"Sure, I'll listen to him."
((Just so I'm clear on what Viscaria wants to do... Is she trying to convince Virgil to switch places with Mnemnos? I'll just short cut that, and say if she can convince Virgil to switch places with her, the pair can converse as long as necessary, off camera. If Viscaria cares about the deal that is struck between Virgil and Mnemnos, it can be done on camera. Mnemnos has already established that he has a goal, and if Viscaria doesn't realize it, the player should know that his goal is in Constantinople, and if I might say so, totally out of his league. And if Mnenmos gets out, I'm not clear on how it helps Viscaria. Just set up what Viscaria is doing a bit for me...))
((Still waiting to hear about the rest of the Arcane and Symbolic connections she was looking for. Signature? Handwritting? Birth details sufficient to make a horoscope? If she hasn't found these yet, she'll ask Mnemnos before letting him speak to Virgil. As for how this plan helps Viscaria, she was more or less honest in her converstion with Virgil -- once both these magi are out of Lapis Crudis, they can't find sanctuary here unless one of us lets them back in. We could take it as a vassal of Mons Electi, we could do any number of things with it. The difference here is that Vee has friends.))
((You need to be way more specific and descriptive about what you want to gather as an Arcane Connections. What's the item, and what's the connection kind of questions need to be answered. I didn't answer this before, because it was extremely vague. You can't get an AC to the entire covenant, but you could probably collect ACs to various things, people. Sympathetic connections to what, people of the covenant? Some of that information is obvious, and covenfolk would figure not to offer that information easily to magi not of the covenant. Unless Viscaria goes breaking into sancta, she's not going to come across a signature of a magus.
Let me ask, for clarity, you want Virgil to switch places with Mnemnos and not Viscaria?))
My apologies for being unclear. I meant sympathetic and Arcane connections to Somnifer:
- Totally going to break into his sanctum looking for Arcane Connections, if no others are obviously available.
- Signature of target
- Nickname or birthname. Perhaps Mnemnos has a nickname for Somnifer that he's used in his own head for decades? Somnifer might not even know of it.
- nativity horoscope. With a Int 3 + AL (math) 1= 4+die, this might take her several days to work out even after she finds the info.
- Symbolic Representation. Dex -1 + Craft:Stone 3 + dwarf bonus 1 + speciality: fae style 1 = 4....hrm....maybe she WILL steal some silverware for this. Or use some of her own silver jewelry.
Alright, Viscaria attempts to enter Somnifer's sanctum. She gets lucky and isn't spotted. She gets into the outer part of his quarters, which is a parlour, public receiving area. There is a door beyond that that is marked with the sanctum marker. Attempting to open the door she finds she isn't able to turn the handle.
The covenfolk don't know Somnifer's birthname. ((I'm going to rule that a nickname has to be known and accepted by the individual, otherwise you guys could just call Valerian some name and boom, instant Sympathetic connection.)) So, whatever Mnemnos calls him privately is useless, Mnemnos indicates he doesn't know his birthname either, and it isn't mentioned in his "wife's" journal. Tribunal records might have details of Somnifer's past.
((Jumping up to Virgil and Mnemnos...))
Mnemnos details what he must do, that he must acquire the virtue of Eirene Laskarina, and upon hearing this Virgil laughs a hearty laugh. "In that case, Mnemnos, and Viscaria, I will not exchange places with Mnemnos. There are too many risks to his ability to keep his word." He pauses and then smiles, "I don't doubt his fidelity, but the task for him is nigh impossible. To seduce the Roman Empress. This rube? IT would take a hundred years."
Poking this thread. Viscaria is the linchpin. What she decides to do is going to shape what happens for some time.