OOC

I am back again and I have a new idea. A root-cutter (Ex Misc magus) who is a poster boy for the mystic fraternity of Samos who’s parens came of with the strange idea of spreading their wisdom in the northern more barbaric tribunals. I will start over the next days with crunching a few numbers. I like to have magi who have a pet project of their own and for this magus it will be to establish a mystery cult in the Stonehenge tribunal.

Welcome, Falls and Surefoot! And welcome back Max!

Now that we finally have a group together, I can't wait to get started. I'm really excited about the fair idea. I want some cotton candy. Envisions a bunch of magi driving around on the bumper cars

I've got a few ideas - an Ox Bjornaer, an Ex Misc from a nordic tradition, or a gung-ho tall-tale-telling wanderer Tytalus. There's more, too; my head is full of wizards at the moment and I really need to get some out before something unhealthy happens.

OK, I have a little narrative that I will post. This will set the scene. It's not necessary for all the magi to be created yet, and I will ask you to refrain from posting in this thread for just a bit. When it looks like we're ready I'll invite you to start.

Looks like I'm going with the Tytalus. For obvious reasons, the ritual posted there would not concern him - the apprenticeship of a Tytalus is... singular. Is that the age we are, though? Immediately post-gauntlet? Or do you want us to have a few years as magi?

Post Gauntlet.

It is a bit strange that 6 or so wizards would all finish their Gauntlet the same year and go to the same Tribunal, but then again, perhaps the hand of Fate is working behind the scenes.

But yes, all of the Magi should start from 5-12 years old and then add the 15 years of apprenticeship xp and benefits.

edit The age range should be 5-12 before apprenticeship.

Woops. I asked to hold off posting anything in the newest thread, I wanted to basically set the scene and allow the remaining players the chance to create their characters.

Would you mind for now removing the post Ladyphoenix?

She does have a point, though, that is a highly irregular procedure for teaching the Parma, especially considering that Tytalus (and Criamon, and Bjornaer... heck, most of them) have their own VERY specific ways of teaching and gauntleting apprentices.

It is more than highly irregular. It is granting a mage of another house and unknown motives an arcane connection that lasts YEARS of mages that should be past their gauntlet as administered by their house. Considering my character is Gurnicus, she would nto only question it but it has potential of giving easy way to interfer with her investigations in the tribunal.

It certainly is a bit bizarre. I’m OK with it, but I can think of several Houses as a whole that wouldn’t be.

Anywho, a draft of my character sheet follows. I'm still fleshing out the history, and I'll put comments in my next post. Other than that, it's close to done. Lord willing, the math will be approximately right.

Elysia, of House Criamon
Gender: Female House: Criamon Age: 27Height: 5’4” Weight: 120
Hair: White Eyes: Green Religion: The Enigma
Parens: Covenant of Origin:
Voting Sigil: Two interlocking iron circles, inscribed with looping designs reminiscent of her stigmata.

Elysia has long white hair, tan skin, and bright green eyes. She always seems slightly disheveled, but sunny and smiling nevertheless. Silver-grey loops and whorls cover her chest and upper arms, growing slowly, year by year, down to her hands and around her back.

Confidence: 1 (3)
Wizard's Sigil: Her spells incorporate a motif of birds or feathers
Personality Traits: Optimistic +3, Earnest +2, Unusual +2

Characteristics:
Int: +3 (Clever)
Per: +1 (Observant)
Str: 0
Sta +2 (Unyielding)
Pre: +1 (Eye-catching)
Com: -2 (Otherworldy)
Dex: -1 (Awkward)
Qik 0

Virtues and Flaws:
Virtues: +0 Gifted Hermetic Magus, +C The Enigma, +1 Affinity with Muto, +1 Animal Ken, +1 Inoffensive to Animals, +1 Minor Magical Focus: Imitative songbirds, +1 Puissant Enigmatic Wisdom, +1 Subtle Magic, +1 Skilled Parens, +3 Flexible Formulaic Magic
Flaws: -1 Feral Upbringing, -1 Less Malediction: Must always speak the truth, -1 Magical Animal Companion, -1 Weak Enchanter, -3 Optimistic, -3 Weak Magic Resistance: Unable to see the sky.

