Ok. I can go with this. One last question about emotional teenage stuff, just to be sure: Do you want to go with this?
It is something to think about. If he is so unchanging that he never gains the emotional depth of an adult, that becomes something you're missing out on in a character-driven game. On the other hand, if he does change, he's not the character described.
I can run this, and do it justice on my end--I'm a big Buffy fan, after all; teens are people too. But being a big Buffy fan, I also believe that her inability to change after the end of season 3 (my favorite) got in the way.... and this is another topic. I guess I'm just making sure that we're on the same page, and that you intend to give real depth to his shallowness.
Ah! Ah! Please work this stuff, but especially this, into your next draft. I don't want to lose track of this important insight.
It's a flaw if you say it's one. Certainly the NPCs will think so....
chuckle I have to give some thought to dates. There's always something special, and given the special insights of Hermetic Magic and the even greater insights that an initiate of Celestial Magic has compared to the plodding mundanity of orthodox astrology, you can always make something up.
Yes. Nothing munchkin about it... and even if it were, I'd be fine with it.
It doesn't. I have been teetering on the verge of using different lab rules entirely, but have made my saving throw versus rewriting them. I consider them limiting and unbalanced (what I did for Deborah's lab barely scratches the surface of the design problems with those rules) but I'm holding back. You can take a different cycle if you want, or a different virtue if you prefer. Astrology applies even during the day, after all.
Ok. smile I just want to be sure you're ok with the 30 xp put there.
Or lower the Techniques from 6s to 5s, freeing up 30xp.
considers Unless he is deliberately being out of style, it's hard for him to go wrong here. As an apprentice, he wears what his parens makes available or allows him to access. And once he has access to higher quality clothes, the clothier or tailor or whomever will likely know what's in style. smile Unless his parens insists that they both dress in the height of fashion for, say, 1026, which was an auspicious year whose like has yet to be seen again....
Whatever you like. Tremere could easily be setting the trend here, and even odder accouterments are possible. I spent some time at the Cloisters during my last trip to NYC, and they had the sarcophagus of a 13th century knight whose sword was imported all the way from China.
I only raised the issue because of your accuracy regarding the arming sword, compared to the AM5 book's inaccuracy regarding the longsword.
I'm not sure about your calculation here, but I think you are missing the early childhood xp. I assume that first 120 in your calculation is spells. Otherwise, I am at a total loss. Here is what I think the XP should be: 45 XP Early childhood (+one lang at 5), 135XP (9 years pre-apprentice), 50 (privileged upbringing) 240 apprenticeship = 470 XP +120 spell levels.
XP costs ability total
Norman French 0 0
English 30 30
Athletics 5 35
Awareness 5 40
Brawl 5 45
Etiquette 30 75
England Lore 30 105
County Sussex Lore 15 120
Church Lore 15 135
Intrigue 15 150
Survival 15 165
Swim 15 180
Artes Liberales 10 190
Single Weapon 15 205
Latin 50 255
Code of Hermes 15 270
Concentration 5 275
Order of Hermes Lore 5 280
Magic theory 50 330
Stonehenge Tribunal Lore 5 335
Parma Magica 5 340
Penetration 15 355
Cr 21 376
In 21 397
Mu 21 418
Pe 21 439
Re 21 460
Me 15 475
Spells 120 595
Of course, when I added it up carefully, I was still wrong! I've been going over the numbers all morning, and now I finally see what happened. I goofed in adding the privileged upbringing XP and ended up giving him 55 XP of P.U., I'll fix it by dropping concentration and instead of those meditation exercises, Astris had some extra Latin homework to do. Unless there is some other problem here that I am just totally not seeing.
That's exactly what I got; I just lumped the 75xp for a native language into the total. 470+75=545.
XP costs ability total
Norman French 0 0
English 30 30
Athletics 5 35
Awareness 5 40
Brawl 5 45
Etiquette 30 75
England Lore 30 105
County Sussex Lore 15 120
Church Lore 15 135
Intrigue 15 150
Survival 15 165
Swim 15 180
Artes Liberales 10 190
Single Weapon 15 205
Latin 50 255
Code of Hermes 15 270
Concentration 5 275
Order of Hermes Lore 5 280
Magic theory 50 330
Stonehenge Tribunal Lore 5 335
Parma Magica 5 340
Penetration 15 355
Cr 21 376
In 21 397
Mu 21 418
Pe 21 439
Re 21 460
Me 15 475
Spells 120 595
Of course, when I added it up carefully, I was still wrong! I've been going over the numbers all morning, and now I finally see what happened. I goofed in adding the privileged upbringing XP and ended up giving him 55 XP of P.U., I'll fix it by dropping concentration and instead of those meditation exercises, Astris had some extra Latin homework to do. Unless there is some other problem here that I am just totally not seeing.
[/quote]
No, I could have miscounted too. Just so everything comes out.
As promised, the date that your characters become journeyman magi is: The Grand Tribunal of Summer, 1180.
The minimum of 21 years development would give us a start date of 1201, and going all the way out to 49 years would start things in 1229. Not really start, since the development is also a kind of play, but I think that calibrates well.
(I feel really tempted to set this in the 10th century, but I'll save that for another go.)
Polyoppeties IV of Tytalus: (pah-lee-Ō-pa-tees)
At age 22, the year he was officially proclaimed a magus (by the standards of his House, he passed his Gauntlet seven years ago when he murdered his master) Characteristics: Int +2, Per +0, Com +1, Pre +1, Str +0, Sta +1, Dex +0, Quik +1
(Each Persona applies Improved Characteristics in a different way) Maurice: Int +2, Per +0, Com +2, Pre +1, Str +1, Sta +1, Dex +0, Quik +1 Donatella: Int +2, Per +1, Com +1, Pre +2, Str +0, Sta +1, Dex +0 Quik +1 Anthony: Int +2, Per +0, Com +1, Pre +1, Str +2, Sta +1, Dex +0 Quik +1 Size: 0 Age: 22 Chronology: Apprenticed age 7, Gauntlet age 15, Proclaimed Magus age 22 Current Season: Spring Decrepitude: 0 Warping: 0 (0) Confidence: 1 (3) Virtues: +0 The Gift, +1 Gentle Woman (as Grace Giordano), +1 Arcane Lore, +1 Educated, +1 Improved Characteristics, +1 Persona, +1 Privileged Upbringing, +1 Puissant Guile, +1 Social Contacts – Underworld (as Tony Romo), +1 Social Contacts – Merchant Families of Italy (Donatella), +1 Strong Will Flaws: -3 Major Malediction – Quadrophenia, -3 Major Malediction – Alter Ego, -1 Overconfident, -1 Close Family Ties, -1 Delusion, -1 Outlaw Leader, Hermetic Virtues: +0 Hermetic Magus, +Ty Self Confident, +3 Flawless Magic, +3 Gentle Gift, +1 Deft Imaginem, +1 Hermetic Prestige, +1 Minor Magic Focus in Self Transformation, +1 Secret Name Hermetic Flaws: -3 Short Ranged Magic, -3 Weak Spontaneous Magic, -1 Difficult Spontaneous Magic, -1 Infamous Master, -1 Unimaginative Learner, -1 Weak Parens Personality Traits: Maurice: Ambitious +3, Overconfident +2, Loyal +2, Brave +1 Donatella: Proud +3, Overconfident +2, Discriminating +2, Brave +1 Anthony: Wrathful +3, Overconfident +2, Brave +2, Conniving +1 Unknown: Unknown +3, Overconfident +2, Others Unknown +? Social Status: Maurice: Hermetic Magus (Maurice of Tytalus) Donatella: Hermetic Maga (Donatella of Tytalus), Gentlewoman (Donna Grace Giordano), Anthony: Outlaw Leader (Tony Romo) Hermetic Identities & Reputations:
Most magi outside of his House and covenant think that there are two magi named Polyoppeties, one male and one female, who are magical twins. It is a useful confusion, but isn’t a well kept secret. Anthony believes that his identity is a secret, but his elders in House Tytalus have their eye on him. I the player have no knowledge of the fourth identity or who knows anything about it. Polyoppeties: Hermetic Prestige 4 (House Tytalus only); Infamous Master 3 (outside of House Tytalus only) Maurice: Polyoppeties 3 (Hermetic), aka Donatella 3 (Tytalus), aka Donatella 1 (Hermetic), Donatella: Polyoppeties 2 (Hermetic), aka Maurice 3 (Tytalus), aka Maurice 1 (Hermetic), Anthony: Polyoppeties 1 (Tytalus), Unknown: Unknown Mundane Identities & Reputations: Maurice: none yet Donatella: Donna Grace Giordano (Gentlewoman 3, Charming 2, Haughty 1) Anthony: Tony Romo (Thug Boss 3, Vengeful 1) Unknown: Unknown (Unknown) Combat: The base scores are for Maurice, subtract 1 point from Damage for Donatella and add 1 to Damage for Anthony, due to Strength differences. Fistfight/Dodge: Init +1, Atk +0, Def +1, Dmg +1 Knife: Init +1, Atk +1, Def +1, Dmg +3 Soak: +1 Fatigue: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, ko Wounds: -1 Lt (1-5), -3 Med (6-10), -5 Hvy (11-15), Incap (16-20), Dead (21+) Abilities: Artes Liberales 1 (rhetoric), Athletics 1 (run), Awareness 1 (alert), Bargain 1 (haggle), Brawl 3 (knife), Carouse 2 (gamble), Charm 2 (wit), Concentration 1 (spells), Etiquette 2 (aristocrats), Folk Ken 1 (the opposite sex), Guile 2+2 (identity), Intrigue 1 (alliances), Italian Area Lore 2 (aristocracy), Italian Language 5 (Northern), Latin 4 (Hermetic), Leadership 2 (intimidation), Legerdemain 2 (stealing), Magic Theory 3 (spells), Order of Hermes Lore 1 (Tytalus), Parma Magica 2 (Corpus), Persona 4 (changing calmly), Philosophiae 1 (moral philosophy), Profession-Scribe 1 (composition), Stealth 2 (sneak), Survival 1 (urban) Arts:
