The scholar is ravenous when he awakens, not having eaten next to nothing for several days. With food in his stomach he both curious and restless. Even so, he remembers to thank the magi profusely for getting him through the journey. As he travels through the island he does his best to take time examining any of the older remnants. Truthfully he's pushing himself harder than is healthy, at least for someone with his health.
[tab][/tab] The scholar is clearly excited and starts examining ruins left and right. Anastaj quickly grabs the young man and cautions him, in no uncertain terms, not to wander off from them, as it is very easy to 'get lost'. This place has lots of regios, a concept that he evades answering at the moment on what exactly that is. After the first three times Ioannes' curiosity takes the better of him, he irritably foists the looking after of him to another of the junior magi.....
Aristocles watches and listens to what Anastaj has to say. He will be much more engaged once other Magi are around to talk to and may be negotiate purchase of books or take orders for item creation.
Scylax takes the Ioannes challenge on! He can also speak at length, but will take Annastaj's tack and will be mysterious, and will caution Ioannes against speaking with other Magi alone. 
<OOC Like Aristocles, he is excited as well at being able to meet other Magi, and (perhaps his Mentor has made the trip?). His Comprehend Magic may be working overtime, although he is even more careful than usual by just using it in obviously deserted spots.
He also casts silently and with no gestures Piercing the Magic Veil InVi 20 Mastery 1 Quiet Casting/+18 , by using a silent, subtle Facilitate the Stifled Spell (Vim) MuVi 10 Mastery 1 Quiet Casting/+20: 3 rolls, first for Facilitate (+10 + Aura + _: 1D10 = [6] = 6 = 16+ done); Concentration diff 9: 4 casting + 2 Sta + _: 1D10 = [7] = 7 = 13, done! And 3rd, Piercing the Magic Veil +18 + aura +_: 1D10 = [10] = 10, oops, = 18 +aura, done, Mastery takes care of that botch dice, so spell comes out, even if it might strain Scylax somewhat OOC>
Scylax will look here and there, without wandering off of the path with his new sight, as a Conc spell, he can hold it for a maximum of 45 minutes.
[tab][/tab] It is past midsummer's eve in Delos and though this is not an assembly year, there are some magi gathered for official business on the island, plus some Redcap officials, with a few mundanes as retinue. Here are the places and people you can visit:
-[tab][/tab] On the central 'mountain' of Kynthos are the ruins of the Sanctuary of Foreign Gods. This was a place where visitors from Egypt and Eastern lands erected shrines to honor their gods in antiquity, now left in a multitude of ruins. Here a few tents and lean-tos make a temporary home for any visiting dignitaries from outside the Tribunal and where all μετοικοι stay. Surprisingly there are two groups visiting. Frida Koldings is an Ex-Miscellanea from the Rhine tribunal, visiting here for a vision quest of some kind. She calls herself a Rune-witch and she looks to be an unsavoury pagan from the somewhere in the Baltic seas, who trades in some furs, charms, dubious balms and amber trinkets. al Rafique is an Eastern, non-Order magi coming from beyond Levant. He is rich as a merchant prince, with a large retinue and opulent tents, yet he trades little in the mundane wares of the Orient. He comes twice a decade to Byzantium, never on an Assembly year, and trades in knowledge: books and scrolls and information. He has a 'hunger' for western sorcery, particularly spells and tomes about western magics. It is peculiar that Order not only tolerates but also trades with this foreigner, but it seems he has the official protection of some high archai. Rumour say that there were several heated incidents with some Flambeau, the orient man coming out unscathed (no mention of the Flambeau).
-[tab][/tab] On another slope of Kynthos is the temporary village where you and your companions are to stay. These semi-permanent tents and covered buildings house the politoi and their retinues, plus the various functionaries. This is a vibrant spot during assemblies, now a deserted place. There is a redcap adjutant to the treasurer, and two recaps visiting from the Covenant of Alexandria, one of whom is in trade discussions with Basil of Andros, an important merchant from Favonius, the wandering Covenant. The [i]Tamias/i is on the island (which Anastaj will meet with to give the gathered vis to and have a chat with), to officiate on the coming of age, post-Gauntlet ceremony and induction to the Tribunal of two new magi. These two came with their parens, two ex-miscellanea witches from Erebos and two Titalus from Hedyosmos. The ceremony will be held later in the day at the Hermetic agora, an ancient amphitheatre converted for the Hermic Assembly and other functions.
