“In a way I did.  I controlled where they ended up.  But not everything about the rocks was under my control.  I didn’t do anything that changed them much, or touch them inside anywhere.”

He thinks he sees where Master is going with this…
This message was last edited by the player at 05:54, Fri 07 Apr 2023.

In reply to Tristan (msg # 97):

"That's right.  Changing them...or feeling them inside are different techniques.  But controlling them...that's Rego.

"When you swept, you moved the broom. The broom moved the dust.  But it wouldn't have done so if you hadn't moved it.  So you moved the dust.

"Control is about making something do what you want it to do.  But that is not as easy as it seems."

He shrugs.  "There are five techniques.

"Rego.  I control.

"Muto.  I change.

"Intellego.  I understand.

"Perdo.  I destroy.

"And lastly, Creo.  I create.

"I specialize in magic used for fighting.  I'm a warrior of sorts.  Now of those five techniques I just mentioned, which of the five do you think I use most often?"

“Perdo?” Tristan says, although he suspects the answer is too obvious.

In reply to Tristan (msg # 99):

"That is the most likely choice isn't it?  And there is a House in the Order of Hermes that also focuses on combat.  It's magi tend to specialize either in Ignem or fire magic, or in Perdo

"But there are a lot of ways to fight.  For example..."

He gestures and mumbles something.  Suddenly you are shooting up into the air as if you have wings.  You are suddenly hovering high above.  Coscrach looks no bigger than you must look to him.

"Now," he calls out to you. "What can you do to attack me from there?  Or...what do you think will happen if..."

You're suddenly falling.  Just before you slam into the ground, you stop, hovering a handspan away from the dirt.  "...I dropped you from up there.

"With Rego, I can control an opponents movements.  I can make them think something I want them to think.  I can make the wind surround me or the earth rise up as a shield.  Or a sword.

"Do you see how important Control is in combat now?"

“Oh yes,” he says as he waits for his heart to slide back down his throat.  “I can see that being very useful.  But can I ask about something else?  When will you teach me to read?”

In reply to Tristan (msg # 101):

He smirks.  "Your tutor will start tomorrow as a matter of fact..."

---

"No.  That is not how you make an "A". Try again."

Before you can, you get a rap across the knuckles.

The 'tutor' is a short old woman with a hump in her back and a bad case of angry-at-everyone named Dame Matilda.

She's...yeah.

Collin wakes you a dawn to do drills and run laps.  Then you light the fire in the hearth, set the oats on to boil into porridge, draw four buckets of water from the well in the backyard, sweep the common room and hallway, and set the table before Coscrach shuffles into the common room, muttering in an odd languge.

After the breakfast you prepare, you are given tasks related to...well you aren't sure what they're related to.  You have to full cups with an exact amount of water.  You have to carve patterns into new candles.  They just seem odd tasks.

Then Dame Matilda shows up.  She...yeah.

You've started learning both your letters and some words in Latin, which is apparently a tongue a bunch of dead men used and now the magi use as well.  It seems related to the tongue the priests use at Mass.

She gives you a wicked grin.  "Stultus sum.  Say it.  I want you to say it to Master Coscrach when you see him.  And to the next five people you next meet.  Go ahead and say it now, so I know you are pronouncing it correctly.  Stultus sum"

“Stulta… es?” he says uncertainly.  Actually, he’s pretty sure that’s the wrong form, but something inside him rejoices at saying it.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:24, Thu 13 Apr 2023.

In reply to Tristan (msg # 103):

A sharp rap across the knuckles.

"Stul-tus-sum.  Stultus sum"

“Non stultus sum,” he corrects her as his knuckles bleed.  “I refuse to insult my master by telling him he chose a fool, unless of course it’s you we’re talking about.” Pain shoots up his arm to his shoulder like lightning, but he doesn’t care.  This is a point of pride.

In reply to Tristan (msg # 105):

The switch hesitates.  One of her overgrown eyebrows crooks upwards into an arc.

"You know what it means, huh?  What about discere est obedire?"

He thinks.  Has he heard it before?  The words seem familiar, but somehow just out of grasp.

“No, I don’t know that one.”
This message was last edited by the player at 00:02, Thu 20 Apr 2023.

In reply to Tristan (msg # 107):

"To learn is to obey. That is what that phrase means."

She lowers the switch and studies you.  "What do you think of that statement?  To learn is to obey?"

His lower lip and left hand both raise slightly in a sort of shrugging gesture as he watches her fearfully.  "It's hard.  Maybe a little harsh.  Not fun." He extends his hands for beating purposes.  "I'm ready now to be either punished, or commanded.  Magistra."

