1222.3 Race for the Pennant

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: In the Ruins of Bibracte
41

Alexei is surveying the damage as well as looking over Tristan to see if he's being stoic about any injuries he's suffered.

"Pater, this is Isen, he is also of the Milites. Come inside, take this token." he says after reaching into his pouch and producing their current tokens, a clay disk with their Covenan't symbol. "We were just about to depart for Castra Solis when you arrived. You were attacked outside of Autun? By who?" Alexei directs the grogs to lead in the horses and Tristan's men. "Fetch the Chirurgeon!" he calls. "We have wounded men!"

((Regarding overlan travel...maybe we should teleport there. Anyone that has taken a vow to the Milites gets a token so they can be summoned if need be. I do want him to travel there in style, but if we won't reach the vote in time, then style has to be sacrificed.))

42

((Jacques does not have the skill to teleport there. If that is the thought then he will give his proxy to Alexei.)).

Jacques returns a moment later with Korvin to patch up the wounded. Jacques is watching Korvin work when it appears that he starts getting an idea.

"Alexei. Did not Korvin travel quickly to Casta Sola though portals. I wonder if we could use them? "

43

Neither does Isen, that I can tell, nor any of the grogs. If taking a large contingent is something that is important to a plurality of the council members, and all the council members want to ensure that there is a friendly Flambeau primus, maybe a council should be re-convened and methods to seek transport of a large group quickly to and from Castra Solis should be secured and discussed with the possibility that covenant resources brought to the task at hand, or something.

Right now, I feel like Ron Weasley in The Chamber of Secrets after Crabbe and Goyle consume two tainted cupcakes floating outside the great hall: "How think can you get?" This shall be my last warning generally on matters of this nature, let this be a warning going forward. If you attempt to solve problems with brute force expect smack downs. Stories are generally about political maneuvering. And while the three characters involved here are primarily military beings, they should be past Hermetic childhood and see things have deeper levels. If it seems sensible that one should go to Castra Solis to elect a Primus and one knows that there is competition and a side not friendly to your side, which I've either said flat out or strongly intimated, then travelling directly is foolhardy at best and catastrophically risky at worst. Your adversary is not stupid, but he isn't going to risk that in your naïveté you decide to travel overland, and will have tried to cover multiple bases. Do not play into your enemy's hands.

There is a reason I announced that the ReTe vis source is 6 pawns per season, not per year. I believe there is also a stock pile of this resource. This path is also not without risk. You can choose the risk you wish to take, of course, but those risks will shape the saga moving forward. I realize that the wiki isn't up to date, or current, but in many ways, it's reflective of the saga, and illustrates that the covenant as a whole isn't really well managed or run, which you know, maybe is another thing that should be discussed. There is a reason for every action I have taken or not taken. I do very little as a SG because the characters are Hermetic adults. I base some of what I do based on your actions or inaction.

I'm not upset with any of the actions, but I feel I must be incredibly clear here: If you go overland, people are going to die. Even if you try and get to a boat, people are going to die, because there's a lot of overland territory still to be covered. It is quite possible that a magus will die, I'm not going to pull punches here. Your characters should begin realizing that the enemy they face, while he has a face, also has the coordination of an entire House behind him. A House that is otherwise unassailable, and has hundreds of years of practice in creating evidence that suits them and quickly destroying evidence that does not. Military men should understand this principle of Sun Tzu implicitly: "If your enemy is superior, evade him. If angry, irritate him. If equally matched, fight, and if not split and reevaluate."

44

((Clue-X-4 has been received.))

"Isen, let's gather the council. If our enemies are willing to attack my Pater, they'll not stop at attacking us and this vote is too important. Tristan, I invite you to attend our council if you feel up for it. My Sodales and I were going to go to Castra Solis to call a vote for our next Primus. I assume that you were heading there as well? Let us talk about this inside."

45

((OK. Now that the clue-by-four has hit the mark, I'm going to need you guys to retcon bit Tristan will still arrive, he arrived after Laetitia and Fiona had departed (when I indicated he arrived, it was two months before the Equinox). I inserted him into the story now as a demonstration, although I'd always planned for him to come. So, Tristan will not be and cannot part of the council, but he will arrive in the same condition. After the council, I'll pick up the Tristan issue, ok? It was my way of foreshadowing what was going to happen of the Three Flambeau decided to go overland, no matter the cost.))

46

((One thing I'm confused on is when Alexei was supposed to travel through the Rhine Tribunal. When this thread initially started I thought it was for he and others to go through the Rhine. Has that happened yet? Is it going to happen at this point, or was he mainly to write letters to gather support for Lucius?))

47

((Gee, why would Lucius tell you to go off into the Rhine...? Why was the sound of alarm never triggered when Castra Solis was "under attack?" Interesting questions, no? NPCs do not have perfect information, and some people are for sale.))

48

((Alexei convenes the meeting principally for Isen and Jacques, though others can come if they want.))

