Roger de la Claire was born in to a wealthy minor noble family in Cambridgeshire. The third son, he was encouraged to seek an academic career, with a view to entering the church. He was well educated by the family tutors and enjoyed two pilgrimages to Rome and Constantinople as part of his education. While Roger gained a true love of ancient culture from these trips he also realised that the church was not for him. On returning to England Roger sorted out an academic career, with the full backing of his father. He entered Cambridge university and upon gaining his Magister in Artibus became a Master and tutor. After a few years the university sent him to Carlisle to consult the castle records and to copy and bring back anything useful. The trip was planned to take up to a year if the castles records proved interesting enough. Roger travelled in the company of one of the many small merchant caravans that plied the great road north. All was well for the first three weeks of the journey and on the 16th day the caravan made camp for the night in the shadow of the mid Cumbrian fells. They would not see the next in for another night so expected a fairly cold, damp evening. The silence of the camp was broken at dawn as a group of horse riding brigands attacked. The merchants fled as their two guards had no chance against eight well-armed and armoured foes. Roger awoke to find a sword at his throat wielded by a large and very smelly "soldier". As he was dragged out of his tent in to the open the leader of the armed group said "This fine, rich man will fetch a fine ransom, and if not we'll feed him to the pigs." Roger panicked, he broke away from the soldier and just ran for his life. He got about 20 yards before the crossbow bolt took him in the small of the back. He fell and felt his life slipping away as around him sounded great splashes and booms. He thought it must be the angelic choir welcoming him to heaven, but the screams of men and animals did not seem to fit the expectations the local priest had gave him at Sunday service. He passed out and began to pass away. He awoke in a great chamber next to a fire pit. He was wrapped in a blanket and as he came fully awake realised he could move his limbs and had no pain in his back. How could this be, he was obviously still alive, as this was no heaven, but he knew he had been mortally injured by the soldiers. A tall, athletic man of middle years entered the room and enquired in English how Roger faired. As then man had entered a feeling of dread had struck Roger for the briefest second only to wink out almost immediately. Roger and the man, who introduced himself as Stephan Noone, spoke for a while until Roger began to drift off. Over the next few days Roger learned that Stephan was a herb master who had managed to extract the bolt and treat the wound, which had not been too deep after all. Roger could not believe this diagnosis but let the matter go as Stephen had obviously helped him recover one way or another. When Roger asked how he could repay Stephan’s kindness he responded by stating that as Roger was a teacher he could train his Son in Latin for a season. Roger agreed, but only if Stephan would see him safe to Carlisle afterwards. The deal made Stephan introduced Caernos, explaining that he was a good lad who just had a knack of giving a poor first impression to people. Roger was terrified from the moment he met Caernos. The young man was huge and fearsome with a deformed face that seemed to leer at Roger as though he was the man’s next meal. For three months Roger struggled to teach the him but his fear never subsided, though the young man did seem to pick up the basics, though much slower than Roger was used to from his normal students. It was not that Caernos was stupid, far from it, but Roger could never seem to keep his mind on the subject or the methods. At the end of the season Roger realised the slow progress had been all his issue and with a heavy heart he travelled the high fells to Carlisle with Stephan and Caernos. As they came in sight of the city Stephan stopped and informed Roger that the dept was not fully paid as in fact Stephan had used great magics to restore Roger from the brink of death. He asked for a pledge that Roger would come to the pairs aid if called in the future. Ehen Roger reluctantly agreed Stephan handed him a plain ring with a thick coin atop it. The coin had two small compartments in it and a small piece of metal bar that pivoted on a pin in the middle. The first compartment was empty but the second contained a pinch of earth. Stephen explained that if the bar face one of the compartments and Roger stated "suscipe me in domum suam" (Take me home) Roger would go to the place where the earth in the container was from. When he returned to Cambridge he should fill the second compartment with earth from his own garden. Roger was sceptical but Stephan took the ring and filled the second compartment with earth from their feet. He moved the bar to the first compartment, handed the ring to Roger and said “Try it". Roger complied to humour his rescuers and, in an instant, he was outside the trapdoor they had travelled from a day before. He looked around to confirm he was not dreaming and turned the bar to the second contained, saying the words he found himself back with Stephan and his son. This is no mean gift I have fashioned you over the past three months and I will have payment for your life and the ring in the future stated Stephan. They parted on good terms and Roger entered the City. It took over a year to scribe the best of the documents in Carlisle castle but afterwards Roger safely made it home and emptying the Carlisle earth replaced it with that of his own Cambridge garden. Roger has not used the ring as yet but expects one day to be called upon to replay his dept to the strange pair of Cumberlanders.
Int 3 6 6
Per 0 0 6
Pre 1 1 7
Com 5 6 13
Str -2 -3 10
Sta -1 -1 9
Dex -1 -1 8
Qik -1 -1 7
Magister in Artibus +240 XP in academic abilities and teaching, must teach 1 season per year, at Cambridge, min age 22. Maj Social 3 3
Wealth 20 xp per year post 5. Only need to teach 1 season per year Min Gen 1 4
Good Teacher +3 quality to any book written and +5 to advancement total when teaching Min Gen 1 5
Great Communication x 2 +2 COM Min Gen 2 7
Educated +50XP in Latin and Artes Liberales Min Gen 1 8
Well travelled +50XP in as per book Min Gen 1 9
Privileged upbringing +50XP in General, Academic or Martial Min Gen 1 1 0
Driven To be a famous scholar Maj Per -3 -3
Low self esteem No confidence Maj Gen -3 -6
Curse of Venus Maj Story -3 -9
Ability Block (Martial) Min Gen -1 -10
Early Life 45XP
Native Language English 5 0 0
Area Lore (Cambridge) 1 5 5
Survival (Pilgrimage routes) 2 15 20
Folk Ken (Academics) 2 15 35
Area Lore (Constantinople) 1 5 40
Modern Greek 1 5 45
Educated (50XP)
Latin 4 50 50
Well Travelled (50XP)
Area Lore (Rome) 1 5 5
Charm (Academics) 2 15 20
Bargain (Books) 3 30 50
Privileged Upbringing (+50XP)
Etiquette (Academics) 3 30 30
Artes Liberales (Grammer) 2 15 45
Pholosophae (Natural Philosophy) 1 5 50
Magister in Artibus (240XP)
Teaching (One to one) 5 75 75
Latin 5 25 100
Artes Liberales (Grammer) 5 60 160
Philosophae (Natural Philosophy) 5 70 230
Medicine (Anatomy) 1 5 235
Common Law 1 5 240
Later Life (20 years) 400XP
Classic Greek 5 75 75
PS Scribe (Copying) 6 105 180
Theology (History) 3 30 210
Common Law 4 45 255
Medicine (Anatomy) 4 45 300
Arabic. 4 50 350
Norman 2 15 365
Item with Leap of Homecoming (two slots for Arcane connections) but could just hold another to work but does not know that 35 XP = 400XP total