Creo 0, Intéllego 0, Muto 4, Perdo 0, Rego 4
Animal 0, Aquam 0, Auram 0, Corpus 4, Herbam 0
Ignem 0, Imaginem 4, Mentem 4, Terram 0, Vim 0 Spells Known: MuCo15 Disguise of the New Visage: CT +?, Mastery 1 (Tethered) ReCo15 Wizard’s Leap: CT +?, Mastery 2 (Fast Cast, Stalwart) MuIm10 Aura of Ennobled Presence: CT +?, Mastery 1 (Harnessed) MuIm10 Aura of Beguiling Appearance: CT +?, Mastery 1 (Harnessed) MuIm15 Disguise of the Transformed Image: CT +?, Mastery 2 (Fast Cast, Harnessed) ReIm10 Wizard’s Sidestep: CT +?, Mastery 1 (Harnessed) MuMe5 Touch of the Recollection of Never Quite Lived Memories that Linger for a Moon: CT +?, Mastery 1 (Disguised) ReMe5 The Touch of Slumber: CT +?, Mastery 1 (Quiet) ReMe5 The Touch of Awakening: CT +?, Mastery 1 (Subtle) Magic Sigil: Purple Symbolic Sigil: A Clockwise Labyrinth Spiral Equipment: personal possessions and etceteras Encumbrance: 0 Notes: Hermetic Prestige and Infamous Master: Hermetic Prestige only applies to members of House Tytalus, and Infamous Master only applies to outsiders who knew his Master and can connect Polyoppeties to the Maurice identity. Quadrophenia: Each persona has a different and distinct Major Personality Flaw that affects only that Persona. Maurice is Ambitious, Donatella is Proud, and Anthony is Wrathful. The hidden fourth Persona also has a Major Personality Flaw, but what this may be is unknown. Alter Ego: The Activities and Memories of one of one Personality are unknown to the others. Delusion: Whatever form is assumed, Polyoppeties is convinced that this is the true self and the others are just disguises (all sorts of inventive delusional excuses are made). Close Family Ties: The Donatella Personality married an old widower and has grown stepchildren. Outlaw Leader: This is the life that the Tony Romo personality leads, and is more of a Minor Story Flaw. Weak Parens: His parens was actually brilliant, just more focused on experimenting on his apprentice than teaching him. Polyoppeties also killed him, cutting his training a few years short. Virtues & Flaws if Considered Altogether as “Packages”: +9/-9 Virtues: +0 The Gift, +0 Hermetic Magus, +Ty Self Confident, +3 Gentle Gift, +1 Educated, +1 Multiple Identities (Donatella aka Grace Giordano (Close Family Ties, Gentle Woman, Social Contacts – Merchant Families of Italy), Anthony aka Tony Romo (Outlaw Leader, Social Contacts – Underworld), +1 Pernoites Magic (Deft Imaginem, Flawless Magic, Hermetic Prestige, Infamous Master, Minor Magic Focus in Self Transformation, Secret Name, Short Ranged Magic, Unimaginative Learner, Weak Parens), +1 Privileged Upbringing, +1 Puissant Guile, +1 Strong Will Flaws: -3 Alter Ego (Major Malediction), -3 Weak Spontaneous Magic, -1 Difficult Spontaneous Magic, -1 Overconfident, -1 Quadrophenia (Arcane Lore (45xp for Persona ability), Delusion, Major Malediction, Persona, Variable Improved Characteristics) Background:
The History of Polyoppeties is a mystery to everyone except for himself/herself, but may vary depending upon which Persona is being discussed. Both Maurice and Donatella remember being one of two twins born to the D’Ambrosio family, one boy and one girl. The D’Ambrosio’s were one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Naples and were involved in many business activities (merchants, traders, bankers, and mobsters). At age 5 one of the twins passed on, and soon after the survivor manifested the ability to transform into the missing sibling. This caused the family great confusion and anguish, for the transformation was exact. Switching back and forth, the child always claimed that this was their real identity and they were just playing pretend really good before. To this day, Maurice and Donatella believe the exact same thing, Their twin sister/brother died, and when their Gift manifested as the ability to shapeshift, the first form they chose out of sympathy was their dead twin. The way her/his child like mind described it was “playing pretend really good”.
Soon after the death of the twin and the emergence of the Gentle Gift, the rest of the D’Ambrosio family was murdered by an assassin hired by their rivals, the Licciardi Cartel. Disturbed by a noise, the child awoke in the middle of the night to witness the killer in action. Donatella remembers screaming for her brother, Maurice remembers stepping forward to protect his sister, both remember being clobbered and abducted.
Then came the grueling and twisted years of apprenticeship under Pernoites of Tytalus; a master of intrigue and impersonation. The Hermetic Magic of Polyoppeties is descended from the tradition of self-transformation and disguise that his master was famous for. Polyoppeties is more advanced than his former master in that Pernoites was restricted to short-range magic only, and his power was greatly weekend (divided in half) when used to affect anyone other than himself. However, Polyoppeties is unable to cast Spontaneous Spells in the way his master did, for his/her mind conceives of each spell as a separate skill (a Mastery Ability). Pernoites was also fanatical about mastery of spells, and it is from the harsh discipline and philosophy of his/her parens that Polyoppeties developed Flawless Magic.
Pernoites was jealous of the child’s Persona ability though; the flawless disguise, the hidden shape, each as true essential nature. Even he did not know which was the original and which was the persona (or if perhaps they were twins that shared the same body). Perhaps it was his experiments that caused the warped memories and delusions in the first place (or perhaps he was trying to cure him/her/them). There is simply no way of knowing. Donatella/Maurice remembers that Pernoites was constantly trying to convince her/him that she/he was someone else. Failing to achieve the Insight into the power, Pernoites attempted to bring both persona’s out at the same time; using Imaginem and Mentem to induce bizarre mental episodes, them disturbing techniques involving Corpus. Polyoppeties refuses to discuss specific details of the experiments and scenarios.
Every mind has its limit, and Polyoppeties had reached it. A new Persona emerged in the middle of an experiment, a vengeful personality named Anthony. Taking matters into his own hands, Anthony murdered Pernoites and quickly fled into the night.
Maurice believes he is the original and the Anthony “disguise” is based off of their father. Donatella believes that she is the original, and that Anthony “disguise” is based off of their older brother (who was away somewhere else when the family was murdered). Anthony believes that he is the original, and spent the next year exclusively as the Anthony Persona trying to figure everything out. His earliest memories as “himself” were emotions of pure wrath and rage against some unknown force; wanting respect (from Pernoites), wanting revenge (against Pernoites), then wanting to kill (Pernoites). Perhaps he was the one who murdered the family. It made more sense than being the father or older brother. Later he concluded that he, Anthony, was the original and all of his memories were false; he simply had the standard warped apprenticeship of a Tytalus. Perhaps Pernoites’ children were murdered, and he was being made to play “disguise” as a child because the old man is sick in the head.
Anthony has the same shared set of memories that the other Personas have, and like the others he does not pay attention to any conflicting thoughts he has had while “disguised”. Like each of the others, he believes he is the original. No persona is ever thought of as a separate identity, they are each disguises of the same self, and the only one that isn’t a disguise is the one that is currently manifest. Polyoppeties will never admit to anyone to having made any conflicting or contradictory statements of identity (either using creative verbal gymnastics or by simply assuming the other person must be crazy). Polyoppeties always knows exactly who Polyoppeties is, and no matter what the Persona the core essential thought is the same “I am myself”.
