((Even without any points in Teaching, Tiana can get Fédora to 1.))
Fédora looks thoughtful. [color=blue]"I've never been trained in copying or scribing books. I've always been able to rely on my memory for messages in the past. If this is something that is available to all of us, I may have to be taught how to do that properly, to better serve the Covenant."
((Fédora has Art of Memory (The Mysteries Revised Edition, p. 25), and can reliably memorize a single-page letter verbatim, a five-minute conversation, a room from a single vantage point, or the layout of a castle. She has a chance (albeit not a great one) of memorizing a letter of up to 10 pages, an hour's conversation/lecture/debate, a room explored and seen from many vantage points, a whole manor house seen from a single vantage point in each room, or the contents of a castle. Anything beyond that would take at least a 14 on the die roll.))
as it turns out, Carmen's specialization happens to be copying after all. Thought it was composition. Oh well
And for those with no skill in Scribe (Vibria and Vulcanus), spend a season writing out some of your own lab texts first, gain 2xp exposure for Scribe, you can then have a score of 0 with a specialization
Oh, that brings up a question I meant to ask on the AM main forums a while back, and totally forgot.
If I write a lab text for item enchantment, how exactly does that work?
*Is a lab text from placing an enchantment in my talisman specific to my talisman and thus effectively useless, or can it be used to put the same enchantment in other invested devices
*Is a lab text from enchanting a talisman specific to talismans, that is, if Vulcanus makes an LT from putting Hauberk of Supreme Lightness onto his talisman, can Guillaume use it to put Hauberk of Supreme Lightness onto his talisman? (They both have armor for their talismans.)
*How similar do invested devices have to be, in order to use a lab text? Same shape and material sufficient, or do the items themselves have to be identical?
*I had more questions but I totally forgot other instances I'd wanted to ask about.
See p. 102 in the core book. By my reading, the answers to your questions are...
*A lab text from enchanting a talisman can be used for other invested devices, but not for lesser enchantments.
*I don't think a lab text can be (or should be) specific to talismans, but even if it is...
*...I think all you need to align is the shape and material bonuses used in the original enchantment. In your example, if all Vulc used was the armor bonus, the lab text will work for any item that can provide the 'armor' bonus. If he also used a bonus for iron, any item enchanted using the lab text would have to qualify for both iron and armor bonuses.
Fédora is the one with no Scribe. Since she has no Spell Texts to scribe, she would probably need to write a Summa, or a tractatus.
Looking over her Abilities, her best scores (in Abilities that I can easily see as writable-about) are in Russian and Latin, Animal Handling, Ride, Area Lore: Novgorod Tribunal, Etiquette, and Ride.
[color=blue]"I imagine that I will have to write something, to learn how it's done, before I copy anything for the covenant. I can write primers in how to speak Russian, how to handle horses and how to ride, the courtly graces, and about the Novgorod Tribunal. Have you any suggestions as to which of those would be the best use?"
Vocis: I'm currently negotiating the services of one or more professors for the covenant. I expect one of them will be able to teach a group of us at least the rudiments of writing and copying.
"That would be lovely!" Tiana exclaims. "I am going to start teaching my first apprentice very soon, and I would love to learn how to communicate ideas better in a formal instruction setting." She beams with excitement.
I shall work on an updated version of those spells (classics from both the WG & WGRE)
Last Flight of the Phoenix is already in 5th edition, but it does qualify as an old spell I will see if their are any old-style nuances that I can incorporate into the one you find. Which brings me to the point, there are current cannon spells that existed in previous editions, some in a slightly different form (Pilium of Fire was Touch Range and launched out from your hands like a jet, the Ball of Abysmal Flame could be held for three rounds, etc). The old versions of these spells will retain some of these quirks.
Giving me a heads up on what texts you seek helps me prepare and craft the revised versions ahead of time. But as far as actual application and working out the details of what you do, I want to handle things one at a time in sequential order.
Vibria is first, in Spring 1230. She had just returned from the Mission Improbable, and they used the booby trap casting tablet to try to heal her finger. It had ahem, other than the intended effect. So Carmen shelled out the funds to outright purchase a casting tablet of "The Severed Limb Made Whole" from Carles in Barcelona.
