The idea is to essentially set up a tribunal entirely or nearly entirely populated by PC covenants, each playing somewhat independently while also interacting. The plan is to have a few beta SGs so each covenant has a lead SG, and then a bunch of gamma SGs taking charge of smaller aspects (nations' nobilities, Hermetic houses, mystery cults, Story Flaws and covenant Hooks, etc.) I will set some baselines for what can be picked up as rewards to create a level of fairness. For consistency on spell design and the like, I'll take charge of ruling on those things.


Right away a fundamental decision needs to be made: Where should this be? The easiest ones I have thought of are either that Novgorod has lost some covenants and needs an influx of new blood, or that this is an expansion to create a new tribunal in either Scandinavia or northern Africa. So rank these:

• Northern Africa (new tribunal)
• Scandinavia (new tribunal)
• Novgorod (rejuvenating/expanding tribunal)
• Other

The next thing will be to group players together into a few covenants that don't yet exist but will. I figure we should do that based on magi's interests and player interests. So what sort of magus and companion would you like to play. I'd like to leave a lot of options open. I highly suggest one player per covenant makes a Redcap as a companion; on a related note, there should probably be no Gifted Mercere, but they're not ruled out. There should probably be a Guernicus, among the PC's. Magi will be at most a few years out of gauntlet so they're all young recruits for this endeavor. The more years out of gauntlet, the fewer resources you'll have to bring along when setting up your covenant. I don't want to deal with any initiations, nor with finding of Familiars, etc. over those few years. This way everyone is still pretty new to the Order. Meanwhile, keep the concepts relatively tight (e.g. don't cherry-pick Virtues from many books). Note that a Gifted Companion or a Mythic Companion will occupy a magus slot. So, list at least one magus idea and at least one companion idea you would like to play and a little bit about what would suit them (e.g. a more urban covenant, or in/near a faerie wood).

• Magus idea and how they fit in.
• Companion idea

Additionally, rate the level of SGing you could handle.

• Beta SG, gamma SG, none.

These may all be noted by replying to this message.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:46, Tue 23 Feb 2021.

In reply to Alpha SG (msg # 1):

I have a character concept in mind, a revived version of a Magus I developed for a different game that did not come to fruition. Off-hand with no other details, that magus would fit best in a Northern Africa setting. This is, in my opinion, an interesting setting because of how accessible it is to the rest of Europe compared to some of the other options via the Mediterranean, and offers an interesting palette of other peoples and unique resources.

Here is my take

Location Ranked choice.
-North Africa
-Scandinavia
-Other (Near East? India?)
-Novgorod

Magus Ideas
-Flambeau, Martial Weather Focus, Capable of defending massive areas using oil rain set alight or directed tornadoes, Long Term Interest in making Hedge style Virtues for the arts, Focusing on Ignem First to create a Turb of grog Hoplites.
-Transitionalist Guernicus or maybe Verditius Quaesitor. Wants to use a new tribunal and the dangers they face to prove the concept of massed surveillance (high flying magic item with eagle eyes and true sight of air detecting the Gift, monitored by grogs).

Companion idea
-Redcap if required
-Mythic Crafter Forge Companion
-Devil Child Lite informant

I can Beta SG.

Location Preferences:

1. Scandinavia
2. Novgorod (Rejuvenation, it's big enough as is.)
3. North Africa
4. Other (Plenty of "New Tribunal" settings; i.e. North Seas flotilla, Lortherangia, Iceland, Provencial, making new landmasses free of mundanes TME style, etc.)

Magus Ideas:

1. A nominally "Hermetic" Hedge Wizard of the Gruagachan tradition (that is, a variant thereof, Trollsynir for Scandinavian setting and Kolduni for Novgorod). A boisterous Blood Knight that seeks to exploit this "invasion" for his personal amusement and use the newcomers' magic and laws for the betterment of his own kind...In that order.

2. A Bjornaer Ilfetu Mystic seeking to explore the ancestral sites and shapeshifers of his homeland and in the process become a renowned author.

3. A Hermetic Summoner and Theurgist seeking new paths to godhood where no Hermetic has set foot yet.

Companion Ideas:

A local Weapon/Armorsmith Touched by Magic
A Treasure Hunter
A Redcap

Level of SGing I can handle:

None. Would prefer to just be a player.

