Anything that doesn't fit the covenant discussion can go in here until play is started.
Woot! Got our new home!
I take it we should place are character ideas here?
So my character ideas: For the magus, I was planning on a Verdi who had joined the Order of the Green Cockerel (or whatever its called). Picked up a some of the mysteries of Verdi, but seeks immortality. Has come out to Translyvania to escape from the other alchemists. She'd be a good enough mystagogue she could probably invent her own initiations and such allowing her to skip many of the other tasks they would require to advance through the ranks. Would try and recruit fellow magi to try and build her own little off-shoot.
Companion ideas: I have several. In no particular order:
The first would be a sort of infernalist, a corrupted Gnostic. Not actually dealing with demons perse having received training from other people. Still would try to lead the grogs and magi in to sin and temptation.
My next idea is a more normal hedge wizard. Faerie wizardry or Elemental Magic or a Learned Magician. Provide a little bit of exotic assistance for the other magi.
My next idea would be a dark fae. We are close enough to them...
I'd be a little leery of playing a Companion that seems to be in direct opposition (in some fashion) to the magi. Which is not to say he wouldn't be subtle about it. But once the Magi know, or even suspect, they're likely to take action; and they are not as hindered in their responses when it's someone not in the Order. Just personal experience.
I do like the idea of a Hedge type companion though. And of course if you went with a Dark Fae that could cause interesting stories with my own magus (I worry a little about the overlap though).
For your Verditius, sounds great, I'd like to throw some business your way probably. One thing though, you might want to be careful about cutting yourself off from your House (or did I misread that, are you mainly cutting yourself off from the Alchemists?).
Not sure what I have in mind for a Companion myself yet. Something involving the dragons seems good, perhaps dragon blooded or maybe a dragon scholar or hunter?
As already mentioned in the other thread that my char is a Bonisagus who is also part of the Green Cockerel Alchemists.
Right now I have a problem with our GM with that as he requested me to go down to each saison in the char generation because of the iniatations but he only allow to spend either 10 exp or 2 exp per saison what dont work in the detailed character generation.
I offered him to go trough the headache and make a detailed char that end with the totall exp he expect but spend some saisons with higher and some with lower exp rates but he refused.
In regards to the companion, realize that the Tremere will wipe you out if they find put what he is doing. They will kill everyone in the Covenant.
Remember that there is a Tremere at the Oppidum as there must be according to the Tribunal laws.
Everyone? Are they going to March us all without a fair trial or just mass Wizard War us? If anyone objects I can just do a different route. I'm actually leaning towards the dark fae. Kife and modify Holo from the game which seems to have died...
I can do all that if the GM wants. We'll just have to say my character didn't plan all that well. And besides she can buy your silence with free and easy initiations.
Well I was already of the opinion that a companion that is more or less opposed to the magi is not likely to turn out well. For that Companion I'd see that he'd likely get killed by one of the magi; without trial, because they wouldn't need one. And that would probably happen before the Tribunal would know. As for fair trials and all...those are handled with probably brutal efficiency when all of the votes are in like 5 wizards' hands. Wizard's War would also be an option that could be handled pretty quick. The dark fae would be a better idea I think.
Dark fae is fine. Infernal is a different story. Yes. If it is found that someone had been corrupting the magi and/or magic of the Oppidum they would March all of you including the Tremere that resides there. It will be quite democratic and follow all the normal procedures. The Tremere will block vote the result and the hunt will begin.
I will be going over some of this later but your characters will be signing agreements that they must, in a broad sense, be aware of the activities of all the other members.
[edit] Dark fae is fine unless it is a vampire. They have vampire problems in Transylvania so they come down hard on them. But would not march the entire Oppidum for that.
I like the idea of having a Dragon Born (AtD 108) as a Companion. Any objections? I still have some things to figure out, but that seems like a decent start.
I think several people here do not have Against the Darkness so you might want to run down what Dragon born entails.
Sure.
Dragon born are aligned with the magic realm and are the children of dragons and mortal women. You'd need to take certain Virtues to represent this. Examples are Greater Immunity: Fire and Personal Power, they then give two examples of powers. One allows you to breath underwater and another allows your hands to grow so hot they can melt iron. A typical flaw would be Greedy for either women or power. Having such a background also makes it possible for a number of other virtues and flaws, but they would still be considered a 'normal' Companion and not a Mythic Companion; they wouldn't have a MIght score for example.
I think one could make a great addition to the game. I've even been thinking of some things like a proto Ordo Dracul (the famous order of knights that Vlad Tepes was supposed to be in).
I have a question: Do you want me to do extremely advanced character creation (go through all the seasons and such), if I want to initiate cult virtues and such? And if I do go that route, how should I handle stuff like study bonus or book learner? Can I use the apprentice book for the apprenticeship? Adauli had alluded to it so...
As an observer and lurker, may I ask what is supposed to be the grand story arc for this saga? Maybe it is secret in which case I will wait, like everybody, but in case it is not and the general outline is public and I have missed it. 
Cheers,
Xavi
Study bonus and book learner are not to be used in character creation. You get 40 xp per year. For cults we will have to discuss how long they take. I would like to see advancement it per year but it does not have to be detailed.
The basic set up is a New Oppidum in Transylvania and new blood is allowed to come in to study. [strike]The Tremere need some buffer to deal with the dragons and dark fae. Also someone is needed to take the fall if their current plan fails[/strike] Some of it is trying to do an adventure set within the Transylvania Tribunal. Some of it is based on Ruins of Bibracte metaplot.
We are also starting in 1260 which puts a bit of a change on some things. Levant is basically does not exist any more. I've kept history as basically the same but played around with the Order Events.
Regarding the Covenant as it's presented so far, will we get some say or discussion in more Hooks/Boons and the expenditure of points? It would make sense if there's a rather strict limit as all Oppida exist by the sufferance of the Tremere.
A Special Purpose would make sense as the Tremere may have certamen 'for love' it doesn't look like anything else is that way. Maybe there is a special purpose already and is a hidden boon and hook?
Regarding points, since we're all 20-30 years past Gauntlet, there wll be plenty of books and other study sources that just aren't very effective any more. We'd likely want to consolidate in either some really powerful and expensive books or a hell of a lot of tracti and vis.
Without assuming too much where would we stand in our citizenship within the Tribunal? All of the same degree or would some be higher than others? Would it be necessary to buy a Reputation or Hermetic Prestige to be higher up the chain if one were not a Tremre?
That reminds me, what about the Novgorod Tribunal ? Historically it is under Mongol dominion, although whether the magi there have noticed is an open question. As I recall at least one covenant is hidden in the middle of a swamp large enough to swallow a small country ...
Novgorod Tribunal does not exist as the magi have either fled or been killed by the mongols. Pockets of more powerful magi may still be there but are cut off from the rest of the Order ( for the most part).