Somehow I will find a way to enjoy this, he promises himself.  He wishes he already knew enough Latin to translate that and write it down, but he doesn't.  The old woman is a tool, he thinks.  Use her.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:53, Fri 21 Apr 2023.

"Here."

Collin hands you a cudgel.

It's the next morning.  You're arms are a bit swollen as you messed up some more pronunciations.  And that means more switches from Dame Matilda.

Collin cuts the number of laps you run in half.  Instead he's handing you a club.

"We're gonna start training you to fight.  And that means you start off with a club.  Good chunk of hard wood can brain a man.  And this..."  He taps the cudgel with a knuckle. </blue>"...is one good chunk a' hardwood.

"First thing though.  We gotta get some muscle on them twiggy arms a' yours.  So here's what I want you to do..."</blue>

And he starts having you swing the cudgel around in different stances.

Make me a Stamina check please.  This is a stress die roll.

Thanks

OOC: Stamina only?  Or can I add 1 for Athletics?  Anyhoo, here we go...

23:59, Today: Tristan rolled 6 using 1d10.  stamina check (unmodified).
This message was last edited by the player at 04:00, Sat 22 Apr 2023.

In reply to Tristan (msg # 111):

Yes.  You can add Athletics.  Your final score would be a 7...

Much better than I would have thought actually

You go through the drills Collin lays out, swinging the club in the ways he tells you.

YOu seem to get it wrong quite a bit.  Collin stops you and tells you to lift your hands up or use your gut to turn your hips...or something like that.

Who knew swinging a club required so much technical knowledge?

By the time you collapse, panting and dripping sweat, the sun has gotten halfway to noon.

Collin nods approvingly.  "Gotta say. You lasted a whole lot longer than I thought you would.  Good job with that.

"Alright.  We're gonna be doing this for the next few months.  Until you can do it all day if needed."

After some thought, I think it is a good place to time skip.

I'm going to say you advance one year.

In that year, all of your arts have been opened.

You know have a score of 2 in Latin, a score of 1 in Single Weapon, a score of 1 in Magic Theory, and a score of 1 in Hermetic Lore.

All of your Arts have been opened to a score of 0.

How old is Tristan now please?

Thanks

Age 6.  Et nunc puer meus cognoscit Latinam…
This message was last edited by the player at 23:32, Mon 24 Apr 2023.

In reply to Tristan (msg # 113):

You will need to modify Tristan's characteristics.  I think they are all at -4 now

I'm going to give you 10 XP to spend as you wish.  You may spend them on anything other than Arts or Spells.

We'll be focusing on initiating Tristan into the Merinta mystery cult next.

Questions? Concerns?

I'll start a new thread for this game probably on Thursday.  I need to work out a couple of things

Thanks

A couple of his characteristics were at -3.  I'm assuming I don't need to lower them?

Otherwise, no questions.  Thanks again for running this.

Actually, one question: is Single Weapon literally that, or do I need to select a weapon for the skill?
This message was last edited by the player at 05:11, Wed 26 Apr 2023.

In reply to Tristan (msg # 115):

The -4 is the base.  So if they were at -3, you would probably actually be at -2 now.

Ex.  You bought the characteristic at a 2.  You subtracted 5 because Tristan was only 4-5 years old.

Now he's 5.  You start with your 2.  Subtract -4. He's now at a -2.

Single Weapon means you can fight with a one handed weapon.  You can specialize with a particular weapon.  So Single Weapon (Long Sword) means you can fight with any one handed weapon.  But if you fight with a long sword, you get the specialization bonus.

So do I simply add 1 to each characteristic?

Also, I’m assuming he doesn’t a point in an ability to show he has learned how to write?

Another question: which area is covered by his previous Area Lore 2 (from when he was living on the farm)?
This message was last edited by the player at 01:51, Thu 27 Apr 2023.

I’m spending 15 xp (had 9 leftover; now down to 4).

10 on raising Athletics(running) to 2, 5 on adding Concentration(reading).

Is there a music teacher available?  Tristan is interested in learning something about it.

In reply to Tristan (msg # 118):

We will assume you ask Coscrach about it.

You can learn it.  There's the skill "Music", which covers learning to sing, play an instrument, etc.  You would need to specify an instrument as a specialization is you want to specialize in one.

You can also specialize your Artes Libarales in a Music specialization. But this is more a theoretical study.  Music theory.  You wouldn't be able to learn an instrument through Artes Liberales.

I don't have enough points at the moment, but he'll probably want to purchase a music skill later.  Am I wrong in assuming that singing can be useful in casting spells?
This message was last edited by the player at 06:38, Fri 28 Apr 2023.

In reply to Tristan (msg # 120):

I will need to check but yes.  Singing doesn't necessarily add a bonus to casting a spell.  Though there are virtues you can take that would make it one.  I think.

Let me get back to you.