The key to the identity of Polyoppeties is the Secret Name. This name sits on the edge of the mind and Polyoppeties knows of no sound or symbol that can be put to it. But he/she knows it is there, and knows that this is his/her true identity (which happens to also be the Persona contemplating it at the moment). Only Pernoites knew this name, and its secret died with him. As a result, Polyoppeties cannot cast Personal Range Hermetic spells (though enchantments such as the Talisman and Familiar will not be affected).
There is also a mysterious fourth Persona that I, the Creator and Player of this character, know nothing about. I do not know if it has manifest yet, and if it has I do not know why the others know nothing about him. I do not know its gender, its personality, what it knows about itself or what it knows about the others. I do not know the inspiration for this persona, if it is good or evil, or if it helps or hinders the others. I do not know if it is the actual original identity (but that would be cheesy), nor do I know if Polyoppeties even has a single original identity. Maybe Maurice has multiple personality disorder, maybe he and Donatella are twins that share a single body, maybe Pernoites is the one that fucked him/her/them up, or maybe he was actually trying to effect a cure.
So anyways, having resolved the identity crisis (which never happened, for Polyoppeties has always known exactly who Polyoppeties is), Anthony proceeded to build a life of his own. It just so happens that this was to be a life of crime. These were simple rackets at first; thievery, robbery, extortion, and so on. He eventually fell in with the Licciardi Cartel (small world), and moved on to bigger schemes involving sabotaging trade competition, smuggling, banking scams, and more extortion. Using the name Tony Romo, he was eventually transferred to another Italian city and set up in charge of his own crew.
The culture and society of this new city was highly attractive, and the Donatella Persona began to emerge periodically to take advantage of it. Using the pseudonym Grace D’Ambrosio, she eventually met a wealthy widower named Salvadore Giordano. Attracted to his wealth and power, and age 17 she became Sal’s trophy wife. The healthy old bird provides Donatella (posing as Grace) with the comfort, resources, and a very luxurious and discriminating lifestyle. She also now has three stepchildren, Christopher (who is her own age), Sophie (who is a year younger), and Catherine (a thirteen year old shrew).
Time passes, and Polyoppeties prospers. The two lives work well in sympathy. Tony Romo goes to work for the Giordano family (a part of the Licciardi Cartel), and Grace Giordano benefits from her husband’s business success. But eventually Polyoppeties realizes that, in order to grow as a magus, he needs to obtain the resources left behind in Pernoites’ sanctum. So, as Maurice, he returns to the scene of the crime in order to infiltrate the Gray Tower and steal what texts and other items c=he can get away with. His attempted stealth fails, and he is confronted by Hyperion of Tytalus, the beloved rival of his dead master. Maurice thought he was surly going to be executed for the crime of killing his master. But Hyperion explained that it was the code and custom of House Tytalus that, if an apprentice has grown to have the power and courage to rise up against a tyrannical master, then he deserves to be made a magus right away. Besides, Pernoites was a dick, everyone hated him.
Polyoppeties then inherits the sanctum of his former master (which is in this very covenant we are all members of right now). A year later, at the next gathering of House Tytalus, the name Polyoppeties is given by the Primus. House Tytalus knows that Maurice and Donatella are one and the same. However, most of the rest of the Order are lead to believe that there is a set of twin Tytalus magi who share a name. The higher officials of the tribunal know, but regular joes don’t. Polyoppeties believes that no one knows about the Anthony Persona (but in secret, there are a few powerful Tytalus magi that do know, though how they know is a mystery). Another year passes, and at the next Tribunal Polyoppeties is declared a magus and given a sigil.
Arnaut ex Jerbiton, filius Aimiric
Age: just turned 28
virtues
free good teacher
free Hermetic Magus
1 educated
1 improved characteristics
1 great communication
1 skilled parens
3 gentle gift
1 minor focus: improving the mind
1 affinity in Me
1 deft mentem
3 dependants (pupils)
3 driven (first: get a doctor degree, then found the university of Magic)
1 offensive to animals
1 minor ambitious
1 unimaginative learner
1 exciting experimentation (MoH, p. 26)
Int 2 Per 0
Sta 1 Str 0
Com 4 Pr 0
Dex 0 Qik 0
Early Childhood (years 0-5; 45xp + Language)
Arabic (translation) 2
Folk Ken (students) 2
Awareness (search) 1
Brawl (Dodge) 1
Athletics (running)1
Castilian (translation) 5
Childhood year 6-12: 7x15xp+50xp = 155xp
Charm (seduction) 2 [=15xp]
Guile (disguise) 2 [=15xp]
Bargain (books) 2 [=15xp]
Latin (translation) 5 [=75xp]
Artes Liberales (Geometry) 2 [=15xp]
Philosophy (Natural philosophy) 2 [=15xp]
Teach (classes of more than 2) 1 [=5xp]
Apprenticeship (13-27: 60xp skills)
Code of Hermes (apprentices) 1
Etiquette (gifts) 1
Intrigue (nobility) 1
Leadership (students) 1
Magic Theory (Mentem) 3 [30xp]
Parma Magica (Corpus) 1
Profession: Scribe (diligently) 1
skills at gauntlet: Arabic (translation) 2, Artes Liberales (Geometry) 2, Awareness (search) 1, Athletics (running) 1, Bargain (books) 2, Brawl (Dodge) 1, Castilian (translation) 5, Charm (seduction) 2, Code of Hermes (apprentices) 1, Etiquette (gifts) 1, Folk Ken (students) 2, Guile (disguise) 2, Intrigue (nobility) 1
Latin (translation) 5, Leadership (students) 1, Magic Theory (Mentem) 3, Parma Magica (Corpus) 1, Philosophy (Natural philosophy) 2, Profession: Scribe (diligently) 1, Teach (classes of more than 2) 1
Arts at gauntlet:
Cr 5 In 5 Mu 5 Pe 5 Re 5
An 5 Aq 5 Au 5 Co 5 He 5 Ig 5 Im 5 Me (affinity) 9 Te 5 Vi 5
Spells (at gauntlet):
Spells / TeFo/ Level / Bonus / Mastery / Mastery score / Page reference / note
Chastisement / PeCo / 15 / +14 / 0 / 0 / self-made, see below
Praise the Worthy Student / CrMe / 15 / +19 / 0 / 0 / self-made, see below / *
Perception of the conflicting Motives / 15 / +19 / 0 / 0 / ArM5, p. 149 / *
Posing the silent question / InMe / 20 / +19 / 0 / 0 / ArM5, p. 149 / *
Enchantment of detachment / PeMe / 15 / +19 / 0 / 0 / ArM5, p. 150 / *
Aura of Rightful Authority / ReMe / 20 / +19 / 0 / 0 / ArM5, p. 151 / *
Searching the Haystack / ReMe / 20 / +19 / 0 / 0 / A&A, p. 34 / *
The Gift Revealed / InVi / 15 / +14 / 0 / 0 / self-made, see below
Practical Jokes unmasked / InVi / 15 / +14 / 0 / 0 / HoH:TL, p. 75 (Bitter taste of betrayal)
deft mentem virtue: This spell can be cast without gestures, without or with different words
** improving the mind focus applicable
New spell description
Perdo Corpus
level 15
Chastisement
R: Sight D: Mom T: Ind.
A clip on the ear. A classic usable both to disrupt (unless target makes Int + Concentration roll of 12+) and to improve concentration.
(Base 4, +3 sight)
Creo Mentem
level 15
Praise the worthy student
R: Voice D: Diameter T: Ind.
This spell fills the target with happiness and self-satisfaction. This spell is used to motivate successful students and reinforce praise. It may be addictive in the long run (just like chocolate, it makes you feel good). It may be the most sinister spell ever created.
(Base 4, +2 voice, +1 diameter)
Intellego Vim
Level 15
The Gift revealed
R: Touch D: Mom T: Ind.
The magus learns whether a person he touches is Gifted. Does not reveal the Gentle Gift.
(Base 10, +1 Touch)
Equipment: Clean Black Scholarly robes, complete with hood for storing stuff (writing ustensils); belt with penknife and two little pouches, one for coins, one for a tiny set for ceremonial magic
Sigil: effects are “owlish” (depending on the spell, it manifests as hooting, the shadow of an owl, owlish eyes, people thinking of owls, the feel of feathers or talons)
Voting sigil: An ancient coin from Athens depicting an owl
Biography:
Arnaut was born in Toledo into a family living from trading books (legally and illegally) with the Almohad Arabs. He had two elder brothers, Vermundo and Osmundo, who he adored. An open and communicative child, he quickly picked up Arab expressions from his father’s business partners.
