"Oh.". The excited look on his face at melts away. "You keep them for now and if I find a buyer I will let you know. Thank you for your time."
Offhandedly Ysebrand mentions that the alignment of the building is off a few degrees In aligning to true North which can easily be corrected now and should improve resonance of hermetic energies through a more favorable alignment. Ysebrand leaves quickly thereafter.
After the talk with Douglas, Ysebrand will seek out Eilid first, then Drystan and then Doineann.
Eilid's cottage is located along the northern bound of the covenant, and has a sanctum marker on the door facing the forest (and the walkway that forms the covenant's boundary). When he knocks on the door, it is opened by a young girl in her mid-teens who answers in Gaelic. She asks his name, and has him wait while she informs the maga that he's there.
After a moment, he is invited in and is joined by Eilid in a room that has a very nice mural of a woodland scene on all four walls (as does the hallway and the entry way).
Eilid is a thin brunette of average height, wearing tan robes and a gold necklace. "Good morning...Ysebrand, is it? To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" Her Latin has just a hint of a Scottish accent.
Ysebrand's Latin accent betrays his Flemish heritage, "I was wo-" and he breaks into a coughing fit from the strenuous walk to get from his cottage. "Excuse me. Is there anything that you're doing in your laboratory that I could lend you my assistance for, and we could come to some arrangement with regards to compensation for this service?" Ysebrand's cold sweats are likely profuse, at this point.
"Bonnie, go get our guest something to drink," Eilid calls out in Gaelic, then moves in and, after a moment, feels Ysebrand's brow. She blinks in surprise, holds her hand on his brow a moment longer, then looks over at the table. She reaches up to grab a cloth that flew to her hand, and starts to wipe the sweat from his face.
"How long has it been since you've...eaten?" she asks in Latin, sounding a little out of breath.
"9 months." Ysebrand seems relieved he doesn't have to say what exactly. Whether she knows the Form he must consume is unapparent from her question, and he's not quite willing to mention it. "I've had several reversals of business deals and have used up the supply for consumption." His eyes dart about, "I have a reserve, but I won't bring myself to eat for another 5 months, just so I don't stay asleep and never wake again." He looks at her directly, "You understand the risks I take, I have few rights to maintain my reserve under your laws. Until some unfortunate events, I was doing well, the last year hasn't been kind to me."
Eilid thinks for a minute. "I will be back in a moment," she says, then leaves the room. Just after she leaves, Bonnie (the girl who answered the door) comes in with a mug of ale, sets it down in front of Ysebrand, looks round quickly, then leaves the way she came.
Eilid returns a couple of minutes later with what appears to be three small turnips or radishes and another mug of ale, and sets them on the table, pushing the vegetables toward her guest.
She sits across from him and waits for him to eat, watching him carefully, before she says anything.
"I remember getting your card, Ysebrand. It merely said that you were a merchant with some knowledge of the Order. And I suspect that, when you say that you wished to lend me your assistance in the laboratory, that you weren't speaking of mopping the floor, polishing the equipment, or blowing glassware.
"So...why don't you tell me what you have in mind?"
"Truth be told, I'm a bit desperate. I'd hoped to take on a job for the new Verditius, but he and all the other magi are getting settled, he wants me to find him a commission or sell some trinkets that likely won't earn me a commission sufficient for my needs. Talia, well, she's kinda scary, her appetites are all encompassing, I try and keep her at arms length. I don't quite trust the Bonisagus, more than just the Gift, it's like she's picking into my thoughts just by looking at me. Your housemate would probably relish using me to make new law and make a name for herself as a Quaesitor and how my master committed a low crime or something, I don't know. 'No, I have sufficient knowledge of Magic Theory and intellect that I should be able to add at least a magnitude to whatever efforts you undertake." It all comes out in a rush, as if he's found someone in the position and with some capability to help him out of his predicament. "I'd like to get back to my normal level of health, and then have some consistent supply established for some amount of service."
"What do you recommend? A rod, a switch, or something else?"
"Eat," she says as she indicates the three things she she placed on the table (each of which is a pawn of Corpus vis).
She then spends the better part of an hour testing Ysebrand's knowledge of Magic Theory (which, if I understand the fatigue recovery rules right, is enough time for him to get back to full health), and seems suitable impressed. "Not bad, for a muggle."