Abilities: Animal Handling (wild beasts) 2, Area Lore (Caledonian forest) (finding food) 1, Artes Liberales (Ceremonial magic) 1, Athletics (running) 2, Awareness (alertness) 2, Brawl (dodging) 2, Charm (first impressions) 1, English (speaking to friends) 1, Enigmatic Wisdom 2+2, Faerie Lore (faerie bargains) 1, Finesse (Herbam) 1, Folk Ken (non-verbal cues) 3, Latin (speaking to Magi) 4, Magic Lore (magical animals) 1, Magic Theory (learning spells) 3, Parma Magica (Corpus) 1, Stealth (natural areas) 2, Survival (in forests) 3, Swim (underwater maneuvering) 1

Magical Arts XP / score
Mu (30x1.5)/9
Intellego 21/6
Rego 21/6

Animal 21/6
Herbam 21/6
Corpus 21/6
Mentem 10/4

Combat:
Dodge: Init 0, Atk (N/A), Def +4, Dmg (N/A)

Spellbook: [Casting Total, not including aura]
Trap of Entwining Vines, CrHe15 [+9]
Disguise of the Transformed Image, MuIm15 [+9]
Wizard’s Sidestep, ReIm10 [+6]
Trust of Childlike Faith, PeMe10 [+4]
Posing the Silent Question, InMe20 [+12]

New and Modified Spells:
Demonstration of the Illusion of Distance, ReCo20 [+14]
As “Wizard’s Leap,” from Societates but with Range: Touch.
Sever from Sight’s Illusions, PeIm10 [+2]
As “Veil of Invisibility,” but with R:Per and D:Diam.

Strange Sight of Another [+14]
InAn15
R: Touch D: Concentration T: Individual
Allows you to see through an animal’s eyes as you concentrate. If you the animal leaves your sight, you must have an arcane connection to it for the spell to continue. Your perceptions are filtered through the mind of the animal, so they focus on those stimuli that the animal finds most vivid. For example, a magus reading the mind of a magpie finds that they fixate on reflective surfaces. This spell does not help you communicate with the animal, nor does it allow you to control it.
Base 5 +1 Touch +1 Concentration
Source: I got the base and part of the description from a similar (but more powerful) spell in True Lineages.

Focus the Attention of the Beast [+14]
ReAn10
R: Voice D: Diameter T: Individual
You suppress the natural impulses of an animal that make it distractible and focus its attention on you. This does not work on animals that are enraged or attack. This tends to make it calm and easy to train, and if you have a way of communicating with it, it is likely to understand you, communicate as lucidly as possible for its species, and do what you ask.
(Base: 2, R: Voice +1, D: Concentration +1l)

Flight of the Earthbound Angel[+17]
MuCo(An)25
R: Personal, D:Concentration, T: Individual
You don a cloak of white feathers on your back and your arms transform into white, flowing wings. Though you retain the use of your hands and voice, your entire body is changed as well. Your skin becomes mottled and covered with white feathers, you shrink slightly in size and your entire skeleton becomes as thin and light as a bird’s. You suffer -3 to your Soak because of these changes. You can fly as a bird does while under the effects of this spell, though you are likely to attract a great deal of attention if you try.
(Base: 15, D: Concentration +1, +1 Unnatural)

Staff of Moses [+17]
MuHe(An) 15
R: Touch, D: Concentration, T: Individual
You transform a wooden staff or rod into a live adder. Most mundanes are afraid of snakes and will need to make a Brave 6+ roll to engage it. This spell does not protect you from the snake, nor does it allow you to control it.
(Base: 4, R: Touch +1, D: Concentration +1, T: Individual, +1 Animal)
Source: Spell Wiki

