I should note that Beatriz's apprentice Francese is Korvin's daughter. The Mercere Magi would know that but People at the Covenant would only know that on a roll.
[color=purple]"Our Redcap brethren have little choice, Korvin. If they don't serve the Order, then they'll have no place in the Order. I don't think any of us want that. And as for us...I have noticed that other Houses tend to place less emphasis on service to the Order than we do. Does the fault lie with them for being selfish, or with us for being too generous?"
Beatriz has been placing bowls before all her sodales as she speaks, then Regos the empty tray to rest against a nearby wall before sitting down herself. She then looks around waiting for everyone to eat, drink, and be gabby.
You mistake my question. I do not advocate that our House stop serving the Order. And I do not care if other Houses server the Order or not. What I care about is our apparent lack of care that we are thought of as servants and thus treated as servants. Yes we serve the Order but our House has seemed to forget that we are magi and members of the Order.
"Maybe that is the truth for some of us in this room here," Silvana speaks up in her haughty Prussian accent, "but I have no problems like a repsected maga being treated. When magi of other houses have their precious summae damaged, or find some priceless text in a distant library worm-eaten, they know who it is the power to help them has. Nobody expects me to act like a servant, and I simply do not so act." The middle-aged woman returns to leafing through a small stack of documents on the table in front of her.
The sound of a throat clearing comes from the small Greater Alps contingent. "I hate to differ, but I know just what our cumpare Korvin is talking about," Attravere says. "Someone needs their lab moved from Novgorod to Iberia, they say, Attrevere, he's a good boy, he'll do it for us. No asking, no admiring the skill it takes. Just, here's a pawn, here's a rook, buy yourself something nice."
Allesandro clears his throat, everyone, knowing he has something to say quiets down and perks up to pay careful attention. "Magi of other Houses, except perhaps the Tremere, since I have been their guest for many years now, don't understand service." He turns to Silvana, "Silvana, they know to come to you for the services they require. But you have a tendency to underprice your services, dear girl. We, and I've been as guilty of it as all of you, have a tendency to price our services in terms of vis. We need to think instead, of time. Vis can be destroyed, as noted by the attack on Harco many years back, and while it hasn't hurt us all that much, time is never destroyed, but always spent." Turning to Attravere, "And I don't care a wit about being admired for my skill or Arts. I care about being compensated for my time. The Tremere really understand this. In fact, I've secured something very valuable from them. They have pledged to investigate the lineage of all Gifted children that they find and if they are found to have a link to Mercere, they will make them available to one of us, first, before claiming them as their own. We need to think in broader terms of exchange going forward. Just how many magi can move a lab in toto . And of those, how many are of this House? He leaves it unspoken as to what he's done in exchange for this gift from House Tremere, and appears to be finished speaking about it. Everyone knows that the gifts from House Tremere don't come cheaply...
(Korvin wonders if this deal will effect the ancient deal with Bonasagus.)
That is wonderful news pater. I have had good dealings with House Tremere in recent times. I think this could work out well for both Houses.
Korvin pauses to take a sip of wine.
My pater speaks wisely in this mater. We are a large House in members but a small House in magic. If we are to serve our House and the Order, I feel we must consider the cost in time away from our House projects. We seem to care less about how our House could prosper rathen than ourselves. Consider the number of times we in this room have voted in a Tribunal. Even on issues that effect out House? Why is that?
"I would suggest that we not start voting[1]. Our interests are best served by influencing others to see advantage in favoring our views. We can do that through Redcaps. If we start voting, we might very well face a revolution within our own House. Redcaps don't vote, and we don't vote out of respect for our unGifted members.
[1]I don't take the view that Magical Mercere don't vote...ever. I think that they vote on matters that they find are vitally important, and which might need their vote to tip the balance. When they do vote, there may be some muttering among Redcaps, but they typically see it as a net win for them and their House. It's only an insult to Redcaps when the vote is wasted on a useless bill. We'll say that only one or two Magical Merceres have always exercised their right to vote at Tribunal. They weren't well liked by Redcaps, and that memory has lingered long...