Although he was an unlikely candidate for inheriting the family business, his father, impressed with the Arab culture, engaged Salvador, a private teacher who had studied at a Muslim university, hoping that his son could serve the family as a translator or a clerk.
Arnaut blossomed in his teacher’s hands, sharing Salvador’s dreams of convincing the king to found a Spanish university. When he turned 11, Salvador left for the Castilian court to pursue his project and Arnaut started to earn his first money for the family by teaching the boys of a neigboring family to read and write in Latin.
It was then that a nobleman arrived on the scene, watching him teach the other kids for several days before he spoke to Arnaut’s father. Arnaut, listening at the door, heard the stranger introduce himself as Aimiric de Rada and warn his father that Arnaut’s soul was in grave peril, because he had a Gift of Magic that – if not properly developed – would lead the boy into temptation and sin. After a substantial sum had been mentioned, Arnaut’s father, who had noticed that odd coincidences had begun to occur in the presence of his sons, agreed under the condition that Arnaut was to write him two letters per year, and be allowed to read his father’s letters.
Aimiric spent a season introducing his filius to Hermetic Magic, and then travelled Europe to showed him off to the more decadent members of his house. They also went to fashionable parties with mighty noblemen, and debauched churchmen. Arnaut quite enjoyed his new power that – in combination with his glib tongue - opened the thighs of all the girls he desired, and more than once, his parens mildly smiled and used his mentem magic to cover up his filius’ adventures.
In the fourth year of his “apprenticeship”, Arnaut went too far, seducing a virgin chatelaine that his parens had wanted for himself. After an ugly quarrel, Aimiric dumped his filius unceremoniously in his lab, telling his owl familiar Athena to make sure that his ill-bred filius spent his time cooling his passions over dusty tomes on the magical arts.
The shock about his change of fortune was still fresh, when a letter arrived from home, telling him that his oldest brother Vermundo had started talking to invisible entities and finally hanged himself, and his other brother Osmundo had publicly preached against transsubstantion and had been burned by the church. This combination of events truly changed Arnaut: He started wondering if he was headed the same way as his brothers (to hell), and, under Athena’s tutelage, realized the errors of his wild years. He started observing a strict personal discipline, learning eagerly to overcome the temptations of the flesh. Master Aimiric, coming back a year later to end Arnaut’s punishment, turned away, disappointed at his filius’ new-found morals, and left the remaining years of his filius’ tutelage mostly to his owl familiar, who was going to become Arnaut’s best friend and gently steered him back onto a (less extreme) path of self-discipline and learning.
Of course Arnaut gloriously passed his gauntlet. He would have passed if he had been too stupid to write his own name. His parens made sure to have his cronies on the jury.
Motivation/psychology:
Arnaut is afraid of becoming a heretic and going to hell. Having seen two of his brothers die horribly (and knowing that they are in hell now), Arnaut is convinced that he can save his soul by saving the souls of Gifted Children. Saving the souls of children takes the form of guiding them into adulthood. That is also why he tries to keep an eye on his bastards. He doesn't realize that he is really trying to bring his brothers back (speaking from Freudian depths). Only when they died did he realize that he was creating children that might suffer the same fate. This reduced the appeal of carnal lust a lot. Thinking that other children of his youth might be out there (headed for hell) weighs heavily on his conscience. Arnaut believes his family’s seed is more likely to create Gifted children. He is convinced that laxness leads to emotion, emotion leads to sin, and sin leads to hell.
Hooks:
Only the stoyguide knows if that is true that his sperm creates magical children (he has heard of a line of Bonisagi from Durenmar practicing sex magic and wants to know more about them)
he used to be fairly prolific, believing that “gifting” the world with gifted children was a good thing
has 3 bastards (ages about 11-13 years old) he knows of (from 3 different women). To his horror, there may be more he doesn’t know of)
Arnaut still writes to Athena. Should Aimiric die, Arnaut will try to bind his master's familiar.
Arnaut knows little to nothing about the Order of Hermes
plans for tribunal:
get his hands on some primers for teaching, and a spell that allows him to find gentle-gifted children.
announce his plans to start a school for Gifted children (which will not be as easy as he thinks)
Long-term projects:
finding, collecting, and teaching all his bastards (and any other Gifted children he comes across)
the death of his two brothers has made him more careful, he plans to keep an eye on his children (or rather to marry, so he has someone to keep an eye on them), and two educate them. He is pragmatic about his future wife: She must be pretty because plans to be faithful to avoid creating more children he doesn’t know of, love children (so she can keep an eye on them), and be able to keep her mouth shut about his magic (a rare quality in a woman).
he is interested in improving the human mind magically, and to fortify it against temptation
learn the bloodline target to find his children
learn sensory magic so he can cast spells on all who listen to him in class
invent rituals that improve the human mind (to improve Com to +5), so people become too intelligent to sin (he really thinks that works).
reorganizing the concept of teaching apprentices
Note: you said you preferred “ambitious” over “temperate” or “pious”. Does ambitious really describe him well? Can I drop the: first get a doctor's degree from driven, and rephrase it as "teaching as many gifted children as possible"
A lot of fun stuff here. Some stuff wants clarification.
So far so good. Who does the Order believe his parens has been for the past 7 years? That is, whatever Tytalus magi might think, he is not a magus yet; left unattached, Polyoppeties is a half-trained and therefore very useful resource for any magus who wishes to claim him as apprentice, which is completely legal and laudable. Feel free to weave some Tytalus intrigue to address this, because the House surely knows how to handle this rare yet expected situation. Also.... smile No, given his flaws, I don't have to remind you about this next bit.
considers Ok. This feels flavorful and appropriate.
What do you mean by his current season? That he's a newly minted magus?
So far so good.
I want to be sure I understand we are on the same page here. My own instinct would be that the Alter Ego, taken as a minor flaw, can cause mischief, but hardly on the level of something like leprosy or plagued by demons. Taken as a major flaw, he will usually only cause mischief or complications, but on rare occasion might get you all into a Wizard's War for which he has received the proper 30 days notice, or commit you to a hazardous Initiation Script ("Yes, Archmagus Phineas, the signature is not familiar, but the blood on the parchment does seem to be mine, pledging my life and sacred honor to a holy Crusade against...")....
The usual script immunities apply--it's a Major Flaw, not a Fatal Flaw. I just want to be sure I know what you want to get out of it, play-wise. I can have fun either way.
So far so good. Some comments:
As the next phase of the saga begins, Polyoppeties is just becoming a magus. Because it will delight House Tytalus so, they will no doubt help both Maurice and Donatella to be recognized as magi at Grand Tribunal, and then let things happen as they may. How long can they fool the Order as a whole? What will happen? Until the proper season, he is not generally recognized as a magus; House Tytalus might think so, but that's no different from the way House Bjornaer recognizes apprentices as magi as soon as they do their Got12Y and attain their Heartbeasts. The 15 year initiation script must still be met, and the House will have had to shield Polyoppeties from being snatched up as an apprentice. This being your background, of course he was shielded, though a sentence or two about how this happened would be helpful.
None of that detracts from the general background or require a change in the character concept. Some small things need to be tweaked but generally this just offers some challenges for his first few years and might give you ideas for stories to initiate--and reap some benefits from doing so.
I'd like you to think about what these guys want to do next, specifically, and develop their individual motivations a bit further. The character as a whole has flair and simply oozes with style, but I have a much lesser feel for each persona as a distinct individual, and at any given moment, you are only playing one, whom we both must treat as a character in full. After all, that persona thinks so too!
I also would like us both to know more about how the transition among personae occurs. I don't want to inflict it upon you unreasonably. There are logistical considerations too, such as becoming Anthony whilst in the middle of sex as Donatella, or even all dressed up on the way to a party... You probably don't want that to happen--or maybe you do--so a few sentences about this would be good.
There's also family: Have all three of them given up on any D'Ambrosio being left alive? Do none of them care about vengeance against the Licciardi? Just how Italian are they? A character's family makes a difference, even when they're dead. And an Italian crime family....
Have you noticed, we are a mentem-heavy bunch. No primeval nature types (who might favour An, Aq, Au, He, Ig, or Te). On the other hand, we'll be able to swap spells easily.
I have noticed! More Me and Im than anything else.
Even more than the mild emphasis on Mentem is the emphasis of generalization. Art scores are low and spread out.
No one has come in with the big TeFos. (A magus who starts off with, say, Re15(18) and Me15(18) is completely possible; it's not just for the CrIg types.) Definite styles of magic are emerging, benefiting from being able to transcend 10vfs, but I have not seen an Art that reaches 10, let alone 20.
