Apparently, you have to find the topic, go into it, and then search only that topic in order to get posts rather than topics as results in a search.
Here's the discussion:
I seem to have accepted your interpretation, then gone and advanced Viola as if I hadn't.
At any rate, I have a serious problem with not along Mastery of a General spell without Adaptive Casting: it basically means that only the Cult of Mercury can cast a safe Aegis ritual, unless magi as a rule study a new Mastery Ability every time they learn a new level of Aegis. Aside from being annoying, it's just fiddly.
Ah, I hadn't realised that. I can sort of see the utility in not having 50 copies of the same thread pop up when you're searching for something, but it does mean you (or rather, I) miss things.
Some magi have Flawless Magic, which helps there (and presumably magi don't tend to learn all that many different copies of the Aegis usually).
You'd think that magi would be eager to upgrade the Aegis to whatever can be supported by the best ReVi maga--it is, after all, critical. And I'm not wild about having an Ability that's useless after you've "graduated" to a higher-level General spell, though obviously that's also true of the spell itself.
There's one more issue as well: does a book for a General Spell Master apply to any level? And if not, what are the chances that our book is exactly the right level?
There's a cost vs security argument to be had there - the Aegis is already level 40* and taking up more Rego and Vim vis than we gain in a year. I actually think downgrading is more likely once the immediate threat has passed.
*Viola's character sheet says level 45, but I think this is a typo? The advancement total has 40, and that's consistent with what I think we'd said previously.
Overall, though, no, Viola isn't a massively efficient person to be learning and casting the Aegis - she's just the best that we've got. Really you want someone with Flawless Magic or a member of the Cult of Mercury who has that mastery - it's the sort of thing that makes them valuable.
I think we discussed that previously and agreed that the basic principles in the book were useful enough that you could apply them to any example of the General Spell with a bit of thought (i.e. the season you spend mastering that specific spell). There are canonical examples of Aegis of the Hearth mastery texts that don't specify a level.
I'm not sure we ever discussed further than the conversation I linked to, but sure, that's fine. It does though create a weird situation where maybe you can't read the same Tractatus twice to learn different Spell Mastery Abilities? Like, one person could learn the level 40 from it, and another the level 30, and the latter would then lack the information in the book to learn the level 40.
OK, for Asena's spell, I'm going to go with Guardian of the Flock at level 15; I haven't worked out her lab yet, but I don't see her getting 12 extra points from a newly minted lab. I'm disinclined to push the guidelines down to 3, because overcoming an animal's fear of predators runs not just against a current emotion but against basic instinct.
For the missing season, I'm having her Practice Area Lore for 7 XP, the better to find a familiar in good time.
Okay - are we assuming that's Base 3 with Moon duration, or Base 4 with Sun? Would be useful to have the breakdown on Asena's character sheet as it's a custom spell.
Getting in fights at sunrise / sunset is going to be fun. Although I suppose the wolves are probably only duration sun as well (which doesn't really improve matters, but at least changes the problem a bit).
Winter 1229: Practice Carouse, 4 xp -> 5 (4)
Spring 1229: Practice Profession: Steward, 4xp -> 5 (16)
Summer 1229: Teach Latin, 2xp Teaching -> 3 (8) SQ 8 (Up to 20 students - includes Niketas, Simon)
Autumn 1229: Practice Teaching, 4 xp -> 3 (12)
Winter 1230: Practice Profession: Steward, 4xp -> 5 (20)
Spring 1230: Practice Teaching, 4 xp -> 3 (16)
Summer 1230: Teach Latin, 2 xp -> 3 (18) SQ 8 (Up to 20 students - includes Niketas, Simon)
Autumn 1230: Practice Concentration, 4 xp -> 5 (4)
Winter 1230: Practice Profession: Steward, 4xp -> 5 (16)
Spring 1230: Practice Teaching, 4 xp -> 3 (16)
Summer 1230: Teach Latin, 2 xp -> 3 (18) SQ 8 (Up to 20 students - includes Niketas, Simon)
Autumn 1230: Practice Concentration, 4 xp -> 5 (4)
Niketas and Simon's advancement will need updating as well to allow for them no longer receiving teaching in Summer 1229.
