Sorry for my absence. It was a combination of work, home, and medical issues that kept me up to my armpits in alligators. THings are much more calm now.
No worries. Would like you to get your input on the boons and hooks the other players have been talking. Of course, a simple acknowledgement, like pyrale's is fine, too.
I glanced over them and they looked generally pretty good. I'll take a closer look and see if I have any comments.
I am more than happy with being on a river not too far from forests. As ever, a strong aura and healthy features are exactly what I like in a covenant.
I've updated my character to make use of the fact I can learn spells from the ArM5 main rulebook using texts to get me two more spells, remove them from my BP list and use the points to get a Parma Magica tractatus and a little silver instead.
Bitter's confirmed they're out - how're we doing numbers-wise?
Darkwing, could you update our covenant sheet? This makes it very visible what our total resources are.
As best as I can tell, we will have seven magi. Still waiting on final character designs from Trogdor and pyrale, along with their Build Points. Once Trogdor and pyrale decide on the number of years post-Gauntlet, then they will know how many Build Points are available, and can allocate them.
Boons and Hooks have received no pushback, so I think we're good to go there.
I've updated the covenant sheet to indicate the objects that Bartholomeus has enchanted and still owns.
Updated sheet with Calpurnia's personal items.
Also, with Darkwing's additions, he has three spells that I chose as lab texts, so I updated my Build Points to avoid duplications.
Sorry to let you out but I don't like saga's with many players, so like I did before with "Loch Ness: A New Dawn" I prefer retiring before the saga really begins. See you around on the board.
How're we doing? How are the two remaining characters coming along?
Progressing things a bit. I know we've discussed this, but more in snippets, but how are the magi coming together to form this covenant. I suggested that everyone her has submitted to Frosty Breath of the Spoken Lie to prove that they do not have the wasting disease. Beyond that, I haven't had any dog in this particular hunt...
Sure, my magus will submit to a Frosty Breath of the Spoken Lie to prove he isn't sick to the best of his knowledge. Not that it is a foolproof method, since we know so little about the wasting disease.
So he's not sure there is a foolproof test to detect this, but he will defer to the others regarding this. As long as none of us has studied someone afflicted with it, we won't know for sure. And since studying someone afflicted incurs the risk of catching the disease, I don't think any of us will want to run that risk.
If someone thinks of a better way to make sure all of us are healthy, I'm all for it.
Calpurnia and Maria will submit to truth-telling spells.
I don't think we have a choice as to whether we submit to the truth-telling spells (aside from not joining the saga). It's a requirement of entry. 
Galan will, of course, consent to prove that he's not knowingly infected.
Agnarr will submit to the spell.
Who is casting it, where, when?
Well my post was more about how to get you guys so that you know or know of each other. I know it's been somewhat discussed, but I want you, as a player, to have a lot of agency in deciding how you came to emigrate to Finland...
Bartholomeus and Calpurnia have exchanged letters for a number of years now. Sixteen years ago, I pursued wizards without a Longevity Ritual to find one who would give me a child. Perhaps you are Maria's father?
I also travelled to a covenant for a season to get an Intelligence-enhancing ritual performed. Did you meet me there?
You are free to add me into your backstory to add links.
Likewise very happy to include links in Agnarr's background. I think we talked at least about meeting as the Magi moved through Finland and potentially earlier too. Agnarr travels through the area hunting but doesn't really know the area well.
I think Atlas and Agnarr were to have met due to Atlas' constant travel?
In his background, I have Bartholomeus meeting Calpurnia only 4 years ago at the Verditius Contest. They started exchanging letters soon after that. Right after being laughed out of the Contest, Bartholomeus found out that Novgorod had closed its frontiers during his absence and he couldn't return to Three Lakes covenant. He moved back to his native Saxony in the Rhine, but lived by himself for a while in a small aura in a bog, because no covenant he knew wanted to accept new magi for fear of infection.
The small group who'd gathered around him was attacked by a rogue magus, possibly infected by the sickness. That scared Bartholomeus a lot, which is why it made him willing to move to Finland.
But he doesn't have any way to detect the sickness. He's willing to submit to the other magi's tests in order to get the security that the new covenant will hopefully bring. It's a leap of faith, as he doesn't have any proof himself that none of these magi are afflicted with the disease. He simply reached out to the few contacts that he had, and through Calpurnia joined the group.
He may have met one or two of the other magi previously. For example, while he lived at Three Lakes he may have crossed paths with Atlas and/or Agnarr. Particularly about 12 years ago when he began looking for a familiar.
Folks, could you please respond? I recognize that we have lives and responsibilities outside of a play-by-post game.
Radio silence doesn't bode well. At some point we will need to respond to situations, and people absenting themselves for many days won't help the story. Can everybody try to post something every couple days or so, to keep the game moving?
Here's our first roleplaying question: Why are you trusting the other characters to go to Finland, outside civilization, and go to the ruins of a failed covenant? Why did you sign up for this motley crew?
Calpurnia believes that the entire Order of Hermes is at risk, and she's been writing letters to be in contact with others who may be willing to make a move. The fact that she would be a founding member of the new covenant, and would probably get more resources, especially vis, also played a part in her decision.
Agnarr sought Finnland as it is outside the Order and it is where his bloodline is from. He left as soon as he got word of the disease spreading through the Tribunals (although in the timeline that might be later than the others, as his Ex-misc covenant is probably more insulated than many covenants).
Agnarr would welcome the other Magi wishing to travel there, but is frankly suspicious of any born southerner seeking to live in the northern cold, and how long they will stay if/when the crisis ends. Why is he trusting the other Magi? Well he isnt, sorry. He gains a site to live, gains comrades, lowers his risk of infection, and moves to a place where the Order has less influence, but he still speaks the language.
Aside: I was initially tempted to make him a "prepper" but I like the idea of Magi needing to scramble and scrape, rather than having all the spells and resources they need ready to go.