Companions & Coven Folk

Or, are you thinking about that inconvenient rule in the code about "not interfering with the mundanes"?

There's an old saying that probably originated in these times:

"A stitch in time saves nine".

If we interfere with one mundane nobleman now, it eliminates the requirement for us to interfere numerous times in the future. We will be far less disruptive over the years, which will be good for the Order.

Isn't that a "greater good" that the Code, and the Quaisitors, can acknowledge?

-DC

p.s. By the way, Jason, your Mentem mage is the most important guy for this particular mission. It's your baby!

Why?
You don't think Ben would be amused by the chance to masquerade as a nobleman? To live in his own fort?

Ben can read?

you are lucky that ben is not reading the forums :roll:

I disagree with Jason regarding the "organic" nature of the grogs. We are a brand new Spring covenant, like a new seed planted in Spring. If that seed doesn't get watered and tended, it may never sprout and take root.

We, the Magi, need to take action to set the course of the covenant activities. If we survive to Summer, then the comings-and-goings (and deaths) of individual grogs will be far less significant. But for now, we need them more than they need us.

I agree with Jason that the issue with Sir Owen, the Norman Lord, is very important. Perhaps the second-most pressing we have, after the need to pay for the mercenaries.

I have a suggestion.
First, we learn all we can about Sir Owen, using espionage, magic, or whatever else is necessary.

Next, Ben's companion, or one of his grogs, gets enchanted to look just like Sir Owen. The guy has to speak French like a Norman, of course, unless we can use Imagonem magic to fix that too.

We kill Sir Owen and install the imposter in the castle. He learns-on-the-job how to act like a Norman nobleman.

Presto!
Ten more fighting men at our disposal!
No worries about silly taxes or annoying mundane nobles poking into our business!
What's there not to love about the plan?

i agree with nate after that little merchant episode im going to be ready to run my ass out of the area at short notice.

i think we need to keep the mercs. i belive that guillio should look to their employment since he is thier benifactor. if when the money runs out they want to leave then i guess they were not as loyal as he thought.

this game is not about resources unless you make it about resources. i dont think we need to worry about buisness ventures unless there is a reason you want to. the covanant will grow an become self sufficient because thats is how communities grow.

my major concern is that the norman lord will seek to tax us and/or inquire about the reasons for us living in an ancient haunted fort.

Come tribunal, i'm sticking to my story.. it's all your fault

I am not worrying about the merchant...I am concerned about the 'Gifted' folk....and obviously they know we're here.

but we need the mercs... we're abotu to get raided by the millions of enemy's you let know we were here by telling the merchant at the fair

Not risk them? You mean like on a raid or scouting mission?

A likely name for 'Lily" would be Heather.

I agree we need more man power....
The first thing we need is farmers and workers..not more fighters. My personal opinion is that we should have gotten rid of the mercs right away..they are draining our resources...for no gain.
With the cash we have been spending, we could have hired skilled laborere to do things for us...like cut wood, build houses..little things. Inevitably some would have stayed....

Here is a summary roster of the French mercenaries that arrived with with Guillo and Jean-Paul Gautier (Those of you who played in the first game will recognize some of these guys).

All these men are veteran warriors, trained to fight together as a group. They are not afraid of facing monsters or enemy sorcerers.

If we had one thousand such men, instead of just eight, we could conquer all of Scotland.

Jean-Claude Gautier
Jean-Paul's younger brother. He is a huge, dumb combat brick. He can split a tree with his Great Axe. He is inseparable from his brother.

Rufus
An excellent scout, tracker and bowman.
His social skills are poor, and he is loyal to Jean-Paul and these other men because they accept him. That doesn't stop them from accusing him of having unnatural relations with his dog.

Lionel Seguin
Guillo's personal shield grog. He has become very skilled in keeping between Guillo and their foes, except when Guillo wades into battle himself. He is unable to speak.

Anton
A good warrior, based upon the "Standard Soldier" grog template. He lost an ear fighting Corsican pirates.

Pierre
A good bowman, based upon the "Standard Soldier" grog template. He gambles a lot of his pay away.

Luc
A good warrior, based upon the "Standard Soldier" grog template. He complains a lot.

Boret
A good warrior, based upon the "Standard Soldier" grog template. He is young and strong. He also drinks more than he should.

Jacque
An excellent swordsman, based upon the "Specialist" grog template. He is very hard to understand when he speaks. It seems he was born with a crooked jaw. Either that, or he got hit by a nasty Muto Corpus spell at some point.

This gives us only ten grogs who are capable in battle. Guillo considers this an "undermanned" situation. We must be careful, and not risk these men frivolously.

Let us consider it a priority to try and recruit more good, trustworthy fighting men. We'll worry about how to pay for them later...

There are twenty-seven MacKellen clan members that make up the coven folk community. Many of them are "nameless and faceless", and have no game value except that they keep things running for us.

