This topic will be used for general discussions and chatting.
As I stated in the recruitment forum:
I'm still waiting for some of you to repost your concept in your character creation topic.
That will let me know that everyone is still there and working on his character. 
I'm having an inspection at work next Monday and i'm a bit in a flu which makes me kinda slow. So I'll probably only post the concept in the middle of next week.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
Got any more room for a verditus or Guernicus?
Not at the moment. I'd rather start the saga with only 4 players, as it is quite a bit of work integrating everyone.
Perhaps in a few months, when things have settled down?
As your magi are starting to be finalized, I'd like you to start thinking about a few things.
First, each of your magi should have one personal servant or grog. These would have been attached to your magus' service during your apprenticeship, in order to get used to your Gift (if applicable) and build a working relationship with him. This person is almost certainly a shield grog (since none of your magi are particularly combat-oriented), charged with defending him from mundane attacks, although he may also act as a personal servant and interface in mundane matters. Ideally, that grog should be played by one of the other players (and not always the same one), so you may want to discuss with each other how to create them.
Second, as each of your magi initially learned of the opening at Fengheld from this letter, it would only be normal that they would have responded to it. So I'd like you to write your magus' introduction letter. This will let me know which parts of your background you would have shared with Fengheld, and how you sold your candidature to that powerful covenant.
Would grog creation follow the same rules for starting magus? Can we only use the core book?
Here is Ludovicus' application:
To the august and most excellent Archmagus Stentorius Tremeris and to the esteemed Council of Members of Fengheld:
I, Ludovicus ex Bonisagus, fledgling magus, humbly put forth my candidacy for inclusion among the group of young magi whom you shall select to found a new chapter house for the covenant of Fengheld. Should you choose me, I will contribute the following: my strong foundation in the Techniques of Intellego, Rego, and Muto, the Forms Vim and Corpus, and in the Theory of Magic; the know-how, determination, and daring to ferret out new sources of vis and other magical resources hidden in the landscape; and my knowledge of the magical and faerie realms and the ability to detect regio boundaries for both. I believe these skills will prove particularly valuable to the new chapter house.
I regret I cannot offer the recommendations of my pater, Machmalius ex Bonisagus, to vouch for my abilities, as he has no faith in them. Rest assured that I have passed my gauntlet to the fullest requirements, and I provide these names as witnesses: Harusticia ex Merinita, Anklagibus ex Verditius, and Lardano ex Tytalus, all of the covenant Castelfranco Veneto.
I await your selection decision with humble patience and send you my utmost good will.
Given at Castelfranco Veneto, on the seventeenth day of the month of April, in the year of our Lord, one thousand two hundred and seven.
Yes.
Note that you should propose the concept for your grog, but that since it is the other players that will control him, they have a large say in how he will be designed.
I post my concept for Tamas' shield grog here.
The biological son of Tamas' dead pater, Kiranko. Tamas, Kiranko and this grog have travelled together since Tamas left Constantinople when his apprenticeship started. The relationship between Tamas and this grog is similar to brothers.
He should be born somewhere in the Transylvanian or Theban Tribunals, most likely the former.
Forget the stats I wrote in my character creation thread. Anyone wanting to take part in the creation process of this grog feel free to add your opinions regarding abilities, virtues and flaws.
Please bear with my mediocre english...
Greetings, wise members of the council.
Fengheld's reputation reaches even the most distant place of Europe and I'm honored by the interest you shown in me by sending this redcap to my covenant. Your invitation, arrives at the greatest time as I swore my Oath a few months ago. Despite my fresh gauntlet, I'm probably more experienced that most candidates when It comes to magus activities and duties. Indeed, as you probably know the apprenticeship in House Bjornaer has specificities, I've been making decisions and bearing responsibilities for development of my covenant and the accomplishment of its goals for over four years.
You might have heard slanders about my Pater, give them no credit. I can assure you that while I share most of his concern about the protection of the wild and of the invaluable magic resources they represent I'm also well aware of the Code of Hermes. moreover, unlike the unfair description he's given, my pater Ymbert Bjornaer has been a very skilled teacher and initiated me to a wide variety of abilities beyond what is required from a magus at gauntlet : from philosophy and knowledge of the order's history to magical lore and it's intricacy.
