Retired

Johan VanHalen II: aka "Junior"
Characteristics: Int +0, Per +1, Com +0, Pre +1, Str +2, Sta +1, Dex +2, Quik +1
Size: 0
Age: 27
Year: 1234
Decrepitude: 0
Warping: 1 (9)
Confidence: 2 (5)
Virtues: +0 Covenfolk, +1 Affinity with Brawl, +1 Affinity with Profession-Seaman, +1 Arcane Lore, +1 Hermetic Experience, +1 Improved Characteristics, +1 Puissant Brawl, +1 Reserves of Strength, +1 Second Sight, +1 Self Confident, +1 True Love (his mom :slight_smile: ); +1 Variable Power[sup]1[/sup], +2 Lesser Powers (x2)[sup]1[/sup]
Flaws: -1 Baneful Circumstances (in the presence of women), -1 Reckless, -1 Social Handicap (uncouth), -1 Warped by Magic (Minor Malediction-Prohibition), -3 Optimistic, -3 Plagued by Supernatural Entity (the Sea Hag); -3 Curse of Venus[sup]1[/sup]
[sup]1[/sup]from Transformation; blessed by Neptune and cursed by the Sea Hag
Minor Malediction - Prohibition against riding on a ship when a woman is aboard: Junior was exposed to the magic of the sea hag when he was a child, afflicting him with warping. Gaining a Warping Score of 1, he acquired the Minor Flaw of Prohibition (or call it Minor Malediction). He cannot sail on a ship or ride a boat that has a woman on board, or it will sink (or crash or something else). It has happened several times. This does not apply to animals or supernatural beings with a might score, only human women, and the ship will sink regardless of any known precaution. The only human woman exempt from this is his mother. Because of his early childhood exposure to magic, Junior may spend experience points in Magic Lore.
Plagued by Supernatural Entity - The Sea Hag: The Sea Hag has been a plague upon Johan since he was a youth. She warped him with magic playing shapeshifting tricks upon him, curses him in all relations to women (other than his mother), and just generally likes to mess with him whenever she can. There are rules to her games though. She will not do anything that will kill or cripple him, she cannot affect his relationship with his mother, and she must obey the Laws of the Sea. Concerning this third one, she can interpret and use wording to prevaricate the rules somewhat. For example, after her schemes in King Neptune's court were exposed (Johan got the credit and the blame, though it was actually Cidito), she was banished from the Middle Sea (Mediterranean) for ninety-nine years. However, she takes this to mean the actual waters, not inland or on shore.
True Love - his mom: Johan loves his mom, Betty VanHalen, and none of the curses or maledictions concerning women have any affect on her or the pureness of the mother-son relationship. Betty is a kleptomaniac, a pirates wife, a tavern mistress, a crime boss, and a killer. In Johan's eyes, she is the sweetest most best-est mommy ever, and he even has a "Mom" heart tattoo on his bicep. Johan is a drunk, a ruffian, a bully, and all around coarse and uncouth. In Betty's eyes, hers is the sweetest and most talented and special little boy in the whole world.
Personality Traits: Daredevil +3, Optimist +3, Distrusts women who are not his mother, +2, Troublemaker +1, Congenial -3
Reputations: Uncouth 2 (local)
Combat:
Dodge (Wrestle): Init +1, Atk n/a (+11), Def +10, Dmg n/a (+2)
Fistfight: Init +1, Atk +11, Def +10, Dmg +2
Bludgeon: Init +1, Atk +13, Def +10, Dmg +4
(add +1 attack/defense if in a bar fight)
Soak: +1
Fatigue: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, ko
Wound Penalties: -1 Lt (1-5), -3 Med (6-10), -5 Hvy (11-15), Incap (16-20), Dead (21+)
Abilities: Flemish 5 (slang), Netherlands Lore 3 (coast); Animal Handling 2 (chickens), Athletics 2 (climb), Awareness 2 (in a fight), Bargain 2 (shady deals), Brawl* 7+2sub[/sub] (bar fights), Carouse 3 (games of chance), Charm 1 (wit), Concentration 2 (sailing), Faerie Lore 3 (sea folk), Folk Ken 2 (rabble), Guile 3 (play ignorant), Latin 3 (Hermetic), Leadership 2 (intimidation), Magic Lore 3 (the sea), Mediterranean Lore 2 (underwater), Order of Hermes Lore 2 (habits that annoy magi), Profession-Seaman* 6[/sub] (dangerous situations), Profession-Soldier 1 (patrol), Ride 0[sub]1xp[/xub] (mare), Second Sight 3 (regio boundaries), Spanish 1 (mocking Carlos & Roberto), Survival 2 (at sea), Swim 3 (underwater)
Magical Powers:
The Flying Dutchman
1 Fatigue, Init -5, Herbam
R: Touch, D: Constant, T: Ind
[tab][/tab]Johan can move a ship he is on any direction he pleases as he wills (using his Profession-Seaman score); effortlessly against the wind, upon the wind in the sky, over dry land, or under water. It doesn't plow through land, he hovers over it. And submerging a ship will sink it unless he also surrounds it with his Airy Sphere power. But he can make the ship fly, and it will stay in the sky indefinitely as long as he is aboard it. If he disembarks, the power fades at sunrise/sunset but the ship softly descends slowly.
