Maia the Guide...of Mercere?

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: Bad Apples
2

Preliminary:

Maia... of Mercere,
Born 1193
Female, 5'9", 180 pounds
Age 22
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: 0 (0)
Confidence Score: 1 (3)
Voting sigil: a tiny knife with a hilt made of goat horn
Religion: Mildly Christian, but with her heritage...
Personality Traits: +6 Rebellious, Blunt +2, Afraid of Heights -3, Loyal +2
Reputation 2 "She-goat: Obstinate and wild" (Redcaps)
Theban Tribunal Resident.

Virtues:
Way of the Mountains (Major, General),
Lone Redcap HoH:TL p.106 (Minor, Status),
Well-Traveled (free from Lone Redcap)
Strong Faerie Blood: Ettin (Major, Supernatural),
Second Sight (free from Strong Faerie Blood)
Figurine Magic HoH:TL p.25 (Minor, Supernatural, Faerie),
Independent Study HoH:MC p. 86 (Minor, General),
Animal Ken (Minor, Supernatural, Magic)

Flaws:
Rebellious TSE: p. 120 (Major, Personality),
Dependent/s (Major, Story) (Mircea, her father),
Lesser Malediction: Prohibition "As a guide you may not desert or betray your charges willingly or you will be inflicted with No Sense of Direction for a Year" (Or so) (Minor, Supernatural),
Nocturnal (Minor, Personality)
[strike]Lesser Charm (Figurine magic),[/strike] [strike]Craving for Travel (Minor, General) Grogs p.78[/strike]
Poor Student (Minor, General)
Lesser Malediction: Incomprehensible (Minor, Supernatural) (your mother did not wish you to pass your Figurine Magic knowledge to others, but of course, this affects all Teaching or books she might write) Faerie origin, Maia'd like to be rid of this curse.

Str 0 Dex 2 Sta 2 Quik 1 Int 0 Per 1 Pre 0 Com 1
XP
Childhood (Age 0-5) Exploring childhood
Area Lore: Thessaly (mountains) 2
Athletics (climbing) 1
Awareness (Search) 1
Stealth (Hide) 1
Survival (Mountains) 2
Native Language 5 - Aromanian (Latin dialects)

Youth (Age 6-8) 45 xp
Awareness 2(10)
Athletics 2(10)
Brawl (Dodge) 2(15)
Stealth 2 (10)

Apprenticeship (Age 9-22) 300 xp
Animal Ken (Request favors) 2 (1 free) (10)
Animal Handling (goats/sheep) 1(5)
Artes Liberales (Alphabets) 2(15)
Area Lore Theban Tribunal (geography) 2 (15)
Area Lore Transylvanian Tribunal (politics) 2 (15)
Athletics (climbing) 3 (15)
Awareness (Search) 3 (15)
Bargain (Redcap services) 2 (15)
Bow (short bow) 3 (30)
Craft whatever's appropriate for the Figurines (Figurines) 2(15)
Chirurgy (binding wounds) 1 (5)
Code of Hermes Lore (Theban Tribunal) 2(15)
Dead Language: Classic Greek (Hermetic) 4 (50 xp)
Faerie Lore (Gods) 1(5)
Folk Ken (magi) 2 (15)
Magic Lore (Creatures) 1(5)
Magic Theory (Teaching) 1 (5)
O o O Hermes Lore (History) 2 (15)
Ride (Mountains) 1 (5)
Single Weapon 2 (short sword) (15)
Second Sight (regiones) 2 (1 free) (10)
Swim (Diving) 1(5)

Well-Traveled 50 xp
Romaic Greek (mountain dialects) 4 (50)

