I don't know why, but I was thinking that the phantasmal Guernicus was supposed to go toward the winner of the Certamen to make his choice of delegate known.
Hmmm. And so it was.
It is fine. It was just as dramatic.
For some reason, I stopped receiving updates from the forum and I thought things slowed down. Oops! I have some catching up to do.
I was about to start poking some anthills, but I've also been fairly busy with work and a couple of other side jobs.
My time will be more free for 2 weeks. Making items takes a bit .
Ditto. Lots of stress, and some good, but I've been feeling negligent about this lately. I'll set aside this weekend as "Academy Time" and try to get caught up between work and hanging out with new friend.
I newly joined the board, as I'm in the process of putting together my own Ars game, and ran across this game. As a college teacher in real life, it seems quite delightful. I'm in the process of reading through everything and I'll let you know when I have narrowed down a concept.
A few concepts are emerging:
A surprisingly lucid Criamon who has followed the Path of Seeming, expert in Intellego and Muto.
A retired Hoplite, a Flambeau of the school of Ramius, skilled in wards and Parma Magica.
An alternative retired Hoplite, a Harmonist Bjornaer, also skilled in wards, Parma, and spontaneous magic. His focus on the magics of the natural world, particularly Herbam and the elements led to fears his lineage led back to the Diedne. Although cleared by House Guernicus, doubts linger in the minds of some ...
A few others still percolating.
I am contemplating the Major Virtue Elemental Magic. How would the Bonus XP best be attributed during character creation?
I'll be joining as well. How does a bastard child (faerie father) with faerie blood being brought into House Merinita sound? It looks like you don't have a Merinita apprentice yet.
Those all sound simply smashing.
I particularly like Trogdor's faerie bastard and the Bjornaer (what a surprise, I know, right?).
It's the one I'm toying with, and am really enjoying it so far. Taking our Storyguide's suggestion of this being the game to try out 'inefficient' characters, I find myself developing someone with quite a broad array of Arts to develop, the four elemental ones, herbam and animal, along with a decent score in all techniques, and a good one in rego for wards. This with an overall affinity for spontaneous magic and quite a number of projected refinements and mysteries leads to trying to accomplish much, and I must admit I'm enjoying it 
Peregrin, perhaps you can give me some advice on my heartbeast. I'm having trouble picking one that resonates with the developing concept. I'm thinking of someone who, when a hoplite, used his heartbeast more for infiltration than combat. A smoke-animus seems evocative, but the actual beastie itself is still elusive
And Fiona learns the hard way that Clement has a Mentem 27!
One thing that I've asked a couple of times, Fabricus has like 8 seasons he wants to put into the labe before classes begin. Are there any items that people would like for the covenant or their own use? I figure Clement should get an item from Fabricus for the service of teaching us, so he'll be happy to provide that anyway. I was thinking of a Mystery item that focuses one of it's form/function bonuses. It takes a season and a pawn of vis, just need to decided what it would be.
But Fabricus can pull off a 50+ lab total in pretty much any TeFo and can make most any mundane item that would typically be enchanted. So even a big item could be done relatively quickly. Any thoughts? Otherwise I'll start churning them out on my own.
Well, one thing I was going to give Catrina, but that you could make if you like, is a wand that allows the user to cast a minor illusion. I was thinking that Catrina could use it to help her students practice Finesse by repeatedly creating illusions and trying to make them look realistic.
A finnesse teaching device could be good. Creating illusions or perhaps something that does simple movement like telekinesis maybe. Either one would be fine, if she prefers Imaginem, no problem.
One of the things I'd like to see in the stories for the students is them using and misusing their magic as well as items. It's classic magic stories IMO. So On the one hand i could see them using that illusion wand to learn finesse, but also using it to play pranks as well as using it in their own defense should the need arise. So items like that is what I'm thinking.
Items that incorparate games and activities are warranted I'd say also, there was some talk of those things, what kind of gear might be needed?
You can alos borrow something for AtD where they discribe an artifact that is a sphere with writing on it that moves. Controlling the writing is a practice in finesse. I'll find the exact page when I'm home.
As a general rule he wouldn't want to create a bunch of multiples of something, but if it were appropriate sure. Is there something that we'd want on each apprentice that could maybe be a lesser enchanted device and he could make a few of them if needed? Like a set of robes or other apparel? Something that offers protection or maybe a scrying ability (on them, not for them), and then those with Heartbeasts could get an additional item that transforms the robes when they change?
Working at my new job now. I have access to the site for posting but do not have easy access to my PDFs so that will slow me down. I can access them on my phone so not all is lost. I have modified Julius ( apprentice) a bit to add more info. I need to change some of the recent years for Clement as he does not have to write textbooks.