Again the question was more rhetorical. We all know they do not vote because other Houses might complain. And we do not vote for reasons stated by Allesandro. So as members of an Order that has sworn an oath to serve the Order, we do not participate within the decisions of the Order. Other than to give some advice or council. Sounds like a famularis. A household of servants. Valuable servants. But still servants. We Gifted members are less so than our Brother and Sisters.
I see Jareth looking at me like I am a crazy-eyed anarchist bent on bringing down the Order. Not so my friend. Merely guiding you to the facts. I do not advocate any changes within the Order. I look for more changes within our House. I also am not advocating for a legion of Redcaps marching into a Tribunal to cast their votes. No. I hope that we here together might think of ways of strengthening House Mercere. To server the Order but also to help guide it.
By the way...all of the Merceris Magi and Magae are here, I've decided. Most of them have means of quick transit to Harco and from Harco to Mons Electi, that portal already exists, so...
I thought Azura did not attend. That was why I did not say all.
((Changed my mind, SG's prerogative. No one has to play her, nor does she need to add anything to the discussion. She's pregnant again... Her last child before she starts an LR. ))
"But what are you proposing, for us to help our family?" Attravere queries from his seat. "Lord knows I'm always available to use my time and talents on behalf of the Redcaps, or you in this room. What else is there?"
To work to wards common goals that will further our House. Much like the Tremere and Guernicus do. We are all willing to help our Brothers and sisters when we have the time. It is our highest priority. But they all seem to be chaotic. What could our House achieve if we moved toward common goals and not diddly-piddly all over the place? How many Mercurians do we have in the room now?
(The last is not meant to be a real question but to bring attention to what they could do as a group.)
[color=purple]"Our house has ever placed the Order ahead of ourselves," Beatriz says as she finally takes her seat. [color=purple]"Even if we were to find, or make, a leader who would be able to properly guide us in the direction I think you want us to go, and I include our Redcap kinsmen, what will the other Houses do when they suddenly see that we are not as...servile? as they have come to expect."
((Oh, I didn't pick a good color for Silvana's text, I'll switch ... to 606000.))
"Servility isn't the problem," Silvana says gruffly. "Or at least, it's not a problem for me, because I don't like a servant act. And frankly, those who do should not be at how they are treated surprised." She glares around the room, possibly deciding whom the last description applies to. "The problem, really, is what direction are we discussing? I have heard generalities about the power of Mercurian unanimity, but nothing concrete."
Do you think being more organized will make us serve the Order less? Or do you think being more organized in our activities would hinder our ability to do what we are doing now?
[color=purple]"I don't think anyone will argue that Mercere is not the most organized House in the Order," Beatriz says. [color=purple]"However, it may well be that they think that our aims and their aims are one and the same. If they realize that we 'suddenly' have an agenda of our own, they may well grow suspicious, and less likely to use our services."
Korvin does a good belly laugh.
Do you think all of the other Houses are pure and have no agenda? Of course you do not. And who is giving us this new agenda? Becoming more organized to do our current mission would be helpful. It would allow us to weather trouble. It will make us stronger.
[color=purple]"Of course not, Korvin. But it may be that, say, Bjornaer sees us as an extension of their own agenda. It may not occur to them that we have an agenda of our own, or that our agenda and theirs may conflict. Which is much like what you were saying about our being taken for granted."
Their is some wisdom in your words but I feel we should look to the greater good of our House. It is not so much that we would have an agenda that conflicts with another House. That happens now. it is that they still trust the Redcaps to do their duty and follow the Code. It is important for them to know that the person carrying their letter or book is bound by the code. They should not report them unless they are breaking the Code. At that point, the Redcap has a duty to report the offense.
That last part is what many magi do not understand. A servant would carry their message no matter the content. You would be angered if your trusted household servant told the local noble that you were plotting to break the law. We can not have Redcaps afraid to report violations of the Code. But they must also not give up the trust of the Order and duty.