Skills- final:
Animal Ken (Request favors) 2 (15)
Animal Handling (goats/sheep) 1(5)
Artes Liberales (Alphabets) 2(15)
Area Lore Theban Tribunal (geography) 2 (15)
Area Lore: Thessaly (mountains) 2
Area Lore Transylvanian Tribunal (politics) 2 (15)
Athletics (climbing) 3 (15)
Awareness (Search) 3 (15)
Bargain (Redcap services) 2 (15)
Bow (short bow) 3 (30)
Brawl (Dodge) 2(15)
Craft: Sculptor (Figurines) 2(15)
Chirurgy (binding wounds) 1 (5)
Code of Hermes Lore (Theban Tribunal) 2(15)
Dead Language: Classic Greek (Hermetic) 4 (50 xp)
Faerie Lore (Gods) 1(5)
Folk Ken (magi) 2 (15)
Living Language: Romaic Greek (mountain dialects) 4 (50)
Living Language: Aromanian (Latin dialects) 5 - Native
Magic Lore (Creatures) 1(5)
Magic Theory (Teaching) 1 (5)
O o O Hermes Lore (History) 2 (15)
Ride (Difficult Terrain) 1 (5)
Single Weapon 2 (short sword) (15)
Second Sight (illusions) 2 (15)
Stealth 2 (Hide) (15)
Survival (Mountains) 2 (15)
Swim (Diving) 1(5)

Equipment- short sword, short bow + arrows, satchels, pockets, sturdy boots, carving tools, blocks of wood, straw bale, Redcap, partial heavy leather armor, buckler, all of as high a Quality as she may afford

[strike]Sympathy Mountain, Stone, negative (sunlight)[/strike]

[strike]She will have [strike]8[/strike] 2 years post Gauntlet before the Saga begins; it's 15 xp/year but she has Independent Study, how does that add to this total? Further, she will practice her Craft: X so that she can reasonably craft wooden figures for her Figurine Magic (she will do so in mountains, targeting herself, a mountain denizen, to claim both the +3 and the botch reduction from Ways of the Mountain) and give herself Affinities, for example, to quickly raise [strike]her positive Faerie Sympathies,[/strike] Animal Ken, Second Sight, whatever.[/strike]

3

Preliminary:

Maia was born on the Pindos Mountains, near a tiny village in Zagoria. As a child she was very outgoing, an inveterate climber, and given to wander ever farther from her tiny home as the years passed. Her father was a sheepherder, her mother...was a strange person who came and went in the night and mainly slept during the day. Quite the rumor for the gossip mill, only so very few people lived nearby. Every two years a person with a curious Red cap paid a visit; they spoke to his father often, about minor things...and about Maia. Coins changed hands at some point, while Mother was away. The buyer, a kindly-faced older fellow, dragged the kicking and screaming child with difficulty; he was in a terrible hurry to leave. "Before she comes back!" As night fell there was a terrible noise, a wordless cry from high up in the mountains, chilling them both to the bone. Maia escaped her captor that night, she could see fantastically well in the dark, and was used to staying up very late. But she did not return home, there were new hills, new mountains, new valleys to explore. So Tyros the Redcap found her the next day, curled asleep beneath a fantastical rock formation. And she escaped him again in the night. He bound her, and she screamed and dashed herself against sharp rocks to escape. Nothing worked, neither violence nor threats of lurid punishments, until in his frustration he asked her to please cooperate and he would take off her bonds and explain; he started talking to her as one would to an adult, and she calmed down, and started asking questions herself. Tyros said he was of House Mer-cu-ry, and that she was too! A distant offshoot of the family, to be sure, but it was one of his many duties to find special children to train in the family business. "You may not be Gifted, of course, but I have to bring you to the Mercer House to be certain. You clearly have some interesting talents that we could hone." Thus began Maia's education in the Hermetic world. She has just finished her Apprenticeship, and given her lack of desire to be associated with a Mercer House, and her knowledge of the mountainous terrain, she has been exiled, ahem "assigned" to service over this difficult area.