Her finger is healed, but still sore. It will not affect the quality of your writing or your speed. It just hurts, and you spend a long term fatigue for the season of effort. This isn't in the rules, just and aesthetic nuance that you may disregard.
So, how is she dressed when she arrives? Does she travel alone or with grogs? How does she cope with her, er, um, "enhancment"? What book did you bring for improvement, and what is it you hope to do in the dragon's library for your season?
When you arrive, you are greeted by Maurice. His brothers are off who knows elsewhere.
Greetings Cousin. How fairest thou this day? You look different somehow. New hairstyle?
Anyway, grandfather awaits you in the sauna.
Sigmundo has a sauna in his lair. His lair is huge and it is decked out with numerous improvments and features. You wonder how much of the mountain's interior he has excavated, or if perhaps this is a region.
The dragon's sauna is a huge subterranean hot-spring, a small lake of boiling water heated by the geothermal activity of the mountain. Sigmundo wades stretched out in full draconic form, and he is frightenly huge. He is so long that he may seem snake like, but he does have powerful limbs. And his wings may be slicked against his body and inconspicuous, you still estimate his span would be as wide as he is long. Compared to the size scores of canonical dragons (Stellatus +8, Polymathes +7), I would rate Sigmundo at around 12+ (I rate Pan Caudrax at +16).
Good morning grandchild. Come in, have a soak. The water boils naturally, but I can heat it up higher if you like.
Just in case...Per 2 + Folk Ken 3 + roll 7 = 12. Does Vocis get any idea what that was all about?
I hope to have the first one here in 1231, but nothing has been finalized. We should have time for one season's class before taking our turns with Sigmundo, though.
That will come in handy in case anyone ever gets dismembered again. Too bad you can't learn from Casting Tablets.
Her Hermetic robe over her armour, with her sword belted on over it. She hopes she can just put them aside, practice a little bit each day to not get rusty, and not have to actually need them for the next few months. I'm not sure if we decided that Vibria's dragon-helm was useful or not (it feels like we were leaning toward yes), but I'm thinking take it with her, make sure her host won't be offended if she wears it; if he won't, she will practice with it to get comfortable with it. She's also taking (and wearing en route) a regular helmet.
She travels with two grogs, but they don't stay. They return to the covenant and return to get her when it's time to come home. I'm thinking Guy and Vidal (who I haven't made yet but really need to).
I don't think her armour or any of her clothes were really tailored to fit her former endowments, so she doesn't have to deal with having anything let out or re-fitted. Other than that...it's not that much different that what she's had to put up with since she flowered. Women being jealous, men leering, and everyone thinking the worst of her. Of course, now that she's got watermelons instead of cantaloupes, that's all the more reason for people to assume she's a slut. Which means she may get more Cr(Re)Ig practice.
Nothing's changed, I think. She's still bringing On Transmutation, and she would like to copy a Summa on Philosophae: Level 8, Quality 14.
Vibria doesn't normally do icy...but in this case, she may make an exception. [color=red]"Yes, I've changed how I wear my hair. I'm doing quite well, all things considered," she says as she flexes her bad finger.
Vibria looks around in wonder as she's led into the sauna, suitably impressed. [color=red]"You don't have to trouble yourself on my account, I'm sure the water is quite warm enough." She looks around.
[color=red]"Are there any...people around, or just us?" If there's no humans (or humanoids) around, she will carefully strip down and hop into the springs, then sputter in mild annoyance. She hadn't realized how much more...buoyant she is now.
((Fédora should be happy for Tiana and Semyon, but isn't. But then again, Vocis hasn't ever really seen Fédora "happy."))
Fédora nods. [color=blue]"I look forward to his arrival. Hopefully we can make this a priority for him when he comes."
That can be arranged. I was going to have him drop off a mix of stuff. Carmen spent 4 pawns for 100 levels of tablets and texts she thinks we need.
It is useful indeed, and quite appreciated and admired by your kin. Maurice comments You should enchant it so you can change into a dragon. That would be interesting
I like it. I presume they are from the almogavar contingent?
If you don't like them, you could always find a way to undo the spell or something
Sigmundo keeps the original and presents you with a new undamaged copy penned with a magical ink that changes color to highlight sections of text (this counts as +2 Resonance, having been obtained by character efforts).
The new copy is Level 12, Quality 13.
