I wouldn't mind really not having sight, i.e. Second Sight or Comprehend Magic not using this sense, but the other four. What I wasn't able to convince others was that the results would be equivalent in game mechanics, e.g. finding a regio and finding a way into it.
As there was already another mention of the lineage of pralix though, I'll just drop the idea irrespective of finding an agreement here.
Magi can be either local or foreigners- most magi would probably be foreigners who have entered Novgorod for vis or research, but natives can exist, but unlike Hibernia there is no real conflict, in part because there is simply too many natural resources to be worth a conflict.
The tribunal extends North as far as you wish in theory, in practice lets keep covenants within 600 miles of the Rhine border- there is no reason anyone would have established a covenant further away than that in 1202.
In terms of age for magi are we limiting it to Gauntlet + up to 7 years still or is the allowed post-gauntlet time later due to Novgorod opening in 1202?
build points will be 2000 for covenants, unless the covenant is too young under the build rules from Covenants. Points in specialists are limited to 150, and books are limited to 250 points.
Speaking of which, I have started fiddling with a draft for Balder of Bonisagus, but I am not sure if I should make him native or immigrant. That depends a little on the other magi there ...
use the stats for the covenant. If you want to allocate build points to labs you can customize that as well, though obviously that will require post gauntlet seasons.
I don't know that it is assumed or not assumed in covenants, but I do assume that covenants in Vovgorod are generally (not universally) young, and customization tends to be very personal even where they are not. It is also worth noting that many improvements do not actually require the magus time- just their presence (aside from ones that are aspects of construction) with the exception being refinement which would require time from the inheriting magus to utilize anyways. The other possible exception are laboratory enchantments, but those realistically should be simply bought as enchanted devices for the covenant and assigned to labs- in Novgorod those could have been found as easily as made. All the seasonal requirements effects for the most part is when you are able to utilize the customization.
What I mean is this- lets say you have a lab with BP allocated to 7 points of virtues. You decide to have a major virtue installed right after gauntlet, that takes 2 seasons so you won't be able to make use of that virtue until the 3rd season after gauntlet- it doesn't take any of your time, but it does take time. Then you add a minor virtue, that takes a season, again not any of your time, but time you have to wait for others to finish the work. etc.