Maia is a blocky raven-haired woman with unusually wide shoulders and long arms, and green eyes that glow golden when the light hits them in a certain way. She is attractive, but is not particularly graceful socially, and often seems overtly serious. She keeps her unruly mop of hair in tight tresses that lose the battle as the day progresses; it seems wild and uncontrollable.
Maia is Rebellious: she simply doesn't countenance someone forcing their authority upon others, she prefers consensus, votes, and to listen to people who clearly know what they are doing. Tyrants are to be opposed, even if indirectly or in some small ways. Incompetent people in positions of authority are anathema to her. She is at ease in her beloved mountains, and is quite given to climb random nearby rock formations and spend the day crafting her figurines. Way of the Mountains. Her mother gave her this fascination with crafting, and it seems she can create some minor magical effects with them, if they are well-made. (Figurine Magic); however, her mother appears to have cursed her, and thus Maia cannot teach others the things she has learned very well: she becomes tongue-tied, her speech becomes repetitive, she loses her train of thought (Lesser Malediction- Incomprehensible, Faerie-based; this flaw greatly distresses her, and she'd lie to be rid of it, but is afraid her other powers might desert her. Her mother was a trollwife, a pretty maiden of the drakoi who seduced Maia's father, and Maia has inherited some of her fey nature. (Strong Faerie Blood) Maia has a talent to communicate with animals that seems not to spring from her Faerie nature (Animal Ken). Maia has managed to reconnect with her father, Mircea (her mother is nowhere to be seen), he's a poor, cantankerous and aging sheeperder/farmer, who has a small homestead in the mountainous outskirts of Ioaninna (Dependent). She never made many friends in Redcap training, and in fact quarreled with another Apprentice who turned out to be the daughter of a Redcap in charge of a Mercer House. So she has to make her way without that useful support. Lone Redcap Which is fine with her, as she loves to travel, and has nocturnal habits that don't often mesh with the highly bureaucratic nature of the House in the Theban Tribunal. Nocturnal. Her rebelliousness and restlessness make her a Poor Student, she does quite well by herself. Independent Study. Despite her obstinate nature, Maia is very mindful of her responsibilities, those that she agrees to bear; it is part of her Faerie nature, and as such, if she enters a bargain to serve as a guide to someone, she is bound to never willingly desert nor betray her charges, or she'll become lost herself. Lesser malediction

4

[reserved]

5

[tab][/tab] I see a lot of interesting stuff in this character. With your permission I am gonna make a lot of changes (and have tons of fun doing it too!).

-[tab][/tab] Yes to the Redcap theme, especially with Lone Redcap and Rebellious. Do not forget your negative 2 reputation. I especially like that she deals with Transylvanian Tribunal (which Book I dont have so I'll have to improvise).

-[tab][/tab] I wont be using much of TRoP: F . Sympathies and most stuff in there are out (that lesser charm is from there right?). The Ettin thingy though... I am gonna make it more Greek. Change the Virtue to Strong Blood (Drakos, Δράκος), keeping the +1 to Sta intact. Δράκοι are described in TSE 128, your particular brand is a mountain tribe. I also like the nocturnal theme.

-[tab][/tab] I like where you are going with Figurine magic. Here is my take: a) Figurine magic is not Hermetically integrated in this campaign. It is not even researched yet. This does not affect your character (except making her a bit more unique). Your brand of Figurine magic comes from Drakoi, they use wood or straw (substitute wax) to make charms, usually to protect prized goats from disease (Lesser immunity is very popular). If you can please take both craft: straw and craft: wood.

-[tab][/tab] A mountain guide with Way of the Mountains and a commitment to never led your charges astray. Nice.

-[tab][/tab] I am fine with up to apprentice. 8 years post apprenticeship is a bit too much for me. Could you do max two years?

-[tab][/tab] I kinda envision this character just popping up and announcing she will be now staying in this covenant >_< . She could join (and be taken care of) or she could 'impose' regularly. Your choice.

-[tab][/tab] The Vlach dialect is Aromanian.

