Difference between revisions of "Saga of Stranggore"

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''Centuries ago, in the days before King Arthur, a wise king assembled a council of wizards to advise his court. For generations, their spells and their mystical allies -- the ravens, the ghosts of pagan knights, the spirits of wood and stream -- have watched over the land. Now, the line of kings is long since broken. The castle still stands, but its walls are crumbling, its banners hang faded and moth-eaten in a nearly empty hall. Of the dozen rune-carved chairs in the great hall, all but two stand empty. Yet the Wizards' Council of Stranggore still keeps its lonely vigil.''
+
[[Category:Stranggore]]
 +
''Centuries ago, in the days before King Arthur, a wise king assembled a council of wizards to advise his court. For generations, their spells and their mystical allies -- the ravens, the ghosts of pagan knights, the spirits of wood and stream -- have watched over the land. Now, the line of kings is long since broken. The castle still stands, but its walls are crumbling, its banners hang faded and moth-eaten in a nearly empty hall. Yet the Wizards' Council of Stranggore still keeps its lonely vigil.''
  
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It is now the Year of Our Lord 1191. Good King Richard is crusading in the Holy Land, leaving his scheming brother John to seize the throne of England. Across the land, the people suffer hardship and strife. If ever the realm needed the wizards' wisdom, it needs it now. The time has come for the Wizards' Council of Stranggore to rebuild its strength and reclaim its destiny. One of the aged magi sends forth a flight of ravens from his tower, searching the land for young wizards with the character and resolve to help heal the ailing land.
+
It is now the Year of Our Lord 1200. Good King Richard has died in battle, leaving his scheming brother John to seize the throne of England. Across the land, the people suffer under his harsh taxes and corrupt officers. If ever the realm needed the wizards' wisdom, it needs it now. The time has come for the Wizards' Council of Stranggore to rebuild its strength and reclaim its destiny. One of the aging wizards sent forth a flight of ravens from his crumbling tower, and a handful of young wizards has answered his call. Can they bring the Wizard's Council of Stranggore out of its long Winter and into a new Spring?
  
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The Saga of Stranggore is a campaign for Ars Magica Fifth Edition. Set in late twelfth century England, it tells the story of the ancient covenant called the Wizards' Council of Stranggore, whose rich heritage pre-dates the Order of Hermes itself. At the start of the Saga, the covenant is deep in Winter, with only two magi remaining. Will a pair of new magi and an apprentice be able to reverse the Council's decline and thereby claim an honored place in its history?
+
The Saga of Stranggore is a campaign for Ars Magica Fifth Edition. Starting in late twelfth century England, it tells the story of the ancient covenant called the Wizards' Council of Stranggore, whose rich heritage pre-dates the Order of Hermes itself. At the start of the Saga, the covenant was deep in Winter, with only two magi remaining. Will four new magi be able to reverse the Council's decline and thereby claim an honored place in its history?
  
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= News and Announcements =
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== Covenant ==
 +
{{Main|Stranggore}}
  
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We've created the [[Story Ideas (Stranggore)]] page for keeping some quick notes on stories that we might want to run.
+
The covenant of Stranggore is a once-great covenant with a proud and regal heritage, now fallen into the senility and decrepitude of Winter. It is located in Somerset, England on the historical site of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maesbury_Castle Maesbury Castle], along the ancient Roman road known as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fosse_Way Fosse Way].  Some notes on [[Travelling from Place to Place]].
  
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We are very proud of our [http://goo.gl/maps/IXIz Google map] of the [[Stonehenge Tribunal]]. Check it out!
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See also:
 +
* [http://goo.gl/maps/IXIz Google map] of Saga locations
 +
* [[Stranggore Maps]]
 +
* [[Stranggore Library]]
 +
* [[Stranggore Resources]]
 +
* [[Stranggore History]]
 +
* [[:Category:Stranggore Characters]]
  
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We've set up a [http://forum.andrewgronosky.us/viewforum.php?f=3sid=19b3cd0531fb522d9fcf63223ed56afe forum] for in-character roleplaying between game sessions. We also use it for out-of-character discussions such as seasonal activities.
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== Dramatis Personae ==
 +
See [[:Category:Stranggore Characters|Stranggore Characters]] for a list of all the characters, major and minor.
  
