Matteus de Taranto

Ars Magica: The Scilly Saga
GM
Mark
Game Start
Anno Domini MCCXX, hiems A.D. 1220, winter
Game Year
Anno Domini MCCXX, aestas A.D. 1220, summer
Magi of Leo
Eos of Tytalus Llwyd of Bonisagus Merlor of Flambeau Rissa of Merinita Lady Shona of Ex Miscelanea
Companions
Erne Matteus de Taranto Robert, the Steward
Other Characters
Grogs · Villagers Languages Spoken
The Covenant
Covenant Library · Vis Sources Magical Items · Mundane Wealth Stonehenge Tribunal
Other
Scilly Saga Chargen Rules Ars Magica House Rules
Player Resources (PDFs)
Experience Point Worksheet Character Sheet (Variant 1) Character Sheet (Variant 2)

Matteus hails from Taranto, an important port city in the Apulia region of the Kingdom of Sicily. He led a normal life until he was discovered to be Gifted by a Jerbiton magus from Magvillus, the domus magna of House Guernicus and the Quaesitores in the Appenine Mountains. His apprenticeship proceeded normally until a lab accident robbed him of his Gift and his master of his life. A Guernicus maga, Domitia, took his education over until she discovered that this Gift was damaged and he was no longer able to learn Hermetic arts.

A more ruthless or callous maga might simply toss this former apprentice out into the world, but Domitia saw that there was still a potential for this youngster to server the Order in his own way. She kept him for another year to instill this ethos into him, then used her connections to have him continue his education at the University of Bologna. He spent three years there, earning his Baccalaureus degree.

During this time, Matteus kept in touch with Domitia who recommended him over to Paris where there was a need for educated students to help do lectures for the growing university. Given his Norman background, he figured it could only help him to travel back to the land of his ancestors and add the prestige of the University of Paris to his educational profile. It was here he met the Apostles of Apollonius from whom he learned that it was possible for 'mundanes' to learn the arts of the Elementalist. Matteus leapt at the chance to reconnect with his magical training and underwent a second apprenticeship with the secret cult who was impressed with his intellect and grasp of the secrets. They considered it a shame he didn't have the 'spark' (i.e. the Gift) to learn the whole of their secrets, but they gained an earnest pupil nonetheless.

While at Paris, Matteus met a series of mostly Jerbiton apprentices who were ordered to attend the University as part of their training. His former status as a Hermetic apprentice earned him sympathy and friendship, and her learned about the covenants and magi of the Normandy Tribunal. He visited a few of them out of curiosity which is where he met Merlor of Flambeau at the Covenant of Requies Aeternum. The two got a long well despite Merlor's Gift. In time Merlor was Gauntleted, stayed at his home covenant to do some additional studies before departing for Nova Semitae to enjoy that covenant's hospitality for a while.

Matteus stayed in Paris learning more from the Apostles and during this time he met a pair of twins who would eventually accompany him to the Scilly isles. The sisters worked together serving the University masters, supplying them with some of the more esoteric materials in the emerging science of alchemy. They provided apothecary, herbalist and midwife services for the local community. In a twist of fate, Matteus fell in love with both of them, and they with him. Unwilling to force a choice, they decided to simply 'live in sin' -- or as Matteus puts it, 'in the style of the Patriarchs of the Old Testament' who had several wives. This situation was untenable and their reputations suffered as degenerate sinners so when Merlor's note came a couple of years later about travelling to found a new covenant in a remote part of England, he convinced his unconventional 'family' to relocate while divulging his entire history and connection to magical traditions under the surface of Europe.

He met at Merlor in Cornwall and introduced his family to the magus. They then travelled to Gweal and now stand in former Lyonesse to being a new life in a strange land with strange workers of magic. But in a way, Matteus had returned home and was at a covenant again as he always felt he should have been.

Vitals

Name:	Matteus de Taranto
Race/Nationality:	Norman/Italian
Place of Origin:	Taranto, Kingdom of Sicily
Family	Alberea and Eloise, consorts Gilbertus (son, age 2, by Alberea) Adelina (daughter, age 1, by Eloise)
Age	30 (1190)

Character Sheet

Characteristics

Intelligence	+2	Presence	+2
Perception	+0	Communication	-1
Strength	-1	Dexterity	-1
Stamina	+2	Luck	+1

Virtues & Flaws

Virtue (Theurgical) Controlling (M) (Theurgical) Summoning (M) (Philosophical) Summoning Elementalist Water Elementalist Earth Failed Apprentice

Flaw Weak Elemental Resistance (M) Driven (Excel at Elemental magic) (M) Offensive to Animals Outcast/Bigamist Close Family Ties Broken Vessel

Skills

Skill	Specialty	Score	XP
General Abilities
Area Lore (Magvillus)	Personalities	2	15
Area Lore (Paris)	Academics	2	15
Area Lore (Bologna)	Academics	2	15
Area Lore (Scilly Isles)	Personalities	0	2
Awareness	Alertness	3	30
Bargain	Training	2	15
Concentration	Maintain Control	3	30
Speak Norman French	Academic Terms	5	75
Speak Bolognese	Conversational	2	15
Speak Cornish	Conversational	1	5
Organization Lore: Order of Hermes	Apprenticeship	2	15
Organization Lore: Apostles of Apollonius	Initiation Rituals	2	15
Profession Scribe	Copying	2	15
Swim	Diving	2	15
Teaching		5	15
Academic Abilities
Artes Liberales	Astronomy	2	17
Speak Latin	Hermetic Terms	5	75
Speak Greek	Translations	4	50
Arcane Abilities
Magic Lore	Elementals	3	30
Magic Theory	Inventing Spells	3	30
Penetration	Controlling	3	30

Mundane Qualities

Known Languages

Language	Dialect	Specialization	Score	Fluency
Speak Northern French	Francien	Academic Terms	5	Fluent
Latin	Hermetic Latin	Hermetic Terms	5	Fluent
(Ancient) Greek	Ancient	Academic	4	Functional
Gallo-Italian	Bolognese	Conversational	2	Basic Conversational
Cornish	Scilly	Conversational	1	Basic questions and answers

Reputation

None

Equipment

None

Personal Library

None

Magical Abilities

Despite his damaged Gift, Matteus is capable of serving as a lab assistant, a role he is willing to serve for a magus for pay. (i.e. As one of his seasons of service.) While he has accompanied Merlor to the Scilly Isles, he is coming for his own reasons: to practice and learn his own magical Arts, and to keep his family safe from overzealous Parisian clergy. He also insists on the lead magus extending his or her Parma Magica to blunt the effects of the Gift during any seasons of lab service.

Arts

Arts			Difficult Arts
Summoning	6	(25)	Earth	3	(30)
Controlling	9	(45)	Water	3	(30)

Seasonal Activities

Matteus Advancement 1220-1222