Alexei nods with approval at Jacques statement.
"Nor should you be left out. I feel that the motley band has been shaping up nicely, and we definitely have your efforts as part of that reason. And when we pass out tokens perhaps it needs to be at least seconded and witnessed by another full member and a message informing all others that it has been done? That way we have no assumptions on someone's presence within our Aegis."
Viscaria considers all this while reviewing the charter, "With so many in charge of military concerns, can we add, what did Fiona call it? Muggle Affairs to their duties? Also, reviewing the original charter, we would still want a Princeps, whose duties are solely to determine the necessity of a full Council Meeting, and run such a meeting if necessary....
"I'm wondering if this will require a major change to the charter. Not just to the section on governance, but also on Responsibilities and Censure."
Theraphosa replies, "Well, perhaps we could simply include an Amendment, which institutes these positions to remove the burden of decision-making from the full Council, without amending how remuneration for tasks is handled. We would need to outline which responsibilities are handled by each position, but essentially they would just be afforded certain powers which had previously belonged to the Princeps and the Council. For Example,
"To reduce the burden of the Princeps, and speed the process of Council meetings, the following Offices are duly created."
"The Aedilis is a position created to relieve the Council and Princeps of responsibilities regarding the collection, storehousing and security of magical resources. Those magical resources include vis sources, vis, magical items, and books of Arcane Lore. The Aedilis will ensure that vis sources are harvested and report to the Council any remuneration owed for such harvesting, and to whom. The Aedilis will maintain and enhance the security of the covenant's vis stores, in a manner subject to Council review. The Aedilis will maintain an inventory of covenant-owned magical items, and will make suggestions to the Council for the maximization of their usage. The Aedilis will work with the Diocetes to preserve, maintain and secure the covenant library, in a manner subject to Council review. The Aedilis does not have the power to authorize vis expenditures without the approval of council, except when Council authorizes the Aedilis to expend a specified quantity for specfic purpose.
"The Diocetes is a position created to relieve the Council and Princeps of responsibilities regarding the treasury, property and chattal of the covenant. These responsibilities include the collection, storehousing, and security of mundane resources, including the various business enterprises owned by the covenant; military equipment and expenditures; and any other chattal. The Diocetes will define tasks necessary to the maintenance, security and enhancement of his charges, and seek volunteers to discharge these duties, and report to the Council any remuneration owed for such tasks, and to whom. The Diocetes will work with the Aedilis to preserve, maintain and secure the covenant library, in a manner subject to Council review. The Diocetes will discharge his duties as directed by the Council."
"The Imperator is a position created to relieve the Council and Princeps of responsibilities regarding the defense of the covenant. These responsibilities include the development, maintenance and enhancement of a turb; the deployment of items and effects for security purposes; the development of strategies to safeguard the populace of the covenant, including Members. The Imperator will work with the Diocetes and Aedilis to present the Council with expenses and strategies for the Council's approval."
"The Interpres is a position created to relieve the Council and Princeps of responsibilities regarding their allies.....
"The Vilicus is a position created to relieve the Council and Princeps of responsibilities regarding the mundane populace of the covenant, and nearby territories. These responsibilities include the health and well-being of any craftsmen, laborers, servants or companions employed by the covenant directly, as well as our business allies. The Vilicus shall be ready to report on the status and well-being of those dwelling within 2 day's cursor-run of the covenant. The Vilicus will work with other Officers to present the Council with projects and strategies to maintain and enhance his charge, and shall, from time to time, be granted limited authority to act on behalf of the council in such matters."
Theraphosa considers what she's just said. "That's just off the top of my head, mind you. You'd all be responsible for determining what your own responsibilities are, and then seeking an Amendment for your individual position."
Viscaria then blanches quite visibly as she examines the charter. "Oh, dear. Listen to this part of the charter. In the event of [Apollodorus's death by] foul play, prior to the vesting period, by a member of the council, as determined by a Quaesitore, all items will be turned over to House Jerbiton and this Covenant shall be void.
"This could be quite bad for us. We need to get a Quaesitore to confirm that we didn't kill Appolodorus."
"What about casting Shrouded Glen over an escape route through the regio? I could carve out some paths just for us, which go through a Boundary of forest within our regio that is otherwise unused. Low traffic, no problem with people getting lost or too many people knowing our destination."
??? The token can be stolen and used to enter the Aegis by people who were not invited??? 
This is a huge security risk, and Isen will heavily support this motion. He'll also ask that we keep arcane connections to all token 
And he'll support Jacques being Alexei's deputy on the Turb 
Aye. Fiona would do that finely.
Isen sighs
Well, as I've already stated, not only is the turb and our armed forces a full-time job, Alexei and I have different tastes and skills.
I wouldn't be good at doing his job, and it would drive me mad.
Yet, I am relatively adept at considering magical defenses, which is one of the reasons I first went to Mons Electi when I heard you were about to hoast the tribunal.
