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

Next Session - First Draft

Having narrowly escaped the wolves Vandaley lies horribly injured, Tanit can perform some magic to ease his suffering but should he attempt to travel at any pace his condition will likely worsen. 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 horribly awry, sending Vandaley into twilight or worse, could increase every day spells are cast.

The travelers have two choices; continue slowly across the land towards Toledo and their Covenant, wolves possibly at their heels again. 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.

PCs:

• Vandaley, horribly maimed, played by L. Steve

• el Viajero 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, played by Bela

• Magpie, devoted to Jihad, likes Magi, is he a God of Birds amongst men? Played by Bela and L. Steve.

• Tanit fillia Ashtart Ex Miscellanea – rumours of human sacrifice, terrifies normal people - played by the story-guide.

Potential other NPCs that may be encountered:

• Walchelin, already helped el Viajero, though it is a bit hazy for el Viajero, a nice guy and member of the Order of Hermes. Always ready to help

• Euphêmía, Walchelin’s friend, very hot stuff and a very friendly Faerie, Walchelin’s friend

• Killer Wolves, always ready to kill and smart about it

• Dancing water Faeries, like to dance on rivers and sing, nice, friendly and cute

• 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 honourable Muhammad knows his way around Iberia

the Who and the Where

I have been happy with the progress of this game. I will post a write-up of the first two sessions when I have put all my notes together. I really enjoyed both sessions and hopefully the players did too. This is what I sent out as the prelude for the next two to three sessions. I have more information on the Mycthic Hero NPC for one player and would have liked a name for the other players Magus before sending this out but otherwise this is where we will be starting.

the Who and the Where

The next two to three sessions will focus on el Viajero de Merinita and Logical Steve’s Magi – Magus X until named - along with the Mythic Hero Viriathus the Numantian and the Maga, Tanit fillia Ashtart Ex Miscellanea. The three Magi find themselves in a coastal town between Valencia and Barcelona awaiting their escort to the Covenant that has invited them as new member. They are on the wrong side of the blurry but fought over border between the Order of Hermes and the different Schools of the Islamic Sorcerers. All the Magi are together in a hostel where their respective Covenants of apprenticeship had arranged a night’s room and board through the Redcaps. There is currently a truce between the Order and most of the Schools so the Magi should be safe, but maybe a little tense as they await the arrival of their guide.

The objective is to get the Magi to the Covenant overland. This is a war zone, conflict is everywhere, the Magi do not have to fight but that will depend on what they do along with their escort as they make their way to the Covenant.

The PCs:

El Viajero de Merinita awakens in the world from his gauntlet with a note clasped in his right hand that reads:

“My Filius, congratulations on the passing of your final gauntlet, you are now a Magus of Merinita and a member of the Order of Hermes. I do not know what visions you have had in your wanderings under the influence, nor could I discern meaning in your ramblings but you will find yourself in a fishing town. Wait here for the Viri, you will know him by his name, remember your Latin my Filius. He will guide you to your new Covenant, the Covenant of Summa Tutela (the Covenant of the Guarded Height). Do not hesitate to write me should you have questions, news or insight to impart on the ways of the Fae.

Your Parens”

In your left hand is clasped a small bag of Soma that if prepared by a skilled Herbalist or Apothecary can produce a drink that will affect the consumer an entire season. In your pocket are two small yellow berries of the Mandrake plant which when consumed provide an intense hallucinatory effect that lasts as long as a formulaic or Spontaneous spell casting and can be used prior to casting.

Magus X has gotten himself to the town through the use of one of the vessels of his family. They were more than happy to drop him off after his unwelcome return to them by his Parens at the conclusion of his Gauntlet. Magus X has three pawns of Vis given him by his Parens as a parting gift, one of Vim in a Griffin’s Talon, itself valuable, one of Animal in the dried heart of a Crow and one of Muto in a mosquito trapped in hardened tree sap. He too has a note:

“Filius, you have passed your gauntlet. Trivial spells already for you in the realm of animal.

May you find what you seek within the Order of Hermes. I offer only the advice that you be wary of hunting to much these beasts you have taken such a proprietry interest in. Some hunt back and while we may not be close I would prefer you not come to an unnecessarily untimely end.