[tab][/tab]This is a Restricted Power, and will not function as long as a woman is aboard the ship (as per his Malediction).This is also a Variable Power ties to Johan's skill in Profession-Seaman. At Base, the power allows him to carry a Tiny ship up to speeds of up to 15 knots. With a score of 6, he wields this power with six magnitudes of improved effectiveness, which are as follow:

  • Increased Size (x2): From a base of Tiny, Johan is also able to affect a Small or Medium ship.
  • Increased Speed (x2): From a base of 15 knots, adding another 15 per magnitude, Johan can manage speeds of up to 45 knots.
  • Increased Stability (x2): Johan can fly the ship in wide arc and even rolls with successful ability checks. Passengers and cargo may shift with sudden shifts of momentum, but the "center of gravity" is always towards the keel of the ship. This stability appies in air, at sea, and underwater. It doesn't apply to land or bumping into or over solid objects.
    ReHe15 (Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 Constant); Lesser Power (15 levels); Variable Power, Restricted Power
    Airy Sphere of the Submerged Vessel
    2 Fatigue, Init -12, Aquam/Auram
    R: Touch, D: Constant, T: Structure
    [tab][/tab]If aboard a ship submerged under the sea, this power transforms the water immediately surrounding the vessel into breathable air. This bubble is a sphere with a diameter equal to the length (or longest dimension) of the vessel. This isn't a ward against water and the bubble is just a cosmetic effect. The sphere is perpetuated indefinitely, but if he disembarks the ship it will slowly fade at sunrise/sunset (cosmetic fluff, the bubble begins to fill with water).
    MuAq(Au)35 (Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 Constant, +3 Structure); Lesser Power (35 levels)
    Equipment: bludgeon, knife, clothing, bad attitude
    Encumbrance: 0
    Background:
    [tab][/tab]Johan VanHalen Junior is uncultured, uncouth, and uncautious. But the lad can fight! His bravado and brawn caught Roberto's interest. That and because of his family's association with his covenant at the time, he took Junior on as a grog to keep him out of trouble. Roberto often pairs him up with Carlos, who often gets him in trouble, but usually manages to get him out of it again.
    [tab][/tab]Junior's father is an alcoholic and a notorious pirate. His mother operates a tavern/clandestine outlaw haven and trafficked stolen goods (and was a compulsive thief). They were the best parents a kid like Junior could have ever wished for. Johan VanHalen Senior was (and still is) a sailor of legendary skill (Junior will brag about how he rode along clinging to the mast, while his pop successfully sailed through the Devil's Teeth during a raging storm while completely drunk).
    [tab][/tab]Junior's freewheeling outlaw father and permissive bawdy mother are the biggest, if not the best, influences in his life. He started drinking at an early age, got into bar brawls with adults twice his size, sailed with his father unheeded in dangerous waters, and more. But he is nigh fearless, and he is a gifted brawler. He is also a skilled sailor, though not yet to the degree of his father (and there is the prohibition to be mindful of).
    [tab][/tab]Junior's encounter with the Sea Hag occurred when he was thirteen, the same night in which a great storm had struck his little harbor town (Novus Mane) and capsized the ship. Heedless of the storm's danger, Junior was the first on the scene and saw the hag dancing in the winds over the ship. She saw him too, and whisked him off into the winds to toy with him. Tossing him around in the air for awhile, then dropped him in the water to watch him struggle in storm driven waves that tossed him around and slapped him. Then she turned him into a little fish while she chased him around as a big fish. Then she flung him from the sea as a wet dog (it was winter), leaving him to scamper off and whimper until the transformation wore off at sunrise. Since that night, Junior decided that women and ships should have nothing to do with each other.
