What are you doing? I might riff off you with some setting...
I'd like to write up some adventures. You've said that these are gold, and they're also something I'm far more confident doing than the more arcane numerical stuff.
If Christian and Timothy are doing something about a particular region /group / et cetera, I'll happily join in with that.
If there's coordination, I might throw my lot in with that.
Another MAGI OF THE ORDER, probably.
In that case I'd rather hear hear some constructive ideas, where Timothy writes some setting and Tellus and I design some magi.
My initial idea was tied back to the Cult of Shape Stealers I wrote for SubRosa some time back. I'm a big fan of the Rhine Tribunal and a lot of the stuff that goes on there. Also I'm a huge fan of Spell Mastery and like some of the stuff that Ranulf of Flambeau in MoH does with Pilum of Fire. I had a half-baked idea for a student of his sub-school who goes to Pomerania to fight lycanthropes, witches. Which may or may not tie in with that aforementioned Cult, seeing as it was published in a different fanzine. Mind you, I did also write a Rhine-article for Peripheral Code. But "politics of wind, wave, and ice" is quite close to what Tellus and I do in our ongoing ArM saga.
So maybe we look for something completely different?
How about something in Transylvania? Something Tremere, or connected to them? That'll give me a reason to brush up on the book. However I have no initial ideas or concepts in mind, yet.
Transylvania looks great. We could build an original covenant, expand a known Tremere branch or draw a campaign. I don’t have official content for that Tribunal but I will look upon House Tremere that evening. I could change some of my ideas to create a few worthy opponents / mythic NPCs as possible partners/enemies for your Magi.
Would you like a list of Transylvanian mythic Creatures, organized as valuable Familiar choices for a true Tremere Maga ?
There are the mysterious figures in the theatre near the Mercere covenant. You might look into a folk tradition based on them and classical theatrical masks.
I'm going to have to read up a bit on Transylvania. But IIRC there are a set number of covenants (in the "pact" or "agreement" sense) which doesn't change, but with the physical form represented by Oppida (is that the right plural?) which man change locations and membership depending on activities.
So could we invent an Oppidum, working together to do...whatever thing relevant to the place?
With someone writing the setting for that place, maybe with soem story hooks to use in play? And someone else writing up creatures, the magi who are members, etc?
Seems great to work on something together. I hold the idea of a mask sect based on an old theatre ruin, which can propose a few story hooks and NPCs.
That's about right, yes.
I love the idea. My only worry is that we complicate things too much and delay things too much via coordination.
If we can get it going, it'll be awesome!
Then let's not complicate things.
The "Mercere covenant" menstioned is likely AtD page 16 Domostrom and the privileges of Socii. Remembering that "covenant" in Transylvania does not mean a physical place but rather an agreement of rights and responsibilities. Domostron covers Socii meaning "allies" and has members who are Quaesitores, Redcaps, and Hoplites. Being Socii rather than Cives sounds like they are all non-Tremere.
So let's say there is an Oppidum created close to the place where mysterious figures are seen, with the intention of looking into this. We don't need a lot of detail about the Oppidum, unless we want to. It does need to fulfill Transylvania's rules however, and needs to have at least one Cives as member as well as one Aedile.
If Cathlineau writes about a tradition or cult based on masks I think I'll design a magus who has a reason to be in the Oppidum. Since my initial idea, before we even started talking about Transylvania was a fighter-magus anyway, I could easily design a Hoplite (probably a Flambeau). I could also envision a Tremere - I'd like to try to see what I can come up with here. So may I'll write up two magi then.
It sounds like Tellus was on the magus bandwagon?
Did Timothy Fergusson have some idea to write connected to this?
The challenge of writing the magi are that we don't know what the cult is about, or what else happens in the locale.
On the other hand, the magi forming the Oppidum don't know this to begin with either.
I am, but since Jason wants Adventures, that's what I really want to write for him. ://
An Adventure sounds cool. Go for it. I’m considering that as well.
Where in Transylvania is this place we’re putting this oppidum? I need to find out what hooks could be used.
Well the frontiers of Romanian people settlements seem a good place as their folklore is emblematic to Transylvania. I was writing my secret society based on both Roman heritage and Romanian original culture. But I can adapt to another place.
I never went to East Europe states and don’t know the history of local towns so I don’t know if one or another would be more interesting. I just try to let the reader adapt the cult to her own saga. If we pick a place, a random area in a specific land (Romania, Bulgaria...) would be enough IMHO.
Well, Romania is at the northern end if the Tribunal, right? At the Carpathians, among others?
Isn't this place already settled with oppida? Maybe find a more remote location, where an oppidum is created to scout and assess in preparation for future settling? Looking on the map I see the north-west of Transylvaia Tribunal, along the Danube, has no oppida. Nor does the south-west, around Serbia and at the borders to Thebes tribunal.
I still haven't got round to brushing up on AtD, but I think there should be plenty of potential ideas.
I'm toying with the idea of writing up a specialist Tremere magus, one of the Signalers sent to this place, in order to secure information sent back and forth. And then some adventure related to this.
I just sent to Jason tondro my cult article. If you wanna see it let me know your email.
Near Lake Balaton (Atd, p. 8 ) then?
Your use of a parenthesis and the number 8 results in a smiley with shades.
But yes, page 8 mentions the area around Lake Balaton as a potential new site to use in a saga. So this seems a good place to write some adventures etc. about. The place is also mentioned as being devoid of any know folklore and creatures - so people can put in whatever they like. I initial ideas, before the talk was about Transylvania at all, was about nasty lycanthropes. I might write something about that.
Clearly. that is why I don't really like the (not largely omnipresent) emoticons.
Is that the area we're picking then?
I assume the answer is “yes”.
I apologize for failing to answer. Yes, that seems like the appropriate area.
As of now I have no idea what I'm going to write. Just some ideas that need to fit into...something.