((I'm all done unless someone wants to get the torture equipment out)).
((Do we want to continue conversing with the applicants? Or for that matter, do the applicants have more questions/topics to bring up?
Or, should we have a scene with only the current Mons Electi members, discussing the candidates? Maybe with the applicants in a side room chatting with each other at the same time?))
(( Stultus does have a couple topics to bring up, but those would be after the decision's made, probably in a separate scene. None of them are urgent, and none require the entire council. Other than that, I'm easy. 
))
((I vote for done. Let the members discuss if they like. 
))
((Who's got the best Creo Auram? We need a smoke-filled room.))
((hehe. That would be Korvin, because of his Creo. Our covenant sucks at Auram.))
When all the dinner guests have finished their meals, Tranquillina stands up again. "We do of course have a post-prandial course planned, with sweets and beverages of your choice. But for a short while, I would like to ask anyone who is currently a member of the Mons Electi council to adjourn briefly to the council room. Gerulf, Rose, Stultus, please feel free to remain here and relax during that time; our servants are at your disposal. We will not be long." As the covenfolk start clearing up the dishes, Tranquillina smiles and departs, climbing the flights of stairs to the top level where the offices and council room are.
Once all the Mons Electi magi file out of the room, Stultus presses both hands to his chest and gushes at Gerulf and Rose "Alone at last! I cannot tell you, sodales, how avidly I've waited for this moment..."
He trails off as his clowning is met with a pair of flat (and in Gerulf's case faintly hostile) stares, and waves a hand, giving up. "Never mind. Too easy." Instead, he munches sparingly on some cheese and fruit, indulging in a low-voiced and completely non-sensical conversation with Rahere. Something about guy-wires, climbing harness, and ... pythons? 'Pitons' would make more sense, but they're both definitely talking about pythons...
(( Ulfengaard, I think I've got your character's likely reaction right -- if that's not the way he would react, let me know and I'll edit. Same for Rose. 
))
Fiona rises and, after grabbing her Talisman, follows Tranquillina several steps behind on the stairs. Once they reach the Council Chambers, Fiona takes her seat, waits for everyone else to get settled, and looks around.
[color=blue]"Does anyone have any concerns about the new prospective members? Either individually or together?"
Only if we can afford them. We need to being thinking of increasing our revenue just to accommodate them.
Fiona nods. [color=blue]"I agree. I don't know if we can continue to keep adding members and keep living in the style to which we have become accustomed." She looks at Tranquillina (the Diocetes) for her input.
[color=blue]"I know Apollodorus would be dead set against this idea, and I'm hesitant to suggest it myself...but we may want to consider setting up a vassalage and splitting ourselves between them."
We have a Vassal in Flanders now. Novus Main. Perhaps we should look after it more so it could take more people.
((I had forgotten all about them, to be honest.))
Fiona looks surprised for a moment. [color=blue]"Of course. Please forgive me; I've had a lot on my mind the last few days."
((I had forgotten all about them, to be honest.))
Fiona looks surprised for a moment. [color=blue]"Of course. Please forgive me; I've had a lot on my mind the last few days."
((I the player know almost nothing about Novus Mane. Can someone fill me in?))
((Novus Main was another PbP game on the boards that went away. Roberto, Mark's character was from there so it became a story point to bring him in. They are a very poor Covenant but with a decently high Aura (4 outside the Regio and 6 inside) Currently they would have a Verditius who specializes in wood, a Ex Misc Elementalist and a Flambeau Perdo specialist in residence. That can be fudgeable. They are on the coast of Flanders. ))
((There's a thread, Vassal, Vassal On the Wall (Spring 1224) that discusses them, and then there's Marko's character introduction thread a couple of years later (Autumn 1226). I guess it just never clicked (to me) that we had actually decided to have Novus Mane as a vassal as opposed to a what-if discussion.))
((IIRC, Florum gave them to us as part of the story to curry favor for the Lotharingian vote.))
(( On an OOC note about money -- Stultus did bring in a magical device which would probably partially take care of the cost of adding him. Effect level 25, I think, which by the RAW is a cost savings of about 5 pounds -- again, I think.
He (actually, his typist) also has some ideas about further improvements, one of which could possibly improve the covenant's fortunes out of all proportion to the magical effort involved: as much as a 15-20% increase in overall wool production. That's raw wool going in: some of the potential profit is going to be eaten up by additional labor costs, but it's still a sizable chunk of cash.
Also, jebrick, what was the idea you had that led to Korvin asking Stultus about acting troupes? PM me if you would -- if it's what I think it is, we could possibly use that to help the covenant's cash flow.))
((Not sure I will want the acting troupe tied to the Covenant. Plausible deniability and all that. 
))
(( Hell no. Of course you wouldn't want it tied to the covenant in any obvious fashion. I was thinking in terms of a network of troubadours, minstrels, and acting troupes that -- in exchange for "seed money" and help getting started -- would secretly feed Mons Electi a portion of their profits as well as intelligence. Good lord, intelligence galore... more news than you can shake a stick at. Would help the Mercere, too.))