Samson

Samson filius Hugh of Flambeau (through Autumn 1227)

Characteristics: Intelligence +1, Perception -2 (-3 in Helmet), Presence -2, Communication -2, Strength +3, Stamina +3, Dexterity +2, Quickness +2

Size: 0

Age: 36 (36) (Born 1191)

Decrepitude: 0

Warping Score: 0 (2 - Magical)

Confidence Score: 6 (2)

Faith Point: 1

Fandom Score: 5 (0 Remaining)

Plot Armor Score: 0 (Expended in Winter 1221 against Old Nan.)

Virtues and Flaws: The Gift (0); Major Magical Focus: Arms & Armor (+3), Apt Student (+1), Enduring Constitution (+1), Improved Characteristics (+1), Inoffensive to Animals (+1), Puissant Great Weapon (+1), Reserves of Strength (+1), Tough (+1), Puissant Ignem (0), True Friend: Redwing (0); Black Sheep (-3), Martyr (-3), Necessary Condition: Sign of the Cross (-3), Pious (-1)

Personality Traits: Loyal to Redwing +3, Martyr +3, Brave +2, Loyal to Polumeta +2, Protective of Yanick +2, Christian +1, Loyal to Hugh of Flambeau +1

Reputations: Alpine Apprentice 2 (5), St. Croix 2 (5), Teacher's Pet 1 (5), Christian 2, Eva's Boyfriend 1 (3), English Magus 1, Hoplite 1

Abilities

Animal Handling 3 (Falconry), Area Lore: Hibernia 1 (Delvin), Area Lore: Normandy 0 (1), Artes Liberales 2 (Astronomy), Athletics 4 (Running), Awareness 2 (Keeping Watch), Bow 1 (Longbow), Brawl 4 (3) (Punch), Code of Hermes 3 (Hoplite), Concentration 3 (Spells), Etiquette 3 (Hermetic Magi), Finesse 4 (Certamen), French 5 (Picardi), Great Weapon 6+2 (Great Sword), Hunt 2 (Game Hawking), Infernal Lore 2 (Demons), Italian 1 (3) (Profanity), Latin 5 (Martial Parlance), Leadership 4 (6) (Cor Draconis), Magic Theory 6 (Creo), Occitan 1 (3) (Pleasantries), Order of Hermes Lore 2 (Hoplite), Parma Magica 3 (Ignem), Penetration 2 (Ignem), Philosophiae 2 (Moral Philosophy), Profession: Gardener 4 (10) (Cultivation), Profession: Scribe 1 (6) (Penmanship), Profession: Steward 1 (Fatherhood), Ride 5 (Airs Above the Ground), Single Weapon 1 (Long Sword), Survival 2 (Mountains), Theology 2 (Heresy)

Combat

Punch: Initiative +2, Attack +7, Defense +7, Damage +3

Dagger: Initiative +2, Attack +6, Defense +4, Damage +6

Dawnkeeper (Great Sword): Initiative +4, Attack +16, Defense +13, Damage +12

Flamebringer (Great Sword): Initiative +4 (-1 Quickness w/ Flamebearer), Attack +17, Defense +13 (-1 Quickness, +5 Defense w/ Flamebearer), Damage +12 (+9 Damage w/ Blade of the Virulent Flame)

Soak: +20 (Protection 10 [Exceptional Armor], +3 Stamina, +3 Tough, +3 Bronze Cords, +3 Doublet of Impenetrable Silk [Enchanted])

• • +2 for Terram against metal weapons

Encumbrance: 0 (Load 8 [Armor & Flamebringer]; Burden 3 - Stamina 3 = 0) / 1 (Load 11 [Armor, Flamebringer & Flamebearer]; Burden 4 - Stamina 3 = 1)

Gear: Full Coat of Exceptional Mail, Gambeson, Tunic of Wizard's Sidestep, Open Helm, Dagger, Flamebearer & Flamebringer.

Vis: 1 Pawn Intellego & 2 Pawns Herbam; as of winter 1227, Samson owes the bursar of Cor Draconis 8 pawns of vis for the Door of Surprises.

Library: Lab text for "A Blade as Bright as Mirrors," Pater Optime Novit, & Herbam Tractatus Quality 10.

Flamebearer, a Hoplon Shield

Following the death of his familiar, Redwing, in summer 1227, Samson devoted the remainder of the season to the creation of his hoplon shield.

The shield is an Infantry shield with +4 Defense, and Load 3. This grants Samson an Encumbrance of 1. As a consequence, whenever he is using this shield, he is -1 on all Casting Rolls and rolls involving Quickness.

The shield is made out of Hornbeam, granting a material bonus of +6 Strength. Affixed upon the shield's surface is a thin sheet of brass, granting a material bonus of +3 Ignem.

