My comments on Doug's ideas:
: Fars(worth) Antribothin: (Main Character: Mage) : (Arch-Bishop) Bartin Antribothin: (Companion: Ex - Priest) : Wendy 'The Silver Slasher' Antribothin: (Companion: Catburglar, Assassin)
Any thoughts on place of origin? 'Fars' and 'Bartin' sound vaguely English to me, I dunno the provenance of Wendy (maybe Slavic? Teutonic?). 'Antribothin' could by anything at all, with a letter or two modification. If you want them to be Byzantine, you need to make the names Greek-ish. 'Wendy' could be a half-breed Turk/Greek orphan. There were Latins/Westerners in the area from the Crusades, but I don't know the details.
I'll try to get the 'Peoples' essay into the web ASAP. It includes a lot of linguistic information as well.
Remember the religious split -- Catholic (based in Rome) vs. Orthodox (based in Constantinople and under assault by Muslim turks). I don't know the details, but I'll look for something good to post.
Arch-bishop is awfully important. Anyone from Constantinople will know you on the spot; religious leaders from both Churches will recognize your face and name. Fine with me, but difficult to remain unnoticed. Also raises the question of reprisals -- a defected priest will be forgotten, a defected arch-bishop will most definitely NOT). But I've got no problems with it, really: great plot developer, as well.
: I prefer the sewers, it would go better with my character : concept. A meeting place, with a path through some of the unused : sections of the sewers.
Sewers might be a bit extreme. Plenty of dark alleys and lost locales in a big city. Which raises the question of locale. Most of the big cities on the Adriatic belonged to the city-state of Venice at one point or another; hmmm, more essays to input.
: Bartin was a respected priest, with a wife and a young son. : He was rising fast in the ranks of the regional priesthood (rather : important being they were living in Constantanople) becomming : one of the youngest bishops ever in his diocese. He then : discovered his 'talent'. He dabbled with it a little bit,
Hmmm. Don't think Companion-level characters are allowed to have any magical abilities. I'll check the AM book on that one, there might be a Virtue or Flaw or something that covers it.
: seemingly going to rise really fast. Until a few others of : the 'talent' cought on, set him up, and framed him for using : black magic and dealing with Satan. They wanted to burn him
These are Church officials? Or other Magi from the Order of Hermes going after him for breaking the Code? Or a nasty local Covenant squashing a potential rival?
: father when she was 10 years old, joined the local underground : society to help feed the family, since her father couldn't show
'Local underground society' needs a more specific political grounding. Rebels against Venetian authority? General criminal elements? expatriated Byzantines? etc.
: Her calling card is a small silver blade honed razor sharp, : placed through the bridge of the nose and into the brain.
You twisted, son. Her dad doesn't know about this? her brother? what's the family politics like?
: He generates few open enemies however, for no matter : how innocuous and a nice guy he seems, and how little it : appears he cares for the politics of the outside world, anyone : who could have been seen as to have been threatening Fars ends : up dead.
Is his 'sister' protecting him? or does Fars have a mean streak? The former is quite cool, though you're not allowed to play your Companion and your Mage both in the same adventure. Perfectly acceptable to alternate from adventure to adventure, though.
: 'Amanda' would be working with both the local underground and : the underground in Constantanople, passing herself off as a local : doctor going to the big city for the latest in treatments etc. She is
Constantinople is 300 miles away (as the crow flies) from the Adriatic. Even by sea, that's a bit of a trek.
: I'd like to play in a 'Spring' Covenant, with the ability to let : Far's idealism flourish, and possibly bring a redemption of : his family members.
This opens up the possibility of an opening adventure scenario that I was toying with last night. Basically, the first adventure of the campaign would be the founding of the Covenant, the Magi and their Companions either never having belonged to a Covenant, or losing theirs, or being thrown out, whatever; anyway, via some as of yet undetermined mechanism the Magi have decided to form a new Covenant and are looking for an appropriate (i.e., magically charged) spot. The NPC I mentioned in a previous post (we'll call him Squint for the moment -- he had an accident) is either an old acquaintance of one or more of the Magi, or has been hired to help them, whatever, and has located a suitable new place for the Covenant near the lands of the Lord he serves. He sends a message out to the Magi, telling them he has a good prospect. The Magi send one of their number, along with some Companions and a grog or four, to 'scout out' the new area. Viola, first adventure.
Comments, please.
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