Listen to Felix Achaemenus Scholae Bonisagus and do not anger Celeste, you can learn much from both. Finally make yourself useful if you can.

Parens”

The NPCs:

Viriathus is a Redcap messenger and problem solver for House Mercer and the Order of Hermes. He is a brutally terrifying descendent of the Numantians, who successfully fought the Carthaginians and for a time the Romans. He is a direct descendant of one of these Celtiberians greatest leaders, the original Viriathus, legend has it that the original Viriathus had been borne of the union of the Fae of the Celtiberians who ruled a region that existed in parallel to the mundane Iberia and a Magical Wolf who ruled Celtiberia during the War against the invading Romans and Mercurian Magi. This Viriathus may or may not be much like the original, but he was conceived on the battlefield of the final massacre of the Numantians by the Romans and brought forth with the death of his mother. He is consequently both a Hero of Mythic Origin and a terrifying Bloodcap.

Tanit fillia Ashtart Ex Miscellanea is a Carthaginian Maga, she has a reputation as a Hedge Wizard and most Magi would consider her little more than a witch and coming from a magical tradition that is believed to have conducted human sacrifice in it’s past – something possibly still done now in secret, though the PCs may not know this depending on rolls.

None of the four characters have met each other yet.

The Scene.

The Magi have been told to await their escort who will meet them in the town and escort them to the Covenant. All the characters are currently in Al Andalusia, neither the Reconquest nor the Order of Hermes having stretched this far. But there is a truce between the Order of Hermes and several of the Schools of Islamic Sorcery, though not between the Christians and Muslims.

The Magi are waiting in a Travelers rest house, used by those who are dropped here by ship, or those awaiting a ship to depart. El Viajero de Merinita doesn’t know how he got here, though he was guided by a watchful and helpful Redcap by the name of Walchelin. Magus X knows how he got here, on a family ship, a one time favour to get their least favourite son out of Italy. Tanit traveled here on foot by herself, avoiding contact with people as much as she could, though more often than not they fled and barred their doors at her approach.

Viriathus has arrived on the outskirts of the town and has made himself ready to enter the town, find the Magi in the Hostel – the location of which he knows – and depart hastily. Viriathus wears a helmet to disguise his terrifyingly horrifying monstrous visage and has steeled himself for the potential illness and disquiet he feels when passing through towns, villages and hamlets – he also plans on avoiding any churches or clergy, they particularly distress him; no doubt the Divine Aura that is stronger where they preach and reside.

Walchelin the Redcap, redone

Personality

Walchelin attempts to charm all those he meets, not out of any personal desire but because he is genuinely Friendly and Generous. Dedicated to the pursuit of his Redcap Duties and Music he in Compassionate in his dealings with others and he is more than willing to lend his support to those in need whom he meets upon his travels. He constantly endeavours to draw the threads of his music, duties and passion together in his life as a Redcap and Troubadour.

Apprenticeship

Recently becoming a Redcap Walchelin had been a student of the Universitas Magistrorum et Scholarium in Paris. He graduated first from the School of Arts, and then attended the School of Theology. While at the University, he was also a member of the Normandy Nationes and an apprentice to the Mercer Redcap Mireille LaCroux of Marseille, a Goliard who took more interest in the Order of Hermes’ affairs within Paris and the Schools of the University than traveling the paths between Covenants. Walchelin’s apprenticeship and education has therefore been a full one - if somewhat minimal regarding skills to survive in the outdoors, focusing more on interpersonal skills, performing, composing and achieving a broad education.

As a member of the Normandy Nationes and a student within the Schools of Arts and Theology Walchelin was always rowdy and boisterous during his revelries, but at all times remained articulate, charming and passionate, especially towards his studies within the University; something he has carried with him into his Redcap duties. His time in Paris also paralleled the University riots and strike.