Here are the six important members of the MacKellen clan that you have met.

Uncle Owen
Age 43
Owen is cousin to Ian MacKellen, and the only other man of the clan of their generation still living. He has many years of experience living on the highlands. He lost an eye on a cattle raid many years ago (Missing Eye -1), but his hearing got better to compensate (Sharp Ears +1). Some say that his hearing is so good that he can hear what the sheep and cattle are saying (Animal Ken). He has a weakness for beer; perhaps to drown the sorrow over what has happened to his once-proud family.

Creag
Age: 22
(Sounds like "Craig", which means "Rock", as in "Dumb as a ...")
Creag is a huge man (Large +1). He is so strong that he could carry a full-grown cow up and down a hill all day (Great Strength +1). He is so strong that if he really tried, he could carry three cows up the hill in each arm (Reserves of Strength). However, Creag has his limitations. He's dumb. He's really dumb. That cow probably tricked Creag into carrying it up the hill . He is almost always found following another MacKellan around, waiting to be told what to do. He is not a skilled fighter.

Ian MacKellen's Wife (Good Scottish woman's name needed)
Age: Early 40s
{Name} is known by all as a great cook. She could take grass and mud and turn it into a meal fit for a nobleman's banquet (Affinity-Cooking, Puissant Cooking). She is also one of the few people who is unaffected by her husband's icy gaze (Strong Willed). Her hatred of the MacGruders is stronger than even her husband's.

Lily (Do lillies grow in Scotland? This needs to be a flower name)
Age: 18
Lily's mother must have had a vision of her future when naming her, because Lily is in many ways like her namesake flower. She is famously beautiful (Presence +4), but also delicate and fragile (Oversensitive -1, Fragile Constitution -1, Small Frame -1). Never being able to allow others to suffer, Lily has developed the healing touch (Affinity-Chirurgy, Lesser Purifying Touch - Fever).

Tommy the Sheep Boy
Age: 13
Rumor has it that Tommy's great-grandmother never told anyone who fathered her son. Maybe that explains how all the men of her bloodline got to be so good at sneakin' around (Faerie Blood-Minor{Goblin}). Tommy can also count the berries on a bush two hills over (Keen Eyes, Puissant Awareness). However, he can't help but put his talents to mischief. All the girls know that Tommy likes to watch them when they're changing clothes (Peeping Tom -1). Tommy is always followed around by his sheep dog (Animal Companion -1).

{Good Young Man's Name Needed}
Age 25
One of the very few sturdy young men that survived the MacGruder killings. He has the Luck virtue (+1); maybe that has something to do with it? He can fight, he can build things with his hands, and he can tend the animals. Like all the MacKellen survivors, he hates the MacGruders with a passion.

I was a hermit this weekend and didn't read my e-mail 8O

I'll get character feedback out tonight, and generally catch up on correspondence.

I haven't completely decided on my companion just yet, though it is created. I have 2 and as soon as i get some confirmation back from Mike i will post him

Jonah, did you decide on a companion yet?
:

Liam is born

Mark, here is an idea that just popped into my head. Take it or leave it as you wish.

Perhaps your charcter is Ian MacKellen's oldest son / only surviving son / eldest surviving male in the tribe. This would justify you taking the Heir flaw (page 54). When Ian dies, you inherit the title and responsibility of Tribal Cheiftan.

Food for thought.
-DC

This would work well with my companion...
He would be a member of this Clan...it fits

I have given the Autocrat some thought, and discussed the idea with Mike. Here's what we've got so far. Input and new ideas encouraged, even if I don't end up using them.

The MacKellens are (were?) a prosperous Scottish Highland tribal family group. They have been engaged in a long-running feud with the MacGruder tribe. There were multiple disputes; land rights, sheep ownership, kinslaying and blood price owed.

Last year, the MacGruders found new strength. Ian suspects something supernatural, as some of his stoutest warriors were cut down like children during the bloody fighting.

The end result is that the once-proud MacKellens are devastated. What used to be a large extended family holding thousands of acres of land is now a small band of 20-ish survivors. This group has been on the move, hiding from the MacGruders, struggling to survive.

One of our group (maybe Ben's companion and his connections with people in trouble?) knew of them and their wereabouts, and our new covenant offered Ian MacKellen a deal. As a tribal Chieftan, he has great knowledge of the area and the inhabitants. He has some influence with people of importance. He also knows how to handle the affairs of a large group of people.

The mages need coven folk to handle mundane affairs. The MacKellen survivors include women who can cook, clean and mend. There are also a few men left able to wield a weapon.

Ian sees that he can protect what is left of his family by taking refuge with these strange foreigners. He can stay close to his ancestral lands, and maybe even build up the strength to exact vengeneance on the MacGruders.

Thoughts?
Comments?
Suggestions?

-DC