Arbaros of Verditius

The Young Verditius

Type NPC (vendor)

Description

Arbaros’ stall is small and easily missed between the bustling, and mainly larger, stall around it. Thus Arbaros spends most his time roaming the fair, talking to others of similar age, hoping to trade both gossip and goods. He will actively seek out young magi who have shown that they have vis to spend. Arbaros is young and dresses as a craftsman. He wears a tool belt and carries a rucksack. He is friendly and fair, but he is also a merchant desperate to earn vis, and he will not be fooled in trade.

Background

Arbaros is from Rome, which is a harsh tribunal for young magi. Vis is scarce and older magi dominate affairs. Arbaros still does not have a covenant, nor a steady income of vis. He pays dearly for the occasional use of a lab in an established covenant.

Fortunately, he has been able to make some vis, which he has used to make a few enchantments which he hopes to sell at a profit. Inexperienced as he is, there is nothing spectacular even remoutely matching the reputation of the house, but the items are functional and useful for most.

He travels far and wide to find customers for his items. He is a sure encounter at the Hermetic Midsummer Fair in the Greater Alps and the side fair at the Grand Tribunal. He may also visit the regular tribunals and other events if they are open to magi from other tribunals.

Purpose

Arbaros is designed to give young PCs an opportunity to make international contacts. This could give flavour to any saga, as well as story hooks for a saga with international plots.

Arbaros is also a potetential source of low-level items, and possibly other common-place resources within reach for Spring covenant.

Personality (NPC)

Name Arbaros of Verditius

Origin Rome

«Come here, I have some really nice and cheap enchantments. How about …?»

Appearance Young man with round face and black hair. Dressed in working clothes with a tool belt.

Concept A wood worker. Young and poor in vis, he tries to make a buck on lesser items.

Personality traits Friendly +2, Merchant +3

Characteristics Int +2, Per -1, Pre +1, Com +2, Str 0, Sta +1, Dex +1, Qik -1

Key abilities Bargain [lesser enchanted devices] 3, Latin 4, Order of Hermes Lore [trade] 2, Magic Theory [lesser enchantments] 4, Craft: wood [sculpting] 4,

Arts Creo 10, Ignem 10, Auram 8, others at 0-6

Calculation Details Own design at Level 20. Production cost 2p vis/item. Three pieces in two seasons. Sell price 6p/piece. Income 18p, expense 6p. Net income 12p. Profit 6p/season.

Products, General

This is possibly a little much for a young magus. The SG should feel free to trim down the list.

  • CrIg19: Magical lamp. (2 available) Asking Price 6pvf
    • Base 4; +1 touch +2 Sun +4L constant use
    • This is a hand lantern which has been enchanted to provide light similar to the canon spell Lamp without Flame.
    • It has a cover which can be used to mask the light.
    • The troupe will have to decide if this suffices to provide a lab with magical lighting, or if additional size modifiers would be required.
  • CrAu(Ig)19: Fan of Summer Breezes. (2 available) Asking Price 6pvf
    • The effect is as the canon spell Chamber of Summer Breezes
    • Constant use.
    • This simple fan is enchanted to make a constant circulation of warm air in the room. The troupe will have to decide if this suffices to provide a lab with magical heating, or if additional size modifiers would be required.
  • CrIg40: Incendior Homines. (1 available) 12pvf Net 8pvf
    • Cannon item [Cov].
    • Arbaros’ version is a wooden rod with an inset ruby at the tip.
  • Wooden staff opened for enchantment (8p). Sold for 9p vis. (Net 6p)
  • Silver-shod wand opened for enchantment (10p). Sold for 11p vis. (Net 6p)

Other potential benefits

Young and with little network, Arbaros is also interested in making contacts and allies. This is a roleplaying opportunity, and a chance to make well-known canon information available in character.

  • He can provide information about his tribunal and his house.
    • Difficult to find vis in Rome.
    • Enchantments can relatively easily be commissioned.
      The standard price is 3x the vis cost.
  • He could broker deals with other Verditius magi, at a small fee.
  • He would take commissions for low-level items.
  • He would consider other deals the PCs might suggest.
    • He could become a correspondent on Creo or Ignem, if the PCs suggest it.
    • He could trade lab texts, but he would charge a lot of vis. For lesser enchantment texts he would charge at least as much vis as he could for the corresponding item (and he would try to get more). Alternatively he could trade texts for other lesser enchantment texts of the same level. He is not interested in spell texts.