Salt mine adventure takes place in Spring 1234
Ah yeah. I thought we had to be occupied anyway during the adventure. Unless it takes more than 10 days I can still go "full charge" on the Flight charged items project and do the adventure there.
A side thing woould be the ability to cast spells AND contribute to the Group's combat totals listed in the hourse rules. I am assuming I can already do that with my own mercenaries, but if I can't I will have to rethink the advancement idea to incorporate that into my projhect, since it is a useful feature that I would like to have.
As a side note, can a familiar be part of a combat group?
Xavi
How do we handle something where there really isn't a fractional total? For example- setting up a lab?
If your Lab Total is sufficient, then you are fine. If no total is required, then as long as you do not spoil the season with too many days off, you are technically okay.
There are no special House Rules for Combat. None that are relevant that I can recall. According to Lords of Men and Grogs, a member of a group can optionally choose to do something else in a round, such as cast a spell. In that round, they do not contribute to the group's Attack bonus or Damage multiplier, but they still contribute to Defense.
The following is not an HR, but rather an interpretation. I further reason that a magus, if they successfully Fast Cast their spell, can contribute to Attack and Damage as well. Casting with one hand is a -2 penalty, no hands is a -5. Concentration rolls might be required depending on circumstances, but no more than usual and not every single round.
Also, the number of members in a group is limited to the leader's Leadership score, and I presume that this means fighters besides himsef. A guy with a score of 1 can still command a group of two, himself and another.
As a stand in, I am presuming stats basically the same as the Almogavars from the Vibria Company (the Gold Griffons). Just with heavier armor.
Cool, thanks. Will have to define some of the Flames. And see if I can nudge a mastiff into the group total.
Xavi
As for animals in groups, I think that may bbe difficult. The animal would have to be intelligent, trained with the group (and able to learn), and their combat scores must fall within the five point range of the other group members.
We are taslking familiars here, so they should be able to comply. A mastiff has similar stats to a grown man.
And they have the rule that trumps all: it looks cool. 
That would actually tone down my character concept pretty drastically. Redcaps get much more xp than standard companions. Making him an older Redcap is the only thing that allows him to even approach Marius as a teacher while satisfying the 'don't be a munchkin!!!' voice in my head. 
However, as I mentioned, I'm not really looking to take on another PC. I'm just looking at the handful of teaching gaps that Marius and Draganna don't fill, then trying to determine what type of character could fill the rest and be found in Transylvania. The dragon-blooded concept, while cool, is more of an actual 'character' than I want to make.
He might technically be employed by his House and based at the Mercere house. We could just take him on as a contractor of sorts when we need classes in his areas of expertise.
I remember reading something about the quasi-Redcaps of the Transylvanian Tribunal. Play one of those as a scholar. Design an un-Gifted Companion (no Blood of Heroes of Dragon blood either). Take the Redcap Major Virtue, then take a Minor Flaw (similar to Illegitimate Lineage) to indicate you are not accepted as a magus by the rest of House Mercere.
Eh?
Quasi-Redcaps of Transylvania aren't recognized as Redcaps by the House, as much as the Tremere would like to do so.
Exactly my point 
I was actually considering those quasi-Redcaps, but needed the xp of a real Redcap. This sounds perfect.
So...my only concern with this is that now this behind the scenes, not really played character is going to be "better" than all of the other non-redcap companions out there. We've already established, back when I was making my venditor for Vulcanus, that the Redcap virtue is way overpowered. To just give it to a character that's not even really going to be played for the sake of letting him have enough xp to do what he wants seems a bit...wrong in my opinion.
Is it really necessary that we have every skill in the game covered by a teacher?
He has a point. Have to Red Hammer[sup]TM[/sup] a "NO" on this one, even though it was my idea.
Yep. This is part of the reason I floated the concept before posting a character.
Not really. I was just planning to make a teacher and between Marius and Draganna there are a limited number of skills we're lacking. I may just not worry about making a third teacher. No biggie.
I think the idea has merit so long as you don't give them the Redcap Social status, that's kind of where I was going. Tremere can call them Redcaps, but they really quite as good as Redcaps, nor do they have any Hermetic rights. You slap the Redcap Social Status virtue on them, you're giving them all the rights and privileges one would give to a magus of the Order.
Redcaps also start off with a lot of XP for CharGen, much more so than a normal companion, plus a big chunk of magic items and a discount on buying more. It is cool for a main character, but not for a side character that will hardly get played.
Okay, so Iāve tried to compile what all is going on between Spring 1234 through Spring 1235. Iāve listed all of the āadventureā threads as well as major events (like new people joining and classes being taught) along with the people participating in parentheses. Note, I am only including Magi and companions on the list, for now at least. This includes entries I saw in the Magi Planner on the wiki.
A couple of things to note; I donāt know when Antoine is joining the covenant, so I didnāt list it. Also, Bernhard is listed as learning Single Weapon from Fausto in Spring 1234 on the planner, but thatās not being taught in Spring.
If you want to post if your character is doing anything related to any of this Iāll update the list. I donāt plan on putting anyoneās lab work on here, since itās irrelevant to the rest of us.
Spring 1234:
Fleur joins Covenant of Andorra
Sharkman Begins (Pere, Acutus)
Road to Pamplona (Fleur, Fedora, Pere, Acutus)
Take the Truth with Many Grains of Salt (Arnau, Selim, Vibria)
Fausto teaches Leadership (Vibria, Roberto, Arnau)
Moe and Armando teach Profession: Soldier
Summer 1234:
Acutus joins Covenant of Andorra?
Terror in Transylvania (Vocis, Mica)
Fausto teaches Single Weapon (Selim, Vibria, Roberto, Arnau)
Moe and Armando teach Profession: Soldier
Fall 1234:
Lucas joins Covenant of Andorra
Fausto teaches Single Weapon
Moe and Armando teach Profession: Soldier (Selim)
Winter 1235:
Moe dies, the covenant mourns
Roberto and Selim travel to Pyramids/Cairo (Roberto, Selim)
Spring 1235:
Expedition to City of Brass (Solomon, Selim, Roberto, Arnau, Vibria, Arachne, Bernhardā¦)
summer 1234 Donna is making equipment for the expedition as I understand it- probably in the fall as well (2 seasons service). Winter she will have her adventure finding a female weaponsmith apprentice.
If allowed to go Adan will spend his two free seasons studying Egyptian (if there Is a source for him to study from, otherwise the most closely related/relevant language)