The Treacherous Tunic [+17]
MuHe 15
R: Touch, D: Concentration, T: Individual
All of the target’s clothes become uncannily sticky, and hold especially tightly to one another. He suffers -3 and two extra botch on all physical actions for one combat round (about 6 seconds). If he continues to try to act thereafter, he becomes fully entangled and is likely to embarrass himself. This spell can be cast with Animal and Terram requisites to affect other types of clothing.
(Base: 5, R: Touch +1, D: Concentration +1)

MuMe10 Cast the Veil Over Memory’s Past [+15]
R: Eye , D: Sun, T: Individual
Changes the target’s memory of a series of events into a new series of memories with superficial similarities to the original.
(Base: 3, R: Eye +1, D: Sun +2)

Equipment:
Several robes, usually in warm, summer colors.
A horse
A tall walking staff
A small flock of inquisitive animals. This tends to form around her when they realize she can speak to them.

Animal Companion: Alvin, the jay. Magic Might 14

And now, some comments.

History and Parens
I’ll do a more detailed write-up tomorrowish. For now, here’s the Cliff’s Notes

  • Grew up half feral in a dense so that the language of birds and beasts effectively became her native tongue. Began to integrate, albeit slowly, into mundane society.
  • At this point, she was taken as an apprentice. I need to detail her parens some more – my first thought was Gerfallon of Criamon from the introduction to ArM4, the one who sets the path for the wandering covenant of Stonehenge.
  • Sometime during this period, she acquired a geas – speak only the truth. Though she can withhold information and (with great difficulty, sweating, possibly pain) speak truthful information misleadingly, everything she says must be the truth.

Why She’s Here
Reason 1: Politics. Her Skilled Parens has some clout in the tribunal that he rarely uses, but he used it this time and got her assigned here. Maybe because he had a vision, maybe for some other reason.

Reason 2: She is under the geas to speak only the truth. The idea is that deals overseen by her are more trustworthy than not, although she will have to work to establish her reputation.

What She Wants

  • See more of the world
  • Live aptly and help others to do the same, even if it means meddling.
  • Discover more about the Enigma

Feral Upbringing
I really like the combination of Feral Upbringing + Animal Ken – someone who communicates better with beasts than with most people. Though that Flaw technically says “You may not start with a score in a language,” I still figured this meant that I could learn Latin in my Apprenticeship Animal Summoners in Societates have the Feral Upbringing flaw required, and the core book notes that you can’t pass your Gauntlet unless you can speak at least a halting Latin, so I figured it would be alright.

Minor Magical Focus: Imitative Songbirds.
Sorry, didn’t know what else to call it. Jays, mockingbirds, larks, and the like was my idea for the focus. If any of you have a more concise way to say it, chip in. She has a Magical Animal Companion, a jay, who she’ll bind as a familiar fairly soon, and I wanted to focus to apply there.

New spells
I was in a creative mood, so there are many. I also borrowed one or two from the Spell Wiki since its patrolled pretty well for inappropriate spells. I also had to invent one or two bases out of whole cloth. Hopefully I was judicious. If you see one that needs looking at, just let me know.

Magical Animal Companion
Alas, I do not have RoP: Magic, so Alvin remains unstated. I hope to get it soon, but until I do, I won’t try to detail its powers or anything lest I step on what’s written there. I’ll do more if I get that book, or if things need filling in ASAP. She intends to bind him as a familiar eventually.

There is a story element that I will be introducing regarding the bizarreness of this particular issue.

I was definitely expecting reluctance and resistance, if it may be allowed to be taken care of in character though.

I'll be holding off posting that though until all characters have their magi ready.

Here's my first draft of my magus, a Tytalus with Jotun (norse troll) blood, discovered and trained during his parens' futile search for the Order of Odin.