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= Style of Play =
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=== Magi ===
 +
The [[:Category:Stranggore Magi|magi of Stranggore]] are:
  
−
We want to emphasize the mystical, rather than the political, aspects of the Order of Hermes. The magi in our version of the Order want to perfect their arts and achieve great things with their magic, not backstab one another over resources.
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{|class="wikitable"
 +
|'''Name'''||'''House'''||'''Familiar'''||'''Player'''
 +
|-
 +
|[[Agnes]]||Ex Miscellanea||[[Sophia]] the owl||[[User:Batty]]
 +
|-
 +
|[[Argus]]||Jerbiton||[[Cedric]] the raven||NPC
 +
|-
 +
|[[Godwyn]]||Bjornaer||None||[[User:AndrewG]]
 +
|-
 +
|[[Hywel]]||Merinita||None||[[User:AndrewG]]
 +
|-
 +
|[[James]]||Flambeau||None||[[User:AndrewM]]
 +
|-
 +
|[[Merewen]]||Ex Miscellanea||[[Maggie]] the cat||NPC
 +
|-
 +
|[[Sandre]]||Tremere||None||[[User:Jdtibbs]]
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
See also the [[former magi of Stranggore]].
 +
 
 +
=== Covenant Residents ===
 +
The following non-magi live or work on the covenant grounds.
  
−
We are using a full troupe style of play with multiple storyguides. Andrew G. is the alpha storyguide and is responsible for overall continuity and for one of the major plot arcs. We utilize all three character types in Ars Magica: companions, magi, and grogs. Most stories involve one or two magi with the other players playing companions or grogs. This both makes it easier for the storyguide to provide challenges (too many magi together are simply too powerful) and makes our Saga more three-dimensional by giving companions and grogs important roles in the stories. There is in informal rotation with the players taking turns in the "starring" magus role for a given story.
+
See also [[former grogs of Stranggore]]. There are also categories for [[:Category:Stranggore Grogs|grogs]] and [[:Category:Stranggore Covenfolk|covenfolk]].
  
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== Vis Guidelines ==
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=== Adults ===
 +
{|class="wikitable"
 +
|'''Name'''||'''Occupation'''||'''Player'''
 +
|-
 +
|[[Bertha]]||Cook||NPC
 +
|-
 +
|[[Brian the Mad]]||Autocrat||NPC
 +
|-
 +
|[[Catherine]]||Chamber Maid||NPC
 +
|-
 +
|[[Bloody Bill]]||Turb captain||[[User:AndrewM]]
 +
|-
 +
|[[Eustace]]||[[Sandre]]'s shield grog||[[User:AndrewM]]
 +
|-
 +
|[[Ghosts of Stranggore]]||Ghosts||NPC
 +
|-
 +
|[[Joseph]]||Grog, stable hand||[[User:JdTibbs]]
 +
|-
 +
|[[Marie LaMont]]||Unofficial manager||NPC
 +
|-
 +
|[[Mary the Miller's Daughter]]||Nurse and governess||NPC
 +
|-
 +
|[[Paul]]||Librarian||[[User:JdTibbs]]
 +
|-
 +
|[[Randolph]]||Huntsman, Kennel Master||[[User:Batty]]
 +
|-
 +
|[[Rhys]]||Grog||[[User:Batty]]
 +
|-
 +
|[[Valera]]||Teacher||NPC
 +
|-
 +
|[[William Robert]]||Minstrel||[[User:AndrewM]]
 +
|}
  
