In the current saga I’m in, all players have three PC magi of different seniority within the same covenant. Beyond the opportunity to try more than one house in the same saga, it also give me personally the opportunity to play a character, Laurel Ex Merinata, that is fun to play but grossly underpowered because I enjoy to roleplay her as a bizarre eccentric who isn’t obsessed with being the most powerful mage in the world. I consider myself a stickler for roleplay over powerplay, but even I would probably not being playing this character if I didn’t also have my psychotic Flambeau Elementalist Order of Mithras member in the same saga!
Anyway, Laurel has recently acquired a magical cow that she would like to bind as her familiar. Can anyone direct me to stats for cows in Mythic Europe, please? If there aren’t any, what are sensible stats for a cow? In particular, what technique would you suggest is most appropriate for a cow? Creo because of the calves and milk?
Also, not that it matters, but can anyone think of anything useful that a cow might be able to provide a magus? Beyond this, any ideas what fun things could happen in the saga because of Laurel binding Daisy? In fact, any cow related ideas would be great!
I have visions of Laurel creating spells that’ll allow Daisy to act as a flying mount, a moo of death spell, and magical cheddar…
On another note, the covenant doesn’t have a magical bull. What might be appropriate mechanics for the possibility of Flossie have magical calves with a non-magical bull?
With a big enough Mu(Cr)An(Aq, Me), she might be able to give the milk of human kindness.
As for offspring, since that's a plot device, it's completely up to the SG/Troupe. No rules.
(If a familiar lives as long as its master, it doesn't need its own longevity formula, right? But does it, then, become equally sterile when the master begins the same? Is the bond that strong? Makes some sense, but it's probably one of those Saga specific things...)
If it were a normal cow, I would say high stamina and strength, low every other stat, and Creo would probably be the best choice technique. But this is a magical cow. Maybe it has a high communication and an intelligence of 7. Or maybe it's dung is particularily potent, killing all plant life in a 5 ft radius, and then Perdo might work. It's all up to you and your troup.
There is always the obvious of help in the lab, if she can't do it in cow form, give her a spell to turn human. I'm trying to think of cow powers... perhaps an innate sense of when it is going to rain (when cows are laying down, it's going to rain), or she goes beserk whenever some mundane tips her. Maybe she can walk through fences and walls to get to the greener grass on the other side.
There's one story: finding Daisy a mate, and then dealing with the 'hubby.' Daisy might easily wander off and need finding (saving).
Maybe she has an odd chimeric aspect such as a serpentine ability to shed her skin, which thus provides a natural leather for magical armour (perhaps with the S&M "armour" bonus already raised to the surface. Or else it could be used for magical parchment of some sort.
Being magical perhaps she also does not leave hoof prints, despite her size and weight and thus would provide an exceptional useful and stealthy mount.
Referring to the dung suggestion above, perhaps her dung could have super creo properties which aid in crop growth rather than being detrimental to vegetation.
A bit of a stretch but borrowing from the play on words that Cuchul used ("milk of human kindness") you might consider a type of divination ability (the cow that can answer questions) based on the phrase "let me chew on that for a while and Ill get back to you on it".
At the very least its milk should be good for some Mentem Vis (since the Cow "wonders"). But I'm not planning to give it any other abilities (except the "turning up in odd places" thing). After all everyone knows cows can't do magic...
You could try an invisibility effect so that you can "Disappear the cow" like Magical Trevor.
I like the idea of a detached but very intelligent cow that ponders the universe while chewing the cud, kind of like the camels in the Discworld books.
And if you put in a "change to human" effect, i demand that the human form look like Nursey from Blackadder II, "a sad, insane old woman with a udder fixation".
Considering the Lough Caillte is currently heading into the Irish Legend of Dierdre, which led to the Cattle Wars (notably, the Cattle Raid of Cooley), I should start thinking about magical bovines, too... Time to dig out the Ulster Cycle, and start reading...
Unfortunately, all I can think of when someone says magical cows are the hell cows from Diablo II. Moo. MOO! Moo? MOO!!! Those would lend a new meaning to "Cattle Raid", I'd wager. Those things still haunt me, even after not having played the game for a number of years...
Very fun idea 
Daisy might easily wander off and need finding (saving).
Those would lend a new meaning to "Cattle Raid", I'd wager. Those things still haunt me, even after not having played the game for a number of years...