The brass sheet has an engraving. The engraving was created with a Craft: Magic score of 14 (Die Roll 5 + Dexterity 2 + Finesse 4 + Confidence Point 3). While just shy of impressive (15), the engraving is of average quality. This engraving is a minimalist representation of a Hawk of Virtue with wings spread in honor of Redwing.

Once the brass was set and the engraving was complete, he cast A Blade as Bright as Mirrors. This makes the engraving of Exceptional Quality +1, granting a total +5 to Defense.

Tunic of Wizard's Sidestep

ReIm 25

A gift from Polumeta, the Tunic of Wizard's Sidestep is designed so that anyone placing their hand on Samson's crest, emblazoned on the tunic, and saying the activation word games the effect.

The activation phrase is "Alteri Bello"; "Another War" in Latin.

(Base 4, R: Touch +1, D: Sun +2, T: Ind +0, +5 for 24 uses/day.)

Martyr (Personality Flaw, Major or Minor)

You would rather suffer harm than allow others to do so. If there is a price to be paid, you insist on paying it. If there is a vital mission which is suicidal, you volunteer. When someone needs to guard the rear while the others escape, you insist on being that person. When others try to pay these prices, accept these missions, or brave these risks, you will enter private negotiations to short-circuit them, sneak out the night before to get a head start, or just knock your ally out with a swift punch to the head so that you suffer whatever awful calamity is about to happen, instead of them.

This Flaw virtually ensures that your character will find a premature end to life, but this is something you are willing, perhaps even eager, to accept.

Hermetic Magic

Sigil: Red Flame

When casting Creo Ignem spells, the flame is pure red, bereft of the various hues one might expect in a natural fire. When he is casting another form his gaze takes that same reddish tint. Regardless of what form he is casting, if he is exerting himself wisps of red flame rise upward from the corners of his gaze.

[In the Middle Ages, red represented both the warrior and the martyr.]

Arts: Creo 7, Intelligo 2, Muto 8, Perdo 2, Rego 8; Animal 3, Aqua 0, Auram 0, Corpus 8 (2), Herbam 5 (2), Ignem 10+3 (2), Imaginum 2, Mentem 0, Terram 9, Vim 0

Spells Known

Doublet of Impenetrable Silk (MuAn 15) +17F

Bind Wound (CrCo 10) +18

Adopt the Stature of the Giants of Eld (MuCo 10) +19

Avalanche of Flesh & Steel (MuCo 10) +19

Blessing of Starkad (MuCo 25) +19

Turb of Giants (MuCo 25) +19

Endurance of the Breserkers (ReCo 15) +19

Repel the Wooden Shaft (ReHe 10) +13F

Arc of Fiery Ribbons (CrIg 25) +23

Blade of the Virulent Flame (CrIg 15) +30F

Aura of Ennobled Presence (MuIm 10) +13

Breaking the Captain's Baton (PeMe 10) +5

A Blade as Bright as Mirrors (CrTe 20, Ritual) +30FR

House Arrest of the Unruly Child (ReCo 30) +19

Blunting the Iron's Bite (ReTe 10) +28F

Dig the Trench (ReTe 15) +20

Disarm the Warrior (ReTe 10) +28F

Instant Ring Fort (ReTe 15) +20

Day of Communion (ReVi 20, Ritual) +15

Cantations Known

Circle of Beast Warding (ReAn 5) +14

Leaping Lilys (CrHe 3) +11

Gardener's Touch (InHe 3) +4

Light the Candles (CrIg 5) +23

Palm of Flame (CrIg 5) +23

Warmth of the Hearth (CrIg 5) +23

Echo of the Hidden Flame (InIg 3) +16

Tales of the Flame (InIg 3) +16

Flash of a Different Fire (MuIg 4) +24

The Smokeless Campfire (MuIg 5) +24

The Many-Hued Conflagration (MuIg 5) +24

Cloak of Shadows (PeIg 3) +18

Closing the Campfire (PeIg 5) +18

Tremulous Vault of the Torch's Flame (ReIg 5) +24

Wizard's Perry (ReTe 5) +28F; Mastery 1: Fast-Cast (speed +5)

Ward Against Imps (PeVi 5) +5

F = Casting total benefits from Major Magical Focus: Arms & Armor

R = Ritual benefits from Artes Liberales and Philosophiae

Certamen

School: Hoplomachus

Initiative +7, Attack -2, Defense -2, Weakening +3, Resistance +5

Samson always loses Initiative unless dueling another student of Hoplomachus. He can subtract his Finesse from Attack totals and add twice this number to his Defense totals. If he chooses not to attack on a given round, he can add three times this number to his Defense total. [Current Finesse Score: 4 (Certamen).]