Tell me what you think?

6

Hi! She'll have a bad Reputation 2 "She-goat: Obstinate and wild" amongst Redcaps. The Transylvanian stuff made sense, since she is Vlach, and these peoples are also in that Tribunal. Doesn't have to be anything more than background stuff.

.

The drakoi thing, sure. However, they and their offspring are incredibly stupid, and I did not envision her as dim-witted. Is that ok?
Disappointed about the other RoP:F stuff, it really reinforced her superior ability when in Mountains, now I have to find another minor Flaw. I will note that TSE mentions positive and negative Sympathies for the Gods and others 8)
Took Nocturnal mainly because ettin-blooded has a negative sympathy with sunlight but this is no longer an issue, so I might change 1 or 2 flaws.

I made the Lesser Prohibition karmic, but am unsure if the Flaw imposition is
a)too harsh
b)not harsh enough
c)appropriate but one year is too long
d)appropriate but one year is too short

I was going to ask you about this. Figurine Magic is not integrated, sure, that's a project in the Bonisagus section. But taking two different Crafts (one of them Craft Straw figurine?) to create the figurines seems beyond excessive. The book mentions a Craft: Sculptor, which I am not sure exists, but could we use just that one for simplicity's sake? I understand you have AM pet peeves, well, this is one of mine: the myriad of little crafts/professions/languages that one needs and become xp and time sinks and in general seem rather unnecessary in the final analysis.

Sure, I just wanted to shore up her abilities a bit; even though she is technically a Magus, she is actually a Companion character, and I wanted to take advantage of her Strong Faerie blood to advance her a few years, without going all the way and making her 40 or so. If you say 2 years only, I am fine with that.
Which brings up another subject, you say you are fine with a Redcap, but they are technically Magi, and thus due vis, a sanctum, and all other things such as being part of the Council, etc. Are the other players ok with this?
Another thing: how much is she paid for those seasons of work by the Mercere machine? Although she is excluded from the free Redcap stuff (free magic items, improving over time, a LR), I thought that Redcaps got paid in vis (1 per season of service), although she might have difficulty collecting this payment regularly (there might be no Mercere house in the hinterlands, which is why she is assigned this difficult route in the mountains, no one else wants it, no one else would be as capable either). Do I have that correctly?
More questions: Maia does not have to only deliver messages two seasons a year, there's also other services she could provide that would qualify, correct? Which are those? Also, she certainly could goof off a year or two, though she would run the risk of someone noticing, complaining, and then she might be censured in some way and in the worst case scenario, be kicked out of the House.

She is interested in joining a Covenant, being supported by it, having a sanctum and a relatively safe base from which to operate, as she has the long-term goal of becoming a Redcap, not merely a Lone Redcap. She is certainly testing the waters with the other "nearby " Covenants to see where she can get a good deal. Because she is so Rebellious though, she is looking for a truly democratic Covenant.

7

-[tab][/tab]Reputation done. Transylvanian Tribunal done too.
-[tab][/tab] Yes drakoi are dim witted, your character doesn't have to. Remember she is part human. Drakoi also have a problem with sunlight and are mainly nocturnal. As for RoP:F, I cant fully integrate it will the Eastern concept of what Fae are, so I tend to ignore it.
-[tab][/tab] I find the Lesser malediction fine as is.
-[tab][/tab] Sure, go for one Craft:Sculptor, as suggested by HoH:TL.
-[tab][/tab] I have no problem with Redcap companions. I you want to ask other players, ask them in OOC? Especially concerning the right she might have under the Charter. And yes this part of the Tribunal was 'undesirable' and had just one covenant, Erebus. Its still a big part of the Mercere route because of via Egnatia and the proximity of Transylvanian Tribunal Covenants up north.