Simon's revised time
Winter 1228: Visits Faerie Toymarket with Viola. 2 xp Exposure Faerie Lore -> 0 (2)
Spring 1228: Learn Latin from Petrus, 9xp -> 2 (6)
Summer 1228: Sentry Duty, 2xp Awareness -> 2 (12)
Autumn 1228: Practice Stealth, 4xp -> 4 (8)
Winter 1229: Sentry Duty, 2xp Awareness -> 2 (14)
Spring 1229: Practice Stealth, 4xp -> 4 (12)
Summer 1229: Practice Legerdemain 4 xp -> 4 (4)
Autumn 1229: Sentry Duty, 2xp Awareness -> 3 (1)
Winter 1230: Practice Stealth, 4xp -> 4 (16)
Spring 1230: Sentry Duty, 2xp Awareness -> 3 (3)
Summer 1230: Learn Latin from Sophia, 8 xp -> 2 (14)
Autumn 1230: Sentry Duty, 2xp Awareness -> 3 (5)
Niketas' revised time
Winter 1228: Exposure in Errand-running. 2xp -> 3 (4)
Spring 1228: Learn Latin from Petrus. 9 xp -> 2 (13)
Summer 1228: Exposure in Errand-running. 2xp -> 3 (6)
Autumn 1228: Practice Dowsing, 4 xp -> 5 (8)
Winter 1229: Helping with Tree-felling. Training in Profession: Woodcutter 8xp -> 2 (9)
Spring 1229: Helping with Tree-felling. Exposure in Profession: Woodcutter 2xp -> 2 (11)
Summer 1229: Practice Nova Castra Lore. 4xp -> 1 (4)
Autumn 1229: Exposure in Errand-running. 2xp -> 3 (8)
Winter 1230: Helping with Tree-felling. Training in Profession: Woodcutter 8xp -> 3 (4)
Spring 1230: Helping with Tree-felling. Exposure in Profession: Woodcutter 2xp -> 3 (6)
Summer 1230: Learn Latin from Sophia, 8xp -> 3 (6)
Autumn 1230: Exposure in Errand-running. 2xp -> 3 (10)
Given the increase in (literal) firepower Wishbone is bringing, and the fact that it's not clear at the moment whether we have Timaios or not, I'm going to swap Gregorius' season inventing Breaking the Captain's Baton for one learning Thoughts Within Babble (InMe 25) from the covenant's lab text instead, if people are happy with that?
Lab total is In 6 + Me 10 + Int 1 + MT 5 + Aura 5 + Lab GQ 2 = 29, so he can learn it comfortably.
For reference, what I have for Chryse's time (based on what other people have been doing with her over the period):
Winter 1229: Learn Latin from Sophia (SQ 11): 11xp Latin -> 1 (6)
Spring 1229: Learn Latin from Sophia (SQ 11): 11xp Latin -> 2 (7)
Summer 1229: Learn Latin from Sophia (SQ 11): 11xp Latin -> 3 (3)
Autumn 1229: Have Arts opened by Viola - exposure xp only. 2xp Magic Theory? -> 0 (2)
Winter 1230: Learn Magic Theory from Viola (SQ 14): Magic Theory -> 2 (1)
Spring 1230: No specific activity. Plays around covenant: 1 xp Nova Castra Lore -> 0 (1), 1 xp Latin (?) -> 3 (4)
Summer 1230: No specific activity. Plays around covenant: 1 xp Nova Castra Lore -> 0 (2), 1 xp Second Sight -> 2 (1)
Autumn 1230: "Faerie Friend" Adventure...Experience TBC