The Bull

I was only looking at it!

Some grogs stand out because they perform unusual functions. Others stand out because they are a classic stereotype. Among the fighting grogs, the Bull is one such.

Every covenant turb has one. One guy, built like a brick outhouse, none too bright and probably a bit clumsy as well. But he has a heart of gold; he's brave and loyal, and the best kind of comrade in arms anyone could imagine. His comrades gladly share their food with him, as he would do the same for them. If they get hurt, he carries them on his back to safety.

Playful teasing is the order of the day; he takes it all in his stride, and tries to give back, but lacks sophistication. His role is, to some degree, to provide comic relief, but he is not a caricatured clown — more of a morale booster. Most days he is laughed with more than he is laughed at. Of course, a few bad apples, be they too clever or cruel, always spoil things by overdoing it, and that can really set him boiling.

The role in the turb is closely related to the Tough Guy. He doesn't have the potential to be a trusted Custos or personal shield grog of the magi, nor will he ever be a good leader of a trained group. But he is a good man for a vanguard or covering the flank during battle. He is definitely handy when the turb is in a tight spot, and they'll be glad they brought him along as backup. For the more delicate matters, he is best left home. Many social operations could suffer greatly from his "helpful" contributions. But if they need heavy lifting or serious bruising? He's the man.

Use the following notes for creating a Bull character.

The Bull has his problems, but he may enjoy some of these Virtues: Large, Tough, Rapid Convalescence, Reserves of Strength, Enduring Constitution, Warrior, Turb Trained*

The following Flaws may prove applicable to a Bull character: Clumsy, Carefree, Covenant Upbringing, Gullible*, Uncontrollable Strength*, Offensive Fighter*, Magical Fascination*, Pack Mentality, (Realm) Stigmata, Master of None, various Social Status Flaws (see later)

* See Chapter 6, New Virtues and Flaws

Covenfolk or Turb Trained seem appropriate, although Wanderer or Branded Criminal could do. Outcast or Outlaw could be an answer to why he has joined the covenant. He is unlikely to be in a position of authority, so Custos, Mercenary Captain, Outlaw Leader, or Knight are inappropriate choices.

Note that unless the Social Status chosen allows you to take Martial Abilities, you must take a Virtue for this (e.g., Warrior).

Abilities include: Brawl, Single Weapon, Great Weapon, Athletics

Training packages include: Athletic, Covenant-bred, or Exploring Childhood. Footpad, Laborer, Sentry, or Soldier. Brawler, Covenfolk, or Local.

YOUNG MAN (AGE 20): Athletics 3 (climb), Brawl 4 (wrestling), Carouse 4 (merrymaking), Great Weapon 5 (poleaxe), Latin 4 (Hermetic), Native Language 5 (rhyming insults), Ride (trotting) 2

MATURE MAN (AGE 25): Athletics 3 (climb), Brawl 5 (wrestling), Carouse 4 (merrymaking), Chirurgy 3 (cuts), Great Weapon 5 (poleaxe), Latin 4 (Hermetic), Magic Lore 1 (magical minerals), Native

The Bull is particularly prone to blundering into stories.

During a Tribunal, the Bull is unwittingly entrusted with a delicate and valuable object owned by a magus from another covenant. Naturally, it ends up damaged, which stirs up a lot of commotion. The offended magus not only demands restitution, but also severe punishment of the grog, and holds one of the magi responsible.

The speed with which this case starts to build does seem suspicious to the magi. Someone knowledgeable in the Order's affairs and recent history remembers a similar situation some years back, which also centered on the offended magus. Another clever companion starts to find scraps of evidence proving this, because naturally the whole thing is fabricated. But at the same time, the Bull is in trouble in more than one way. While most of his turb mates support his claim of bad luck, a few hold it personally against him.

Furthermore, the grog leader of the visiting magi demands satisfaction by combat, and his turb stoop to all-time lows concerning cheating and sabotage. Scuffles are bound to occur, but the duel ought to be stopped. Can the clever magi or their retinue solve the affair and stop it? The offended magus becomes angry and reckless once his plot starts to fall apart. He might resort to certamen right there, and in the end might also challenge the opposition to Wizard's War if he is humiliated or pushed sufficiently.