In reply to Alpha SG (msg # 1):

As far as location, My preferences would be:
-North Africa (totally new territory, proximity to multiple tribunals)
-Novgorod (depending on start date, things are about to get weird in 1220-1250)
-Scandinavia (less habitable area to expand than the other options)

Mage Ideas:
-Merinita with strong fairie blood. Arcadian Travel is excellent at getting around a new tribunal. Every area mentioned has a significant fairie presence. (Not rainbows and unicorns fairies, these areas have some dangerous fey.)
-Tytalus ready to test himself against the wilderness. (Go where no mage has gone before)

Companion Ideas:
-Redcap: sent to not only support new tribunal, but to seek out new commercial opportunities. Merchant background.
-Templar Auxiliary Sargent, kicked out for lack of orthodoxy. (If in North Africa)

In reply to Alpha SG (msg # 1):

Location:

1. Scandanavia
2. North Africa
3. Novgorod
4. Other

Scandanavia is just a hair better than North Africa, it's not a huge preference for me.

Magus: Overconfident Tytalus seeking a new challenge. He's focused on Muto and is a Shapeshifter.
Companion: Hunter who seeks rare animals for nobles and magi.

Willing to Beta storyguide.

In reply to Alpha SG (msg # 1):

For Location:
- North Africa
- Canary Islands (There was a talk on the Atlas Forum for an Island Tribunal, that would also include Iceland and Greenland)
- Novgorod (Expanding it)

Magus Ideas:
- For North Africa, I'd probably take an Animal specialist, that seeks to catalogue the animal life of the area, with possibly an animal menagerie, both mundane and magical, that he could try and interest Magi from Europe to take on as specimens, or familiars.
- For the Canary Islands, an Aquam specialist that seeks to delve the depths of the ocean searching for it's secrets.
- For Novgorod, a Perdo specialist that is bitter about not being able to create, only destory. He/She would seek to find a way to overcome the limitation, and come up with ways to use it for 'good'.

When it comes to Companions, I'd rather tailor the idea to work best with one Magi, so will need to see what magi are available.

In regards to being Beta SG, if you people don't mind someone who's quite new to the game to run a story once in a while, i'm fine with being a beta SG.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:12, Wed 24 Feb 2021.

In reply to Alpha SG (msg # 1):

Location:
  1 - Scandinavia
  2 - North Africa
  3 - Elsewhere

Magus ideas:

A Verditus from Rhine Tribunal with a minor magical focus in flying. Thinks the elders of the Rhine tribunal and the proxy votes of magi long gone are unfair and wants to start a place where every magus can have his meaning heard. Also the wild lands outside the established Tribunals should have lots of available Vis, something a Verditius needs.

A Flambeau or ex-Misc who wants to be famous for hunting monsters, and great monsters are probably easiser to find outside the current borders of the order.

Companion ideas:
If in scandinacia, a character with giant blood from Normandy who travels with the magi to Scandinavia to explore the home of the giants.

But I'm open to anything companion-wise, I think it's imporant to look at the needs of the covenant and try to fill a needed role there and not just thrown in som ecool character concept that won't work within the covenant structure.

Location:

 1) Scandinavia
 2) Novgorod
 3) North Africa
 4) Other

Magus ideas:
If Scandinavia
 1) Merinita magus worried about the potential molestation of the fae in the new tribunal. Aim to become a Quaesitor. Ettin blood  Trained in the Rhine tribunal.
 2) ex-Misc Lineage of Pralix, interested in intergrating new magical traditions into the order. Interested in the rumoured Order of Odin.


 If Africa
 1) Tremere magus. On a mission to establish the Tremere influence in the new tribunal. Sigil holder in the Roman Tribunal?
 2)  Mercere magus wishing to establish a Redcap covenant to serve as a hub for the young Redcaps of the new tribunal. Creating Longevity potions and enchanted items for them. Trained at Harco.

Companion ideas:

 1) Bookbinder and chronicler. Perhaps sent from some strong summer covenant to write down the happening in the new tribunal?

Probably couldnt SG.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:21, Wed 24 Feb 2021.

Preferred Location:
1 - Novgorod
2 - North Africa
3 - Far East Tribunal?
4 - Scandinavia

For a Novgorod Magus, I thought about one with a Dream focus that seeks the knowledge and the secrets of the Dream Witches (maybe he learnt about that by some legends or someone)

For a North Africa Magus, an Hermetic Sihr raised in the Iberian Tribunal that seeks knowledge from the non Hermetic tradition of the Sihr and so he travel to North Africa to find ancient rituals.

For a Scandinavian Magus, a magus with some relation to nordic magic? Maybe an Animal Specialist with Focus in crows (a messenger-like Magus)

For the companions:
A sailor merchant that sells clothes along the Nile (or he could be a Redcap sailor),
A Touched by Magic crafter brought to a covenant to help a Verditius,
An healer with Crafter's Healing brought to a covenant to study her "gift",
And nothing else in mind.