The spell-swapping thing matters less here than in many sagas, due to the background of an Order which encourages the exchange of ideas; your access to good books and spells will reflect that. If you're used to 9xp/season and a pawn or two of vis per year, well, um, no.
So am I… I have not a clue on what I will use it to create but perhaps time will tell. Suggestions on exiting spells are welcome. Have you given any thought on the limits regarding vis and such for our seven year cycles I am a bit eager to start thinking about them.
grin I'm behind on that; there are players still joining the game. I will get to the 7y cycle stuff. It will probably be something like 4 or 5 pawns/year, plus whatever you make yourself or find through stories. (As stated in the background, getting vis through lab work does not deplete or destabilize the Aura.)
As for exciting spells for Elementalist.... I'm blank. Someone else might have ideas though. It's not a virtue I particularly favor, perhaps because I don't know how to use it right. Hopefully, you'll school me!
More to come, just to let you kow I am still here (My computer burned down a few days ago!)
Elyse van der Courtlandt
Int +1 Age: 50 (35 at start of apprenticeship)
Per House: Criamon
Sta Master: Gregorian ex Criamon
Str -3
Pre +3
Com +3
Dex
Qui
Virtues:
Enigmatic Wisdom – free
Affinity with Artes Liberales
Affinity with Circle of Paragon’s Lore (Mystery Cult which Elyse has created)
Affinity with Creo
Arcane Lore
Educated
Gentle Gift
Hermetic Numerology
Unaging
Flaws:
Deficient Technique (Perdo)
Driven (Create Sanctum) (major)
Favours (to 2 other Circle of Paragon Members for support, minor recoinnassance, acknowledging Elyse as leader) – Major
Covenant Upbringing
Abilities
Xp total: before apprenticeship: 30x15=450+apprentiship (240) =690 +Arcane Lore (50) +Educated (50) =790
Spent on Abilities: 599+ free 0-5 year old abilities (Speak Hollandic, Area Lore, Awareness and Charm)
Area Lore: Holland (History) 2
Awareness (Magi) 2
Charm (Men) 2
Circle of Paragons Lore (Initiations) 6
Concentration (maintaining spells) 2
Etiquette (Magi) 1
Leadership (Orders) 1
Living Language: Hollandic (Eloquence) 5
Music (Singing ) 1
Order of Hermes Lore (History) 2
Profession: Scribe (Copying) 2
Artes Liberales (Arithmetic) 7
Latin (Hermetic) 5
Philosophiae (Natural) 2
Theology (Women’s Roles) 2
Enigmatic Wisdom (understanding Twilight) 2
Code of Hermes (Wizard’s Wars) 2
House Criamon Lore (Clutches) 2
Magic Theory (Creo) 8
Parma Magica (Mentem) 1
Penetration (Ignem) 3
Supernatural Lore: Order of Hermes (Angels) 2
191xp
Creo 9
Intellego 5
Muto 5
Perdo 5
Rego 5
Animal
Aquam
Auram
Corpus 13
Herbam
Ignem 4
Imaginem
Mentem
Terram
Vim
Spells 120lvls
The Chirurgeon’s Healing Touch (CrCo 20) Casting Total: +22
Gift of the Bear’s Fortitude (MuCo 25) Casting Total: +18
Pilum of Fire (CrIg 20) Casting Total: +13
Flash of the Scarlet Flames (CrIg15) Casting Total: +13
The Phantom Gift (CrVi15) Casting Total: +9
Aegis of the Hearth (ReVi10) Casting Total: +5
Circular Ward Against Demons (ReVi15) Casting Total: +5
Elyse was born and bred in a small Hollandic covenant “Voorschleipen” numbering three Criamon on the Path of the Beacon. With only a small turb and number of servants Elyse was the only one her own age, and she rummaged rather undisturbed through most parts of the covenant. The ambitious, but compassionate Criamon probably even welcomed the little girl – using a little of their spare time to talk with her, play with, was not uncommon, and Elyse grew up thinking that small charms and illusions were perfectly natural.
Elyse had a younger brother born 5 years after her, and her parents were rewarded by the Criamon, who foresaw some new servants. Casually checked for the Gift at age 7 they found nothing in Elyse, though she was tutored in Academia, and somehow seemed to have a grasp of Hermetic Theory which was uncanny. The Criamon decided to tutor her in this as well, and she grew up to become a very valued lab assistant.
Elyse’s parents, Joost and Rebekha were of the nobility, though almost on the lowest rung, and they officially owned the covenant and ran it as administrators, though, always in service to their Criamon masters.
One of the Criamon took an apprentice when Elyse was 14, and this apprentice, Magnus, scorned her and bullied her, going so far as to rape her. Though Elyse was loved by the Criamon (as much as semi-detached Criamons can love) they took Magnus’ side, and ignored her complaints, but continued to use her in their labs.
To cope with this betrayal Elyse delved deeper into her desire to leave this world, or build a better one, where people like Magnus were not allowed access. As Elyse could not totally escape from Magnus, she started to cut herself to ameliorate herself. Through the cutting Elyse grew detached and soared over troubled waters…
Sensing her increasing lullaby state, her mother confronted her and asked if she would like to marry and leave? Thinking of the consequences, but wishing for nothing more than to see something else, her mother was actually fortunate enough to arrange a marriage with a young Lord Njiels van der Courtland.
Elyse was horrified with the everyday life of the common man. She was viewed as a delicate flower by her in-laws and her husband, and some leeway was given her. Still she was expected to deliver an heir. When Njiels tried to mount her she freaked and repeatedly hit him and screamed obscenities calling him Magnus and crying for her mother.
Dumbstruck Njiels left her, and she became known as the Tower Lady, always sitting in her tower. Fearing she would go mad from exposure to the real world, Elyse eloped and returned to Voorschleipen. It wasn’t long however that she started having dreams of her husband raising a small army and setting out to return her to his demesne. Dreaming of his sick smile and seeing his writings about how she was to be punished, she went to the Criamon and begged them to save her. They agreed, but demanded that she stay and work for them. She agreed, though still feared Magnus.
During the siege that Njiels laid on the covenant, Elyse worked on an assignment given to her by the Criamon, and amidst difficult arithmetic calculations, she saw how the numbers and figures started moving by themselves. In awe yet suspecting it was another of her visions, the chalk on the board started to create wonderful drawings and paintings. In them she saw a haven, a place of serenity. She wept and desired it so much, that she began to cut herself to be nearer this place. When the servants found her, she lay sobbing on the floor in a pool of blood.
In the end the siege was lifted by the magics of the Criamon. Just after this, a Redcap visited the covenant, and gave news of a manuscript that had surfaced…”somewhere to the east…” Elyse listened as the redcap told her masters about this wondrous scroll which told about angelic beings of some form of cardinal virtues said to be able to “communicate an insight to the magical Realm”. Intrigued, Elyse researched this, and found out that it was supposedly written in the 10th Century by a Jerbiton called Magdalena, who had disappeared after a strenuous twilight experience.
Over the next years, Elyse toiled as the lab assistant and scribe of the Criamon. Seeing that she did not age beyond the youth of an 18 year old woman, her parent grew older and died. She began hating the mutability of the world. Why could order not be imposed more? At the blackboard the geometric and arithmetric answers were immutable and permanent. She had to say goodbye to her beloved parents. Her brother, Hendrik became the nominal leader of the covenant together with his wife Rhina. Elyse did not have a strained relationship with them as such, she had just never gotten to know them very well. Hendrik tried to approach, but did not know how. Eventhough not touched by the Gift, Elyse did not think Hendrik could begin to fathom her ideas. It was Rhina who forged the bond between them. Rhina was the daughter of a half faerie, half man and was more whimsical than practical. Her lighthearted nature however, made Elyse laugh for the first time in many years, and she embraced her brother’s earthbound nature for what it was.
Not long after this it was soon brought to light amongst the servants, that Hendrik was a compulsive gambler, and he had lost massive sums, in the end, the money would have to be repaid. Even worse, he had collected a debt of services not lightly cashed-in. Elyse comforted him, and promised to help him as well she could.
This debt strained the finances of the covenant, yet overseeing the finances, Elyse managed to divert enough money to pay interest - never to repay it though.
At the age of 35 Elyse's gift finally manifested itself, when she was working alongside one of the Criamon in the lab. The accident which ensued sparked her latent Gift, and she was chosen as the apprentice of Gregorian. Elyse was much more mature than any other apprentice she had ever heard of, could she truly become a maga herself. Her abilities and knowledge of numbers grew, so strong in fact that she started seeing the hidden truths in the Greek philosophers and more precisely their work with numbers as representations of the world. Elyse coerced her thoughts and theirs, alongside her impressive grasp of Hermetic Theory into a society, or cult more aptly named, which represented her struggle to shed herself of her faults, frailties and doubts in Hermetic Magic and become a paragon of magical knowledge. Gregorian supported her in this, but did not desire himself to go this route.