A magus who recently joined the covenant brought along some of his own servants, among them the Bull. A few of the other magi along with their retinue currently have him out on a mission to a highly magical forest, which is part diplomatic outreach to the magical spirits of the place, and part vis hunt. At first, he seemed fine, a solid fighter, and quickly became popular among the turb, bringing laughter to the ranks. But just minutes into the delicate situation with the magical beings of the forest, temptation sets in everywhere he looks. He is bound to get too nosy at some point. The rest of the turb try to keep him from getting in trouble, but it becomes more difficult at every new encounter. Potential conflicts arise, which must be dealt with. Touchy-feely diplomacy seems to have gone out the window, however, and kicking the encounter up a notch is more to the liking of at least one of the magi. And power seems to be a language understood by the spirits. The next obstacles come once the Bull starts pilfering things to take home as souvenirs …

A young man who until recently worked as a laborer at the covenant has been promoted to fighting grog. He has been in training for a short time, and shows great potential, or at least great strength and toughness. The grog leaders decide to bring him along on a mission to whip him into shape, since a routine matter of checking up on some loose threads from a previous event in a nearby village needs seeing to. But the grog not only lacks the discipline of most other grogs, he also has a knack of getting into, not trouble as such, but interesting situations. What could possibly go wrong here?

Perhaps he is socially inept and offends someone the leaders need to talk to. Perhaps he derails the trip by practically tripping over something magical. In the end, the trip encounters obstacles of a manageable kind — providing much-needed lessons for the grog — as well as some totally unexpected windfall, like a vis find. Or possibly it yields the opening for another story, like discovering an infernalist circle, or a contested vis source.

Language 5 (rhyming insults), Ride (trotting) 3

VETERAN (AGE 36): Athletics 5 (climb), Brawl 5 (wrestling), Carouse 4 (merrymaking), Chirurgy 4 (cuts), Organization Lore: Covenant 3 (fighting turb), Great Weapon 7 (poleaxe), Latin 4 (hermetic), Leadership 1 (group fighting), Magic Lore 1 (magical minerals), Native Language 5 (rhyming insults), Ride (trotting) 3

A concept related to the Bull is the bulwark. The bulwark is a much more defensive fighter, more focused on holding the line than breaking it. This grog could serve as a defensive vanguard, or might even be a shield grog for a magus. This is done by avoiding any Flaws which make him prone to aggression, impulsiveness, or distraction from duty; he should definitely not take the Berserk Virtue. Consider adding Dutybound or Vow, concerning the protection of his master. Long Winded or Lightning Reflexes might be valued Virtues. For com-

bat abilities, replace Great Weapon with Single Weapon, and a shield is almost a must, as is heavy armor.

Keeping the idea of the Bull, an alternative idea is to tone down the martial concept and relate his mentality and style to a manual laborer. Being a fully trained craftsman probably isn't on the Bull's cards, but there's hard work that needs doing at every covenant. He could be the hulking porter or beefy well-digger making a fool of himself, or the person everyone teases playfully. But in the end he is a true buddy, loyal to his mates.

When using this concept as a companion, do not change it radically. The intent is a slightly comical grog, wellliked and possessing high spirits, a person whom others lovingly tease in good fun, and who is unfortunate or unlucky in some areas. With a larger Virtue budget, he could be made into a very efficient fighter, and by using many of the suggested Flaws, he could keep this concept. But he is not a leader, and should not aspire to become one, nor should one invest in Social Status virtues giving him men of his own. Instead, view him

Working further with the supernatural aspects, a character with good synergy — story-wise — with the Magical Fascination concept could be created by adding Faerie Friend, Plagued by Supernatural Entity, or something similar. Using Arcane Lore, he could actually be proficient in Magic or Faerie Lore, upping the stakes for his involvement in these sorts of stories.