She leans back in her chair. "I hadn't planned on doing anything this season in the laboratory." She thinks for a couple of minutes. "I wonder..." she muses, then springs to her feet.
"Come with me," she says as she heads back to her laboratory (which has a mural on all the walls similar to the rest of the cottage). She heads to a blackboard and starts doing some figuring on it, thinking aloud. ((This is her basically being me, running the numbers and going, "Holy shit, I think we can actually pull this off!"))
"You're not adverse to experimenting in the laboratory, are you?" she asks.
She calls for her maidservant. "Bonnie, send for Buttercup and tell her that I need to see her as soon as possible, and to come fully armoured. Not armed, just armoured. Thank you."
Idle conversation happens for a few minutes until there's a knock on the door, and Eilid admits a petite...a very petite blonde woman in full metal scale armour. "You sent for me, Eilid?" the girl(?) asks in good Latin.
"Yes. Buttercup, this is Ysebrand, he is new to the covenant and will be helping in the laboratory from time to time. Ysebrand, this is Sergeant Buttercup, she's in charge of the turb."
Buttercup nods politely at Ysebrand.
Eilid circles Buttercup, getting on her knees to examine the armour closely. Buttercup watches her, but doesn't say anything. Eilid finally gets back to her feet.
"Buttercup, we are going to be enchanting your armor over the next few months. I hope this won't be too much of an inconvenience for you."
"Of course not," Buttercup replies.
"I will need the armour, the complete set, first thing in the morning. Thank you." Eilid shows Buttercup the door, then turns back to Ysebrand.
"Meet me here after breakfast. We're going to spend the summer preparing the armour for enchantment, and I've got a few ideas for the armour that should keep us busy for quite a while. Does that sound agreeable?"
The monk just frowns disapprovingly, but Talia recognizes the telegraphed bitch, don't try to make me break character 
Talia laughs wickedly in response; as she'd be expected in such a situation if it had been a real monk. "Brother, I haven't the time, at this moment, I need to continue my studies on Corpus Revealed.
"You'll have to excuse me, I have little way of knowing when it is vis, except over time I can usually sense it, but it takes a long time, days even." ((I figure that there has to be some way to know but we can say he doesn't, that's fine, too. People who are craving things can usually sense that which they crave, or at least gravitate towards it. That's the principle I'm operating under with Ysebrand)) Ysebrand consumes the vis quickly, and then eats the food for good measure. ((I envision consuming vis to be something like inhaling it, drawing the essence out of it, something that he has to think about and do, and it is semi-mystical. This is a one way transfer, is that alright?)) He immediately begins to feel better, but he still looks tired, as if he needs a good night's sleep.
"My former master was at least comprehensive in his approach to teaching me Latin and Magic Theory. He discovered, quite by accident that I have a tongue for languages, and so he pursued a course of getting me literate in Latin and then I learned Magic Theory on my own while he was away. My master seemed to think that he could improve my physicality in some way, but his ambition exceeded his capability. The ritual he devised botch and the vis rushed into my body, and since that day I've craved it, and it destroyed my Gift. He continued to use me as a lab assistant for a few more years, trying to restore my Gift, but failing. I ran away, made my own way for several years. I heard my family has disowned me. There are two magi in my family tree, and great things were expected from me."
"I'm familiar with the concept of warping, I somehow doubt I could become significantly more warped that I already am."
Ysebrand inclines his head in response, but says nothing.
"Yes, and after a good night's sleep I should like to discuss the specific terms of our arrangement. We both have something the other wants, and while I now owe you, I hope you can understand that I don't be wished to be owned by you. I mean that without any disrespect, but state it as a matter of Truth. You may not regard me as an equal, but I'm astute enough to know that you can't get what you want as quickly without my help, and I know time is a magus' or maga's most precious commodity."
((While I've been playing up the being ill part, it's more tiredness has worn his fragile constitution down, having been restored with corpus his body can now easily and quickly recover. The flaw kinda waives the rules for normal Long Term fatigue a bit. In some ways, I'd prefer that he have a good night's sleep to recover it. This would make it much more similar to recovering from some acute respiratory infections I've had, where you get a shot of antibiotics, and begin feeling better, but you don't really feel a lot better until you get some sleep. Either way I'm fine with it.))