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To keep all the characters developing at about the same pace, all magi should receive between approximately 5 and 10 pawns of vis per year. This breaks down as follows:
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=== Children ===
 +
{|class="wikitable"
 +
|'''Name'''||'''Parents'''||'''Year Born'''||'''Player'''
 +
|-
 +
|[[Mary]]||[[Angus the Dragonslayer]] and [[Isabel]]||1196||[[User:JdTibbs]]
 +
|-
 +
|Matilda||[[Sandre]] and [[Marie LaMont|Marie]]||1205||NPC
 +
|-
 +
|Rachel||[[Eustace]] and [[Mary the Miller's Daughter]]||1208||NPC
 +
|-
 +
|Stella||[[George the Bastard]] and [[Valera]]||1202||NPC
 +
|-
 +
|Stephen||[[Eustace]] and [[Mary the Miller's Daughter]]||1205||NPC
 +
|}
  
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* 2/year from uncontested covenant sources
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=== Tenants ===
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* 2/year as a reward/incentive for the player's contributions to the Saga, which can include running stories, contributing to the Wiki, or other things the troupe thinks should count
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The following characters live on the covenant's lands, but not on within the grounds.
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* 2/year from just keeping one's eyes open and looking around the countryside
 
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* 4-6 from a typical story, which happens about every 2 years for a magus
 
  
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So magi will get 2 pawns/year if they just stay inside all the time, and 4/year if they make a marginal effort to search for vis. That marginal effort doesn't interfere with seasonal activities but expose the magus to the outside world and all its story hooks.
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{|class="wikitable"
 +
|'''Name'''||'''Occupation'''||'''Residence'''||'''Player'''
 +
|-
 +
|[[Angus the Dragonslayer]]||Carpenter, militia lieutenant||[[Barstow]]||NPC
 +
|-
 +
|[[Gwendolyn (grog)|Gwendolyn]]||Shepherdess, [[Rhys]]'s girlfriend||with the flock||NPC
 +
|-
 +
|[[Harold the Barber]]||Barber||[[Barstow]]||NPC
 +
|-
 +
|[[Thomas the Hunter]]||Hunter||Cabin in [[Godwyn's Chase]]||[[User:Batty]]
 +
|}
  
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Since the covenant collects most of its [[Stranggore#Vis_Sources| vis sources]] in the Autumn, we'll usually award the "offstage" vis (that which doesn't come from stories) in the Autumn and Spring.
 
  
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== House Rules ==
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=== Non-Player Characters ===
 +
* [[:Category:Stranggore Adversaries]]
 +
* [[:Category:Stranggore Allies]]
 +
* [[:Category:Stranggore Faeries|Faerie Courts]]
 +
* [[:Category:Stranggore NPCs|Everyone]]
  
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* [[Adventure Experience]]
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== Stories and Events ==
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* [[Apprentice's Oath]]
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The [[Stranggore Events]] timeline places all the Saga's major events in chronological order. The [[Stranggore History]] page mentions some significant events in the covenant's history from before the young magi arrived.
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* [[Book Rules]]
 
  
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= Dramatis Personae =
+
The [http://goo.gl/maps/IXIz Google Map] of our Saga shows some of the interesting locations around the covenant and the sites of several stories.
  
−
We have a single page, the [[Character Index]], for keeping track of all the characters. Initially we kept a list of player characters here on this page but it proved difficult to keep the information on two pages synchronized and up to date.
+
Some of our stories are played out in-character on the [http://forum.andrewgronosky.us/viewforum.php?f=17&sid=2d041018a3b9fbc88dca7a3b9efab083 forum].
  
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= Stories and Events =
+
The major story arcs we've identified so far are:
 +
* The [[Blackthorn Arc]]
 +
* [[Trouble in Twilight]]
 +
* The [[Diabolic Plot]]
  
−
See the [[Stranggore Events]] for a timeline of stories and events since the Saga started.
+
See also the page of [[Stranggore Loose Ends]] for things that we've found, done, or discovered, but never followed up on in-game.
  
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[[Stranggore History]] is the page for background events.
+
== Administration ==
 +
The [[bookkeeping]] page collects most of what you need to know for seasonal activities.
  
−
= Covenant of Stranggore =
+
Seasonal activities are usually recorded and resolved on the [http://forum.andrewgronosky.us/viewforum.php?f=17&sid=2d041018a3b9fbc88dca7a3b9efab083 forum].
  