During her apprentiship, Elyse was also made aware of the convent of Bingen, and its rather liberal approach to women in theology, social structure etc. She was fascinated by this and visited the convent. She instantly grew to like the quaint little town, and the sisters of the convent were knowledgeable and easy-going unlike many clergy she had heard of (and the few she had met). She began to divert small amounts of money to the convent to support their projects of better public wells, new herb gardens and such. In her mind, Bingen was a shadow of, but at least the best shadow she had found so far, of a place different from the rest of the world.
Elyse's work with the paragon idea attracted other two other apprentices at a tribunal, Tristan and Claudia, who were interested in learning more about it. She talked about it to them, showed its applications and they promised each other to correspond on the subject. Soon after Elyse learned that Claudia also had an interest in Bingen, as her birth mother was a nun, who has been VERY liberal and been with a man. She was punished with having to give up Claudia, but had continued to see her and visit (semi-secret meetings, which Claudia's master ignored). When Claudia's mother was found out, she was punished, but in her punishment (Imprisonment) she cought a disease and died before the other sisters could save her. Claudia swore vengeance against Bingen, and now works to bring about its downfall. She does not yet know that Elyse sponsors the sisters.
Tristan on the other hand became infatuated with Elyse, but knowing how carnal 'pleasures' were, Elyse rejected him. Fortunately he retained a puppy love for her, and would occasionally send her ballads, poems, small gifts etc. Elyse know that Tristan has 'secretly' begun seeking out potion brewers in the search for a love potion, and as of now (end of her apprenticeship) she knows she has to act upon it.
Elyse's motivations:
-Through her Paragon Cult become a more skilled, insightful and potent maga (travelling to seek out places and auspicious times as stated in Mysteries)
-Pay of her brother's debt, both the pecuniary and the services (the men he has lost money to is a list of 3. and 4. noble sons, some mercenary captains, a priest, a supposed hedge wizard etc)
Support Bingen. Elyse plans on ...persuading some of the sisters and townspeople to join her Sanctum, when she creates it. until then, she must work to make it blossom as well as stopping Claudia's plans.
Seek out and find Magdalena's Scroll
stay alert of her husband (she was never divorced), who she still has visions of one day exacting his vengeance upon her (he is still alive, though his diluted faerie blood, and he has only marshalled more forces and resources, since last)
Almohades are not Arabs, they are Berbers. They are both Moslems (mostly), but two separate and distinct ethnic groups. The Almohades are not the intellectual ones, the Arabs are. Arabs are a minority in Andalusia. The majority population in Moslem Andalusia consists of Christian Spaniards Andalusia has twice as many Bishoprics as the Christian kngdoms of the north), then Berbers (Almoravid then Almohad), then a small elite of Arabs.
I realize I am being pendantic, but Spanish history is sort of a speciality of mine.
I am not sure they really care. Perhaps Hyperion? I imagine House Tytalus would tel them not to worry about it. Still, what does the rest of the Order know about Pernoites? Did they know he even had an apprentice?
I was thinking of swapping one of my minor flaws out for Mentor.
They gotta find me first, and since I have the Gentle Gift, I am totally innocuous until I start throwing fireballs
Oh, I imagine there may be other Tytalus magi pulling hidden strings. But this is a storyhook for much later, after he/she/he/? Has matured somewhat.
That is a placeholder. When the character is finished, that header will indicate the current season and year the character is currently in (such as Spring 1220 or Autumn 1232 or some such)
I was thinking is should be Major because I, the player, know nothing about it. I am handing over a quarter of the characters life and history to the SG. I mean, eventually it will become known and I will learn more about it. As this happens, the uncertainty scales down but the plot potential gows, in order to keep the flaw in balance. What I mean is that, at first, it is just confusing and annoying. Eventually the mystery is revealed, but that is when I start getting more headaches from it. For example, perhaps I learn that there is a hidden fourth persona, it drives me batty ut causes no problems yet. Then I eventually figure out the name and identity of my fourth self, and it is on that day (or close to it) that I get the WW letter or called upon to fulfill the 4th-persona’s obligations.
What do I want to get out of it? Hmmm…
Just a satisfied SG I suppose. The hidden 4th Persona is your idea and included because you requested it
But it has all kinds of fun story and future development potential.
Mystery Cults. It is a Minor Bjornaer Mystery that is not tied to the Heartbeast or anything; it specifically mentions that there are those outside of the House that know it and it doesn’t even require the gift. No Bjornaer influence on me though, I just felt it would be very appropriate for the character concept, a singular true name given by his Parens that no one knows (Pernoites is dead, and I burned all of his lab notes pertaining to the experiments performed on me).
Basically it means that I can never-ever be affected by any Sympathetic connections. However, I suffer from Weak Magic Resistance against anyone who knows this name. There may well be some elder Tytalus magi that do know, but I know nothing about that.
I think it is a totally cheesy combo. Polyoppeties is never cheesy. Polyoppeties is always awesome and cool (or that is what Polyoppeties thinks of Polyoppeties anyway; Overconfident is the consistent personality trait of all the Personas)
That remains to be seen. Right now, since Tony (Anthony) and Grace (Donatella) operate out of the same city, this does not pose a problem. Things can get complicated for both of them later on (Donatella may have to explain her absences to her family sometimes, but I am already working on a cover story for that (Donatella eventually creates a false family which she impersonates, and her excuse for absences is that she is visiting her widowed mother). But anyway, time conflicts will start happening as Maurice starts developing the Hermetic career of Polyoppeties. Hermetic life will be more his thing than any of the others, but this is also why it is essential that he has some means by which he can travel back and forth between the covenant and Italy (perhaps several times in a day).
Exactly. He has no idea that anyone knows anything about Anthony as well. I see this as a +0 Virtue (or a -0 Flaw), since he has the advantage of a secret identity but the complications that come from maintaining the secret and the influence that those who know the secret will have over him.
Most of the spells are straight from the core rules (Wizard’s Leap and Aura of Beguiling Presence are from Societas). Where the words “Touch of” have been inserted before the rest of the title, that means the spell is otherwise as described save for the Range is modified to “Touch”.
Yes and no. I just threw that in there to fill the place holder. But anyway, since there is no separation or distinction of individual identity, what one of them owns they all own. They wear different clothes though .
Her too
That’s where he got it from . My vision is the master had it even worse, dividing all magic totals in half that didn’t directly target himself.
Not exactly. Polyoppeties view things more as “mood swings”. Sometime he feels like doing this, or she wants to do that, or he has some goal in mind. He/She does not identify this as being the desires of each separate persona, and never acknowledges that he/she only thinks a certain way when in such-and-such Persona. There will indeed be strange justifications and mental gymnastics, and sometimes one persona might want to ignore the memories of another (for example, Anthony never-ever dwells on the thought of Donatella having sex with her husband).
Agendas may differ, but they cooperate when they can. After all, it is just one life. One identity. Polyoppeties wants to be comfortable in all of his/her “disguises”. Tony Romo might kick up a little extra to Sal so that he can afford to buy Donatella that new fur coat, Donatella might play matchmaker for Maurice so he can get a girlfriend. Sometimes the help may not be so helpful though, which may lead to those “what was I thinking?!?” moments.
Though Polyoppeties only recognizes the personality of the currently manifest Persona as his/her own, he/she thinks she/he understands the others, and does indeed believe the other identities exist (as “disguises” though, not as separate personalities). There is an awesome upcoming scene that takes place within the planned first seven year cycle; in which Pollyoppeties uses all three Personas and disguise spells (and memory alteration, and servants placed into magical slumber and magically disguised) o impersonate Donatella’s family to put on a show for her husband and create an alibi for occasional absences (though Anthony, disguised as crazy old uncle Peter, creates a small scene as he plays grab-ass with Donatella’s stepdaughter Sophia).
I also imagine a potential future scenario where Anthony turns against the Licciardi Cartel to help Maurice get his revenge, using insider knowledge gained by Donatella to his advantage. But that is a possibility for the future and hings may work out differently.
That is part of the secret name virtue, and results from the fact that Polyoppeties doesn’t know what his own secret name is. The advantage is that no one know what it is (as far as he knows). He may indeed discover what this secret name is; perhaps being shocked (or reassured) when he finally realizes his true identity, or confused even further is this name provides no such knowledge.
