NPC objectives

Muhammad

A once great assassin, Muhammad is now near death. He is not famous and never wants to be, he believes that the best assassins are not famous and do not wish to be.

He his quite a nice man, having sated much of his avarice through his life he remains very unwilling to part with what he has, other than to meet any mission objectives and enjoys socializing, particularly with poets, bards and singers.

Muhammad will not kill outside mission objectives, other than to preserve his life.

Session Objectives:

Personal: Muhammad is dieing and seeking a student to whom he can impart as much know as he can in his dieing days. He hopes that the young assassin Celeste has sent him to find and bring to Spain can be that student.

From Celeste: Find Akros and pass the note from Celeste bearing her seal, which Akros will recognise, halting his mission to kill the Vandelay family head and instead travel to Spain as soon as possible.

Muhammad has enough money to be comfortable in Spain and book passage for both himself and Akros to Spain.

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Missoire Tales

The Bard is still looking for steady work, He wants to wrap up business in Sicily as soon as possible and encourage Babak to depart for Spain.

Missoire is also hesitant to involve himself further in the events on the ship; after all, it was he who swapped the wine glass to the obviously wealthy and well-connected Lady.

Session Objectives:

Find a job where he can sing, perform, compose and entertain while living comfortably.

Get off Sicily without embroiling himself in any more murders

Ars Magica Session

Hi All,

See below for the introduction to tonight's session, if you cannot make it let me know as I have a second option vaguely prepared. Start time is 7:30, arrival from 7pm onwards as I have a few more things to prepare before the game.

I am still slowly recovering from Wintercon, all those intense sessions really took it out of me.

See everyone tonight, hopefully we can now get back into regular fortnightly sessions. L. Steve, bring a blank disk and I will burn Spirit of the Century for you so you can start running it for us :-)

Cheers,

Andrew

The Journey of Vandelay and el Viajero

Having lost Viriathus and narrowly escaping wolves Vandaley lies injured, Tanit can perform some magic to ease his suffering but should he attempted to travel at any pace his condition will likely worsen – in the wilds this will likely lead to death.

El Viajero and Jihad are not enough to carry Vandaley. Should Tanit continue casting spells upon him, despite her apparent skill, the likelihood of magic going awry, sending Vandaley into twilight or worse would increase every day that she casts spells.

The travelers have choices; including continuing slowly across the land towards Toledo and their Covenant, wolves possibly at their heels. Or attempt to find a refuge on the road to Toledo, from where they can send a message to their future home - or at least seek assistance – though Tanit’s Blatant Gift, and both Vandaley and el Viajero’s own Gift will make this difficult, as will the runaway slave state of Jihad.

This session is about making sure Vandaley does not die in the woods. If we can get him to his new home that would be good, or just getting to safety.

There are several NPCs, read up on all of them because depending on how the game goes different people will be playing different characters at different times. Both Bela and L. Steve will play Magpie at the same time, we should sort out how this is going to work before the session begins.

PCs:

• Vandaley lies injured after helping drive off the attacking wolves; he wandered into the dark woods alone looking for firewood, owes a debt to a Fae and has several pawns of Vis in his possession - played by L. Steve
• El Viajero, helped push Viriathus into being abducted by the Fae, or fulfil a debt, interested in the Fae realm and has a pawn of Vis - played by Steve X

NPCs for this session:

• Jihad, nice kid but scrawny, non-Magi think he is shifty, people who recognise his description will know he is an escaped slave. He is currently the travelers guide - played by Bela.
  
• Magpie, devoted to Jihad, likes Magi, is he a God of Birds amongst men. He is the devoted friend of Jihad; the two are inseparable - Played by Bela and L. Steve.
• Tanit fillia Ashtart Ex Miscellanea – rumors of human sacrifice area associated with her and she terrifies normal people. The travelers have seen her blast trees into fire, open wounds on attacking wolves and temporarily heal one of Vandelay’s lesser wounds - played by the story-guide.

Potential other NPCs to be played:

• Walchelin already helped el Viajero, though it is a bit hazy for el Viajero; Walchelin is a really nice and helpful guy and member of the Order of Hermes. Always ready to help – for a full write-up go here.
• Euphêmía, Walchelin’s Fae and closest friend, she is very hot stuff and a very friendly Faerie.
• Killer Wolves, always ready to kill and smart about it.
• Dancing water Faeries, they like to dance on rivers, meet new people, lure them into rivers, very beautiful and sing wonderfully
• Yusuf, a shepherd hunting wolves; some wolves killed his sheep and goats, he is wants to know what happened and is relentless in his pursuit.
• Muhammad, a merchant traveling; blunt, suspicious but unerringly honorable Muhammad knows his way around Iberia

What I sent my fellow gamers

Suvs, Bela, Steve D and Steve X,

This is to fill Suvs in but all should read before the next game as it has a new NPC below. The next Ars session is this Thursday night. So far we have had three sessions.