[ It is worth noting that although all apprentices are chosen during an Assembly year, the year they 'graduate' after their Gauntlet and are inducted into the Hermetic society varies. This is because up to three years spent under the care of treasury council are considered apprentice years. Thus children gathered at an Assembly year (year 0) graduate fifteen years and two assemblies later, one year after the Assembly as these are today. Those gathered one year before (year -1) graduate at the assembly, those two years (year -2) one year before, and the rest two years before. The northern covenants usually do not come to the island for these events nor do they honor them]
-[tab][/tab] Several ruins are scattered around the dry island. There are two temples to Apollo, two to Artemis, one to Zeus and two shrines, all in some repair. Another Temple is the one to Leto, mother of the Twins. All other major gods, and some minor deities have a shrine somewhere that can be visited. Visitors are cautioned that most are associated with regios, some of them not magical in nature. All ruins are watched over and guarded by three Hyperborean Nymphs, formidable maidens in leather garb carrying ivory bows. Any trespassers are quickly dealt with.
-[tab][/tab] Another major site of Delos is the Sanctuary lake, a small fresh water lake near the northern shores where the most important rite of the Assemblies, the Ceremony of Propitiation, takes place. Anastaj wants to take you there later for some official business of the covenant.
[The place is strong in magic and fae auras and regios, it is easy to stumble into any of them. Scylax will thankfully be able to at least have a warning, but it does give one a headache]
Aristocles will check with Anastaj if he has any vis with him to trade. If he does Aristocles will ask if he can obtain books, spell and lab texts for the covenant if he can make any deals.
Either way he will seek an appointment with al Rafique to see what he has to offer and what he seeks in trade.
He will then arrange to meet with the Red Cap trader to see again what they have to offer and what they want in return.
He will make sure he times any meetings around ensuring he attends the post gauntlet ceremony and the business at the sanctuary lake.
With Scylax still radiating suspicious vibes, Ioannes figures he should try and put the man at ease. "Thank you for allowing me to come. I know I haven't been helpful, but it has truly been enlightening for me."
The journey has been long, no shame in being tired. We'll surely rest a bit, see some wondrous sights, and be on our way. It is too bad that we have such scant resources at Meru Mudi, Ioannes. We are people rich, it seems. This would have been a great opportunity for trade. Perhaps favors can be bartered for books, always tricky! But Delos! We stand on legendary ground!
Scylax, when not speaking to Ioannes, will, like Aristocles, be very interested in meeting other Magi, the Erebos witches certainly, will also mosey over to Al Rafique and sense what he can sense about his wares, get to know the man. He doesn't hold out much hope that Annastaj has spare vis or tokens to purchase anything for the Covenant, but this whole meeting of Hermetics is quite fantastic in his eyes. He will look for something minor that can be offered at one of the nearby temples. He will pour on the Charm as best he can.
[tab][/tab] Aristocles has a chat with Anastaj (who is clearly busy, though patiently listens to the magus) about funds and purchases, vis money and resources. He studies the face of the young man a bit, then with a 'tsk' he rummages through his ever present bag. To the Verditius he gives a whole apple from the tree (10 mentem vis) plus another 10 of Creo and Terram each, those later brought to the covenant from the recently arrived magi. He also gives him a small pouch that contains some money, a few uncut semi-precious stones, three broken pieces of marble (each looks to be from a different source) and a tiny hand-carved charm made of wood in the shape of a dove. He chides the magi for not bringing things to trade, admonishes him to be shrewd, then sends Aristocles off with a wave.
[tab][/tab] Scylax is looking over the various temples. Most of them are ruins, completely destroyed, yet still radiating power. It seems infrequently people hold ceremonies or vigils here, but no attempts have been made to reconstruct them, except two. The Temple of Apollo has been fully restored and is tended to, with a tripod burning fire, small offerings of food, flowers and musical instruments, but no wealth nor priest is to be found here. The Temple of Zeus is on the other side of the mountain and this one even has a marble statue of the god inside, though its old, pitted and has lost all its coloring. The rest of the shrines are in worse condition. Throughout his search, Scylax has the feeling he is being watched, catching glimpses of those bow-armed maidens shadowing his every move from afar.