SG wise:
I have no experience as SG, for now I prefer being a player but I don't deny the possibility to be an SG in the future. Maybe I could help being a gamma SG if it's limited to think about nobility, mistery cults and such.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:47, Wed 24 Feb 2021.

I have a few ideas for a magus character, but thus far am most interested in a Fraternity of Samos rego terram architect magus with a unique approach to hermetic magic.

In the original conception of the character he was Bonisagus, but the "Only use bits from one book" rule came out of left field and set me back. As there aren't really unique virtues present in the Bonisagus there's a strong disincentive to create magi of that House.

E: I have strong experience running live games in various other systems. I would be comfortable doing some beta storyguiding in a troupe context.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:41, Wed 24 Feb 2021.

In reply to Alpha SG (msg # 1):

Territories in order of preference:
1. North Africa (More interested in the west (Magreb, BS&S) than the east (Nile, Ethiopia)
2. Other - magically discovering the Azores a few hundred years early though that changes the situation and challenges quite a bit, Canary and other Atlantic Islands idea
3. Novgorod
4. Scandinavia

Magus idea for each territory
1. Lineage of Pralix linguist, born/raised in North Africa (Tunis) but trained all over the Mediterranean as his parens travelled to seek and train new converts to the Order. Perhaps his Parens was planning for this and an active promoter of expanding the Order's borders. He would be most suited to either an urban covenant or a covenant near interesting ruins.
2. Criamon Herbam specialist, hoping to discover new plants in new territories. Most suited to a covenant near very little human population particularly a covenant trying to get its food production up and running.
3/4. No real idea, some localization of one of the above concepts could work, probably the Criamon with a different reason for choosing to go.

Companion ideas:
Really not sure, I would be happy to make a Redcap, other ideas would be more location dependent.

I do have a question about an individual player's mag*/companion characters. Will each player's primary characters be at the same covenant or different covenants?

SG level involvement:
Gamma at most.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:48, Wed 24 Feb 2021.

In reply to Alpha SG (msg # 1):

Location Preferences:

1. North Africa (preferably the western parts rather than lands closer to the Nile)
2. Other (Anything involving settling the Atlantic, be it the Canary Islands, flotillas of ship, or a magically created landmass)
3. Scandinavia (preferably including, or situated near Iceland)
4. Novgorod

Magus Ideas (in order of interest):

1. Flambeau specialized in hunting Hedge Wizards who sees it as his duty to demonstrate the superiority of Hermetic Magic. Both by besting Hedge Wizards, and by aiding Hermetic Researchers.

2. A Tremere Terram Specialist seeking to make himself essential by creating roads and fortifications for the Tribunal. Drawn to more martial Magi who might appreciate such talents.

3. A Trianomae Bonisagus Seeker and Vim Specialist who fears the threat of Rival Orders and seeks to better prepare the Order of Hermes by learning more about foreign Hedge Magics.

4. Verditius ship builder who seeks recognition for his craft by constructing a flotilla of enchanted ships. Drawn to more adventurous magi who can make use of his ships.


Companion Ideas (no clear preference):
A Redcap with a knack for foreign languages
The Squire of a martial Magus/Maga who tries to be their common sense.
A ship captain with the ability to coerce the winds.
A priest who sees it as his duty to ensure the Magi remain good Christians. (Ok, I lied, this one is my favourite)


Can I SG?:
In short; I'm here to play. Might be able to help in the future.

Slightly longer; I have the experience, but I already have enough SG commitments as is. When/if one of my current games end, that could of course change. Depending on the level of commitment needed, Gamma SG could be possible before that comes to pass.

The votes are high enough that remaining ones won't change the outcome: Africa it is. I would think the tribunal could be the whole of northern Africa, opening a lot of variety. If that changes proposed concepts, feel free to adjust to new ones and post new ones here. If that gets you focused down, feel free to post a smaller number of concepts here. Breaking up into several covenants will be next.

Salma Filii Pralicis

A Tuareg girl with the Gentle Gift, captured by slavers and eventually sold to her parens in Tunis. Trained in the Theban Tribunal but traveling with him on his missions to induct and study practitioners of various forms of hedge magic. She had a natural gift for languages and her parens had sought out a gifted child from North Africa in the hopes that he would be successful in pushing the Order to spread there. When he and others were finally successful in convincing a large enough group to form covenants in this new territory she was quite willing, missing the beautiful desert lands and freedom of her childhood. Like her parens she has a facility with the art of Intellego.

Side Note: I plan to make her driven to study and perhaps integrate some legend of the area but I need to do a bit more research before I'm sure what that is. It may be the magic of the Settuten, a tradition of Tuareg and Berber women but at this stage I'd like to keep it open as perhaps there will be something in the vicinity of her covenant that sparks interest.

If more detail is needed at this stage let me know.