Notice that I have taken no spells with a range of anything other than “touch”.
Yes and Yes. Anthony does not currently believe that his memories as Maurice/Donatella are real at all. He thinks they are fabrications of his master. For all he knows, he was the assassin. If and when he even changes his mind about this, vengeance will indeed be forthcoming.
Life just got started . Things will all play out over time. The lives of Donatella and Anthony are (initially) compatible because they live in the same city. The Hermetic career of Maurice (as Polyoppeties) will be a complication that will need to be resolved, but as of this date (the character right after being proclaimed a magus), this has not yet been an issue. It eventually will become a problem, but I already have a plan to deal with this. Actually, I have several. I may hook Sal up with a mistress (and Donatella may later regret that decision when she gets jealous, but satisfies herself by getting a boyfriend that is later murdered by Tony Romo because of shady business dealings or simply because of homophobia). Or Donatella might start engaging in ger own criminal activities. Or Maurice may decide to take on a cover identity in order to manage and look over the other two. Who knows? Polyoppeties isn’t worried though. Polyoppeties always has it all figured out.
Polyoppeties avoids diviners and fortune tellers. It’s a Mental block. Subconsciously, Polyoppeties simply doesn’t want to consider anything that may contradict or conflict with the history he/she/he is already convinced of.
The master’s sanctum is a hold over from the earlier versions of Polyoppeties (the 1.0 Falling Leaves version, The Gray Tower is pretty cool, but it is not essential to the character concept and I am more than willing to compromise. What is essential is that Polyoppeties needs a way to easily get back and forth between the covenant and Italy. The original concept placed a Hermes Portal in the lab, which Pernoites used to maintain his own business dealings (perhaps he was the mastermind behind the Licciardis’ and the D’Ambrosio’s were murdered so that he could take the Gifted child as his apprentice; who knows?). The idea is that this portal leads to a small but luxurious cottage in the hills of Tuscant. The revised concept is that Maurice purchase this house (using the cover identity of Michal D’Ambrosio, Grace’s brother), and this is where Donatella’s fake family lives. This house will eventually need to have a small library/study installed,, and a tiny highly specialized spell lab. Each persona is going to eventually want their own separate lab.
Yes indeed. Though it is Tytalus custom that he became a magus when he killed his Parens, it isn’t until he was bold enough to return that he was informed of this. They knew where he was the entire time. Then comes the House gathering where he is given his public name (Polyoppeties is one of those fabricated Tytalus names, making reference that there are multiple identities and include both male and female genders).
Indefinitely . Hopefully forever, but maybe not. That’s a gamers’ challenge. I personally hope that no one ever finds out, and if I can successfully pull it off, I will.
[/quote]
Then it is time for the Persona who was discovered to destroy all traces of their former life and create a new secret identity.
I’ll give you three
Polyoppeties is very craft and he hid really good. These were the early years of the Anthony persona, and anyone that got too nosey inquiring about his past would mysteriously go missing (that is, they wound up sleeping with the fishes). This was usually Anthony’s doing, but not always (fill in secret behind the scenes stings here if you wish, maybe his house or maybe the 4th persona had something to do with it, but the character (and I the player) have no clue that anything odd was happening).
There are plenty of challenges and stories to come. This is just the tip of the iceburg. What happens next will make your head spin
I have enough material to last me for decades of pre-game development.
The trick is that each Persona is not at all a distinct individual. They are all Polyoppeties, all are one and the same person. Polyoppeties views each Persona as nothing more than a “disguise” (except for the Persona that is thinking about the others at the moment, which is the one doing the “disguising”. Multiple personalities does not necessarily equate to multiple individuals. There are multiple identities, but Polyoppeties realizes that these are fakes. Tony Romo is just a cover, Grace Giordano is just a cover, and even Michal D’Ambrosio is nothing more than a cover. The only “real” identity is Polyoppeties the magus/maga. It is true that, while each Persona poses as one (or more) separate identities, no single persona forms a complete and whole person. This is only part of the delusion. Thoughts and feelings may bleed over between personas sometimes. They are all one and the same (mentally disturbed) person.
However, as time moves on and each Persona develops their own “space”, more individual distinction will emerge. Polyoppeties is still young. These cover identity “disguises” need time to develop. Remember, they are all part of a self delusional fabrication. These distinctions will develop (&/or blur together) as each persona has the chance to mature and grow. Polyoppeties is always self assured (Overconfident). Maurice has the ambition required to make a career for himself, Donatella carries herself with pride and decorum at all times, and Anthony doesn’t give a shit but refuses to take shit from anyone. But they all share a common desire to make a life for themselves. The current Persona is always a priority, but the other “disguises” are always a consideration. Development of each identity will require time, and none will ever become a whole and complete person. Each is and ever shall be just a fraction of the whole and complete Polyoppeties.
Changing Prsonas takes a willing and conscious decision to “put on a disguise”. It is an ability roll (though the description never mentions “stress die” so I presume it is a simple roll if the change occurs in relaxed circumstances). But it is always a willful decision. I might desire to remain “myself” a while and not use a disguise, but sometimes the mood strikes me to wear a disguise or it becomes a necessity because of current circumstances. Polyoppeties always desires to maintain his/her different cover identities. They are all my cover identities, I just have to wear different disguises in order to portray each of them. Each “life” brings something that is desirable and/or advantageous to me in my other personas. Anthony’s criminal career and Donatella’s social life fulfill Maurice’s Ambition. Maurice’s prestige and career as a Hermetic magus satisfies Donatella’s Pride, and gives Anthony a tool he can use in his career and to extract revenge against his enemies. Donatella’s life as an aristocrat is another outlet for Maurice’s Ambition, and provides information and other resources that Anthony finds useful. Donatella also has a life as a maga, which coincides with Maurice’s Ambition and is part of the same resource Maurice provides Anthony for his schemes.
Anthony currently believes that they never existed, but if he ever realizes (or considers) otherwise, his whole game will change. Maurice and Donatella don’t have the same level of Wrath that Anthony does, and though they each believe their own shared jistory, they have nothing concrete that will convince him while he is Anthony. This may change though.
I did leave a family hook open. If the D’Ambrosio’s really did exist (something that I the player am not absolutely certain of), then there is a chance that their older brother Anthony is still alive. Both their father (Michal) and their brother were stone cold killers, but had utter care and compassion for their own family. Maybe Anthony is based off of one of these two, or perhaps he is based off of (or actually is) the assassin; or maybe this is all just falsehood and fabrication. Thoughts that dwell upon the past fill Polyoppeties with confusion and conflict, so he simply doesn’t waste time thinking about the past. But yes, this very well may prove to be a major cathartic experience when it one day comes to fruition.
As I said, Anthony currently believes that the whole past of Maurice/Donatella is a fabrication, or that he himself might be the Licciardi hit-man. Maurice and Donatella have put the past behind them and try not to ever think about it. This may change (or rather, it will eventually change). One day it will be shoved right in Polyoppeties face though. This may cause disruptions and conflicts in Anthony’s life, or cause a total change in his life. If Polyoppeties ever seeks ot revenge, it will be as Anthony that the dirty work is done. I set things up this way to create future story hooks for myself, and also to condense the number of separate crime families I (the player) was trying to keep track of.
Very. They bleed marinara, and tomatoes haven’t even been discovered yet! Maybe they bleed béchamel instead (though pasta is still a hundred years off).
Still fun stuff. In brief, two big things: 1) I think I get the personae thing now, yet want three backgrounds with motivations for each of them. Yes, he's one person, but the motivations and beliefs differ. I want you to write each one as though that were the only character you got to play, and that when he shifts personae, a different player gets him. This isn't what will happen, but I want that kind of attention to the distinctions among them, so that I can enjoy their differences, and you too. 2) There are one or two setting quirks that make some things better for Polyoppeties and some things more difficult, and were not what you originally planned for when first you conceived the character. I don't believe any of these harm the character; some of the difficulties might even help.
There's other stuff in here to consider.
I think we're getting close to wanting a second draft. What say you?
They'd care!
First, an apprentice exactly half-way through his training is an awesome resource; a magus who grabs this guy gets a good lab assistant for a few years without having to either search for an apprentice or train him for the first few years when his assistance isn't worth much.
Second, when a senior magus is slain in his own covenant, magi notice. Especially a senior magus who is enveloped in as many intrigues as a Tytalus probably is. He has friends and enemies within the House and outside it who will notice and try to take advantage of the vacancy. There are also Redcaps who notice that there is suddenly a lot less mail going this way and that. There are also Quaesitors, who do retain some ability and right to investigate.
Magi are important people, especially to other magi.
