life (5-10) (75xp)
Awareness (5), Charm (15), Etiquette (5), Folk ken (5), Intrigue (5), Arabic (10), Prof:Scribe (30)

Virtues (50xp, Academic only)
Artes Liberales (15), Latin (30), Philosophiae (5)

Apprenticeship (10-25) (130 of 300 xp)
Charm (10), Concentration (5), Scribe (20), Prof:Illuminator (15), Latin (20), Code of Hermes (5), Magic theory (50), Parm magica (5)

In play (25-26, extra year loitering around after Gauntlet, 30xp)
Prof:Scribe (25), Finesse (5)

2

normally a person has 7 points in characteristics. improved characteristics once gives +3 to 10 points. I count 12 for this character.

3

oops! Typo mistake thats a -1 quickness

4

[tab][/tab][tab][/tab]Maffeo di Piedmontes ex Mercere

[tab][/tab]Maffeo was born in Harco to the mercere family of Augustus ex Mercere, a mutantes magus, his wife Beatrice and their two other children. Though they lived in a modest country house in the area near Harco, the bustling covenant was at the center of their lives; Augustus was a junior member and Beatrice was a humble seamstress repairing travel clothes for redcaps. His early life was spent playing with the other children around Harco, watching the merchants and their exotic wares come and go, and coaxing more sweets out of the kitchen.
[tab][/tab]Maffeo was a gentle child with a sunny disposition, easily charming those around him. Augustus guided his young son into more constructive endeavors and like his other children, Meffeo got an education in Academics at the small school of Harco. He was also taught the art of scribes, a skill in great demand that could provide him a life craft later in life. He loves his letters and would like to learn more languages and alphabets. Maffeo was baptized a catholic, but he is not devout and religion plays little part in his life.
[tab][/tab]To the delight of the small family, Maffeo exhibited his Gift around his tenth birthday, and Augustus made him his apprentice that very same year as is the custom of Mercere. Though life as an apprentice is never easy, being an filius to his father made things go smoother. Augustus taught him plenty and he was proud of his son's aptitude with Muto magics. Mercere magi being rare, and especially mutantes ones, Maffeo was protected and taught more than other apprentices. However around the year of his twentieth birthday, a Mercurian ritual performed by some elder magi in Harco went horribly astray, resulting in many of them going into twilight, some of them permanently. Though he wasn’t a participant in the Circle, Maffeo was an attending apprentice, and the backlash hit him hard. As a result, he is under a peculiar effect, almost like a curse; Maffeo cannot change his body with magic at all! This was disconcerning at first and a source of embarrassment later. Other mutantes who learn of his “condition” pity him, which only frustrates him more. This has made him want to distance himself from the gifted Mercere around him. One of his goals is getting rid of that curse and become a proper mutantes, master of all things Muto. So far all his attempts have failed.
[tab][/tab]After completing his gauntlet, Maffeo started looking for a covenant to join. His plans were to travel to far off Novgorod or Loch leglean or even Levant, away from other gifted Mercere. Augustus would hear none of it. The last two winters of his apprenticeship Maffeo spent them being taught the art of Scribing and Illuminating in a scriptorium in Genoa. His father suggested spending some time polishing his skills further before hurrying off to the ends of the world; patience would serve them well, opportunities may appear closer. Maffeo decided to wait for a year. Indeed that same year, a redcap made some inquiries about Malta and its magical sites and quite a few gifted Mercere put two and two together. Discreet questioning confirmed that there might be something going on in the isles.
[tab][/tab]Malta was a compromise between Augustus and his son; far enough for a place of self exile, yet still close and nominally inside the Roman Tribunal. So Maffeo, armed with a letter of introduction from his father and a commendation from Harco, gathered his possessions and started for Malta to meet his destiny. Boarding a ship in Genoa heading for Malta, he is determined to beg a place in the newly made covenant. Augustus is keeping a close eye on his son though... after all, father knows best....

[tab][/tab][tab][/tab]Appearance

[tab][/tab]Born of Italian stock, Maffeo is a dark haired, brown eyed Mediterranean young man in his twenties. He doesn't attract the eye being a bit plain, but he does dress well, in good fabric and leather outfits, plain and stout. When going outside he wears a rakish red cap (Robin hood style) with a goose feather on it, which also serves as a quill. Maffeo spends most of his time scribing so his hands look unmarred by hardship and stained in ink most of the time.

5

[tab][/tab]Goals

***[tab][/tab] Remove his curse

**[tab][/tab] Become a better scribe, Learn more languages, Get married and have kids

*[tab][/tab]Meet new people, perfect his magic

[tab][/tab][tab][/tab] Stats and what they mean

[tab][/tab]Charm and social abilities

Maffeo is at ease around people. He is not a forceful personality, more like a new friend gaining your trust. He is not the leader type, he would rather give soft spoken advice or speak none at all. Though his contact with the merchants at Harco has shaped him, he leaves bargaining to the more competent Redcaps; he trusts them to get the best prices.

[tab][/tab]Muto and mutantes

Maffeo belongs to the mutantes lineage and as such has a natural affinity with muto magics. His Vim has suffered a bit after the accident as he focused more on animal and corpus.

[tab][/tab] Malediction

This is the central theme of Maffeo. All spells cast by Maffeo on himself that change the whole or part of his body fail. This includes use of items or abilities to the same effect, mostly corpus magics or magics with corpus requisite that promote self-change. The curse does not affect other people using magic, items or abilities to change Maffeo's body or Maffeo's attempts to change back to his proper shape. Curiously healing magic seems to work fine (Augustus theorized that since Maffeo's Ideal of his body didn't include wounds, healing magic simply returns his body to a previous condition. He cautioned healing cuts, scraps, wounds or missing limbs as soon as possible, least his son grows used to them).

