"My intention is to fulfill those obligations spectacularly. Our plans for hostelry seem to fulfill that standard. Would you agree that we are likewise meeting that standard when it comes to the Tribunal facilities? Now food...that is not a subject we have covered at all."
"In general, I support the strategy of appearing to be weaker than we are, while obtaining greater strength. As a naturally small person, it has always been a winning strategy for me. Now, if this is the move that makes us appear weak, how do we gain greater strength?"
"Well, we certainly have an enemy. Does that not give us an inroad...somewhere? And what about personal ties? Abigail is Ra'am's daughter and Korvin's apprentice. Ra'am is the filius of Proctor, whom Thera tells me is of some importance both to Le Maison d'Levier and the Normandy Tribunal. Can we use that to our advantage somehow?"
"The Lotharinigians? Shall we surround Confluensis with them? Or place them far away? And where do we place them in relation to us? Do any of us have any opinion on the subject?"
I did not say we did not have enemies. But we do not know who our allies are so we can be safer in assuming that we do not have any. Confluensis and the Covenants they control like Dragon's Rest and Cunfin, we know are against us. We know that Florum and their vassals are pro- Lotharinigians. Those are Spider Palace and Requies Aeterna. Atramentum Rentatus will be a big question mark. They are like us in that they can go to the new Tribunal.
I would put Confluensis and its vassels at one and Florum and their vassels at the other. I would put Atramentum Rentatus close to us if possible.
Isen replies
One and the same.
The idea is this: We give them a bad place, that will weaken them, but try to make it appear not as an orchestrated move, but as sheer incompetence on our part. If, on the other hand, we do superb installations, it might be possible to make it appear as if we are like nouveaux riches. Wealthy, but stupid.
Likewise, save that I'd split Confluensis and their vassal covenants. If only to inconvenience them a little. And maybe to weaken somewhat the pressures one can exert upon the others.
So, say, we could put these 3 teams, with Confluensis being handed a "good" place between the Forum and the Colloseum.
[color=blue]"I that that, if we're going to do one or two things spectacularly, and we certainly are," Fiona says with a grateful nod to Viscaria, [color=blue]"then we should do all things spectacularly. Food, drink, entertainment. The whole fifteen yards."
[color=blue]"While I do not feel that we are in a position to appear weak and helpless, I also do not want us to appear so powerful that the other covenants feel like we need to be taken down. Ideally, I think we should seem powerful enough to not be trifled with, but not so powerful as to be unapproachable. I know this may be a fine line, but I believe that we are capable of it."
[color=blue]"As far as the Lotharingian Tribunal goes, I, personally, do not see the need to recreate Lotharingia, aside from a yearning for things as they once were. I am not firm on the matter, and plan to keep an open mind should anyone wish to convince me otherwise. If we were to place the covenants that favour the new tribunal together, that would effectively limit their opportunities to proselytize, whereas spreading them out amongst the others would allow them to speak to more of their sodales. I propose a compromise. Those that we know are pro-Lotharingia, huddle most of them together while putting their most vocal leaders out amongst the undecided. Likewise with the anti-Lotharingian contingent. Huddle a few together, put the leaders out where they can do the most good."
We can debate it another time but I'm for moving to an another Tribunal that our enemy is not the biggest power base. If that is Lotharingian or Greater Alps matters not to me. But the creation of a new Tribunal will give us options that normally we would not have. The advantages of moving far out weight the disadvantages.
((I went ahead and started a new thread so we can discuss what position, if any, Mons Electi will take regarding the Lotharingian Tribunal, and whether to hold it as a covenant or simply to take half a dozen individual positions.))
[color=blue]"Actually," Fiona says, [color=blue]"We won't be doing the Aegis for Tribunal. That is expressly the responsibility of the Presiding Quaesitor...who, last I heard, was Proctor of Confluensis."
[color=blue]"I like the idea. It keeps the mayhem in one area, as much as possible. I believe one of the mortals...Michael le Bœuf, I think his name is...should be stationed near the certamen ring. He has a very powerful voice, and has a tendency to goad people on when they get into fights. Makes for a very entertaining few minutes."
"Aye, the ring. Since contests seem so prominent, an official location for certamen I feel would add a certain...something. It's bound to happen anyway, impromptu tournaments or just cooling hot blood. Perhaps even some betting could be done, but then we have to make sure it stays official, possibly need9ing a judge or advocate."
"Ah, so this is not an enchanted circle or a magical device that you're speaking of, but a sort of designated location? Well, I believe the Forum would be the most appropriate place to do that, then. It is meant to be a place where reasoned debate and civil discourse takes place, but the prospect of a fight will always draw crowds in, allowing more people to hear whatever messages are to be passed.
"The outer walls are nearly complete, and in traditional Roman fashion, there are four gates. One leads to the second quarry site, and another to Mons Electi itself. A third gate will actually be the Portal that the Tribunal installs. We have a fourth gate left, and for security purposes, I suggest that we enchant a second Portal. This will half the number of exits and require someone exiting the Tribunal to walk around the entire 'city' to get to our covenant. The two most obvious choices seem to be either to Harco or Val Negra, but perhaps you can think of another?