True. And yet.... I invite you to consider that NPC magi are smart and experienced, and Tytalus magi are especially experienced in matters of intrigue, of hiding, of seeking. On the one hand, it's cool to think that Polyoppeties, the equivalent of a high school junior, is outwitting the experts with 50-150 years of Machiavellian intrigue. On the other hand, this diminishes the entire House and therefore diminishes Polyoppeties too. Polyoppeties might not realize that his parens has an AC or two to him, but this is probably true. Polyoppeties might not realize that he has been subject to InMe and other interesting spells, but this is probably true. Polyoppeties might not realize that InVi spells can detect people with the Gentle Gift at Vision range, but these spells exist. Probably all kinds of other avenues to find him. It might not be easy, of course, but we aren't dealing with a bunch of Ex Misc hedgies.
This is House Tytalus, and Polyoppeties is playing with the big boys. The cooler you make the people around him, the cooler he becomes.
True. Still, something needs to be in place to make things look kosher... and the magi Polyoppeties (and the Order) see right now might themselves be unknowing stooges.
Ah. Summer, the year I posted earlier.
considers Ok.
Oh! If it's for me rather than for you, please do something else. I want you to have the character you want, and I'll follow you. God knows I'm persnickety enough about the things I'm persnickety about. I reflexively think, "Ooh, what if there's one or more other personalities that are secret," but it is far more important to me that you're the one smiling big when you look at your character sheet. I'll be happy with whatever you like. (Within my persnickety rules. )
Whoa! I had to re-read the virtue because I didn't realize it does what it does. Ok! This is cool, but nasty, particularly because Polyoppeties do not know the Name. And then combined with Short-Ranged Magic..... ouch.
Mmmm.... Cheese.
As for the over-confidence being part of all the personas, I guess I need a little more about each of them so I can see this.
Certainly I see an emergent bravura from the character as a whole.
Let's think this through a bit, slowly. Grace is married. There are things she has to do to maintain this both by day and by night. Tony is a crime boss. This is a position that also requires nurturing, by day and by night. Over the course of seven years, there will be many times where they need to be two places at the same time, and cannot be. Switching between the two involves getting from fancy parts of town to seedy parts of town, ditching perfume or dirt and blood, etc.
This is something we both need to understand up front, because it does not remain to be seen: These challenges have already occurred over the past years and need to be explained. Otherwise, neither of us know whether Polyoppeties really works in play, around PCs and NPCs who are not Keystone Kops. By thinking about how they already manage the challenge, you will be two steps ahead when things get really interesting, and I want you at least two steps ahead.
I want to circumvent at the outset a problem that I have seen with cool character concepts that look awesome on the page yet quickly collapse under actual play because the difficulties have not been considered and answered. By giving Polyoppeties a few years to literally get their act together, you provide exactly the excuse we need to explain how he has learned to be effective at who he is--they are--but with that comes considering it too: Think of a few really nasty challenges he might have had to overcome to hold the identities separate, then think about how he managed it.
Am I making sense?
That's a good cover story. Do come up with the others, so that Polyoppeties is ready to continue facing challenges.
The several times a day isn't going to be available until you research or learn that spell yourself. Seasonal will be available. This might be another challenge for them to overcome.
Agreed.
Please treat these as new spells and provide guidelines and page references.
We need to know what they look like, and if Donatella sometimes goes about wearing Tony's sword, we need to know that too.
Ok.
listens So, the three do work together. Ok. smile I thought the separation was more draconian, but this is fun too! And I feel even better about posing challenges to their identities up front. After all, they get to work on them together....
No urge for vengeance? Or is he biding his time?
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Yes and Yes. Anthony does not currently believe that his memories as Maurice/Donatella are real at all. He thinks they are fabrications of his master. For all he knows, he was the assassin. If and when he even changes his mind about this, vengeance will indeed be forthcoming.
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Ah. So the three spend time arguing about this? In whatever way they argue?
See discussion above. Please consider how it really works...
....and assume that difficulties maintaining both personae have arisen--and have been overcome.
If you do this, then the seven years on their own make sense and add to the character. They are practiced in their ways.
If you don't do this, then they might as well not have had the seven years on their own, and have slain their parens just before Grand Tribunal simply because they could, to deny him the honor and to make a point (or because he went over the line one last time.)
lol Ok. So Maurice has been content to live in his disguises for most of the past 7 years?
nod Sometimes they cannot be avoided, like at certain ceremonies, but there's no need to stand in the front row or take it seriously.
There will be a way he can do this once per season, to spend a full season wherever he wants and then get back on time for the next season. If he wants to do better, he'll have to work at it. On the positive side, this provides an initial thrust for magical research--and stories about how things are falling apart until he can ReCo himself wherever he wants. That visiting family for a season story of theirs will definitely come in handy, and as Tony he is welcome to have already contrived to arrange duties for himself that explain, perhaps even require, absences from the local scene.
In essence: Polyoppeties (and we) know that at the start of development (well, he can't tell the difference between stuff on the character sheet or the stuff that comes after ) he is going to be given a place at a covenant that's who-knows-where, with plenty of resources, that has a portal that will take him wherever he wants to go at the beginning of a season and that will snatch him back at the end.
So if they want to spend a season in Italy managing affairs, that's easy. If they want to bounce back and forth between the covenant and wherever, that's not so easy. This makes some things more difficult to accomplish, but also provides definite advantages (like, no mundane in Italy will ever follow you back to your secret base; like, you can easily have interests outside of Italy). You might have to tweak a few things but I think the character remains completely viable.
Some of this stuff can become things to work toward; having enough lab space for all three is something they will have up front. And the house? Sure, he has already purchased that.
Polyoppeties are probably aware of all this, that there will be changes that come with being a magus in full, with new challenges and opportunities.
That would be cool, yeah. Ask me about Eilonwy sometime.
slow nod Are You Sure(tm)?
I'm willing to go this route, but there are two reasonable consequences that I would like you to consider: 1) It places Polyoppeties even further at other people's mercy. 2) It renders them a more naive character and less capable.
Spoken in the voice of the Viceroy in "The Phantom Menace:" Now there are four of them!
I'm confused. Which is just where you want me. /2 So let me talk this out, slowly.
If Polyoppeties as Maurice believes Maurice to be the real personality, then there is a character who is distinct from Polyoppeties-as-Donatella, who believes herself to be real. So Donatella knows that looking good at tonight's party is what really matters, and if Polyoppeties is manifesting Tony, he may indulge this desire--but something else might be more important right now; Donatella might disagree.
I don't have a feel for any of them as people. This means that none of the NPCs will have a feel for any of them as people. So if a man wants to seduce Donatella at a party, or intrigue with her, right now I have a hollowness. I don't really know them other than as a very clever character concept. Similarly, Polyoppeties never appears as a person in full, and I don't what he's about either, or if that makes any sense at all since only the three matter.
In a sense, I think I realize now that Polyoppeties sees himself as a full person, and can shift from one persona to another with full awareness of them all. However, I notice two things: He never exists outside of his personae, and he is always one of them. This means there are three distinct versions of who he is, and exactly one of them exists at any given moment. Each version fully incorporates and explains the existence of the others, and there is no fourth uber-Polyoppeties pulling the other strings from behind the scenes.
You will always be playing Polyoppeties when he thinks one of the three personae is the real him. I want a sense of the world from each perspective. I want a sense of what matters from each perspective. I want a sense of what is going on from each perspective. I want you to tell me about each perspective, as though you--Marko--only got to play that one perspective, and that you lost control of the character when he shifts personae. This isn't what happens, but that's the kind of consideration I want for each persona, so that I have a real feel for what's going on.
And yes, the character can only do one thing at a time (for now ). Still, to the extent that multiple personae are involved in pulling it off, every action involves multiple motivations. That is, Donatella/Polyoppeties has her own reasons for wanting a project completed, and when she shifts to Maurice to facilitate that, he has slightly (or drastically) different reasons, and until it is done, both know that nothing will ever get done as Tony, and if either has a desparate need to adopt the Tony disguise, Tony will look at what's being done and wreck it all because he doesn't like it one little bit, but when Tony wants to disguise himself as Maurice, Maurice will justify why he wrecked the project, but from his perspective, not Tony's.
Which brings us right back around to there being three versions of Polyoppeties, and I want to know them better.
Yes; usually a simple die. Of course, it is a Supernatural Ability, taking the usual modifiers (and a sufficiently antagonistic Aura might itself create stress.)
smile I'm at last understanding your intention a little better.
nod
Yes. And you didn't name them after different kinds of pasta.
Thank you for the detail. When you do the next draft, please include this. Also, please give me three separate backgrounds, one from each perspective.
I guess I'm just making sure that we're on the same page, and that you intend to give real depth to his shallowness. 
Never take sides against the family