[OOC]Gormenghast, an ArM campaign [full]

[Yair]

I am just testing the water at this stage, trying to see if there is interest. What I have in mind is an Ars Magica campaign set in the Novgorod tribunal (that's modern Russia and Poland), set circa 1150. I tried to create such a saga locally but failed, maybe I'll have more luck on-line.
The game will be played using the Ars Magica 4th Edition rules, available for free through RPGNow.com. You might also want to purchase The Dragon and the Bear, that talks about the setting. I'm willing to help anyone with the rules, up to and including creating your characters with you, and of course giving out info on the setting.
All character sheets will be kept with me, as I'll be using a program (Metacreator) to standardise them, make checks, and so on.
The theme I currently have in mind focuses on reactions to the growing mundane populations and the encrouching Church that comes with it, driving away the pagan Volkhvy priests and the fey. Another theme I like is demonic corruption - of Church, mages, and well, everyone.
I plan of making some use of purchased adventures, at least until we get our bearings straight, but for the main plot-line I have some ideas.
I am more than willing to just play as a player, or be the adminitstrative DM, or share DMing with others, and am willing to change locations or setting.

So, anyone interested at all in this kind of game?

Edit: The in-character thread can be found here. The webpage for the game can be found here.

 

[Maerdwyn]

I'd love to try this, though I would need some rules help. I have both the game and the tribunal book, and have read through them, but have never actually played for real.

 

[Someone]

I´m interested too. I have the rules printed (though I´m more familiar with the 3rd edition rules; I ran a saga in Spain for a while)

 

[Blue_Genie]

I also would be interested, but only as a player for now. I'm in a tabletop Ars Magica game (set in Spain) at the moment, plus I'm finishing running a D&D game, and am about to start a PBP Iron Kingdoms game, so I'm a little busy at the moment

As for my magus character, I would love to either play a Criamon, Tytalus, or perhaps one of the local flavors of Ex Miscellanea. I have the Novogorod Tribunal book, so I'll take a look at it to see if anything strikes my fancy.

 

[Yair]

Ahhh, interest!

Maerdwyn: I'd gladly help with any question/problem.
Someone: 3ed is very similar to 4e, as I'm sure you've learned. So that shouldn't be a problem at all.
Blue-Genie: that's a lot of gaming :envy:

What kind of covenant do we want? I personally like spring with NPC leader/patron, or a huge winter sprawling thing. The one I created for my intended tabletop saga was the former; I can post it if you want.

Do you even want a new covenant, or do you want to use an existing one? Just about every covenant in the tribunal seems ready for play as a PC covenant for me.

Character Generation
For this game, I believe using only the core rules and The Dragon and the Bear is best. If someone wants material from other books (most of which are available online, actually), however, I'm open for discussion.
For a PbP, use the Purchase Method (page 32) for generating charactaristics.

BTW: For those that don't have it, The Dragon and the Bear contain lots of "secrets"; if you want history and the situation in the tribunal to suprise you, I recommend not reading it and playing as a foreign magus.

If we will have another player willing to DM or share DMing, I will be creating a Criamon, I think. For now, I will stay characterless.

PbP Details
I believe a brisk rate of 1 post per two days should prove reasonable; a player regularly not posting for 4 days or more will be outed. A DM not posting per 2 days will be.... errrr... well, extremely embarassed
I am aiming for 5 players [looks out for new volunteers...].

Anymore info needed? Am I missing something?
Thoughts? Suggestions? Covenants? Characters?

P.S, Ars Magica 5 is coming out soon. It is possible I'd be wanting to convert soon after...

P.S.S If anyone doesn't understand anything at all in what I am saying and wants to ask, don't be afraid to do so, don't feel like you have to read the book before asking or anything. Also, if anyone wants advice or anything - again, just post.

 

[Strahd_Von_Zarovich]

Wassúp Yair, It's Roy
Maybe I'll give it a try, as long you'll have my character statistics and I'll
Roleplay him .
I'm sure you'll create a nice character for me, or you'll use the previous
character that i have made in the coffee shop.

 

[Maerdwyn]

I will try making up a character, and then submit it to you for editing or suggestions if that's okay.

As far as covenent, etc., I'm, so far, generally ignorant (been a few years since I've touched these books), and therefore extremely flexible

 

[Someone]

Since I don´t know the tribunal well, and I´m DMing another game, I´m surely playing only as a player. So, I´m fine with any of the options, though the winter covenant sounds more fine than the other.

 

[Yair]

Character for Roy

Roy: frankly, I remember you contemplating a lot, but I don't remember you actually settling down on any one character. I'll make one for you. Just give me an archetype: some stock ArM archetypes you might want...
Bjornaer - shapechanging owl/magus, concentrating on understanding the links between the animal and human; think mad scientist breeding werewolves, grafting animal parts, and so on.
Bonisagus - a lab rat magus focusing on creating true life; think Frankenstein (the scientist, not the creation).
Tremere - a war-loving mage that strives for dominance of wizards over the mundanes, versed in both magical and mundane warfare; think Red Wizard of Thay
Flambeau - a violent fireball-throwing magus that likes to blow stuff up; think... just about any D&D sorcerer
Tytalus - a demon-haunted magus with a dark secret in his past; think Elric
Verditius - a lab rat magus focusing on creating life-like automatons.
Mercere - a traveler with no magical abilities, but lots of mundane and a few supernatural benefits.
Pick one, or give me another, and I'll whip up the details of the character for you.

 

[Yair]

Covenant

The way I see it, there are two options here - either we have a young Spring covenant or a sprawling Winter one; I just don't like the in-betweens, and can't decide between the two. So let me just list the two options in more detail, and we'll have a vote.

Spring Covenant: Kromeer
A young covenant erected by the great magus Maximilian of Verditius on a magical hill deep within the pagan forests of the tribunal. He brought in several magi but recruited very few grogs and is ignorant of the sorounding powers that be. Both physically and politically the covenant is only half-completed, really.
Initial adventures will include harvesting vis, trading for resources (books and so on), formally establishing recognition as a covenant, and so on. The covenant has one serious Hermetic enemy (the home-covenant of Maximilian), and needs to make allies fast if it is to survive.

Winter Covenant: Gormenghast
A vast sprawling city in a regio in northern russia, Gormenghast has a huge amount of resident magi, but many of which are dead. Some of them don't even know it. Its sprawling, impossible, hallways include a hundred wizard laboratories, but no one is sure how many are occupied. The impressive magical aura that once filled the place is diminishing and old spells are failing. At the same time, it is getting harder and harder to reach the regio. Some claim this is due to the growing Christian influence in the city and the mundane lands sorounding it. If something doesn't change, it is feared the covenant might slip entirely from Mythic Europe, or perhaps vanish away as it merges with the mundane layer.
Adventures will focus heavily on the need to understand and stop the covenant's regio degeneration.

[Of course, I'm open for other ideas or modifications.]

Votes?