[tab][/tab] Power wise, all temples have a fairy aura of 2 or more, most of the shrines too. The temples for Apollo, Artemis, Leto and Zeus also hold regios. It would be a bad idea to steal from the gods....
[tab][/tab] al Rafique holds court in a group of lean-tos of his own making at the Sanctuary of Foreign Gods. Multiple tents made of study canvas surround a larger, more opulent one. The cavernous space is covered by a double length of sturdy silk, that to Scylax's eyes radiate power of a kind he has never before seen, but inside... nothing (not even the walls of the tent). The fresh sent of myrrh and cloves washes over you when you enter, and your eyes quickly adjust to the darkness. There is a lot of silk fabric here, making alcoves and niches for tables and display cabinets. The merchant sits reclining on a plush carpet of Arabian weave with silver servings of choice meats and candied fruit for his pleasure. He is pleasant but guarded, and very shrewd in his dealings. He never deals outside this tent, nor does he allow his wares to leave it. In the entrance a large man with a covered face in outlandish garb (possibly of berber descent) has his hand on his curved scimitar at all times, guarding the tent from the inside and watching everyone for theft. A stooped little man with a scraggly beard, possibly of Jewish or Egyptian descent, constantly hovers about ready to assist customers with questions and trade values, wiggling his hands and keeping notes with a stylus on a clay tablet for his master. There is also a young assistant to the merchant, what you think at first is a boy, but is actually a girl in men's clothing.
[tab][/tab] al Rafique trades in exotics, specifically things that can be used as reagents and materials for magical use: rare woods and ivory from the Hindus valley, dark clay from Assyria, Persian wools. Small charms and carvings from a dozen eastern cultures, scripts and scrolls and stone tablets of strange languages. A lot of mundane 'books' in various subjects (medicine, philosophy, mathematics, astrology, lores, herbalism, myths and legends) most of them in arabic. He also trades in substances like gum arabic, elephant skins, papyrus, dried foreign seeds, rare earths and spices and incenses. When asked about magic items, he chides the magi. It is illegal by your Order to trade in such things here (he does not even try to be persuasive. It is clear he is lying, but there might be conflict with the Order if he traded such things, especially draw the ire of the Verditius).
[tab][/tab] Isandros of Alexandria is a redcap that deals in merchandise and usury. He roams the breadth of the Tribunal delivering requests and sometimes travels abroad to neighboring areas to do business on the request of a magus. As a redcap he carries with him small things, mostly one use charged items and lesser enchantments. He avoids the trade of texts and tomes, as in his youth he has been part of some bad deals and legal trouble. He is interest in laboratory equipment manufacture and reliable transportation, which is what he is speaking about with Basil of Andros. As a Redcap he remembers Aristocles from his apprentice days and politely asks about any news and creations he might have.
Before he sets off with the trade goods Aristocles asks Anastaj what the properties and significance of the marble and dove shaped charm.
He will then protest at the admonishment given saying "Magus Anastaj, I have made great efforts to be respectful to you at all times giving you due consideration of your status as a magus of the order and deceptor of our covenant. I would ask that you offer me the same respect as a fellow member of the order. I am no longer an apprentice an do not appreciate being treated as a simpleton child. I am not aware of any hierarchy within this tribunal beyond the Archai, Archon, Polemarch and Logothete, none of which you hold. As such I would be your partner in creating a lasting covenant of our great order, not your underling".
"Legendary ground indeed." Ioannes says. After a while he brings up the shadowy maidens to Scylax "Do you see them too?" He asks. He doesn't give much detail. From his education he knows the danger of giving away answers in the question.
[tab][/tab] The marble fragments the Vlach explains, are arcane connections to the Dodoni Oracle amphitheater, the Delphi Oracle shrine at Parnasus and the amphitheater here in Delos. He carries them around just in case. The wooden bird is just a charm. Locals around Tymfi carved them all the time for luck, even Maia the redcap carves wood at her spare time.
