My Maga is going up north (she speaks norse) to research rune magic and I am thinking what should I bring with me, I know gold and vis is helpful, multiple forms of clothing, a cloak which keeps me safe from the elements, I was also thinking since I will be nomadic for most of my time I should make an item which creates a housing thing that is concentration based so it could be set up for as long as I want, and in a manner in ring circle wards work, as well as making a few of those. as well as this I was thinking a lock box to store my research notes and enough note books to document my journey over the decade I am planning. what else do you all think
What you really need is a portable laboratory. Depending on your magical preferences, you might shrink a lab down small enough to fit in a chest, make it a vehicle you can bring with you (a longboat or wagon perhaps?), or simply magically transport the lab wherever you need it to go with an effect like the Ambulatory Laboratory (see COVENANTS).
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Some recommendations to Norse nobility will help a lot, so that your maga and her crew will not be all friendless and alone up there.
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I am already planning bringing a cart, how essential is it that I bring a lab? Or maybe I can get a cabin and put my lab there along with a shield grog while I travel or something like that? I am mostly planning on doing research and bringing examples home to stonehenge to work on there and not doing the work in the north itself, so I am a little skeptical that a lab is nessecary
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You only need a lab if you intend to invent a spell, enchant an item, farm vim vis, bind or enhance your familiar, or any other sort of lab project. You said you’d be gone for 10 years. That’s a long time to go without doing any of those things.
But if you have books to read and vis to study, and if you’re content never learning a new spell, then you’re right. You don’t need a lab.
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honestly I might have to do a wagon train and not a single wagon, what I need is expanding by the moment.
There are several points to take in consideration, especially if you plan to stay longer period (more than a season):
- Language and area Lore: you will have to interact with local, whether you like it or not. The bigger the group, the less likely you can go unnoticed, so some social skills, understanding of the local usage are highly recommended. Linguist, Apt Student would definitely allow to speed learning curve;
- Supplies: for longer stay, you will have to think on how to support you and the group. Hunting/Fishing/Foraging skills, or knowledge of rituals to create food. Money could do it, but foreign coins might attract unwanted attention and depending on the location and the food situation (shortage or abundance), the locals might not be willing to sell food. You will also have to interact with locals, so see above regarding Area Lore and Language skills
- Laboratory: if you plan to conduct some hermetic research, you will need a portable lab, a virtual lab (like the crown of Hermes) depending on what your resources and your skills allow you to have. For several seasons of research, you might even need extra supplies to replenish what you consume in your lab. Various options from the cheapest to the most extravagant: cheap, basic lab (-3 to Q); wagon with enough chest for an average lab (takes two seasons to set up); enchanted chest with shrinking effect (use of dynamic version for container as per DE clarification) and moving item (Rego effect bringing in and out item put in the chest) - a high Finesse roll might avoid one or two season of set up; knowledge of "The Ambulatory Laboratory or an item to cast it; enough vis and skill to cast the Laboratory of Bonisagus
- Extreme conditions: high survival skills (for mundane solution) or magical spells or item (some form of ward, either circle/ring or structure/moon or group/sun, protecting laboratory and person). The more you are not familiar with the harsh Winter conditions, the more likely magical solutions are needed. You will need to be able to protect also your entourage from the cold bite. ReAu of high magnitude to protect against blizzard (it is based 20 against severe weather phenomenon), CrIg to provide enough heat.
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Carts require roads, which would severely limit her nomadity. She would be better off with a ship, even if that would preclude some inland destinations whose seclusion would arguably make them more likely to preserve ancient traditions. Seclusion would preclude carriage ways as well. Possibly, the Faroe islands, Shetlands, Iceland, and Greenland may provide the secluded and secretive practictioners she is looking for within ship's reach. Not sure. To make it work, you have to allow for a lot more rune use than there was in the historical 13th century anyway, so I reckon you can adapt reality to the story as you please.
