((I think we're all cool with Laetitia joining ME. Do wa want to go through a formal posted vote, or just hand-wave it and ret-con if anything comes up?))
((Now that Viscaria's been invited to the meeting, and to the Covenant as Protected Guest, we can get the ball rolling on that in this thread too))
[color=blue]"I believe that we should allow as much time as possible for any new members to become acclimated to their new homes before thrusting the onerous honor of Princeps duty upon them. I also feel that they should have the privilege of having an experienced Vice Princeps to call upon if needed. Let's see..." Fiona does some quick jotting on her own tablet.
[color=blue]"I believe the current rotation is: Fieltarn > Onesiphorus > Fiona > Alexei > Korvin > Jormungand. If we put Jacques and Laetitia into the rotation, toward the end and with experience in the chair before them....hmmm...how about: Fieltarn > Jacques > Onesiphorus > Fiona > Alexei > Korvin > Jormungand > Laetitia? And any future members, we can put them in somewhere as well."
[color=blue]"Under better circumstances, I would say that we should look to expanding our resources in that direction as well, since I would also like to take an apprentice before too long. However, I think that preparing for the Tribunal should take priority. If anyone, and I include myself in this, were to acquire texts or something for the purpose of training apprentices, then they should be compensated somehow for their troubles, but we should not focus on that duty."
[color=blue]"Looking at the geography of the Tribunal, sodalis, do you think it likely that we will wind up a part of the proposed Lotharingian Tribunal?"
Viscaria contentedly sits in the antechamber, accompanied by her Tentacular Trunk of Many Uses (aka, "The Luggage") and a Giant Tarantula that's as big as she is. Her traveling party (two silversmiths and a grog) are getting to know the other specialists in the covenant.
If anyone's eavesdropping, they're discussing exactly which great responsibilities come with great power.
(OOC: I'm not entirely sure why I chose for Theraphosa to spend a year studying Natural Philosophy instead of Magic Lore out of a summa that covers both topics, but I think I'm going to stick with that typo for the fun of things.)
It would be a long study as to why it is magical to begin with. I'm sure other magi have tried to plant the seeds of magical plants and we hav e not heard of their successes. The only one I've heard of is in the Rhine planted by one of the founders.
"Really? I'm from the Rhine originally, and I never heard of this plant. One of the founders of my current covenant created a new kind of magic plant, but it was apparently an accident, and her arts were.....esoterically engaged."
OOC: Viscaria is from the Rhine the same way that guy at the gas station in the Ozarks claimed he was from Chicago: which is to say, she spent some time living there back before she was allowed out of the house unsupervised.
After a few minutes of silence, Viscaria glances once again at the door. The she pulls out a tiny silver hourglass pendant from around her neck, flicks it once or twice, turns it over and puts it back under her silver-chainmail-and-spidersilk toga/dress and glances around the room idly.
"Have you had much chance to look around the covenant yet? I hear the fornication is very impressive here."
"I suspect that it was raised magically, or at least enhanced. You don't get fornication like this without a little mystical help, you know. The average lay person can't do it."
There is a bit of whispering between her familiar and the maga.
"Oooooh," Viscaria says, blushing prettily and giggling at herself. "From the word fornix, which is Latin for arch."
"Oh, hello! Has the council come to new business then? I brought a robe, since I don't know anyone here very well and I'm told that its polite. I tell you, I'm really looking forward to this council meeting, after being on the road all this time..."
"You could always sit in my lap," Laetitia offers, and realizes (a moment too late!) that the batty Verditius isn't likely to detect Laetitia's particularly dry sarcasm.
[Korvin has heard tales of Phoenix council meetings being held in baths fed by hotsprings. There is a Magical Mercere there by name of Azura (unless Arya or amul relocate her!)]
(I personally like this idea: Azura and Ra'am are currently congratulating each other on having cleared out all the Gentiles ("And what was with all those Muslims? I mean, the premise of their faith is nowhere near as mind-bogglingly stupid as Christianity, but COME ON!") and building up an all-Jewish covenant and Mercer House funded almost entirely by cutthroat usury. Everyone hates us, but since we control all the silver and vis, they can't do anything about it. Our entire Hermetic library is written in Hebrew, and CHEESEBURGERS ARE NOT ALLOWED.)
)