Laetitia shyly submits that she would like to see another Scavenger Hunt.
[color=blue]"If we were to do a Scavenger Hunt as the Hosting Covenant's Choice, would it not seem that we were merely aping Le Maison?" Fiona asks.
She then smiles softly. [color=blue]"Although, to be honest, I would like us to have a ball, as well. Perhaps the evening of the second day."
"Vendors, in the sense that we'd place them around the market area as if they were food sellers in a traditional Roman city." Viscaria clarifies.
"If we have a cook with such experience, then why not simply put him in charge of determining our requirements?"
"So we're agreed on using a variety of magics to handle accommodations? How should we split up this work? Some of you are talking about creating the spells, others seem to prefer to Spont them as you go along."
((ooc: will add him to the list.))
"Which are big and which are little? There's also the question of time spent now versus time spent during the tribunal. If we can spend a season in advance so that we can pass off lamp-lighting, sewage-and-refuse transport and other details to a trusted grogs and be reassured there's little chance of mishap, then I call that a substantial savings."
After listening to Fiona's comments, Viscaria generally agrees with her regarding the vis-producing fair and the menus. She also suggests that the entire colosseum could be warded against rain. "Fiona raises an interesting point. We should also endeavor to show off the skills of each magi of the covenant as best we can."
[/quote]
"If you name the Scavenger Hunt after Le Maison, and still have your Falconball tournament, then you continue the tradition of the Host's Event, but also encourage the development of a tradition in way that honors those who came up with the idea."
((Korvin's opinions on matters))
I will not vote on whether to host in the regio or not until we scout the regio better. To do otherwise is voting blind.
((In general))
We are talking about too many things to keep track of. Lets focus, for the moment on what buildings we think we need. Is the current list agreeable to everyone? Anything to add or subtract?
- Falconball courts
- joust / list field
- Tournament field
- Classrooms
- food vendors / Merchant Quarters
- fighting pit / Colloseum
- Arts and Crafts exhibition space
- residential areas for magi and grogs
- Flambeau Field
- Main Tribunal Hall
- Roman style Baths
He pulls out a big piece of canvas and some charcoal to draw with.
Lets try to do a rough layout so we know how much space we will need. Perhaps the regio is not large enough but we do not know how much room we need.
((I'm not expecting to draw anything out. this is just so the characters will know how much space they need. no real numbers need be used))
Alexei is pleased and proud of the extent and ambitions of the discussion he then heaves a sigh and brings up the point that needs to be discussed.
"Flambeau Field...makes my heart proud and my head ache. Make no mistake, I have ambitions of hosting a Flambeau meeting here, I believe it will serve our interests and add to our fame. I have to ask though, how many of you have attended a Flambeau gathering?" he pours a cup of wine and takes a drink. "You likely have underestimated the damage they can cause. I am concerned of what it may cause for the Tribunal itself. Now then...I may be mistaken due to my newness to this Tribunal, perhaps this is a bit of a tradition different from the meetings I'm used to. If yes, simply say so. If 'Flambeau Field' is exactly what I think it is...we might wish to lower our ambitions and keep it a more informal affair and allow those of hot blood to avail themselves of the Tourney. So, is there a Tribunal tradition involved or are we inviting trouble of a degree you might not be able to imagine?"
I'm pretty sure all of these can be the same "Colosseum" building.
OOC: Viscaria would definitely like to spend a season exploring the regio for potential sites and wants everyone else to join her. Should we ask JL to move forward a season so we can have sites to choose from?
Hum... As he's a miles, unsatisfied with the state of affairs in his previous covenant, I think the preparation to the tribunal could be a good reason for Isen to come here, as a comrade to Alexei and to make sure everything is secure.
He would thus explore the regio with viscaria, although once beginning play, I'll need to spend some time developping the Ice Spells I couldn't take at chargen.
He'll also approve of Alexei's suggestion. Having the more martial, violent and troublesome activities separated from the rest is most wise, both in term of security and for the general well-being of the magi.
I can make a season of regio exploration a princeps story. Indeed, this is a discussion that shapes stories to come for the next few years. While I have plenty of story ideas, I think I would be remiss if I were to just gloss over some of the preparation stories. And good planning on Mons Electi's part is going to see some rewards, such as existing lab texts. The lab texts may not be exactly what is desired, but they could add similar spell bonuses if one wanted to invent a spell better to their liking. That can be significant in reducing the invention time, and is something to consider.
The Tribunal is 3 days long, need a gathering place to hold the meetings, and a vendor area for the hermetic fair (which runs until the Tournament concludes). The Tournament takes place over three days as well, immediatly following the Tribunal. The events run for a half day each, with a total of 6 events, the 5 standard and the one from the host covenant. Trying to replicate the Scavenger Hunt may not be well received by the attendees, althoguh Le Maison may be honored by the sincere flattery. In any event, it can all be in one location, if you can work out the logistics. You may want multiple locations to make things easier. Changing the events isn't possible as they are actually enshrined within the PC of the Tribunal.