[tab][/tab] Anastaj then listens to what Aristocles has to say, with one eyebrow slowly climbing up into his fading hairline and his mouth ending in a slight smile. He seems a bit pleasantly surprised. ''Hmmmm'' he half-snorts in interest when the Verditius ends his speech and studies his face for a bit before responding '' My apologies Aristocles of Verditius, I meant no offense and certainly do not see you as an apprentice. I do mean to come as 'superior' and certainly not as one of the hierarchy. Blame my crotchety demeanor to old age... I am what? eighty something years older than you yes? These eyes have seen quite a lot, things both wondrous and terrifying and sometimes I have little time for... the small stuff'' He adjust his rope belt, gathers himself up again and continues '' I am very glad though that you are ready to be a full partner in our covenant. Very glad, very... when we return we shall have to discuss this with Dimitris, to find which responsibilities you would like to shoulder, yes. Very glad...'' he then peers at you with half an eye ''Tell me though... if you wanted to trade, why didn't you bring anything to trade with?''.
Aristocles responds "Magus Anastaj,thank you for your response and recognition of my minor issue, which you have addressed with both diplomacy and good grace."
"As to my lack of fore thought in requesting goods to trade with before we departed on this journey I can only ask your forgiveness and ask that you blame my LACK of your years of experience and the fact that the prospect of this visit to Delos has quite overawed me. I thank you for your foresight and experience in bringing trade goods that your great experience allowed you to foresee we would require."
I do indeed. But I hope that one that respects the old ways will not raise their ire.
<OOC Scylax will greet the other Magi present and gauge if they are looking to trade, sell, or what, and prices, and get a general sense of their purpose. He should be fairly charming, even if Magi often aren't. He will then join Aristocles, and share what he has found (assuming he did not witness Annastaj's and Aristocles little moment), ruing that they have little or nothing to trade. OOC>
[tab][/tab] All magi are keen on trading (mainly knowledge) but few of them bring a variety of things to trade with. Besides those mentioned the others are here for the ceremony and not other official or unofficial business. This is a happy occasion for them. Frida the Northern 'witch' communicated in halting Latin, has some things to trade, but is quite reserved, especially when talking to 'civilized' folk. Al Rafique and Isandros are mentioned above, along with Basil. The treasurer and the various red-cap functionaries under him are not interested in personal trading. However all Order magi are interested in exchanging pleasantries and 'news' (ie gossip), they are especially interested in how life is going in the new covenant and what you people are doing. Notice that they ask those questions to the two young polites magi, not Anastaj.
Ioannes continues to observe more or less silently, not wanting to spook the shifty magi.
[tab][/tab] Anastaj goes off with the Treasurer, an old looking magi dressed like a city-clerk who did not introduce himself beyond his title, presumably to deliver the gathered vis and further talk about 'matters'. Since the ceremony (which you may or may not attend) is scheduled in the afternoon and your visit to 'the lake' after that, what is left of your group has time to talk to the merchants, foreign magi and dignitaries, or just explore the island.
Aristocles will speak with the Redcap and make clear he has nothing to sell at the moment but would willing to take orders for armour based enchantments. He will see if he understands what items of quality are and if not educate him. He will also make clear he would also take orders for such items as well. He will try to sweeten any deal by suggesting that some of the fee for any items could be paid as "credit" with house Mercere for mundane equipment and stores, allowing him to make profit at both ends of the deal.
He will then make Scylax aware of what trade goods he has available and suggest they go and see what specifically the witch has available to trade.
Scylax is eager to barter, though he is not so sure about the witch. I am afraid I speak no Latin. Are you up to that, sodales? he nods at the scholar nearby, and speaks in a low voice Ioannes here is quite the scholar and language expert, but his knowledge of our areas of expertise is necessarily limited. I fear miscommunication and misunderstanding! We are Gifted and he is not. And what can she really trade that we might desire, books and Lab Texts in Latin? he pauses to listen to what the Verditius may counsel. In any case, let us make the rounds and meet our fellows, if nothing else we may propose advantageous trades, your expertise can only but aid our fledgling project.