-[tab][/tab] On the Mercere stuff. First of all Mercere house is not as organized as post offices are today. In this Tribunal they don't gather their mail in one location, they messengers are still independent and move from Covenant to Covenant. Messages for other Tribunals are taken to Harko, except those for Transylvania and Levant. Messengers are payed the traditional three ''shillings'' per Covenant, visiting 8 Covenants in 2 seasons they make around 1 pound of silver per year, enough to live by. Other 'payments' (vis, items, gifts etc) are strictly up to the individual covenant. Please read details in HoH:TL pg 83-84. Messengers are responsible for the Tribunal invitations, then act as couriers for letters and correspondence (Thebans love correspondence). They also have some additional duties in this Tribunal, see below.
[tab][/tab] Some Redcaps act as bankers and Merchants. Usury is a sin but they do whats necessary. Because this Tribunal has an abundance of vis and uses a different type of Coin, rates tend to be lower. However they do sometimes act as intermediaries for selling items. ALL Theban Redcaps keep detail transactions on Tokens/Shards. These are regularly gathered and updated at the Mercere house Alexandria. More information HoH:TL pg 85-88
[tab][/tab] Custodes, guardians and mercenaries, guides and spies. HoH:TL pg 89-91
[tab][/tab] In the Theban Tribunal, half the Redcaps are employed by the proto-goverment of the Tribunal, acting as official aides to the Archoi and sometimes replacing them. As such, they have become semi-institutional servants versed in politics, law, and the various dealings of governance (something more than clerks, less than actual policy makers).

8

[tab][/tab] Alright, so Maya will not be joining the Covenant yet and she will be a lone Redcap doing the local routes. Also since people don't seem to have that much of an issue with advancement, take the 8 years (reserving veto power for some things though).

9

Maia will take 6 seasons of advancement, so that she is 28 at saga start, like Sir Georgios.

She will advance as a Magus? Even Lone Redcaps are Magi; they simply do not maintain ties to a Mercer House and thus do not get automatic magic items and an assured LR.
Advance season by season, no access to books/teachers/trainers?
Can she claim those 2 Message/Guide delivery seasons per year as Practice in Area Lore or Language, per Core p.164:
•First, practicing a language in a community where it is the native tongue merits a Source Quality of eight, until your score in the language reaches 5. At this point,the Source Quality drops to four
•Second, practicing Area Lore by traveling around or living in the area merits a Source Quality of five to seven, depending on how thoroughly the character can explore the area. A character living in a city while working in a trade could claim one of his nominal free seasons as a Source Quality five practice in Area Lore for the city, while a character with a genuinely free season in the city, or working as a messenger, could claim a Source Quality of seven.

10

Sure. Just leave winter 1214-1215 out.
Advancement season by season is post character creation. Instead you take 30 xp for a year, just like magi. I guess 6 seasons should be 45xp. This is higher than companions who get 15 and maybe not truly reflective of Love Redcap, but I ma fine with it.

Hmmm, no. If you read carefully it states ''full time activity'' and ''free season''.

11

Hehe, meant 6 years, shouldn't write while nearly asleep.

(ST EDIT) 6 years thats 180 xp

Ok, thanks! It does say that, but it also mentions working as a messenger! I am fine with your ruling.

(ST EDIT) You are correct. The wording is clear about free seasons, but specifically for a messenger its not. I am iffy on this (working season for a messenger giving 7 area lore xp). I'll ask the guys what they think. In any case, what ever we rule on this, it in no way affects your characters 6 years of xp, so go ahead and spend them

12

Oh ... I did not realise that you wanted to use season by season advancement when you asked about redcap character generation. I assumed char gen was by RAW when I replied ... :slight_smile:

13

Em no. I generated by RAW, as per magi 30 xp per year. My question was for future reference, cause its bound to come out. In retrospect this character will potentially be too powerful for a companion, with 6 more years of xp. Magi get 30 xp per year, cause they got to spend them on arts too. Having a companion with 30 xp per year might cause some over inflated abilities. I hope it wont be abused, lets see final version. If at some point player feel its too much, tell me and we'll limit stuff.