What I really wanted out of this discussion is to prod the players to think as their characters would about marshalling resources and quantifying their knowns and unknowns and developl plans of action around that. In addition, there are significant resources that need to be marshalled, not the least of which is seasons of time learning and inventing spells you find necessary. The last thing I wanted to happen was for us to get a year out from the Tribunal and everyone's scrambling to get ready. 5 years is ample time to conserve vis. It may be that the covenant needs to start conserving vis resources now, but can start learning or inventing spells in 3 years, for example. I don't know, the players shape that, not me. So there may be a needed change in the charter, an amendment that allows covenant to conserve and store resources in times when it is called upon to host the Tribunal, with any remaining resources to be distributed upon completion of the Tribunal.
[color=blue]"I agree. I believe, by looking out from the edifices we have here that we will have plenty of room to work with. And I've seen nothing yet to indicate that there are any monsters or terrors without to give us cause for concern. But I can see the wisdom in Korvin's reservations, and believe that it would be best to take a few months to more thoroughly explore our environs."
[color=blue]"Can the falconball courts, the joust/list field, and the tournament field be combined into two sites, or possibly even one? I'm thinking that it's likely that we will have each event on a separate day, so shouldn't need two of the fields at a time."
Fiona studies the list some more, thoughtfully. [color=blue]"Other than that, I can't see anything off the top of my head. If we do have a ball, I'm assuming it would be in the main hall, or the Arts and Crafts exhibit space?"
[color=blue]"What if we put the Flambeau Field in the most hinter of the hinterlands we can find?"
So for buildings it sounds like we need a coliseum, The Baths, Residence hall for 110+ magi and companions, Food vendor booths. Now the question is that do we want to build a separate amphitheater for the meeting or use the coliseum. And do we want a building for Arts and Crafts exhibitions or just a field?
Alexei nods and starts looking over what maps and charts there are.
"I think you have the right idea Sodale. A typical meeting of Flambeau, and this is not secret mind you, most Flambeau are not as subtle as myself." he waggles his eyebrows for effect before continuing. "There will be displays of spells and items that tend to be damaging. From there explosive certamen matches and contests. We also will usually have several Wizard's melees that are similar to some of the tourney's events. The one involving both Magi and Grogs with forceless casting of spells is quite the show...and one that is often frowned upon. But Normandy seems to appreciate a good contest, so I suspect it will be allowed. If we kept it further away we'd likely have better results, and still allow those who wish to see to attend...provided they know their safety is not our first concern. We might have to worry about newly Gauntleted Flambeau...but it is a tradition to inform the host of the Tribunal to possibly expect them."
Fiona leans over to Laetitia. [color=blue]"We should probably cancel the china vendor, then," she whispers as quietly as she can.
[color=blue]"I see no reason for a separate amphitheater. We simply have to be sure to avoid conflicts."
[color=blue]"If we are able to have a magus ensure pleasant weather for the Tribunal, then a field would suffice. Otherwise, I would prefer a building to protect the display from the elements."
Laetitia snorts loudly and as a result, chokes on her wine. She recovers after a moment of coughing into her napkin.
(I snorted root beer out of my nose at this. It's true.)
Alexei is smiling ear to ear at the reaction to his joke and offers a cloth to Latitia from her mishap. "Pardon m'lady, I think you have run afoul of a new spell of mine 'Cast the terrible pun' and it slipped by your parma. It's a Perdo Humour spell, quite dreadful actually."
She accepts the kerchief gratefully. "It is polite to ask first before one penetrates a lady," she declares with a perfectly straight face.
Alexei's jaw drops before he snorts alarmingly loud at the bawdy pun. He stops after a moment and regards her in some disbelief, as if gauging if she's serious or not before laughing aloud again. "Yes...but we are in France afterall m'lady."
So for building that we need to add it is
- Coliseum - that seats 200-300
- Residence - hall that holds 200-300
- Roman Style Baths
- Small vendor Booths
- Building for Arts and Exhibitions - based on the findings of a mage or casting tablet for good weather.
Are we agreed on this?
"Well, I think we should at least have different residences for the different covenants, rather than one large structure for all of them. Beyond that, yes, these are the buildings we need as I see it."
So in keeping with the Roman City theme, Should we build small family villas for each Covenant in the Normandy Tribunal? Then would could add several more for other traveling bands or houses to gather like Mercere. Then a general Residence Hall, or several small ones, for the rest.
So my list changes a bit
- Coliseum - that seats 200-300
- Roman Villas x15
2a) 9-13 Normandy Covenants
2b) other Covenants 2-6 - Roman Style Baths
- Small vendor Booths
- Building for Arts and Exhibitions - based on the findings of a mage or casting tablet for good weather.
- Residence Hall for 30 x 3
The number of Villas is a worst case scenario. If the Lotharingia Tribunal issue is passed then I think we would have 4 less Covenants to supply Villas. That does not mean that they will not come in any case. i propose that the Villas of the Normandy Tribunal's Covenants be some how more special than the others. Perhaps just location but we can think on it.