Samson's Lab

Samson's Lab is located on the highest floor of the Tower of Flame.

• 1. Statistics: Size +1, Refinement 0, General Quality +1, Upkeep +1, Safety +4, Warping 0, Health 0, Aesthetics +6; +1 Items, +1 Vis Extraction, +2 Texts; +1 Auram, +1 Ignem, +1 Rego.

  2. Minor Virtue (+1): Lesser Feature: Skull of Nemesis: +1 Aesthetics, +1 Ignem

  3. Free Virtues (0): Dedicated Building, Defenses, Elevated, Magic Items: The Bookstand of Hespera & The Door of Surprises, Superior Construction, Superior Equipment, Superior Tools.

In winter 1226 & spring 1227, Samson established his lab. The Flambeau magus held an open house for select members of the covenant.

Principles of Hermetic Crafting

This is a summa on Finesse with a specific focus on crafting magic. Rene copied it in great haste and it has none of the benefits of a professionally produced book. It was copied from an Iberian covenant and the original had elaborate diagrams showing gestures to facilitate magical blacksmithing, the carding of wool and sewing of garments, the sawing of lumber and joining of wood, and so on.

(Level 5 Quality 10)

Advancement

1205 Spring -- 5 points Adventure XP, spent on Ignem. Summer and Fall -- Artes Liberales 1, Latin 3, Philosophiae 1, Theology 1 (2), Profession: Gardening 1 (2). Winter -- 2 points Brawl.

1206 Spring -- 10 points Artes Liberales, 10 points Philosophiae, 5 points Concentration, 2 points Gardening; Summer -- 5 points Great Weapon; Autumn -- 20 points Latin, 6 points Gardening, 1 point Concentration; Winter -- 5 points Profession: Scribe.

1207 Spring -- 15 points Latin, 5 points Magic Theory, 7 points Concentration. Summer -- 5 XP Athletics. Autumn -- 10 points Latin, 10 points Magic Theory, 2 points Concentration, 5 points Theology. Winter -- 17 XP Great Weapon.

1208 Spring, Summer and Autumn -- 51 points of Teaching, plus Warrior, for a total of 101 XP. Spent as follows -- 15 points Athletics, 33 points Brawl, 20 points Ride, 23 points Great Weapon, 5 points Bow, 5 points Single Weapon; Winter -- 18 Teaching XP in Ignem, caps at Ignem 6.

1209 Spring -- 8 XP Italian; Summer -- 5 XP Infernal Lore; Autumn -- 5 XP Order of Hermes Lore; Winter -- 13+5 XP Terram.

1210 Spring -- 5 XP Code of Hermes, 5 XP Order of Hermes Lore, 1 XP Magic Theory, Penetration, and 1+5 Finesse, Summer -- 8 practice in Occitan; Autumn -- 5 practice in Church Lore; Winter -- 13+5 XP Corpus.

1211 Spring -- 4+5 XP Finesse and 4 Penetration, 5 XP concentration; Summer -- 21 Study XP in Creo; Autumn -- 15+5 Teaching XP in Ride; Winter -- 13+5 Teaching XP in Rego.

1212 Spring -- 10+5 Teaching XP Finesse, 1 in Concentration, Penetration, and Parma Magica; Summer -- learning spells and 2 exposure XP in Terram; Autumn -- 5 Adventure XP in Ride, 3 in Theology, 2 Concentration; Winter -- 13+5 teaching XP in Muto.

1213 Spring -- 4 teaching XP Parma, 9 Penetration, and +5 Concentration; Summer -- Invents Blade as Bright as Mirrors, 1 Exposure XP in Creo, 1 in Terram; Autumn -- 5 points Practice in Mastery for Wizard's Parry; Winter -- 19+5 Teaching in Ignem.

1214 Spring -- 5 Adventure XP in Animal Handling, 1 in Ignem, 5 in Great Sword and 3 in Ignem; Summer and Autumn -- 40 Teaching XP in Magic Theory, 2 in Concentration, 6 in Infernal Lore and 6 in Profession: Gardening; Winter -- 13 Teaching XP in Corpus.

1215 Spring -- 19 Profundus XP in Magic Theory, 4 in Gardening, 4 in Infernal Lore, 1 in Order of Hermes Lore; Summer -- 2 Exposure XP in Ignem; Autumn -- Invents Arc of Fiery Ribbons and 2 Exposure in Ignem; Winter -- Taught spells and 2 Exposure Ignem.

1216 Spring -- 8 XP Spanish; Summer -- Copies Principles of Hermetic Crafting; Autumn -- 7 XP Iberia Lore; Winter -- 13+5 Teaching XP in Muto.

1217 Spring -- 5 Practice XP in Leadership; Summer -- 5 Practice XP in Leadership; Autumn -- 5 Practice XP in Leadership; Winter -- 13+5 XP in Rego.