    [tab][/tab]The old band of pirates disbanded, some sailing off their own way and others finding legitimate employment as fishermen (that is to say actually, they changed their racket and operated under the cover of fishermen working for a local covenant of magi). This begins his family's association with Roberto's covenant, and his habit of getting into brawls at his mom's tavern. His youthful encounter with magic marked him (with warping points), and magical myths (especially of the sea) have piqued his interest ever since. Living amongst magi has fueled that curiosity and enabled him to pursue it. At the tavern, junior has associated with all manner of ornery and shady folk (he often hung out with Carlos there). As for bar-brawling, he had gone undefeated for seven fights in a row (including one against a huge Englishmen thick as an oak tree partnered with a French guy just as big but twice as mean). But after he lost three times to the weasely Twiggberry (a disguise magi specializing in Corpus magic), Johan lost his taste for bar brawls and took up arm wrestling and chicken fights.
    [tab][/tab]Junior has been in three ship disasters caused (he feels) by the presence of a woman on the same ship he is on, and will tolorate no more of it. The last time it happened, he was drawn under the sea to the court of King Neptune, and there ran afoul of the Sea Hag again and foiled her plot. Though she cursed him, Neptune rewarded him with the power to sail ships in the air and below the sea.
    Chronology: Born in 1207, sailed Devil's Teeth with father in 1216 at age 9, first sails with pirates ate age 11 in 1218, encountered Sea Hag in 1220 at age 13, came to Bibracte with Roberto in 1227 at age 20, Alabaster Lioness//Heracleion, Ibiza; currently 1234 and age 27

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Wen: Scout/Herald/Messenger/gopher girl/johnny-on-the-spot
Characteristics: Int +1, Per +1, Com +1, Pre +0, Str -1, Sta +2, Dex +1, Quik +1
Size: -1
Chronology: Born in 1204 to clan Daffyd-Catrin; migrates to Bibracte with family in 1220 at age 16; begins life of high adventure; hooks up with Roberto's crew and falls in love with Allen; current year 1234 and age 30
Age: 30
Season & Year: Winter 1234
Decrepitude: 0
Warping: 0 (0)
Ferocity: 1 (3)
Virtues: +1 Enduring Constitution, +1 Ferocity (survival), +1 Keen Vision, +1 True Love PC (Allen)*
Flaws: -1 Close Family Ties, -1 Reckless, -1 Small Frame, -1 Compassionate*
Personality Traits: Reckless +3, Brave +2, Loyal +2, Loves Puzzles +2, Kind +2, Laughs Easily +1
Reputations: Plucky 2 (local)
Combat:
Dodge:
Grapple/Fistfight:
Knife:
Soak: +
Fatigue: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, ko
Wounds: -1 Lt (1-5), -3 Med (6-10), -5 Hvy (11-15), Incap (16-20), Dead (21+)
Abilities: Welsh 5 (old riddles), Wales Lore 3 (old riddles); Animal Handling 3 (sheep), Awareness 3 (looking for stuff), Athletics 1 (climb), Bibracte Lore 4 (regio), Brawl 3 (dodge), Carouse 1 (stay sober), Chirurgy 3 (bind wounds), Craft-Woodworking 4 (carding), Folk Ken 2 (rural folk), French-Langue D'Oc 4 (riddles), Guile 2 (lying to authority), Hunt 2 (track), Music 2 (singing), Profession-Housewife 3 (cooking), Stealth 2 (natural environments), Survival 5 (mountains), Teaching 3 (children),
Equipment:
Encumbrance: 0
Enchanted Items & Benefits
Pinchas' Amulet: Non-Hermetic Item (30qp)
ReVi25 Protection from Infernal: Constant +21 protection while amulet is worn
Background: Wen is the daughter of the Clan of Daffyd and Catrin, and grew up as a small tough girl with a love for danger and adventure. She had migrated to Mons Electi with her parents when she was a teenager and blossomed young maiden. However, none of that girly stuff was her style, She knew how to cook and clean and work, that was no bother. But acting docile and dainty was not gonna happen. She was a rugged exploring type, and spent her first few years exploring the mountains and regio of the ruins of Bibracte. As she matured, even as a young woman she retained the character of a spunky girl. She did want to be a wife one day, but not a slave or servant. And she never found the right guy, or rather, never spared the time to do so. Then came the day that she and her brother were selected by Roberto for the Alabaster Lioness Expedition, and she was as excited as could be. In that episode, Johan gets pulled under the sea for his own side adventure, and he blames it all on Wen. But she pays him no mind, for it is not her fault he is cursed, she only half believes his curse anyway, and on top of that his side adventure gave him magical power so he can stop whining like a child and deal with it. But still, to this day Roberto has her ride his flying carpet as a recon scout and herald. But that aside, in the Alabaster Lioness Expedition, the party was split and she was stranded in Cairo with Allen and Albert for a few months, all the while her brother and another grog were trapped in jail. During that intermittent time, she and Allen took jobs in the foreign quarter working at a tavern. She was a cook and serving wench, he was a barkeep and bouncer. They fell in love, shared a bed, and declared themselves wed. After the team was extracted and all issues resolved, she returned home with Allen to face her family. They did not approve of her wanton unmarried marriage, nor that she was now so closely associated with the reckless crew Roberto commanded. So when Roberto decided to relocate his entourage to Ibiza, she declared her allegiance and devotion to Allen as her husband, like it or not, and went with them.