((I would think that it would come with, say, a Touch-range InVi that only tells you if it's the correct form of Vis – that is, it would tell you that it's Corpus Vis, but if it's, say, Herbam vis then you'd get nothing. An effect that you would have to consciously use, but it would also be something like how people who need calcium crave ice cream.))
((not quite sure what you mean here, but if by "one-way transfer" you mean he eats vis but doesn't poop vis, that's right.))
She asks him about his master, what House he was "supposed" to go to, how far he had gotten into his apprenticeship before the accident, accident itself, how long ago it was and how old he is now.
She nods. "Very well. Get a good night's sleep, then, and we can discuss matters in the morning."
((Works for me.))
((I meant something like he inhales the corpus vis, transfers it into his body, but doesn't have to consume the shell it is in, almost like a magus using vis, and it would only apply to Corpus vis, of course.))
"Is any of that really relevant? I'm not looking for pity or trying to assign blame. I've come to terms with what has occurred. Until last year I was reasonably successful for a good dozen or so years. I'm about 30 now. At some point, considering I have this supernatural nature, I might request of someone a Longevity ritual, but I'm concerned that such a step could exacerbate my Hunger." His demeanor should be reflective of someone who has fully reconciled his past, and accepts the position he's in. He's not defeated, he's living the best life he knows how to live, and he's done it for a dozen years on his own. Ysebrand didn't like having to ask for help, and is still unsure of Eilid's underlying motivations. He's entered into a bargain out of desparation...
"Thank you. It'll take a few days for me to recover, but I shouldn't be too bad off tomorrow, and by the next day and the rest of the season I should be in great shape to assist you."
Ysebrand returns to his cottage, and even though it is early, sleeps the rest of the day and into the next. He returns to Eilid's sanctum the next morning after breaking his fast on a large breakfast and getting a good appetite back.
Eilid looks at Ysebrand for a minute, then turns back to her calculations. "Probably not."
Eilid invites him in and offers some tea before taking a seat at the table and asking him to take a seat as well.
"So, tell me what you're looking for. What you were expecting when you came here yesterday and offered your assistance."
"I was looking to pay for the vis I need in return for service. As it is, I have a reserve, but it's just that: a reserve to tide me over when all else fails. So I need ways to find more vis, or at least a supply sufficient to meet my ongoing needs. So, you've provided 3 pawns, and I'd offered to help you in exchange for vis. Yesterday, you could have pressed your advantage and bargained with me in a significantly weekend state, so you have a strong sense of fair play, or at least appreciate a worthy opponent. Let's talk about how much service you think is reasonable for 4 pawns of corpus vis annually, since what I need is not really negotiable, the only item that is undefined and variable is time..."
"This is a very unique situation, as you know. Ordinarily, assistance is traded on a quid-pro-quo basis or is part of an apprentice's training. I can't think of a case where a human had an affliction such as yours, so...
"I would propose that a season of your time is worth a pawn of Corpus vis. I know that you'd have to work every season in the lab just to break even, but that's half of our Corpus every year. I don't know what you'd consider fair service for the seasons that you're not in the laboratory that would warrant paying you in vis."
She pauses for a moment before continuing. "From your attitude, I take it that you don't want knowledge of your condition to become common knowledge. Do you want the other magi to be aware of it, and of whatever bargain we reach, or do you prefer to keep it between us?"
"That isn't an offer I can agree to. It was much the same for my master. He gave me vis, but only sparingly, and only for work. It's not something I'm keen on doing. I could perhaps trade some vis, as I'm skilled at bargaining. We could, perhaps bypass the Redcaps and their fees and setup a trade with another covenant, that is, hopefully relatively close. Could we reach an accord of 2 pawns per season? I realize it is half your corpus income, but I could be engaged to facilitate lucrative trades if I had more free time. Otherwise all my other talents go to waste..." Ysebrand doesn't expect success at this counter offer, Com 5 + Bargain 5+2 (does this qualify as exotic?) + die roll of 2=14 or 15.
"Two pawns of Corpus a season is our Corpus income," she says. "Six pawns of vis per year – four Corpus and two of another Art of our choosing. In exchange, you serve as laboratory assistant when needed, and serve the council in other areas when your services are not required in the laboratory.
"Of course," she muses, "any vis you find is yours to keep. And any vis sources, should you wish it to be registered to the Covenant, the first harvest would be yours to keep. Or keep it yourself and hope for the best, since you're not a magus."