This makes sense, both from a workload perspective and from a skillset one. So the acquisition, detention and use of spells and items that would help us to defend ourselves, like... Well, everything we've discussed in these defense councils, should be my purview. And I'd like Viscaria to be my deputy, if she'll do me the honor.
I was trained by... a pirate, and a miscreant. So if you think I don't spend many hours thinking about how we could be attacked and what we can do, think again.
Isen frowns.
This is bad. But I don't think our ennemies are aware of this, or they'd already have used that provision against us. Do we know how many people are aware of this charter?
...
So we need a quaesitor, and an untainted one. This seems to ask for a junior quaesitor, but even then, he'll be under pressure from his superiors.
Isen laughs
Nice one, sodales, I like it! In the long term, though, this could prove not only difficult, but also quite vis expensive, so I think it is probably better to have both an item to translocate our covenfolks to safety, and escape plans for those who are outside the effect's purview.
Oh. And I've reminded the question I wanted to ask you.
Tell me. How is your Perdo Vim?
Laetitia gave the assassins the Aegis Tokens. We did not know they were given out because no one tracks them.
I have a hard time believing that Appolodorus put that in the charter knowing that the Quaesitores were, for the most part, his enemies. I think we need to check if Laetitia did that for us before she left.
Isen laughs
Nice one, sodales, I like it! In the long term, though, this could prove not only difficult, but also quite vis expensive, so I think it is probably better to have both an item to translocate our covenfolks to safety, and escape plans for those who are outside the effect's purview.
[/quote]
You are making this much more complicated than it needs to be and expensive as well. Do you think a conquering army is going to march in here and rape and pillage? I think we agreed that the most likely attack would be form magi who would not care for the Covenant folk one bit.
I think the invitation can only be extended, and the token given, by someone who participated in the ritual. If we limit the number of participants to magi and the mortals who are the most trustworthy, that should be good enough.
[color=blue]"Aye, if we're going to have a figurehead, it might as well be someone with a nice figure," Fiona quips with a twinkle in her eye.
((this is one of those times where it would have been nice if our quaesitor hadn't ragequit on us.))
[color=blue]"The only Quaesitores I know personally are Whitburh Frithowebba and Laetitia. Does anybody else know of anyone?"
This is the quandary for allowing new players when we hit this level of paranoia. Laetitia had a ritual cast on her to allow the Guernicus high council to control her. Nice plot device but now that SHOULD be in the back of everyone's mind when we have new people who want to join. Or someone is idealistic and listens to a visiting Quaesitore or wants to get in good with them ( which is why I really hate that plot point for Falcon) and the AoH is worthless for at least 1 round. Will having people keep track of the tokens prevent this from happening? No. Will it make it much harder? Yes.
I recommend having the Precept control the tokens but must have another sign off on handing them out. Say Alexei or Jacques. Then it is not a single person handing them out.
[color=magenta]"I only know two Quaesitors, from the island Tribunals; and they never struck me as being intensely trustworthy," Tranquillina says with a shake of her head.
"Oh, it was nothing so dramatic. I believe what actually happened was that they all came for dinner, and we gave them tokens as a matter of course, and then forgot to rescind the invitation. I think it was Alexei who actually gave them the tokens. The were Quaesitores for goodness sake. Why would we have suspected them? But perhaps the lesson learned here is that we don't give tokens to every Tomas, Richard and Havalard that comes walking through the door."
And he'll support Jacques being Alexei's deputy on the Turb
"Do we want the Princeps position to continue rotating? That way, no one person is ever in charge of determining if a subject is fit for council meetings.
"So, what would be your title? Would you be subordinate to Alexei or I? Who approves your ideas? Who implements them?
"It's um....not a particular speciality of mine." Viscaria's eyes dart back and forth around the room, daring anyone to contradict her. (OOC: Perdo 5, Vim 15, but she doesn't like advertising her Vim skills....some sort of fckd up abuse survivor thing)
"Expensive is doing things we cannot afford. Is there some more pressing use for the Mentem vis? If so, why haven't we used it for that purpose yet? I agree that we want to stay focused on defending against that particular style of attack. Creating a maze like forest which we can safely regroup in seems to fit that bill. I wasn't suggesting we show the covenfolk how to get through the Glen."
First, it seems like the Falcon player has disappeared on us, so this is probably a moot point, but I think that having both the new members be people who were pre-selected by Apollodorus gives us a viable out around that concern. Not enough that we welcome the new players in with open arms, but enough that we let them sign up and eye them suspiciously.
The problem with limiting the number of people who can hand out tokens is that we then ALSO limit the number of people who can withdraw invitation.
I don't think we would have that limitation. Anyone who participates in the Aegis is magically able to hand out and withdraw tokens; we just write it into our charter that nobody actually hands out tokens except for yadayada.