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Allen Girrard: Almogavar
Chronology: Born in 1197; became a mercenary in 1213 at age 15; saw first major battle in 1216 at age 19; grueling siege & guerilla warfare for the next two years; recruited into the Lumina Company in 1220 at age 23; assigned to Roberto in 1226 at age 29; Road to Bibracte, Alabaster Lioness/Heracleion, Ibiza; contract bought out by Roberto in 1233 at age 36; currently 1234 and age 37
Characteristics: Int +0, Per +1, Com -1, Pre -1, Str +3, Sta +1, Dex +1, Quik +0
Size: 0
Age: 37
Season & Year: Winter 1234
Decrepitude: 0
Warping: 0 (0)
Virtues: +0 Almogavar, +1 Hermetic Experience, +1 Premonitions, +1 Warrior; +1 True Love PC (Wen)*
Flaws: -1 Compassionate, -1 Dutybound, -1 Visions; -1 Higher Purpose*
Personality: Loyal +3, Brave +2, Cares about People +2, Serious +1
Reputations: Dutiful 2 (Hermetic)
Combat:
Dodge: Init +0, Atk n/a, Def +5, Dmg n/a
Fistfight: Init +0, Atk +7, Def +6, Dmg +3
Dagger: Init +0, Atk +8, Def +5, Dmg +6
Axe (w/Large Round Magic Shield): Init +1, Atk +11, Def +6 (+10), Dmg +9
Thrown Axe: Init +0, Atk +9, Def n/a, Dmg +9
Soak: +7
Equipment: chain mail hauberk, axe, large round magic shield, dagger, second axe
Encumbrance: 0 (Load 8 = Burden 3, minus Str +3)
Fatigue: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, ko
Wound Penalties: -1 Lt (1-5), -3 Med (6-10), -5 Hvy (11-15), Incap (16-20), Dead (21+)
Abilities: Basque 5 (family), French-Langue D'Oc 5 (Gascony), Normandy Lore 2 (Gascony); Animal Handling 2 (pack animals), Athletics 4 (climb), Awareness 4 (keep watch), Bargain 1 (supplies), Brawl 5 (fistfight), Carouse 2 (stay sober), Charm 2 (wit), Folk Ken 2 (soldiers), Guile 1 (excuses), Latin 4 (talking to magi), Hunt 2 (track), Leadership 3 (intimidation), Magic Lore 2 (monsters), Order of Hermes Lore 2 (Famous Grogs of the Order), Premonitions 5 (martial), Profession-Soldier 4 (6xp) (siege), Single Weapon 6 (axe), Ride 1 (travel), Survival 3 (sieges), Thrown Weapon 4 (axe)
Enchanted Items & Benefits
Magic Large Round Shield: Lesser Enchanted Item (24qp)
MuHe20 Aegis of Unbreakable Wood
R: Item, D: Concentration, T: Ind, Item Concentrates, Unlimited Use, +1 Defense
Background:
Allen Girrard is from the Gascony region of France, of Basque heritage but French in culture (as is common in his region). He first became a mercenary around age 15, but did not see his first battle until he was 19. The next few years of his life were hard and grueling years of strife and war, this-that-these-and-others. Petty nobles constantly squabbling. He first encountered the Knights of Santiago when he was 23, hired by Santiago to serve in his Lumina Company (see below). He does not arm or equip himself the way a traditional Almogavar would, being more experienced with the heavier Frankish style. His partner Albert prefers a more lightweight style, for he is a traditional style Almogavar. However, they have influenced each other (martial tactics is their favorite banter topic), and they are each equipped with a medium weight class of armaments (an optimal balance of protection and maneuverability).
To most initial perceptions, Allen may seem utterly grim and serious at all times. But in reality he is quite cheerful and friendly, which is most evident when he is off duty amongst friends and family. To others though, it is all business-face all the time.
His years in the Lumina Company were good to him; but he has transferred his contract to Roberto and serves him directly. His biggest motivation for this is to be with his wife, Wen. For this reason, he has forsaken the Longevity potion that would normally be his due as a pension, for he hopes to have a child with her some day.
Allen has a minor Supernatural talent in the form of Premonitions. Minor traits such as this are common in his family (his brother has Second Sight for example). But Allen has never put much effort into thinking about this. In his mind, his precognitive ability (or “sense for danger”) is actually a highly attuned combat intuition coming from years of experience and his brother just has really good eyesight.

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