1218 Spring -- 14+5 Teaching XP in Leadership; Summer -- 5 Adventure XP in Animal Handling, 5 Adventure XP in Great Weapon; Autumn -- 5 Practice XP in Animal Handling; Winter -- 14+5 Teaching XP in Terram.

1219 Spring -- 14+5 Teaching XP in Code of Hermes Lore; Summer -- 5 Practice XP in Leadership; Autumn -- 5 Practice XP in Great Weapon; Winter -- 2 Exposure XP in Muto.

1220 Spring -- Adventure XP taken in Leadership & Ignem, 1 Correspondence XP in Muto; Summer -- 5 Adventure XP in Creo, 1 Adventure XP in Leadership, 1 Correspondence XP in Creo; Autumn -- 5 Adventure XP in Etiquette, 1 Adventure XP in Area Lore: Hibernia, 1 Correspondence XP in Area Lore: Hibernia; Winter -- 5 Adventure XP in Corpus, 1 Adventure XP in Leadership, 1 Correspondence XP in Area Lore: Hibernia

1221 Spring -- 8 Study XP in Parma Magica, 1 Correspondence XP in Parma Magica; Summer -- 8 Study XP in Magic Theory, 1 Correspondence XP in Parma Magica; Autumn -- Learned Day of Communion from the Book of Roaming [Lab Total: Int 1 + Magic Theory 5 + Rego 8 + Vim 0 + Aura 5 + Early Riser 1 = 20], 1 Correspondence XP in Area Lore: Hibernia; Winter -- 5 Adventure XP in Animal, 1 Adventure XP in Area Lore: Hibernia, 1 Correspondence XP in Area Lore: Normandy

1222 Spring -- 11 Study XP in Magic Theory, 1 Correspondence XP in Magic Theory; Summer -- 10 Study XP in Magic Theory, 1 Correspondence XP in Leadership; Autumn -- 1 Exposure XP in Animal, 1 Exposure XP in Leadership, 1 Correspondence XP in Leadership; Winter -- 5 Adventure XP in Leadership, 1 Adventure XP in Perdo, 1 Correspondence XP in Leadership.

1223 Spring -- 30+5 Teaching XP in Profession: Gardening, 1 Correspondence XP in Etiquette; Summer -- 5 Adventure XP in Terram, 1 Adventure XP in Herbam; Autumn -- 2 Exposure XP in Perdo; Winter -- 4 Practice XP in Penmanship

1224 Spring -- 4 Practice XP in Etiquette, Summer -- 2 Exposure XP in Imaginium, Autumn -- 4 Practice XP in Leadership, Winter -- 5 Adventure XP in Great Weapon, 1 Adventure XP in Imaginium.

1225 Spring -- 14 Study XP in Finesse for a score of 3 (14), 1 Correspondence XP in Finesse for a score of 3 (15), Summer -- 5 Adventure XP in Finesse for a score of 3 (19), 1 Adventure XP in Etiquette for a score of 2 (11), 1 Correspondence XP in Finesse for a score of 4, Autumn -- 12 Study XP in Parma Magica for a score of 2 (12), 1 Correspondence XP in Parma Magica for a score of 2 (13), Winter -- 2 Exposure XP in Corpus for a score of 8 (2), 1 Correspondence XP in Code of Hermes for a score of 2 (10).

1226 Spring -- 5 Adventure XP in Code of Hermes for a score of 3, 3 Adventure XP in Brawl for a score of 4 (3), 1 Correspondence XP in Order of Hermes Lore for a score of 1 (7), Summer -- 2 Adventure XP in Parma Magica for a score of 3, 3 Adventure XP in Intelligo for a score of 2, 5 Adventure XP in Herbam for a score of 3, 1 Correspondence XP in Profession: Scribe for a score of 1 (5), Autumn -- 5 Adventure XP in Great Weapon for a score of 5+2 (25), 3 XP in Order of Hermes Lore for a score of 3, 1 Correspondence XP in Etiquette for a score of 2 (12), Winter -- 2 Exposure XP in Ignem, 1 Correspondence XP in Profession: Steward for a score of 0 (1).

1227 Spring -- 4 Adventure XP in Profession: Autocrat for a score of 1 (Fatherhood), 2 Adventure XP in Etiquette for a score of 2 (14), 1 Correspondence XP in Etiquette for a score of 3 (Hermetic Mages), Summer -- 11 Study in Herbam, 1 Correspondence XP in Profession: Scribe for a score of 1 (6), Autumn -- 5 Adventure XP in Great Weapon for a score of 6, 1 Adventure XP in Leadership for a score of 4 (5), 1 Correspondence XP in Leadership for a score of 4 (6), Winter --