Oh, and Isen? Would you be willing to spend some time casting security spells near the bridge to Mons Electi?"
Isen frowns
This is not very good. Is there a way for us to participate in the ritual?
Well, at least, we'll still have 2 separate aegises.
Upon hearing Alexei's proposal for a certamen ring
Seconded. This is a great idea, providing both order and a good show. We should have a learned grog or an apprentice there at all times, to record who fights, and who wins, and using what arts. The information could prove precious in more ways than one.
Isen pauses for a moment.
This is a good idea, but the fact that our grogs will be passing there doesn't make it easy. Especially as, although I am skilled in Rego, I suck at Intellego. Despite my efforts, I am not up to the task, and this maddens me.
...
I can do something, but it may be overkill, and will require vis. That is, cast a Watching Ward that'll be activated when, say, someone fails to cross without a specific token, or saying a specific word, and that'll destroy some part of the bridge. Or bury it in Ice. Or whatever you want that is within my abilities. That should put a stop to most mundane attacks, and serve as a warning to us.
"Brionne, perhaps? Then we will know exactly where he is, should we need his talents. Is the man familiar with Hermetic Theory? Can he tell the difference between spells?" Viscaria pauses, recalling the grog clearly. "Does he even know his letters?....Mayhap we should give someone else the job.
"Ah, and this reminds me of another thought. Is our Cursor thoroughly versed in the lay of our lands? If not, we should insist that she gain greater familiarity with it. If she is, then we should enlist her aid in developing evacuation routes and escape plans."
"I should think that simply placing booby traps anywhere off the beaten path would suffice. But perhaps we should consider this in greater depth. Our Aegis should be sufficient to keep out invisible foes, yes? And we've limited the land routes into our covenant to a single path guarded on both ends. What other precautions are wise to take?"
Well, being able to recognize the arts used is not necessary, since you must announce the arts you'll use. He just needs to remember that the man said "Creo". Or course, being able to understand everything that's said would be better, if only because the information dropped casually by people around may be useful, or to know the cause of the certamen. Likewise, being able to write things up instead of having to remember them is better, but, on the other hand, if he writes things up, he'll be noticed.
So, ideally, we need a group of people, who speak latin, who'll rotate, hear things up, and then either go write it, or dictate it to a scribe. At worst, we could hire a few people to do this.
Isen acquiesces.
Very good idea. We can't rely on magic for everything, and having our covenfolk be able to fend as much as possible by themselves may prove quite important.
Isen thinks for a moment...
If I do this with Watching Ward, it'll be very efficient, but costly in Vis. 8 pawns per ward. So I'd prefer limiting it.
I can probably find a way to lay some traps by using Rego Vim and my Talisman, but this'd require me to activate them, and to concentrate at each sunrise and sunset if we don't want them to be activated by the flickering that these causes in enchantments. This may be too risky.
Taking his chin in his hand, thinking, then
Invisible foes is another problem. Being of an effective 7th magnitude, our Aegis should be able to keep most of them out. Problem is, nothing stops a magus from just entering our aegis and casting it. Although they will be severely impeded, they'll still benefit from our Aura. I wouldn't be able to do it, but... Say, if a magus is able to cast 4th to 5th magnitude Perdo Imaginem spells, he may be able to do so, at the expense of his personal energies.
So this is not easy, but I wouldn't consider us to be secure on this front either. Especially as he can do the same thing with an item.
Truth be told, this tribunal is a huge security risk, and we can only minimize them. Having our covenfolk be as knowledgeable about what to expect and what to look for may help, but, although I think we can probably rule out an attack, we can probably expect an intrusion.
To that end, should you all agree, I think we should cooperate to put a Watching Ward in each of our sanctum, as well as in the library. The vis cost will be high, but it's worth it, in my opinion.
((I would like to think that Mons Electi would be allowed to participate in the ritual for the Aegis that The Tribunal is laying down. But I could be mistaken. Int 1 + Normandy Tribunal Lore (Running Tribunal) 3 + die roll of 9 = 13.))
((Mélanie has Area Lore: Bibracte 4 and Area Lore: Regio Side 3, with Specializations of "Vis Sources" on both.))
[color=blue]"The book doesn't say if we're expected, or even allowed, to participate in the Tribunal's Aegis," Fiona says. [color=blue]"I will ask, though."
Fiona will write a letter after that meeting to Proctor, to "confirm that we will be able to participate in casting of the Tribunal's Aegis of the Hearth over our covenant."
At the next meeting, Fiona throws a letter onto the table.
[color=blue]"Unfortunately," she fumes, [color=blue]"under the Peripheral Code, we have no control over the Aegis. It must be cast by an officer of the Tribunal, so that they can control who may extend or rescind invitations into the Aegis.
In a totally unrelated matter, does anybody remember how powerful the Aegis was at the last Tribunal?"
((MT question: If you have two separate Aegises over an area, with coincidental boundaries, is it possible to cast a PeVim targeting one of the aegises and not the other?))
There won't be a contiguous border for the Tribunal Aegis to affect Mons Electi's Aegis, casting another Aegis around Mons Electi within the regio is not possible.