−
''Main article:'' [[Stranggore]]
+
=== House Rules ===
 +
* [[Ability Consolidation]]
 +
* [[Adventure Experience]]
 +
* [[Apprentice's Oath]]
 +
* [[Book Rules]]
  
−
The covenant of Stranggore is a once-great covenant with a proud and regal heritage, now fallen into the senility and decrepitude of Winter. It is located in Somerset, England on the historical site of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maesbury_Castle Maesbury Castle], along the ancient Roman road known as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fosse_Way Fosse Way].
+
=== Style of Play ===
 +
We want to emphasize the mystical, rather than the political, aspects of the Order of Hermes. The magi in our version of the Order want to perfect their arts and achieve great things with their magic, not backstab one another over resources.
  
−
* [[Stranggore]] (covenant main page)
+
We are using a full troupe style of play with multiple storyguides. Andrew G. is the alpha storyguide and is responsible for overall continuity and for one of the major plot arcs. We utilize all three character types in Ars Magica: companions, magi, and grogs. Most stories involve one or two magi with the other players playing companions or grogs. This both makes it easier for the storyguide to provide challenges (too many magi together are simply too powerful) and makes our Saga more three-dimensional by giving companions and grogs important roles in the stories. There is an informal rotation with the players taking turns in the "starring" magus role for a given story.
−
** [[Stranggore Boons and Hooks]]
 
−
** [[Stranggore Library]]
 
−
** [[Stranggore Labtexts]]
 
−
** [[Stranggore Enchantments]]
 
−
** [[Stranggore Grimoire]]
 
−
** [[Stranggore Vis Sources]]
 
−
** [[Stranggore History]]
 
  
−
= Stonehenge Tribunal =
+
== Stonehenge Tribunal ==
 +
{{Main|Stonehenge Tribunal}}
  
−
''Main article:'' [[Stonehenge Tribunal]]
+
The Stonehenge Tribunal in this Saga is large and very loosely governed. There are a large number of covenants (about 20 in all), but they tend to be small, with most have five members or fewer. There are also a large number of magi living as eremites, outside any recognized covenant. We have a [http://goo.gl/maps/IXIz Google map] showing important sites. There are additional maps on the Tribunal page.
  
−
The Stonehenge Tribunal in this Saga is large and very loosely governed. There are a large number of covenants (about 20 in all), but they tend to be small, with most have five members or fewer. There are also a large number of magi living as eremites, outside any recognized covenant. We have a [http://goo.gl/maps/IXIz Google map] showing important sites.
+
[[Category:Stranggore]]

Latest revision as of 10:41, 18 July 2014

Centuries ago, in the days before King Arthur, a wise king assembled a council of wizards to advise his court. For generations, their spells and their mystical allies -- the ravens, the ghosts of pagan knights, the spirits of wood and stream -- have watched over the land. Now, the line of kings is long since broken. The castle still stands, but its walls are crumbling, its banners hang faded and moth-eaten in a nearly empty hall. Yet the Wizards' Council of Stranggore still keeps its lonely vigil.

It is now the Year of Our Lord 1200. Good King Richard has died in battle, leaving his scheming brother John to seize the throne of England. Across the land, the people suffer under his harsh taxes and corrupt officers. If ever the realm needed the wizards' wisdom, it needs it now. The time has come for the Wizards' Council of Stranggore to rebuild its strength and reclaim its destiny. One of the aging wizards sent forth a flight of ravens from his crumbling tower, and a handful of young wizards has answered his call. Can they bring the Wizard's Council of Stranggore out of its long Winter and into a new Spring?

The Saga of Stranggore is a campaign for Ars Magica Fifth Edition. Starting in late twelfth century England, it tells the story of the ancient covenant called the Wizards' Council of Stranggore, whose rich heritage pre-dates the Order of Hermes itself. At the start of the Saga, the covenant was deep in Winter, with only two magi remaining. Will four new magi be able to reverse the Council's decline and thereby claim an honored place in its history?