Background

The first and second got Thierry Ex Jerbiton, his True Friend Louis, Roger the Norman, the Magi Folquet and a mishmash of survivors from Theirry's covenant and nearby village across the Pyrenees with a wonderful, for Theirry and the Faerie, dalliance with the Spring Fae of the pass. There was also the kidnapping of Louis' new Bride and the massacre and destruction of the nicest village and Covenant in all of Europe, watched by the frozen but magically protected Famous Poet Theirry ,while Folquet and Roger tried valiantly to protect everybody. Strange beasts came through portals to do this, Roger the Norman has declared them Beasts from Hell or some such and clearly from their clawed hands, lantern eyes and grotesque old women appearance and willingness to massacre and kidnap in a horribly bloody fashion - including wearing someone's skin - they aren't nice. This was followed by the seizure of one member of Thierry's Coveant - Gautier - by the Magi Batiste, to be his apprentice. Batiste is famous for incorporating magic from the Schools of Islam into Hermetic Magic and infamous for beating, torturing and killing apprentices that displease him. Theirry was well please d to be rid of the annoying Gautier and it was Batiste's right under Hermetic Law - as a member of House Bonisagus - to seize Gautier.

The Third session saw Viriathus, Mythic Hero and Redcap, arrive in a town on the coast of Iberia to escort three newly Gauntleted Magi to their new Covenant. Before this could occur the townsfolk rose up to drive these suspect individuals from their fair coastal town, the Magi and Viriathus left as quickly as they could after terrorising the town with a Demon Horse and sending the local Priest packing in fear after he attempted to drive the demon's from the town. The four indivdiuals are now trecking across the countryside with only meager supplies, chicken theft and nabbing the meager belongings of shepherds their main sustenance. They are apparently being stalked by a wolf while Viriathus guides them towards his own objective prior to depositing them at their new abode.


What has been going on

I have been organising the sessions so that their are two PCs played by players and at least one NPC played by a player. The NPC has some broad goals that I am keen for the player to pursue as well as some personality guidelines but otherwise people play them as they see fit. This allows rules to be learned by people playing lots of different kinds of characters as well as hopefully getting everyone engaged while spreading the PCs out so they are not a DnD party wandering the countryside. I have an NPC that I am hoping you will be keen to play for the next two sessions. The current program is to get everyone's characters to the Covenant. Each group of two to three sessions should be seen as running in parallel. While Thierry and Roger do battle and make their way across the Pyrenees the current group are moving west across Iberia.

Next session will commence at the border of the forest that Viriathus has been guiding people to. The central cast will be the Italian Ex Miscellanea Magus (Steve D.) who hunts beasts, a Merinita Magus (Steve X.) with an interest in drugs and the fae. With them are an Ex Miscellanea Carthaginian Maga who terrifies most normals she encounters and Viriathus the Numantine (Bela), Mythic Hero, Redcap in the service of House Mercer and the Order of Hermes and Bloodcap, born on the fields of the final massacre by Rome of the Numantians. In addition they will encounter young Jihad (Suvs) and his magical Magpie (NPC).


Young Jihad

Jihad ran away from his Master, Zaid, a landholder on the East Coast of Iberia, when he was eight – this occurred within hours of Zaid getting him home. Jihad has been on the run ever since gradually working himself westwards across Iberia in the hope of finding his home and parents. Zaid long-ago gave up looking for his run-away slave, he was cheap and a suspicious little Berber anyway, but he has reported him to the authorities and should he hear of the boy he will come looking.

Brave in the face of threats to animals, stoic about his life, Jihad has become adept at hiding and trapping animals to survive. He is particularly adept at finding locations to hide that no one seems able to find. He found that sometimes he gets a tingling sensation and he perceives entryways that apparently escape the notice of others, he slips into these entryways and easily escapes his pursuers. Though he does not know it, he is currently using a Magical Regio inside a forest as his base of operations. Whenever he feels at threat, he slips into this area. His powers are magical in origin.

It goes against his nature but Jihad keeps to himself, his fear of others finding him and returning him to slavery ensures Jihad continues to hide. However, of course a greater fear may push him towards people that he may perceive as similar outcasts.

Ameliorating his curiosity and desire to associate with people is his only friend a Magpie, which Jihad rescued from a particularly ferocious cat and brought to one of his hiding places to nurse. The animal and Jihad have grown close, it troubles the young boy not a bit that the Magpie and he chat endlessly about Iberia, scavenging and other topics of mutual interest.

Some things the players should know about Jihad to help along the story:

• Jihad shares some interesting abilities with the Mythic Hero Viriathus.
• Jihad has just been scared out of his wits by a huge group of what he first thought where merchants but on closer inspection appeared to be animals walking upright, bringing carts of goods and animals arriving in his hiding place.
• The Magpie quite likes Magi, though his first loyalty is to Jihad.