Arnoldo Ex Criamon

As a young boy in Catalonia, he loved watching the birds and animals, and felt a better kinship with them than with his fellow humans, and if allowed, or not watched carefully, would slip away to watch the aimals around than do his chores, or study something useful, as his father said many times.
He would particulary spend his days watching the birds in the sky, wishing he could join them flying about.

One day, while watching an eagle hunt, he encountered a strange man who told him that if he's interested, he can teach him the mysteries of the world, and the animals that populate it. Without asking his parents, he agreed, and became an apprentice.

In visions, he saw magnificent images of magical eagles, and it has driven him on a path to try and create them. With a new Tribunal opening up, he saw it as a chance to not just explore this new land, and potentially discover maybe new magical animals, but to also have a greater supply of eagles, and other birds of prey, to experiment on.

In reply to Alpha SG (msg # 1):

Location Preferences:

1. Other (anything different from the usual)
2. North Africa/as far east as Levant
3. Scandinavia
4. Novgorod

I'm really almost even on these, except that Novgorod aside from Scandinavia doesn't interest me at all, unless it was going to be about the Mongols and the Far East, and/or Amazons, which really goes under (1. Other), in my opinion.

I like the idea of the Canary Islands, but I don't think that should be a starting point, there's so much story potential involved in actually finding the islands, learning about the Wizard-Kings, Labon, etc.  Would be an excellent place to grow storylines into but not best choice for baseline tribunal IMO.

Under 1) is also more outlandish stuff, something other than the standard settings for Mythic Europe Tribunals.  I don't really know what this would be, but I am a bit bored of normal Europe and the church/nobllity which is the backdrop for most sagas.

Magus Ideas (in order of interest):

1.  Verditius Finesse/Terram/Ward specialist who would probably end up doing a large part of the construction of whatever covenant he ends up in; possibly including building a mobile covenant to explore the depths of Africa.  Also quite martial and into monster hunting.  If in Scandinavia, will also be looking for rune magic.

2.  Hermetic Sahir interested in stealing the secrets of the Order of Solomon.

3.  Bjornaer of Ilfetu originally from Africa, with a Crocodile heartbeast and Dragon inner heartbeast who ended up in Europe, now returning to find and catalog African ancestor sites.

4.  Flambeau interested in pushing the frontier and totally up for war with the Order of Solomon.


Companion Ideas (no clear preference):
A Redcap interested in non-gifted hedge magic, with the goal to make these traditions an asset of Mercere House/Redcaps

A ship captain with a little bit of Hedge Elementalism.


Can I SG?:
Ok with Beta SG'ing.

Longinus Ex Merinita

Longinus’ parens was a member of the Keepers of the Thousand Tales in the Iberian tribunal. His parens had Longinus translate numerous Arabic books during his early apprentice years. It was during this time Longinus fell in love with the numerous stories and legends from this distance world. Before taking the Gauntlet, he became accustom to encountering the Sahirs and Berbers and his natural curiosity of their cultures would only grow from these meetings.

He has devoted himself to the societies mission of collecting different cultures stories and myths and spreading them further. To achieve this goal, he has joined the expedition to Africa – where he hopes to find ample new material to bring to the elders of the society and beyond.

Is it already decided that we're playing in Africa?
This message was undeleted by the player at 00:49, Thu 25 Feb 2021.

I'm planning an Egyptian ex Miscellanea, taking power and knowledge from spirits and ghosts. I'm just a little torn in that I think the Disciples of the Worm are interesting but lots of their stuff seems out of place, and the Neo-Mercurians include those taking power from gods but I don't want Mercurian Magic and Hermetic Sacrifice is for friendly summoning; so I am a little lacking direction and need to sort that out.

For a companion, I'll probably go a slightly different crafting route: Figurine Magic. I was debating between that and Touched by (Realm), but the latter seems pretty popular.

In reply to Alpha SG (msg # 20):

Goetic summoning seems a less “friendly” method, dunno if that’s where you’re going with the idea.

In reply to Player 3 (msg # 19):

Yes, the Alpha Storyguide has chosen Africa.

We all decided. It won by a landslide.

I'm planning on a shapeshifting Merinita, with strong fairie blood. One of his starting shapes being a black kite. He has migrated, since gauntlet, exploring the desert of North Africa. With approval, he would have fairie speech, and be very curious about the jinn and other strange fey of the desert. With minor tweaks he could be based anywhere from the Canary Islands to Egypt.
For a companion I see that while many are willing to bite the bullet and play a Redcap, I would be happy playing one. Sent by his house to explore for new trade and resources in this foreign land. I am assuming a heroic character would have to take a mage spot. If not, then I have some ideas...