Events in Paris

In March 1229, on Shrove Tuesday, Paris's pre-Lenten carnival began and Walchelin, along with a band of Normandy Nationes associates began their revelries at the tavern of Les Yeux d'Émeraude (the Eyes of Emerald) in the suburban quarter of Saint Marcel. Walchelin and the other students drank heavily, got rowdy, and Walchelin undertook a lively and spirited performance of a large number of drinking songs, ballads and poems to an increasingly raucous audience. Eventually a dispute broke out between the band of students and the tavern proprietor over the bill, which led to a physical fight. The students were beaten up and thrown into the streets, Walchelin and his associates returned to their college. However, word of the dispute and beating had somehow quickly spread and the next day, seeking revenge, students arrived at the tavern in large numbers. Armed with wooden clubs they broke into the tavern, beat the offenders and destroyed the establishment. Other shops were damaged in a subsequent riot that spilled into the streets.

Because students are exempt from the king's courts, angry complaints were filed with the Pope's courts. The Pope's courts knew that the University tended to be very protective of its students and they were trying to approach the matter carefully. However, the secular ruler, Blanche of Castile, the ruler of France, stepped in and demanded retribution. The University authorized the city's police to punish the student rioters. The city guardsmen, known for their rough nature, found a group of students – including Walchelin - and with an unexpectedly heavy hand, killed several of them. After attempting to do what he could for his bloodied Compatriots, which was sadly very little, Walchelin eventually fled the retribution of the guard and made his way back to the University and his Parens to continue his studies and apprenticeship.

The strike and the results for Walchelin

Unfortunately, the response from the University was immediately to go on strike. Classes closed and striking students either went to other universities such as Rheims, Oxford or Toulouse, or returned home or found employment elsewhere. Faculty ceased to teach. Walchelin finally completed his apprenticeship and on the suggestion of his Parens and a newly discovered friend, he decided to head towards Provencal to seek a home, perform, fulfill his Redcap duties and possibly learn from any Troubadours that survived the Crusade.

The role of Euphêmía

On the night of the riot, during a break in his performance at Les Yeux d'Émeraude, a beautiful young woman, by the name of Euphêmía, befriended Walchelin. With her striking green eyes, he was immediately attracted to her and he performed to the best of his abilities, attempting to engage her with a passionate performance. During the ensuing songs, he performed the full spectrum of his repertoire, including a beautiful and original tale of Hades and Perspehone, which referenced the unmatched work of Ovid – it was especially successful in the satirical targeting of Hades in-ability to control his stolen wife Persephone – a tale Walchelin himself made up. The performance, ultimately unfortunately, attracted some unexpected attention from a quarter that Walchelin has yet to realise – Hades himself, who did not appreciate the satire. Additionally the performance had a substantial impact on all of his audience who, rather than become friendly and happy towards each other became rather unfriendly, and extraordinarily passionate in their unfriendliness – not only those in the audience but Hades himself had quite an adverse reaction. Unknown to Walchelin a well-intentioned member of his audience had botched her intervention in the events of the night. During his performance the young woman he had met led a dance amongst a number of the crowd but unknown to her this dance had not only failed but gone completely awry having the reverse of her intention of friendliness amongst all who heard the performance, instead unfriendliness, leading ultimately to fisticuffs and bloodshed ensued over the following days.

Nevertheless, the magnificent performance of the Troubadour Walchelin won the undying adoration of Euphêmía who proceeded to spend much time with the young Walchelin, arriving at all his performances and taking part in many dances with the crowds who attended. Eventually she revealed her true form of a Fae Muse to Walchelin – who had already guessed – after she collapsed minutes after a particularly long and frenetic performance and accompanying dance. Euphêmía is now accompanying him south to continue her dancing, carousing and enjoyment of Walchelin’s art. For his part Walchelin appreciates the beauty and dance of Euphêmía and her ability to exhort the crowd, he suspects that she enhances his Music through her own performances, but little suspects that her dancing is Faerie Folk Dancing that requires another to be performing in order for it to succeed in having any effect.

The Curse of Hades

Unfortunately, Hades took great umbrage at the young Troubadour’s performance and he is biding his time to exact revenge. Hade’s plan is that when the Troubadour finds himself truly in love the Faerie God has decided that he will steal the object of the Troubadour’s affections away to Hades. As he has done with a number of young loves in the past, and then, at every opportunity, Hades will taunt the forlorn Minstrel with his powerlessness in the face of the Fae God.

