story seed thoughts (pt 1) -- magical wood

Games Discussion Ars Magica
1

Well, my saga has taken a left turn because one of two players has taken a leave of absence for a few weeks.

In the meantime, the other player has decided to bring his new mage in as a solo character for a time.

He's playing a verditius "urban thief" mage, with spells bent toward invisibility, sneaking, etc. He also has a knack for alchemy. He's not that black and white, but I don't need to go into more of his BG for this missive.

He has a couple of magic items he wants to create, and soon. He is labless.
The campaign is set in Iberia.

So we're thinking he can spend some time at someone's covenant, making potions in trade for lab space.

This will get him lab space, but then he'll need to gather materials and vis for his own items.

He wants to create a magical bow. I'm thinking a journey into a forest to find the perfect wood. But what happens there?

It's a wood rumored for it's magical qualities.
Perhaps there's a hunt going on and he needs to be sneaky. If he's caught, he'll be hung for trespassing. Maybe a fae, eager to be part of a story, tries to draw attention to the trespasser? Instead, maybe the quarry is a fox of virtue, and the fox trades knowledge of the wood if the mage will lead the hunt astray? Or both?

At the tree itself, what could happen?

I'm just needing a quick brainstorm session, because we're going to play this weekend.

thanks in advance,
eric

2

I know I'm the new guy here but here's my 2 pence:

What if the tree has a magical might score and can influence animals within the (insert area here) to aid it by harrassing the magus?

Or, what if that perfect tree is a registered vis source to a nearby covenant and the harvesting of wood from the tree diminishes its vis output,, or destruction of it destroys said vis source? Plenty of opportunity for further stories down the road...

3

In the Rhine trinbunal book there are a couple entries for the characteristics of diverse types of trees/woods.

I would make it Ash (+2 harm people) or Holly (+2 inflict wounds, +2 inflict pain). Both trees are found in Iberia as well.

Stories might involve negotiating with Winter fae for access to perfect versions of those trees (maybe already opened for enchantment?), trespassing into fae or magical lands, encountering a noble's hunt while exploiting (illegally) the woods of the noble, encountering an unregistered vis source and how to prevent it being discovered until you can lawfully register it or having to convince the tree to allow you to take a good branch out of it. Or all those together.

have fun there!

Cheers,

Xavi

4

(Angado, all thoughts are welcome, regardless of your perceived rank!)

I don't want to deal with trespassing on vis sources, because I don't want to get the character involved in a lot of tribunal politics yet. It's too soon. I want to keep the adventure contained. But trying to register the vis source might be small enough.

Perhaps the tree has had it's water source cut off due to local irrigation, and needs the character to right the situation? The mage does have the gentle gift, so this is a possibility. In return, it will offer up a good branch.

What are other animals that could be the object of the hunt? I've used foxes and stags in other adventures, and I think a boar doesn't quite fit. Quail?

I'll have to check out my Rhine Tribunal book for those wood effects. I believe the player doesn't want to make a magical weapon, but rather a bow that can cast arrows enchanted with different spells. The example he used was to shoot an arrow through a torch at far range and put out the flame. Shoot an arrow into the ground beneath some guards and a mist floats up, putting them to sleep. That kind of thing.

5

So... he wants to be Garrett, in other words.

6

Haha... I've never played "Thief," but yeah, the character was initially based on that game. I didn't know the player stole the bow idea too.... Shameless....

... As it turns out, we still haven't played a session, so I'm still very open to story ideas, or details.

Thanks, everyone.

e