I will be away from home and abroad with very limited computer access from this Thursday until the 30th of December. I will have my phone to check in here whenever I have wifi but I will not be able to make any longer posts.
I've had a request to join the saga:
I'll let the current players decide on it.
Sounds good to me, if it is okay with the two who have been here longer.
I have no problem at all with this. We were 4 players at the start so I think we would be full again then. It's mostly up to Arthur of course how many players you feel you can handle at the same time.
Fine by me, too.
I think 4 players provide a good dynamic. The location of the covenant puts a limit on how many magi can live there, with 4 being the maximum as well.
I'll let Flavius introduce himself further. Once that is done, we can start discussing a character concept here.
Flavius, make sure you read the House Rules and Cosmology of the saga. The Cast will also give you a quick look at the kind of characters that already have been created by the other.
Well I will try to introduce myself. As some of you may be aware English is not my native language. I do Role playing game in general since many years. Ars Magica 5E we started in 2007. My Job keeps me away from home for around 3 Month a year. During my home time I have an ArM5E group that plays in RL every 4 weeks (long travel required for me). For March and May 2015 it’s likely for me to be in beautiful Queensland down under.
I have the ArM5 and the HoH and to many other books I have a restricted access. In case you have suggestions for additional must haves please advice.
I discovered this Forum shortly and had read the adventures of Prochorus, Japick, Quercus and all the others. While reading through this story I wanted to participate. Up to now I have no experience in Play by post games, bit really looking forward to this.
Greetings
Flavius
Regarding books, all you need in this saga is the main core book. Characters should be built based only on what's in there, including virtues/flaws and formulaic spells.
Everything else is subject to my approval before it can be used. Even the HoH books are referred to mainly for flavour.
So you don't need to buy anything more than what you have.
Welcome to our saga Flavius!
What kind of magus do you have in mind?
Just ask if you need any help or have any querstions.
(Moved Flavius' initial magus concept to the relevant topic for discussion.)
Answering here since this is not directly related to Flavius' character concept...
From a purely OOC perspective, I can tell you that it should become possible for the covenant to create an underground structure for the covenant.
But probably not as you envision it.
And if you try to do it in the short term, you will run into a lot of trouble with the villagers. They first need to become more comfortable with the presence of the magi on the plateau. That will take time, as well as stories. And the road may be bumpy.
That sounds like the kind of bumps I was expecting we would face, so no problem from me.
Sounds good for me!
After the buildings are finished we can check the situation and our relations to the villagers. In case it seems not too risky we can start. In case of doubt we carefully try to get a better relation to the people around the covenant.
Just to clarify...
When I said "that will take time", I'm thinking years, perhaps even decades. It will all depend on how much time and efforts the magi invest in the relationship with the villagers.
If they simply sit back and hide in their labs, doing their own stuff and letting their servants build a relationship with the villagers... Well, that would be the safer road. But a safe road is often the longest one, so that will take a decade or three before enough trust has been built.
If they go out of their way to try and learn more about the villager, and interact with them directly... That might speed up the process, but is much more risky. The road will be far bumpier and they might end up in a ditch instead of arriving faster at their destination. So in short it could create further ill will, or build trust in "only" a few years.
This sounds like I may have envisioned it, at least that the way to achieve this smoothly will take a lot of time and some effort with the villagers. So we probably should get some stories started along that road. Trust-building...or wrecking. 
I'm taking this discussion here instead of in the IC thread.
I'm not sure if we have written a charter with rules for the covenant. I have no memory of it so perhaps we should do that at the upcoming council meeting. Is Bernhard with us here on the island now when Herman arrived? If not can we have a council meeting without him? I guess that is an example of the rules we need to address.
We also need a name for the covenant. I'll just list a few suggestions that comes off my head as I write. Feel free to come up with alternatives, you as well Flavius.
Helgeland
Oberland
Deadoak
Terra Sacra (Helgeland in Latin)
Terra Superus (Oberland in Latin)
I like Terra Superus as a name.
I rather hope that the dead oak will not be our only "feature", so I am reluctant to use that for a name.
As far as I can remember, no formal rules were discussed amongst the magi.
Bernhard could not return with you to Helgeland, as he had duties to fulfill elsewhere. But you don't need him there to hold a council of sorts. The contract he had you sign only specified that if the magi end up forming an official covenant, then you would extend an invitation for him to become a member. And of course his share of the raw vis harvested.
From a legal standpoint, this is not a recognized covenant. So the rules that you set won't be a charter and would not be binding should a case be brought at Tribunal regarding someone not respecting it. Until such a time as you suceed in getting your covenant recognized (if ever), then respect of those rules are strictly voluntary. That being said, it is probably a good idea to have such rules, as they set expectations of behaviour amongst yourselves.
A few more suggestions, coming either from Bernhard or from one of the mundanes:
Windy Cliffs / Ventosa Rupes
Deadly Oak / Quercus Mortifero
Stony Bark / Petrosa Cortex
Twin Hills / Gemina Collibus
or a more humerous one:
Goats Beware! / Hircos Cave!
At the moment my favorite is Gemina Collibus
Gemina Collibus is good.