Beliefs and Patron Saints

Walchelin is a firm believer in the Divine and tries to be a good Christian. He venerates Saint Cecilia, patron Saint of Musicians and Poets, for the beauty she has brought to the world in offering song and music in praise of the Divine and the protection she offers to those who continue to perform and compose music and poetry. Walchelin has been considering a pilgrimage to her Church in Rome in the hope of being able to perform in her honour on her Holy Feast Day on 22 November. He annually celebrates her feast day to as large an audience as he can muster. He also venerates Saint Christopher, patron Saint of Travelers, Bachelors and Storms, for his compassion and aid to travelers. Walchelin always celebrates Saint Christopher’s Feast Day on 25 July with a performance for the Saint, even when on the road pursuing Redcap duties and finding himself without an audience. He sees both these Holy figures as inspiration for his own actions as he moves through the world helping others by working for the Order of Hermes and composing and performing to bring joy to audiences.

Music Style and Genre

Walchelin prefers a style of playing and singing that consists of rich dialogue varied by refrains, the melodies to which have the character of folk music, and are spontaneous and tuneful but overlay elaborate and complex compositions that are harmonious. Normally he performs trobar ric, though increasingly trobar leu has exerted influence over his music. Very rarely Walchelin plays the more restrictive trobar clus. When playing, two of his favourite genres are Descort and Tenso; though he finds the combination of challenge and foolishness that is the Sestina occasionally driving him to attempt this more difficult genre. He prefers to play the Mandolin but is also skilled with other stringed instruments, as well as wind – such as the Bagpipes - and percussion – particularly the Tabor.

Styles

Trobar leu

The trobar leu, or light style of poetry, was the most popular style used by the troubadours. Its accessibility gave it a wide audience.

Trobar ric

Distinguished by its verbal gymnastics trobar ric, or rich form of poetry, has always played a secondary role to trobar leu.

Trobar clus

Only an elite few truly appreciate Trobar clus, or closed form, troubadours for their more discerning audiences’ use this style of poetry. Marcabru developed it extensively, but by 1200, its inaccessibility is leading to its disappearance.

Genres

The poetry of the troubadour songs covered many topics, from the profound to the humorous and from war at home to the crusades. However, they are best known for expounding on the theme of fin' amors, or courtly love.

· Alba: The Alba is a song of the morning, used by the troubadours. It concerns the departure of a lover in the early morning.

· Coblas: This poem or song is composed of several strophes, each a pair of stanza of alternating forms. A band is also a Coblas.

· Descort: The Descort is a song of disagreement used by the troubadours. The subject matter is one of disagreement and this is emphasised by unusual metric structures and irregular rhymes.

· Devinaill: No clue on what this Genre is about.

· Estampida: The Estampida is the Occitan equivalent of the French Estampie. The Estampie is a melody without words with a complicated melodic progression. This does not seem to have been a universally accepted definition however; the song Kalenda Maia by court troubadour Raimbaut de Vaqueiras describes itself as an Estampida.

· Pastorela: The Pastorela is a poetic genre used by the troubadours. It concerns the meeting of a knight with a Shepherdess, which may lead to any of a number of possible conclusions. They are usually humorous pieces.

· Planh: The Planh is a funeral lament used by the troubadours, modeled on the Medieval Latin Planctus. It differed from the Planctus in that it is performed for a secular audience.

· Retroencha: This is a classical song of praise.

· Sestina: Of all the poetic forms, the sestina is perhaps the silliest. The troubadour Arnot Daniel almost certainly invented it and had the good sense to write only one. Created using six key words, the sestina has six stanzas of six lines each with a concluding three-line stanza at the end. The six key words appear at the end of one line each in the first stanza, and we shall call the order they occur in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. In the second stanza, each line again is concluded with a key word, this time in order 6, 1, 5, 2, 4, 3. In the third stanza the words are shuffled the same way, so that the order is 3, 6, 4, 1, 2, 5. This continues until six stanzas have been completed. The six words are then used in the concluding three-line stanza, with two key words per line.

· Sirventes: a satirical poem devised to a melody.

· Tenso: A Tenso is a song style favoured by the troubadours. It takes the form of a debate in which each voice defends a position on a topic relating to love or ethics.