Kylios ex Tytalus, Aged 27, just out of Apprenticeship

Characteristics: Int:2 Per:0 Pre:1 Com:1 Str:0 Sta:2 Dex:0 Qik:-1

Virtues:
Enchanting Music: (does poetry work?)
Free Study
Premonitions
Large
Luck
Mythic Blood: Jotun
(free) Minor Magical Focus: self-transformation
Personal Vis Source
Unaging
(free) Self-Confident

Flaws:
(free) Compulsion: Deceitful
Overconfident (minor)
Difficult Longevity Ritual
Fury: Hearing House Tytalus and its ideals and methodologies insulted has been known to throw the normally-jovial Kylios into a cold rage.
Outsider (Norse): minor
Deleterious Circumstances (touching iron)
Missing Hand

Abilities (specialization) xp / score
Norse 0/5
Athletics 15/2
Brawl 5/1
Guile 50/4
Folk Ken 30/3
Charm 15/2
Concentration 15/2
Survival 5/1
Premonitions 5/1
Enchanting Music 15/2
Latin 50/4
Artes Liberales 15/2
Magic Theory 50/4
Parma Magica 5/1
Penetration 5/1

Magical Arts
Pe 36/8
Mu 36/8
Te 28/7
Co 15/5

Spells:
Jotun's Change (Mythic Blood special power: level 15, fast-cast without words or gestures)
R:Per D:Sun T:Ind
Kylios may make himself look, sound, feel, and smell as if he were anything else of approximately the same shape and size.
(base as Image Phantom, but with Range reduced to Per)

EDITED to deal with some heavy bookkeeping errors in the V&F.

Why are you two posting your mages to ooc thread rather than the mages thread.

Unlike another game, I am involved with, there is no requirement for subject yourself to nitpicking and detailed dissection first.

Given my tendency to royally f*ck up the math, I like to have other people give me feedback, or at least go over my bookkeeping. Call it a minor personality flaw.

First draft for a magus. Tell me what you think.

Acacius Ex Miscellanea

Int +4 Per +1 Pre 0 Com +2
Str -1 Sta 0 Dex +1 Qui 0

Age: 27 0

Virtues
Hemetic magus, The gift, Mythic herbalism, Root cutter, Great Intelligence, Good teacher, Skilled parens, Affinity with Corpus, Puissant corpus, Cyclic magic positive (spring & summer), Improved characteristics, Minor magical focus healing, Hermetic numerology, Baccalaureus

Flaws
Deficient technique Perdo, Soft-hearted, Driven (major), Cyclic magic negative (autumn & winter), Magic addiction, Susceptibly to Infernal power, Cabal legacy The mystic fraternity of Samos.

Abilities/score/speciality

Artes liberates/4/ Ceremonial magic
Bargain/2/Books
Charm/1/ Debate
Chirurgy/1/Surgical intervention
Code of hermes/1/ Stonehenge tribunal
Concentration/1/ Spells
Craft: Drawing/2/Plants and herbs
Finesse/1/ Craft magic
Folk ken/2/ Magi
Guile/2/ Fast excuses
Latin/4 / Writing
Leadership/1/Nurses
Magic theory/3/ Creo
Medicine/1/Diagnostic
Music/1/Bagpipes
Mystic fraternity of Samos Lore/3/Modifying scripts
Mythic herbalism/3/healing wounds
Order of Hermes lore /1/Stonehenge tribunal
Parma magica/1/ Corpus
Pentration/1/ Corpus
Philosophiae/3/ Ceremonial magic
Profession: Apotechary/2/Finding ingredients
Speak Saxon/5/Apotecharys vocabulary
Teaching/1/Single student

Cr 4 In 4 Mu 4 Pe 0 Re 4
An 0 Au 4 Aq 0 Co 11+3 He 4
Ig 0 Im 0 Me 0 Te 3 Vi 4

Spells / TeFo/ Level / Bonus (Te+Fo+Sta) / Page reference
Air’s ghostly form / CrAu / 5 / +8 / ArM5 p. 130
Bind wound / CrCo / 10 / +22 / ArM5 p. 129
Eyes of the treacherous terrain / InTe / 15 / +7 / ArM5 p. 153
Intuition of the forest / InHe / 10 / +8 / ArM5 p. 136
Maintaining the demanding spell / ReVi / 15 / +8 / ArM5 p. 162
Opening the intangible tunnel / ReVi / 15 / +8 / ArM5 p. 162
Restoration of the defiled body / CrCo / 25 / +22 / ArM5 p. 129
Revealed flaws of the mortal flesh / InCo / 10 / +18 / ArM5 p. 130
The wizard’s leap / ReCo / 15 / +8 / HoH:S p. 36
Trap of the Entwining wine / CrHe / 15 / +8 / ArM5 p. 135
Wind at the back / ReAu / 5 / +8 / ArM5 p. 128
Wizards sidestep / ReIm / 10 / +4 / ArM5 p. 147

Equipment
Wizardly robes that marks Acacius position within the Mystic fraternity.

Appearance
A slender man with red hair and beard, his appearance is rather unassuming so if it where not for his noticeable clothing.

Background

Acacius grew up in Oxford and where given the name Tatwine at his birth. His father where an Apothecary and as soon as he could help out young Tatwine where at his father side and aided him in the store or the garden. Tatwine enjoyed both working with the plants as well as meeting the ones who visited the shop. His father where a most loving father and raised young Tatwine well and thought him to respect life in all forms and to always strive to make the world a better place.

At the age of nine young Tatwine’s gift begun to manifest and thus he began to spend more time in the garden rather than the shop. Loving as his father where he realised that the young lad scared the costumers off.

Then came the day that the Apothecary where visited by a strange man who asked for an even more strange plant. The stranger where shown the garden with the apothecary’s herbs and meet young Tatwine. The encounter where short but the stranger looked at Tatwine for a little to long, sensing his gift. The stranger then asked to speak with Tatwine’s father about a few things and they went back into the shop.

That night after the stranger visited Tatwine’s father told him that he had been given an offer to take on the young lad as his apprentice. Tatwine’s father told him about the strange gift that he had in his blood and how he must use it to make the world a better place.

Tatwine started his apprenticeship at his master Ireneus Ex Miscellanea and where introduced to the line of the Pharmacopoeians. His apprenticeship where filled with rigours academic studies and trials of his moral fibre. His apprenticeship where extended with the tribunals allowance to encompass time for his Baccalaureus degree.

At a later stage in his apprenticeship Acacius, as his new name where, where introduced into the Mystic fraternity. He where informed of his masters intention to establish the mystery cult in the Stonehenge tribunal. Acacius are meant to be a vital instrument in establishment of the cult especially as his master must leave the tribunal a short time after Acacius gauntlet.

I'm not sure what you mean my 'Imitative Songbirds.' Songbirds that imitate something else? I don't know birds that well, but I thought only a few birds, like the mockingbird, could actually imitate other calls. Could ask others' opinion, but I think a Minor Magical Focus: Songbirds would work.

OK, a couple of posts before I go to work. I see some Magi are posted here. Once they're settled go ahead and throw them into the Magi thread please.

OK Falls. The magus looks pretty good, there are a few things:

You have the Animal Ken virtue, but didn't take the Animal Ken Ability (starting at a score of 1 plus any XP you devote to it). The focus you have is a bit too focused. Birds is a Major focus, but Songbirds as suggested would be fine.

Regarding the spell choice I'd prefer that the majority are the standard with only a few custom made spells. With your Major virtue of flexible formulaic magic, that makes more sense IMO. Starting with a language is OK with the Feral upbringing flaw in this particular case. Regarding the companion if you want to design it later that's fine.

The background is fine for now, come up with the rest when you can.

Surefoot, your magus looks good, I like the concept, you need to work on that one flaw as I mentioned in the PM. ALso you need spells and the remainder of the background. Regarding the Enchanting music question, I'm assuming you're perhaps talking about poetry/kennings? That can work fine as far as I'm concerned, someone suddenly breaking out into poetry can be just as conspicuous as singing. It also goes well with the magical style of the norse IMO. When you're finished you can put him in the Magi thread.

And I'm also fine with the Mythic Blood spell you designed and its origins.

Mad Max I need to review more about the Pharmacopoeians and their virtues and such. Offhand it shouldn't be an issue, but let me get back on that, as well as the Samos Mystery.