For your Philosophiae book...
You find an undamaged accurate Latin translation of Physics, by Aristotle. Taught in Catherdral schools, most copies of this book are L6/Q12. But they do not realize that this has been copied down from an inferior copy (damaged, poorly transcribed or translated, something). This superior copy is L8/Q14.
I will add all this to the wiki.
Just to point out, Maurice is not a mammal. He really may be misperceiving what is different about your appearance. He just knows human women are always changing their hairstyle.
Just the occasional servant goblin (remember, Goblins are Magic, Hobgoblins are Faerie, but many people reverse the terms)
And they can be banned from the sauna/boiling pool if it makes you more comfortable.
And as you notice your buoyancy, Sigmundo asks You look different. Did you change your hairstyle?
I really like the helmet by the way. One day, when I teach you how to take on a dragon shape, you should style yourself like that.
[color=red]"I've thought about enchanting a few effects into it. Turning me into a dragon would be a pretty powerful effect (but wicked awesome!), and might be more magic than the helm can hold."
checks wiki I didn't realize that all the previous soldiers but the Seven Soldiers of Victory had died. So...um...Vidal is Catalonian, and an Almogavar; Guy is from Normandy. How long ago would they have started rebuilding the Guard? (i.e. how long can they have been in Andorra?)
Once she gets used to them, she'll keep them. They may come in handy someday, and she (or, rather, I) have an idea on how they fit into her little plan.
Is this including the -1 Quality for Copying Quickly, or are we going with the original "this rule only applies here" rule?
Yeah, but she's used to dealing with Envied Beauty and Judged Unfairly, and still stinging about Vulcanus. So she may have over-reacted a little bit.
She would appreciate it. She's not used to goblins (except for Ludwig, who only kinda-sorta counts) or hobgoblins, so it may take a while for her to decide they're not leering and ogling.
Vibria rolls her eyes before she realizes that he may not be being snarky. [color=red]"No. I had a mishap last week, lost a finger." She holds her hand up and shows him the finger she lost.
[color=red]"We took a casting tablet while we were there, but the one we thought was for a healing ritual to regrow lost limbs was actually a ritual that...made my breasts noticeably larger." She sighs. [color=red]"Maybe he'll notice," she says under her breath as she looks down.
Sigmindo squints his eyes. I can't tell. All humans have that, especially females but men too. No, I am almost certain it is your hair. The color is different I think.
He may have a point, for ever since you were a child your hair has reacted to seasons and sunlight. But it seems a bit early in the year for it to have noticeably changed.
Not right away. You will have to earn it. When you are ready.
Deep within these cavers there is a mystical site, the Terragyon Mists. They have transmorgrification powers. I have learned how to control them.
But that is a long way down the road. And presumes that we can come to an arrangement. You see child, we are family. And I intend for you to one day inherit a portion of my legacy. But you must give if you expect to receive. I offer you the Draconic Mysteries, if you will but share your knowledge of Hermeticism.
Let us start off simple. How do you feel about making Maurice your familiar?
I assume we all check Andorra's library before checking out Sigmundo's books? Tiana already deposited a Philosophiae L8 Q14 summa in the queue to be copied.
That is why this needs to be handled in sequential order. Vibria's queue is due Spring 1230. This is before Tiana, so she would be aware of this and choose to do something else.
Vibria pulls a handful of hair around to where she can see it and looks at it closely. She'd never really thought about her hair changing colour before – it was just something she took for granted, something else that made her Different from the Rest. But now, it's something for her to consider and try to figure out the whys and wherefores.
Vibria sits there in stunned silence. Maurice? My familiar? she thinks. He's the smartest of the three, it seems...but he is quite powerful. It will take years for me to get to the point where I can bond with him. And isn't your familiar supposed to be your dearest friend? I barely know him! And what will Vulcanus think?
[color=red]"That would be...a great honor," she finally gets out. [color=red]"But I am only newly gauntleted myself, and nowhere near ready to bond a familiar, particularly not one as powerful as he is. What does he think of it?"
((I didn't see a list yet when I put out what Vibria was going to copy...I just went for something that I thought would be useful to more than one magus. It won't do Vibria much good, since she doesn't have Ceremonial or Ritual magic, but it should come in handy for some of the others.))