Example: Casting “Disguise of a new visage” on himself fails, while casting the same spell on a grog or having someone else cast it on him works. Casting “Lungs of the fish” on himself also works... despite the name, the spell changes water into air, not changes the body to grow gills

The accident also affected Maffeo's magic. Perhaps his other magical quirks (waster of vis, disjointed magic, limited magic resistance) might be symptoms of it. Whatever the case, the young mercere is now extra cautious with his own casting of spells.

[tab][/tab]Favors

Maffeo owes a lot of social debts.
-[tab][/tab]First, to his father Augustus, he owes quite a bit. Being a loving family, this should be treated as mentor or close family ties flaw. Father looms large in Maffeo's life.
-[tab][/tab]House Mercere and the redcaps also accrue debt. Among other favors owed them, Maffeo has certain obligations, like having children (preferably many) and spending one season every seven years as a redcap.
-[tab][/tab]Maffeo feels he owes a favor to the scriptorium in Genoa for teaching him so much and opening his horizons.

6

Given that the questioning would have been some time ago:
Maffeo will have made his way via the redcap network to Sicily, and from there gained voyage to Mdina, where questioning of a clerk in the land management offices indicates that there was someone in recently asking curious questions about obtaining land to use, and whom should be asked regarding Tarxian and Skorba- you can meet up with either of these groups as you see fit. They did not reveal the questions about Hagar Qim, though obviously your character at this point doesn't know what was not revealed.

7

Maffeo and his party will make hasty arrangements for room at an inn/tavern (common room), then he and a grog, Pepe, will walk slowly towards the closest area, Skorba. He leaves his cousin Rafael and his servant behind with Oderisi as they dont speak Arabic as he can.

8

your companion and grogs are not inherently part of Maffeo's "party". Since you can only play one at a time and anyone can play the grogs they need to be treated as independent characters, not a 'party'. It's just you and the tavern wench here...

9

Of course they arent "mine" in that sense. It was the fastest way to bring them in though, instead of bringing them individually (<-lazy)

10

They should be brought in individually, as they do not all come from the same background.

11

-[tab][/tab] Changed story as discussed. So far, he arrives alone in Malta and the companion and grogs will be added later (maybe)

12

Okay, Maffeo is currently in the Mggar thread where I believe he has been addressed...

13

Current Maffeo

This is where I add the xp given.

Characteristics: Int +3, Per 0, Str -1, Sta 0, Pre 0, Com +3, Dex 0, Qk -1
Age: 26 (26)
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: 0
Confidence: 1 (3)

Abilities:

Ability[tab][/tab] Rank[tab][/tab] Specialization[tab][/tab]

Area Lore: Harco 1 [tab][/tab] (Countryside)
Are Lore: Malta 0(2)
Awareness 1 [tab][/tab] (Searching)
Brawl 1 [tab][/tab] (Dodging)
Charm 5* (2) [tab][/tab] (Putting people at ease)
Concentration 1 [tab][/tab] (Reading)
Etiquette 1 [tab][/tab] (Guilds)
Folk Ken 1 [tab][/tab] (Magi)
Guile 1 [tab][/tab] (Lying to authority)
Intrigue 1 [tab][/tab] (Covenants)
Language: Arabic 2(10) [tab][/tab] (Trading)
Language: Italian 5 [tab][/tab] (Piedmontese)
Profession: Scribe 5 [tab][/tab] (Clear writing)
Profession: Illuminator 2 [tab][/tab] (Gold leaf)
Artes Liberales 2 [tab][/tab] (Grammar)
Dead Languages: Latin 4 [tab][/tab] (Hermetic usage)
Philosophiae 1 [tab][/tab] (Natural)
Code of Hermes 1 [tab][/tab] (Mercere)
Finesse 1 [tab][/tab] (Writing)
Magic Theory 4 [tab][/tab] (Inventing spells)
Parma Magica 1 [tab][/tab] (Mentem)

(*Affinity)

Hermetic Arts

Art[tab][/tab] Level[tab][/tab] XP
Creo [tab][/tab]5 [tab][/tab] 15
Intellego [tab][/tab]0 [tab][/tab] 0
Muto [tab][/tab]12*+3 [tab][/tab]52
Perdo [tab][/tab]0 [tab][/tab] 0
Rego [tab][/tab]5 [tab][/tab] 15

Animal [tab][/tab]8 [tab][/tab] 36
Aquam [tab][/tab]0 [tab][/tab] 0
Auram [tab][/tab]0 [tab][/tab] 0
Corpus [tab][/tab]8 [tab][/tab]36
Herbam [tab][/tab]0 [tab][/tab]0
Ignem [tab][/tab]0 [tab][/tab]0
Imagem [tab][/tab]0 [tab][/tab]0
Mentem [tab][/tab]0 [tab][/tab]0
Terram [tab][/tab]1 [tab][/tab]1
Vim [tab][/tab]5 [tab][/tab]15

-[tab][/tab] 5 points Languages:Arabic (Skorba II return of Mggar)
-[tab][/tab] 5 points Languages: Arabic (Hagar qim horrible?)
-[tab][/tab] 2 points Charm (Hagar qim horrible?)
-[tab][/tab] 2 points Area Lore: Malta (1rst summer exposure)