Isen considers the arguments a moment
Maybe. Last time, it was a strike team. They wanted to kill Appolodorus, and only him. We can't assume they will always act like this. Should they decide to raze Mons Electi, or should a new Schism War erupt, yes, the covenfolks are at risk too, and with them, us. I'd say, better safe than sorry.
Good point, says Isen.
So, fiona would be our spokeperson and figurehead, tasked with hermetic diplomacy, but, for internal affairs, we'd retain the rotating Princeps position?I have no objection.
Whatever you want. I do not care about titles.
Sigh... Okay, I'll try to make an effort for you.
Let's say... the Scutarius.
And you misunderstood me. The goal of this separation is to both maximize alexei's and my potential. Haven't these councils showed you the difference between us in skills and mindset? This is a separate field, although there are connections, and it would be counterproductive for either of us to be beholden to another. Theraphosa's initial proposal had elements of magical security scattered between the imperator, the aedilis and the diocetes. This does not strike me as efficient, nor, when you look at these councils, something most of us are used to. And you, my dear? Since you're the one most interested by this besides me, I would like you to be my deputy.
As for who approves my ideas, who implements them... The problem is here for any position, isn't it? It is more pregnant here, since the Scutarius probably require vis, lab texts and time than any other position. But every one will need them. So who approves it when the Imperator wants to equip our soldiers with enchanted armor? Who implements it? What do we do if the Aedilis wants to spend some vis to increase our library buy trading it for books? So I'll need a budget, for what I can trade, and I think that every role should have one. If we're going to have purviews, we need to trust each other a little. And I'll need to ask, too, for what I need us to do. This is why I'm enquiring of your or fiona's strengths, or why I said we need a perdo specialist.
And the light fades from Isen's face.
That's too bad, really. See, I had this nice Valerian-screwing idea that would have fucked him up royally, but it'd have required a charged item of, say, 10th magnitude to be really fun, without even considering penetration. Sigh... I'll need to find another way to take care of him.
(So if you have a PeVi total of, say, 70, call me! 
)
Yup. And we give the tokens to them only.
"Alright. I suggest then that we start by making an amendment which specifies the officers and their responsibilities, and makes all their decisions subject to Council vote. Later, we can adjust their authority to act without oversight and possibly vote to give them budgets. How does that sound?"
[color=magenta]"That sounds like a very prudent way to proceed," Tranquillina nods.
Isen smiles
Wise.
Alexei thumps his staff on the ground, seemingly in agreement.
"I say we do so as well. We must consult the Charter though, are we following the process as it is outlined?"
[color=blue]"If I may play devil's advocate for a moment, Fiona says, [color=blue]"I do have one question. I believe the original intent for the rotating princeps duties was to ensure that everyone provided equal service to the covenant. How do we intend to ensure that, for example, Viscaria doesn't spend five seasons out of every six performing services for the betterment of us all, while I only do so once a decade?"
"I thought we were discussing this because we felt like the covenant would be better served by this system than by the rotating princeps system. Each new position is still responsible to report to the Council, and act on the council's orders. If the Council feels like a particular office hasn't been doing enough, it can come up with tasks that need doing and assign them. If they've been doing a particularly bad job, we can still Censure them. Remember, the holder of an office isn't responsible for doing everything herself -- I'm certainly not going to go collecting all the vis by myself, for example. I'm just responsible for making sure it gets done, and am empowered to seek volunteers for each harvesting task. Then I report to the council who did it, and whether or not they deserve special compensation for it.
"If I am performing five seasons of service out of every six, then I'm getting paid in vis by the covenant to do that."
Regarding magical defenses, Tranquillina is officially up for inventing two spells: Ward Against the Curious Scullion, and a version of Ambush on the Deserted Road (see HoH:S, page 64). The former can be cast on circles inscribed at the gates to the Roman city, to keep grogs from leaving the Tribunal grounds; the latter (also a Ring/Circle spell) can be used to make archer-manned murder holes seem like empty alcoves.
So please consider this official notification/request for approval from our Scutatius, Isen. Also Tranquillina should arrange with our Imperator, Alexei, a session for training grogs to correctly use the murder holes. That session, she suggests, should be preceded by a meeting with Alexei and a chosen grog, who can be part of the demonstration for the other grogs. (At the moment I'm planning on Ambush being invented in 1226.2.)
Be sure to check the errata. The originally published version of Ward of Curious Scullion tries to instill a mental command on anyone who passes using Circle/Ring, which is not how that works.
JL warned me that the errata raised the level of Ward of the Curious Scullion to 30; that's cool with me (in fact it makes it an excellent project for Tranquillina). I don't see anything about mental commands in the spell's text on page 104 of Covenants. To me the first sentence, "This spell creates a circle which humans lacking Magic Resistance cannot cross.", is the only mechanical statement, the rest being fluff. That's all I'd expect this Ward to do.