(First of, if my players are reading this you should close this topic now or I'll eat your vis (Yes I see you Nynys!))
Salve Sodales, I'm currently preparing my notes for the next Rhine Tribunal of my saga focused around the Muspelli and their plot from Dies Aries (mixed with Between the Devil and the Deep
Blue Sea from the Rhine book, so basically an Order vs Muspelli vs Radagast plot). My player's spring covenant is starting to discover the actions of the norse wizard in Germany, such as turning people into wolves, hindering the Walpurgisnacht (Walpurga is the Merinita's mother) and they discovered the first Troll-aligned aura in the Harz Mountains.
As the covenant's Flambeau is the last apprentice of Philipus Nigger, they have a small support from the Ash Gild for open hostilities with the norse, and they helped Indullius of Fengheld, yet I know most of the Tribunal (and the Order) barely take the argument of the "Order of Odin" as something serious. However with their distant encounters with the Muspelli's plot they wish to gather help in the Tribunal to attack them to avenge Walpurga's physical death (she got killed as Frau Holle but her anchor was not destroyed) and they wish to form a "young mages coalition" with their young sodales to assist them, betting on their will to prove themselves and to emancipate from the older.
But that's where I need help. I love hermetic politic but by myself I struggle to offer proper interesting plots. They are angry at Occulus Septentrionalis for not doing their job as "watcher of the north" but not yet hostile (they plan to denounce them at the gathering); and I know that this covenant is hostile to war. But what about the other covenants and gilds? How could them give credits, or not at all to this young covenant of journeymen? If you have ideas or similar tales to share I'd be glad to read them, thank you very much!
Take a look a the idealistic, but bored young magi from the Rhine at Sub Rosa #19 p.30ff The Friends of the Apacei of Vinilandia.
Those Friends of the Apacei following Bodo, and looking for other peoples in need of great warmages to deliver and lead them, typically form small groups, to first ease research and later share the challenges of warmagehood. Between such groups there is always competition: especially names and locations of peoples looking suitable are jealously guarded once believed to be found.
The first group venturing forth without telling where so far has never been heard of again.
Some other Friends of the Apacei have gone to the Baltic and plan to befriend the Estonians. Being actively obstructed by the Danes and the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, they begin to consider these as the greedy brutes in need of vanquishing,
Helping incompetent but brave Scandinavians against Muspelli out to destroy the world looks quite a task for such magi as well.
Sounds like fun! Would love to hear more about it.
It's a bit of browsing/reading (600+ pages), but you may also want to take a look at my Rhineland saga session recaps (100+ sessions). I'm not outright using the Muspelli (yet ), but faeries based on the old norse/germanic pantheon, and we're (slowly) moving towards "that kinda plot" over years. The signs are there if you're familiar with source and want to look, I can't spoil much more openly in case players read. Just this week they came over a very interesting clue you probably could use outright but it's in #111 which is not yet in the doc (I'll get around to translating it in days/weeks).
The tribunal of 1221 has some politics, but the 1227 quite a bit more (and better chronicled, admittedly. starting session #96). There is also a ton of politics in-between, and most letters and handouts ooze with them throughout (how most politics are setup, probably a few you can borrow almost straight off to throw some fun curveballs - it's how I've used them. "Legendary Dragons" for example has built in plot hooks for them to get more interested in scandinavia, including finding Beowulfs legendary sword). Feel free to ask me q's if you find anything interesting.
Some other ideas:
House Criamon (or some bonkers people from another House) could be secretly involved or cooperating and really complicate things. After all, they both want a similar/same thing (or just run that Dies plot by side :).
Overall it's likely that the order is split on if the norse even are a real problem or not. Too many will just want to use any event for own gains, prestige or as a way to heckle their rivals.
You could use the semi-canon events of establishing Heorot on Zealand. Basically a "screw you" to Oculus. Others will certainly be on that. The covenant then being raided/razed can lead to loss of face and more politics (or vice-versa if successful ofc).
Novgorod could also have claims or cause political, as originally the north was "agreed as theirs".
Remember in politics, as soon as one faction "attacks" someone for something, there is a risk that others join the fray (on either side). Assistance (open or covert) can come from previous enemies, just because the attacking faction is "more of an enemy". Others will not care about young Tyro shenanigans.
Bjornaer (really archmage Urgen) might want to REALLY help, as they hate the Danes for invading Rugen and the conservatives of the south blocking any reaction. It can also be used in reverse ofc, they might help the other side because of this against the order.
etc etc..
I should probably add that a faerie character I've used a TON is Logi (germanized Loki, used the name to trick the players at the start). Such a faerie, or perhaps even a magic god(?), can do all sorts of shenanigans (as the trickster does). It may start semi-innocent and mostly annoying but eventually he wants to play out the story, and the classic story of course being Ragnarok. So he wants to be captured with the entrails of his son, he wants the fimbulwinter, and he wants it to end. But if he really is "self-aware", maybe an exit - and the players are the key.
Interesting! I honestly haven't kept up with Marvel comics at all since I was a kid really. Any specific arc that I can find and you can recommend?
I kinda wanted to stay away from players associating at all to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (to flashy and basic for my taste, even if I can enjoy the movies).
FWIW my Saga Logi/Loki is more inspired by the various mythological incarnations, and probably the closest pop culture version is Loki from the Valhalla comics by Peter Madsen (absolutely hilarious, adventurous and highly recommended). Although we do have some comedy, it's not the main focus.
The arc referred to above happened in the first (and probably the only) two seasons of the 'Loki' tv series. Highly recommended, but probably not easily adaptable to Ars Magica.
It's probably easiest to start with Kieron Gillen's Journey into Mystery arc. There's lots of stuff before it, but it's reasonably self-contained and not too hard to pick up things from context. And it's a good read. That's the "Kid Loki" arc. I think that his actual transition into God of Stories is in Loki: Agent of Asgard but there's at least a Young Avengers arc in between Kid Loki and that. It's all on Marvel Unlimited, though, if you have access to that.
), but faeries based on the old norse/germanic pantheon, and we're (slowly) moving towards "that kinda plot" over years. The signs are there if you're familiar with source and want to look, I can't spoil much more openly in case players read. Just this week they came over a very interesting clue you probably could use outright but it's in