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.