I think there's a lot of value to it, and it's something I got away from when I added Arya, chico, The Fixer jebrick and you, it's what, IMO, made this saga grow very quickly and very fast, even with a few players. The idea that a magus participates in one story, maybe another magus comes along as a co-star or lesser billing. When the magus is the star of the show, I only have to focus on one player to progress the story. It moves at the pace of the star's player. I can collapse story elements if they're a slow player, I can insert story elements if they are a frequent poster. It also gives the player some sense of how their character grows. Companions and others can come, too, even other players, but the magus is the one who's setting the tone for the story. Or in the case of a companion story, it will be the companion. Grogs, don't care, someone can play them, or it can be a one player show, they aren't central to the story. If there is serious interest in a grogs alone story, we'll get one together.
The stories will be a slice of life over the 3-4 years. We advance characters up to the point where their story begins, play the story and advance to the 3-4 year mark, and then we're a year before the Tribunal or so when stuff starts happening.
That's fine, again, this is a player controlled effort, the more effort at dividing tasks amongs each other, and then individually planning how you're going to accomplish the tasks the less taxing the stories I generate will be. In order to improve Finesse, Viscaria has a story she needs to complete, for example. Unless a PC wants to train her in Finesse, but than that detracts from their individual advancement, but that's certainly possible, and that particular story goes away and I drop another one in its place. As far as the current story of exploration, if you're too busy, I can just handwave the whole thing. That story is not interesting for me, if it isn't interesting for me, it will be less fun for you. If you're extremely busy and crunched for posting time, handwaving it makes some sense and focusing on the finesse and personal stories make more sense.
Sounds fine.
Let me know re: the exploration thread.
I think I misunderstood you. If you're talking about returning to the priceps-based chapter stuff you were doing for 1220, that's perfectly fine by me. If you're talking about shifting forward to the last several seasons before the Tribunal, then I would really pout. Playing the seasons after Apollodorous's death is important, IMO.
Re the exploration thread, I feel like a couple of critical things need to happen:
we need to get a sense of how big the regio really is and just how many boundaries/entrances/exits there are. Is it one ginormous regio? The size of Chicago? Two dozen smaller regios each the size of a three block suburban neighborhood? This was my main reason for wanting a chapter on the subject
well, that and because I have ducked out of Princeps duties.
we need to establish what we're doing about the exits and entrances. Can V plug them? As a byproduct of spending the seasons finding them?
any regio based story hooks need to be discovered -- you mentioned an exit in the terrain. Then there are those trees we never remember. Any others?
*we need to establish what resources are available for construction efforts,etc.
The stories may be Princeps or story flaw related.
Something's after Apollodorus death will require some seasonal work. Some might be a story item. Those will be spread out. How those things get spread out is largely up to the players. Decide what needs to be done assign to character and then do it
I was going to say this via PM, but I figured I might as well say it publicly.
Amul has been kinda paranoid over the Swiss cheese holes in the regio. I want to allay his concerns, I don't play that way. I don't play Ars Paranoia. The Regio minor boon is pretty well undefined, but it was just that a boon, not a hook. It's a game contract issue. Meaning that the stories I generate around it will generally be positive in nature, for example Fiona's trip to The Land of Giants. Fiona experienced a change in the time she was there. I don't anticipate using the regio entrances against the players. They aren't the kinds of stories I'm interested in. Is it possible that character actions could change this? Sure. Fiona and Laetitia could annoy the residents of where they're going to visit, and you might have some problems with that particular entrance. Characters may find one way exits, and one way entrances. So, whether the Tribunal and Tournament are held in the Regio or outside, it's possible something might develop with entrances, but given the nature of the Regio boon, it probably won't involve House Guernicus.
So, lull your characters into a false sense of security, nothing untoward related to the regios has ever happened. Pursue the stories and development you're interested, or are necessary as a result of Apollodorus's recent passing.
I'd asked you to name and sketch him out a bit. I don't have anything on him. I can do that, if you're not interested.
Also, Viscaria has or has read a book by another Magical Mercere, when I did a quick search.
I'm going to say that Korvin is the only Magical Mercere in Normandy, because of the concentration in Iberia. There's an Attravere in Stonehenge, too.
I would think that Korvin knows of all of them. It's certainly a reasonable assumption, given how few of them there are. As a rule, though, they tend to spread themselves throughout the Tribunals and develop relationships with magi of other Houses, and also develop relationships with Redcaps.
Yeah, for Albion I've decided Attravere knows them all, too. They should have either met all the others, or at least know each other by reputation and have had some correspondence at some point.
If you could either point me to the thread in Albion or whip me off a PM with the names and Tribunals they are in It would help.
I still would like to get Renaud set up as a companion character just because he has a story tied to him that would help move the Mercere House story along as well.