14

Exactly. Magi (in game mechanics terms) are supposed to be extra powerful. I would have answered differently, if I had realised that you even considered using magus rules on the redcap companion. Don't worry about it though. It is 90xp in excess of what she would have under companion rules. The difference may not be noticeably in play.

15

Think it's easiest if I start Maia just right out of Gauntlet, and have her advance during play strictly as a Companion. I'll try to finish up by tomorrow night.
(This does reduce the strength of Strong Faerie Blood, as part of its appeal is putting 10-15 years under the belt to increase skills pre-Saga start, but on the other hand, won't need an LR for a while!)

(ST EDIT) Awesome

16

Don't have that book, sorry :S Pick another flaw.
Also more info on those Ibexes. Why are they Dependents? As you wrote them they sound more like Animal companions than Dependents. Needs something more. Also where do they live?
Riding: Horses, too broad. Either choose a terrain, an action (ie galloping), or a specific type of horse.
Check announcements for any mistakes please

17

Will do. Running out of potential Flaws that do not involve disfigurements! :laughing:

Just to put something different. It might be considered a bunch of Animal Companions, but they do not travel with her, instead they roam the nearby mountains, and they get into trouble. She has to aid them in different ways, rescuing them and what not, whether from hunters, or other predators, so that in essence, they are Dependents. If you feel it's too broad, or that it's not what you are expecting I have other Story Flaws in mind to choose, no biggie.

(ST EDIT) I don't mind that they are animals. I feel the fact that they are a herd and that they do not follow you around nor help you, justifies the cost. However I needs more info if I am going to use this story flaw! >_<

Will do, thought "horse" was a specialty, but you are right, it is too broad.

(ST EDIT) In mythic Europe you ride either a horse, a donkey or a mule.... so yeah very broad imho :S

18

IonianD, I have more or less finished Maia: I changed her Dependent Flaw to her aging father, with whom she has reconnected ever since she returned to thus part of the Theban Tribunal. He's a peasant sheepherder/farmer who is losing a step or two to old age, and he is both lonely and cantankerous. His name is Mircea (he's Vlach as well). He refuses to leave his homestead, probably still Depressed or has Lost Love.

For her other minor Flaw, I chose Lesser Malediction: Incomprehensible Flaw. This is tied to her Faerie nature, probably inflicted by her mother so that she could not teach her Supernatural knowledges easily (of course, this affects all those she teaches, and all books she might write). She wishes to end this curse, but fears that it might also destroy her supernatural abilities.

Also, her Stealth specialty is (Hide), Ride specialty is (Difficult Terrain), and changed her Second Sight specialty to (Illusions). Think that's about it.

*in her writeup in the Companions thread, her Com is at 0, when it's +1

(ST EDIT) Made the changes, please recheck. Hide specialty is a little too broad, but I assume its stationary hiding, not tailing or skulking, so I am ok.

19

Hi IonianD!

On Maia's Companion sheet, just noticed she is missing the Lesser Malediction: Prohibition Flaw "As a guide you may not desert or betray your charges willingly or you will be inflicted with No Sense of Direction for a Year"

(ST EDIT) Added. Thank you!

20

Hi IonianD!

BTW, I had read Figurine Magic wrong. The character needs to use Craft Sculptor to build the figurine, and then Figurine Magic to instill the magic. So the character sheet need to be updated with a Figurine Magic skill at 1 (granted by the Virtue) with a specialty of "Granting Affinities. It's pretty low, right now, as I had not assigned any points to it due to my error, so she'll concentrate on raising it soon. Anyway, her Ways of the Mountain helps mitigate this.

21

Changes made, please check to see if correct.
Two things: Didn't Maya make a figurine in Autumn? Any rolls one that? what are its effects? (I should add it on her equipment or something...)
Whats the (o_o) next to Order of Hermes Lore in your sheet? :slight_smile: