I'm possibly interested in joining the troupe. A long time ago, I tried to join an ongoing story here on the boards, but just as I did that campaign went into hiatus. Winter covenant IRL, I guess. I figured I'd give it another try .
Anyway, I'm foremost a roleplayer/storyteller. Although I can generally handle mechanics just fine, I have little interest in min-maxing book-keeping. As a result, I tend to end up with quirky characters that are moderately strong in a narrow field, and hopelessly weak in many practical ways. The greatest limitation I run into is that of concept. If my character doesn't believe something to work, her (or his) magic just won't allow for it, unless convinced/trained otherwise over time. I also love history dearly, and my characters tend to have extensive backgrounds, or at least links to historical or mythic circumstances of the time.
If there is room for another player, I would prefer to play a character that has little more than the minimum 15 years of training. I realize this will make him or her weaker than established magi or magae, but hopefully I can contribute to the story nonetheless.
Well, then, possibly welcome! If you do wind up joining, rest assured you're not the only person in the troupe who likes to create quirky characters, or ones who're tied to historical events.
As a side note, there's a fresh-out-of-apprenticeship Maga -- Rose of Tremere -- who was created by another player and then abandoned. Jonathan intended to take her over as an NPC -- perhaps you can talk to him about taking her over and putting your own spin on her, if he didn't have elaborate plans?
Canaries is up and running again, kinda, if you're still interested. I'm moving in a few weeks (from Pennsylvania back to Texas), so it's not as active as I had hoped I would be when I started the saga (not that the one has anything to do with the other).
I did read about Rose, but would prefer to make my own character, if you all don't mind?
Do you prefer to discuss new characters "out in the open", out-of-character, with the whole troupe, or just with the main storyteller behind closed doors? I have enough of an idea that I could put a decent sketch down, although most of the numbers need to be wrangled yet.
My thoughts at the moment hover around a female Bjornaer follower of Pomeranian (Danish/Wendish) descent, born in the year 1204. Her parents were travelling healers but fell foul of the Church and were declared Outlaw for heathenry in 1209. Due to the traditional folk laws of the time, this meant that their daughter was considered orphaned and they were forced to abandon her by the side of the road.
Later that same year, Boris of Novgorod, a Redcap on his way back to Oculus Septentrionalis (in Lubeck), came across the waif and noticed something ... odd about her. On a hunch, he took her to the Novgorod Inn in Lubeck, which is an acting Mercer House, as he alerted the magi at the covenant. It was soon discovered by the Jerbiton magi of the covenant that the child was indeed magical in nature of some kind, although they could do little to find out more. A mere week after their discovery, a letter with dark overtones arrived from Crintera, claiming the child as their own. Given the oft-times difficult relations between the two covenants and the fact that the mercantile activities of Oculus Septentrionalis would be rather curtailed by duties towards a young and un-Gentle child, it was decided to give up the orphan in exchange for study rights. Not a bad deal, any local merchant would agree.
At Crintera, the child was adopted by a sept of Clan Sirnas, where it was discovered she had latent [i]Spokenkieker /i powers. She also showed an early interest in local folklore, especially surrounding the Holzfrauen (a type of faerie). These were nourished but channeled in a way that suited the House most, and she started to show early promise in Mentem magics as a result. The ex-Merinita members in Clan Sirnas took notice, though.
In accordance with Bjornaer tradition, the young girl, who had been going by the name Frawjen ["young lady" - her parents were unknown and she was reticent to speak of them or her mundane name] suddenly chose the name VanadÃs at her first Gathering of Twelve Years, in 2015. This was considered somewhat ominous, as it is a calling-name for the Nordic goddess Freya. Since this is not commonly known outside of the far north of Mythic Europe, and the name has a Latin look to it, it was allowed to stand, but it did make some of the more Christian-leaning magi at the Moot uncomfortable. She also passed her Gauntlet succesfully, showing off her Cat heartshape with ease.
In the following years VanadÃs continued her apprenticeship in Clan Sirnas until she was declared a full maga according to the Laws of the Order in 1224. [She had been accorded full membership of House Bjornaer back in 2015.] In the three years between the end of her "official" apprenticeship and the next Gathering (in 1227), VanadÃs travelled to visit some of the more far-flung members of her Clan, including the Clan Chief Ophia Sirnaus on her island in the Aegean Sea. During these years she has developed a pantheistic worldview that incorporates defense of the mysteries of the Wild and great respect for local folk traditions. She has been known to be scathing towards rigid Christians ["apologists"], although she actually enjoys the more mystical strains of the "New Faiths".
Travelling back to Crintera in 1227, she emerged from the Gathering in her heartshape and has not been seen to leave it for several seasons since. Rumours have it that she is undergoing a Mystery, but few details are known. [This is in fact the Minor House Mystery of Theriomorphy, taking up the entirety of the year. I have no idea whether she also gains experience during this year].
Well, that's the story as I have it in mind so far. If it sounds good, I'd like her to enter the Saga at this point in her timeline. I will have to work out the numbers, of course, and figure out what flaws and merits would suit her best. Let me know what you think of it.
Looks interesting, although I did have to go and look up Sirnas. As a side note, it's a pity you're not applying to 'Light of Andorra' -- Vanadis and my character for that saga (Gardaitis of Flambeau, an Estonian pagan) would get on like a house afire.