Jihad's character sheet looks long but that is only because I have cut and paste the information on each of his Virtues and Flaws into the sheet for ease of reference.

I finally got to use this young slave, developed from this joke character, in hopefully a fun form.

Al-Andalusia and the Iberian Tribunal

The Covenant of Summa Tutela

Summa Tutela stands tall atop a hill overlooking the Tagus River. The Tagus flows from east to west dissecting Iberia and forming the border between the Christian re-conquests and Islam. This border closely reflects the extent of authority of the Order of Hermes in Iberia. The Covenant is situated close to the Roman Road known as the Via De La Plata, passing from the far-north of Iberia, crossing a nearby stone bridge, before heading south into Muslim Andalusia

Designed and built by the Muslim Sorcerer Abdul-Aleem in the late 9^th Century – to take advantage of the trade passing down the Tagus and the Via De La Plata – Abdul-Aleem used large well cut stones and founded the buildings of the Covenant on the ruin of a Roman Temple to Mercury. The Covenant is imposing in its height and strength of simple but confident fortifications. Nonetheless it is a bright and cheery place, especially when silhouetted by the sunny blue sky.

It has been made home by the two magi who took it, and the guards and household staff they brought with them. As you look the Covenant is busy with activity, armed men quietly patrol atop the fortifications and maids, servants and other members of the household busy themselves finishing up tasks before the midday meal.

Several buildings make up the covenant which stretches along the ridge of a hill. First, at the ridge’s western edge stands the Keep – housing the rooms and laboratories of the Magi – then, as you move east, comes the library, then the kitchen, workshop, stable and finally quarters for the guard, household and guests.

Inside the buildings the rooms have unusually high ceilings that are both light and airy throughout summer – although the temperature can probably drop in winter. Beautiful wooden furniture and the occasional Persian rug fit out the mostly wooden floored complex – presumably left behind by the last occupants. Adding the final touch is an outdoor heated bath.

As well as the Via De La Plata the Covenant is close to the road from Toledo to Merida – where a Chapter of Knights has recently been founded. The Covenant has the task of standing on the frontier between the growing Iberian Tribunal and the Islamic Sorcerers who contest this, while also managing interaction with the mundane world which frequently passes along the nearby roads and river.

Founded atop the ruin of a Roman Temple to Mercury, the Covenant lies within a powerful Magical Aura that extends across the entire hilltop. Fortified and guarded the inhabitants have all that is necessary for their purpose – though few luxuries.

Run by Celeste Otrera ex Tytalus and Felix Achaemenus Scholae Bonisagus the Covenant is also home to other Magi such as you, fresh from their gauntlets and newly recruited to hold and expand the frontier.

Iberia or Al-Andalusia 1210; the mundane and arcane political backdrop

Iberia has been reclaimed in part by Christian forces from the north. But the forces of Islam continue a staunch resistance. The Muslims have reportedly fragmented into a number of smaller Kingdoms which, while still managing to do battle, appear to be gradually falling.

The Order of Hermes has been taking advantage of this, some suspect provoking the violence, in order to expand the borders of the Order forcefully.

• Magi of House Flambeau are in the vanguard of bringing new members into the Order, or destroying them.
• House Tytalus is also taking advantage of the conflict to recruit, and rebuild their damaged name.
• Members of House Bonisagus appear to be attempting to learn what they can from the Witches, Sorcerers and Cabalists that can be found in the Peninsula, using a variety of means.
• House Ex Miscellanea is growing fast with new members not fitting into Tytalus of Flambeau finding a home here.
• House Merinita has taken an unusual interest in the Peninsula, many are unsure why, most don’t care.
• Jerbiton continues to work with the noble mundane, some think too closely, to retake the Christian lands of the Iberian Peninsula.
• The Tremere – as soldiers – are closely involved in the conflict on the border, though they are not as in touch with the political activities as they would like; their Covenant in the Pyrenees now far from the expanded border.

Within Andalusia is a rich and diverse heritage of magic, including Islamic, Jewish, Christian and Pagan Traditions. All but the Pagan flourished under the generally benign auspices of the Muslim Caliphs. These other traditions are pursuing a variety of responses to the growing influence of the Order of Hermes and it’s incursion into Andalusia: some are joining, even converting to Christianity, others are hiding or fleeing into North Africa, while others, interests intertwined with the Islamic Kingdoms, mount a staunch and complex defense of the Islamic world. To the north refugees from the Albigensian Crusade are also starting to cross the Pyrenees, currently only in small numbers but should the conflict worsen more could be expected.

The Magi will find themselves in a newly founded Covenant that is set to lead the incorporation of the rest of Andalusia into the Iberian Tribunal. They will be under the direction, and protection, of elders within the Covenant though still having plenty of seasons to pursue their objectives within this growing Tribunal.