Covenant

Main article: Stranggore

The covenant of Stranggore is a once-great covenant with a proud and regal heritage, now fallen into the senility and decrepitude of Winter. It is located in Somerset, England on the historical site of Maesbury Castle, along the ancient Roman road known as the Fosse Way. Some notes on Travelling from Place to Place.

See also:

Dramatis Personae

See Stranggore Characters for a list of all the characters, major and minor.

Magi

The magi of Stranggore are:

Name House Familiar Player
Agnes Ex Miscellanea Sophia the owl User:Batty
Argus Jerbiton Cedric the raven NPC
Godwyn Bjornaer None User:AndrewG
Hywel Merinita None User:AndrewG
James Flambeau None User:AndrewM
Merewen Ex Miscellanea Maggie the cat NPC
Sandre Tremere None User:Jdtibbs

See also the former magi of Stranggore.

Covenant Residents

The following non-magi live or work on the covenant grounds.

See also former grogs of Stranggore. There are also categories for grogs and covenfolk.

Adults

Name Occupation Player
Bertha Cook NPC
Brian the Mad Autocrat NPC
Catherine Chamber Maid NPC
Bloody Bill Turb captain User:AndrewM
Eustace Sandre's shield grog User:AndrewM
Ghosts of Stranggore Ghosts NPC
Joseph Grog, stable hand User:JdTibbs
Marie LaMont Unofficial manager NPC
Mary the Miller's Daughter Nurse and governess NPC
Paul Librarian User:JdTibbs
Randolph Huntsman, Kennel Master User:Batty
Rhys Grog User:Batty
Valera Teacher NPC
William Robert Minstrel User:AndrewM

Children

Name Parents Year Born Player
Mary Angus the Dragonslayer and Isabel 1196 User:JdTibbs
Matilda Sandre and Marie 1205 NPC
Rachel Eustace and Mary the Miller's Daughter 1208 NPC
Stella George the Bastard and Valera 1202 NPC
Stephen Eustace and Mary the Miller's Daughter 1205 NPC

Tenants

The following characters live on the covenant's lands, but not on within the grounds.

Name Occupation Residence Player
Angus the Dragonslayer Carpenter, militia lieutenant Barstow NPC
Gwendolyn Shepherdess, Rhys's girlfriend with the flock NPC
Harold the Barber Barber Barstow NPC
Thomas the Hunter Hunter Cabin in Godwyn's Chase User:Batty


Non-Player Characters

Stories and Events

The Stranggore Events timeline places all the Saga's major events in chronological order. The Stranggore History page mentions some significant events in the covenant's history from before the young magi arrived.

The Google Map of our Saga shows some of the interesting locations around the covenant and the sites of several stories.

Some of our stories are played out in-character on the forum.

The major story arcs we've identified so far are:

See also the page of Stranggore Loose Ends for things that we've found, done, or discovered, but never followed up on in-game.

Administration

The bookkeeping page collects most of what you need to know for seasonal activities.

Seasonal activities are usually recorded and resolved on the forum.

House Rules

Style of Play

We want to emphasize the mystical, rather than the political, aspects of the Order of Hermes. The magi in our version of the Order want to perfect their arts and achieve great things with their magic, not backstab one another over resources.

We are using a full troupe style of play with multiple storyguides. Andrew G. is the alpha storyguide and is responsible for overall continuity and for one of the major plot arcs. We utilize all three character types in Ars Magica: companions, magi, and grogs. Most stories involve one or two magi with the other players playing companions or grogs. This both makes it easier for the storyguide to provide challenges (too many magi together are simply too powerful) and makes our Saga more three-dimensional by giving companions and grogs important roles in the stories. There is an informal rotation with the players taking turns in the "starring" magus role for a given story.

Stonehenge Tribunal

Main article: Stonehenge Tribunal

The Stonehenge Tribunal in this Saga is large and very loosely governed. There are a large number of covenants (about 20 in all), but they tend to be small, with most have five members or fewer. There are also a large number of magi living as eremites, outside any recognized covenant. We have a Google map showing important sites. There are additional maps on the Tribunal page.

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