Couple of notes. First of all, there are a couple of what you'd term 'rigid' Christians at Mons Electi -- Alexei and Rodrigo, perhaps a few others. Don't let that stop you, by any means -- the fireworks ought to be fun -- but it is something to keep in mind.
What did you mean by 'New Faiths'? Cathars and such?
And finally... why Mons Electi? For that matter, why Normandy? Did she pick a covenant name out of a hat, or is there something specific bringing her here?
As for Alexei, he's surprisingly openminded. He may try to convert people, but it would be with conversation and not violence or condemnation. And he's not likely to be upset about practicing paganism unless he's expected to join...in that case don't bother. He does however look very dimly on anyone bowing to anything that is not human regardless of the source of their Might (which includes the Divine, as far as Alexei is concerned part of the compact God has with man is that Man worships God and that's it, bowing to angels is not part of the deal).
"Light of Andorra" sounded, well, too much adventure novel and not enough mystery to me. I'm also thinking that the frontlines of the Reconquista, past or present, would not be a particularly comfortable place for her. Mind you, such a story can be quite appealing, but it just didn't seem a good fit right now. I might come up with another character idea in time for Andorra - who can tell?
With "New Faiths" Vanadis means the "Faiths of the Book", aka Christians, Muslims and Jews. I realize that at least the Jewish Faith is quite old indeed, but since she self-identifies as a Nordic maga, to her those Faiths are essentially infiltrating her holy land.
She believes that magical might, Faerie or Hermetic, is a reward for adherence to a compact between the Gifted and the spirits of the Land. Interestingly, this is actually not at all dissimilar to the "guardians of Creation" charge Adam and his descendants received back in Genesis. [It especially strikes chords with the Hasidic strain of the Jewish Faith.] Having never actually read the Bible, Vanadis doesn't realize this.
As far as actual worship goes, there is little reason to worry; Vanadis worships at the Temple of "Know Thy Self". Any creature of Might is due respect, but at the end of the day worship of any being means, to her, an acknowledgement that they are inherently superior. This is inconceivable. The Self is your birthright, an inheritance of power that can evolve by incarnating powers through compacts. [I did mention a Cat heartbeast, right? ]
As for "Why Mons Electi?" I sampled a few threads in various ongoing Sagas, and this one seemed to suit my playing style quite a bit, as well as having the kind of elements to the story that would form good hooks down the road to get involved. I realize this is very much OOC reasoning, but in my experience it is usually best to be at ease as a player first, then work in the character. Conflict roleplaying works best when confined to the characters .
For Hasidic, read Askenazi - the Hasidic movement was an 18th century offshoot off these (and other) much older roots. Sorry about that.
Out of character, the major theological issue standing between this and Vanadis would be the concept of the Will of the Creator. To her, Creation is an ongoing thing, working in cycles. The idea of an external Creator overseeing the worlds cycling in and out of existance would be quite the leap of faith.
I'm still working on that! Ye Good Olde "my alma mater owed a favour to these guys, so off I went" reasoning might work, perhaps? Since I have not fleshed out where her Sept was exactly located (Crintera isn't at all necessary), there's definite flexibility. Alternatively, local "ghost stories" or good Mentem texts in the library might also appeal. And last but not least, it's very possible that she needs some respite after her Mystery and stops in for the night, having been essentially covenant-less for a year.
There is no one named Rodrigo at this covenant.
There is a Roberto though
And yes, Roberto is a devout Spanish Catholic. I would not say he is "rigid" though. He is obviously outspoken and somewhat conservative. But he has had many several non-Catholic friends in the past. Notably at Novus Mane. Wirth was Christian; but Iolar, Havlard, and Aelianus were all pagans.
As for Andorra, you are accurate. It is more of an adventure story and less so a mystery. I like adventures, I don't like mysteries. That causes me difficulty here, because I would like to play out some action/adventure stories and I already solved the mystery
There used to be an Ex Misc magus, Jormungandr, who was also Norse Pagan and a devotee of Freya. Perhaps he and Vanadis knew each other (giggity) and he mentioned his former covenant, and it sounded appealing to her?
Very much so. Her Clan within House Bjornaer is also conceived along these lines, and she sees herself as a mediator between the powers "of" the world and the powers "in" the world. I imagine that her philosophy would strike true with many Jerbiton and Merinita, too. Note, though, that I do not imagine her to be all that good of a communicator, being somewhat self-absorbed at times and concerned with "inheritance". She is, in her own way, very devout, though.
Thinking over it, I suddenly realize the profound echoes between Mitzvot and the "Huntress of the Woods" cult within House Bjornaer. Talk about eclectic.
Wow. scratches head Don't really see that, actually. There's one echo -- the whole messiah thing, and actively working to bring it closer -- but that's hardly unique to Judaism, and the methodology is completely different. I guess you could draw a parallel between the Huntress' seeking after ancient knowledge and the study of Kabbalah, but that's a pretty remote echo as well.
Returning briefly to the subject of ghosts (also, howdy Makarion!): one of our vis sources (The Lonely Grave’s Corpus) is ghostily described on the covenant wiki. Feel free to be inspired by it. The local Redcaps surely know about this source, at the very least, so it's not a secret.
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If you do wind up joining, rest assured you're not the only person in the troupe who likes to create quirky characters, or ones who're tied to historical events.
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