I also bring to the table rare abilities for a magus of my age : Not only do I speak Latin, but also Arabic which could allow me to help the covenant access untapped resources. My magical specialties are also fairly rare, I'm focusing mostly on aquam and to a lesser extend auram which are probably among the least popular forms among the order. So chances are, in the new chapter house your founding I will complement any sodales without any detrimental overlapping between our magical abilities.
Günther Lupus was present during the magical event that somehow enhanced my gift : making my spells last longer, less likely to have erratic behavior, allowing me to cancel them at will and leaving the animal around me at ease while also making it more aligned than before towards my Ibis Heartbeast, making the casting of spells only available in this form. If you have further question about this, I'm sure Günther will find the words to explain how It affected my magic without compromising our House's cult secrecy.
Lastly, I'm from the Iberian tribunal so I'm not yet tangle up in guilds struggles and I'm not owning any favor nor animosity to any member of the tribunal.
Gratefully, Renatus Bjornaer
Given to the redcap the day after his arrival.
I posted a sample character sheet format in the House Rules topic. If you feel that your magus is ready, go ahead and create a new topic for him. Topic name should be "Magus: (magus name and House)"
Cheers!
Can I drop the Ibis leaving only the Heartbeast form ?
If I understand your question correctly, then yes. On your magus topic you can list only your stats in your heartbeast, without the intermediate stats of the mundane animal. I suggest posting your heartbeast stats as a seperate message.
This is what I meant indeed 
Indeed that's sad, all grogs end-up with the same flaws 
I think this is a good start. I will say though that I was picturing Giuseppe to be more physically capable of protecting Ludovicus, as his shield grog. So I'm not sure that Small Frame would be appropriate. Although I suppose small dragon fodder is pretty much just as good as large dragon fodder.
Here is a new version of Giuseppe with abilities. I changed Small frame to Motion Sickness.
Giuseppe
Characteristics: Int 0, Per +2, Pre 0, Com -1, Str +1, Sta 0, Dex +2, Qik +1
Size: 0
Age: 26 (26), Height: 170 cm, Weight: 75 kg, Gender: Male
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: 0 (0)
Virtues and Flaws: Custos (Martial Abilities), Clear Thinker, Puissant Stealth, Afflicted Tongue, Motion Sickness, Obsessed (with opposing authorities misusing power)
Combat
Dodge: Init: +1, Attack --, Defense +4, Damage --
Fist: Init: +1, Attack +4, Defense +3, Damage +1
Kick: Init: 0, Attack +4, Defense +2, Damage +4
Longsword: Init: +3, Attack +12, Defense +8, Damage +7
Thowing knife: Init: +1, Attack +6, Defense +4, Damage +3, Range 5
Soak: +6
Fatigue levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: -1 (1-5), -3 (6-10), -5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20), Dead (21+)
Abilities: Area Lore: Genoa (personalities) 1, Athletics 2 (running), Awareness 3 (alertness), Bargain 1, Brawl 2 (dodge), Carouse 1 (stay sober), Charm 2 (first impressions), Chirurgy 1 (binding wounds), Etiquette 2 (magi), Folk Ken 3 (magi), Guile 3 (fast talk), Latin 3 (orders), Legerdemain 2, Order of Hermes Lore 1 (politics), Stealth 4+2 (urban areas), Italian 5 (genovese), Single Weapon 5 (longsword), Thrown Weapons 2 (throwing knives)
Equipment: Full Leather Scale Armor; Longsword; 3 Throwing knifes;
Encumbrance:
While that is true that grogs don't have that many flaws in the core book, there is enough to build them. Honestly, I am much more interested in their personality and behaviour than their stats. Remember that combat will mostly be narrative and should not happen too often in this saga.
But I'm always open to suggestions for unusual/imaginative/new flaws, including those for grogs. For example, any appropriately-described set of abilities can have an 50 xp package attached to it (like Warrior or Educated).
Always makes me laugh to see that players assign lower Stamina to their grogs than they do for their magi. The irony!