"Sodales, sometimes I wish my cleverness matched my sense of honour and outrage. That my acumen for intrigue was as sharp as my aptitude for battle. This is a battlefield I am sorely outmatched in. It was only after much conversation that I was able to see past my pride and principals to realize we have been tricked...yet again. I wish to thank Laetitia for making me see, my own stubbornness blocked my vision, and I was blind to the enemies that were poised to stab us in the back...again." he pauses to take some wine.

"We have been duped again. Reynault unwittingly passed on this information, why should I doubt the word of a dying man? Lucius is not our choice for Primus. It is he that has become part of the plot against us, against our House, against our Covenant, against the Order. Why was there no alarm raised when Garus died? Why was no alarm raised after?" rather uncharacteristically, Alexei does not seem impassioned or angry, strangely softspoken. "When I wrote to him and pledged my support, he asked that I travel to the Rhine and help bring up support for hm there. It seemed obvious, I am from the Rhine, am somewhat known there, as is Isen. But with how long it takes to travel and accomplish such a thing...we wouldn't be there in person when the vote was cast. We wouldn't be able to get answers to the questions we have as Magi who are privy to this conspiracy. Even if we trusted Lucius, he'd have to know we'd talk, we'd ask questions." he heaves a sigh.

"So now...what should we do? We must oppose Lucius, but who do we support? How do we undo the support we've gathered for him already? And it's obvious that we are meant to be stopped from going to Castra Solis, so we must take steps to arrive there by magic. Not so difficult. I can go there with the connection from the Milities, but that may be a trap. We might be able to use the Hermes or Mercer portals, but those too may be trapped and would cost vis." he runs a hand through his hair. "This is all so...unmanly. I feel defeated, I feel that I am a new recruit fallen asleep on guard duty. Like the battle is already lost and I can't even cast a spell or swing a weapon to change it."

49

Order of Hermes Lore check of 13. Can Laetitia think of any likely candidates? She'd want someone known for their discretion and careful planning. Flambeau needs Tywin Lannister-- not Jaime.

50

Not particularly, every person she can think of has reasons they wouldn't be interested or wouldn't be a good candidate, so she checks them all off and has no good ideas. Alexei and crew will have to do some politicking at the tournament.

51

Anyone interested in the job shouldn't have it :slight_smile: Find the right guy, then convince him.

52

Political leadership has never worked like that.

53

So? She's an idealist. It should work that way, therefore all we have to do is make it work that way. :stuck_out_tongue:

54

"Perhaps Alexei should take Isen and Jacques' votes with him and travel alone by translocation."

55

Thinks the magus whose House has engaged in activities they hope puts them in control of the Order.

56

Alexei nods, seeming to be tired. "I was thinking the same. As for a candidate...I'm waiting to hear from some of the older Flambeau that I wrote to. One that I know I can trust at this point...would be my own Pater. But I don't know if he'll have the interest. I might have to wait and see who is in attendance."

57

[color=blue]"I don't know enough about Flambeau politics to know which Flambeau would make a good leader of the house, Fiona says, [color=blue]"or an adequate replacement for Garus. But perhaps you shouldn't be thinking in terms of a specific person. Think of the qualities that we need, and see who comes closest.

"We need a strong leader. One who excels at strategy. If he's a good tactician, as well, so much the better.

"And, perhaps most importantly, he must be an independent thinker. One who is at least willing to accept the fact that the foundation of the Order has been built on a lie, that those sworn to protect the order have, in fact, been corrupted and have ever sought to control the order. If he at least meets this claim with skepticism, rather than outright rejects it, that is good. But if he embraces the claim without seeking proof of some kind, that would be bad."

[color=blue]"If there are any among your House that meet these qualifications, even if they don't seem to want to be leader (and I can't say that I would blame them, after what happened to Garus), they should be nudged in the right direction."

58

Think of someone who wants to strengthen your House. That is what Garus was doing and it is why he was killed. Think of actions more than words.

59

Alexei is shaking his head, it was obvious none of them have been to a Flambeau meeting before.

"Sodales, those are fine suggestions, finding someone with those qualities might not be so difficult, but getting the votes for them is as difficult as herding cats. We are a prideful bunch; too many princes and not enough subjects. Our choice of leader is too often a compromise choice. Someone the elders don't oppose and the young too often ignore. Garus was exceptional, which is why he was killed no doubt."

"On this topic we're likely going to be split by those who want to strike back at Garus's killers and those who crave order and won't turn on the group that provides them with their sport; Quaesitors calling for marches. I think if it can be proved well enough who killed Garus and why that might carry the day. I wish it were that simple. Going and yelling about Guernicus conspiracies is likely not going to go over well...even I am starting to understand that. We might have to settle on trying to elect someone with Garus's motivations and aspirations, but not mention as much his end. I certainly though wish to poison the well against Lucius."

"Again, I'm left with perhaps trying to convince Tristan to try, or otherwise see who the likely candidates are once I arrive. I believe one of us going will be the best and safest way. What's left is the means of travelling there. I can go there right now if I wished, but I worry that anyone in the Miles who takes that route might find an unpleasant welcome awaiting them."

60

[color=blue]"Do you honestly think your pater would be the right choice for Primus, under the current conditions?" Fiona doesn't sound condescending, merely curious.