A ship will also make it easier to bring a lab, and I agree with all the others. If she is researching Norse magic, she will not want to wait a decade before she can test out an idea in the lab.
Provisions will be difficult however way she puts it. Ships take crew, and without a ship, she will need teamsters to carry all that equipment. That means a lot of people, and thus a lot of provisions. In the big ports, they can probably buy what they need, but in a remote village, there will not be enough provisions to buy, which means more people to carry even more provisions, even combined with hunters or fishermen.
In the early 13th Century, there is civil war in both Sweden and Norway, A maga with such an entourage, may attract quite some attention. Obviously, that's just plot potential, and nothing to worry about.
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that makes sense, so if I travel to the rhine, I could maybe purchase a boat, travel north and use it as a mobile base of opperations? how much would like a large boat with enough space for a lab that would be able to do fjord travel cost anyway?
A lot less than the crew and the other expenses over a decade ....
Covenants has £8 for a ship, which sounds reasonable enough. You may want to multiply by 1½ or 2 to get a castle to her taste for the lab.
ok so doing some back of the napkin math, I would need a conservative estimate of 16 pounds for the ship, which can have built ahead of me so I don't have to wait, should either get a cog or a buss, leaning towards a buss, would allow us better reach but we would have to resupply more often. so doing the math for that one, I would need to hire a crew which theoretically I could later hire them as permanent grogs a captain for 50 pounds for the journey, assuming that sailors are skilled labours there would be 8 men, so 160 pounds for the journey, oh my you were right the wages dwarf the cost of the boat. I want to add 2 shield grogs so lets say an additional 4 pounds a year or 40 pounds.
I would also need 10 pounds to resupply my lab for the journey. Lets add 20 for incidentals, and another 10 for my own food an such.
ok so that is a total of 306 pounds, and lets round up and say 350 mythic pounds to pay for everyone and to supply and I should bring another 50 for bribes, damages, repairs to replace things etc. so that would be 40 pounds of gold
if the touch of midas was used this would cost 2 pawns for 2x my costs the rest could be put towards covenant operations
I would have to spend in a few distinct locations across europe but with some finagling I could do it
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I'd suggest learn the basics. At times you will need to leave the base of operations. Find a native teacher. Have the teacher teach you. 15 XP from a one to one teacher is simple to achieve. level 2 in Area Lore, Level 3 in the native language, level 2 in survival. That is one year. You could also throw in level 2 ride and swim. for another 6 months.
You may decide to 7 league stride everywhere, use magic to warm oneself, etc, but it is good to have a mundane contigency plan in case something goes wrong. Also, if you want to be taught by the natives, having native skills will make them more inclined to train you.
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I do already speak the language, quite fluently it is her native tongue
I clearly was not paying attention to the first post. 
A few season learning key skills would help. Get the area lore, if you don't already have it, so then you know if there are any cultural things you should learn. For example if they think "What kind of person can't catch their own meal?" learn hunt.
That makes sense thank you
Grogs, and one or two companions, hopefully sensible ones.
Some manner of quick-travel (a fast ship, a good horse, a magical device) and a messenger to flee south and contact allies for supplies, Vis, advice, or assistance. Your character doesn't want to have go "Oh darn, this whole problem could be solved if I had half a gram of powdered giraffe hoof, which I know my covenant mate has in their basement. Guess I'll spend a few seasons packing everything up (for safekeeping, you never know what'll happen if you're not around), sailing south, gathering that, coming back, and reassembling." Having a swift, well-trained (or well-paid) grog (perhaps one who can turn into a bird) would be critical for solving little problems like that.
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If you have the vis, a custom version of CtMT is very helpful for a long term base. I have a whole bunch of enchanted items useful to expeditions in my collection thread. What you really need is shelter, supply, and transport. All of those are possible to do with mundane or magical means. Magic requires more planning and preparation, but far easier to transport.
CtMT? sorry I a unfamiliar with that spell
- CtMT = Conjuring the Mystic Tower
- "collection thread" most likely, very useful
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