So we want to agree to heighten a conflict between two members? Make it easier for petty symbols of power and control?
Marcus voices an objection. Im not convinced there is conflict between Stultus and Tranquillina. Even allowing that there is conflict between the two, Stultus has agreed to the compromise. I've suggested something else, that the issue of an Aegis is another objective. Her being here is generating some conflict, but that seems to be by design. What does she want now that she wouldn't come here for earlier? We are missing something here."
Separately, about the vote Marcus points out it is within the power of the Princeps to grant a vote.
Korvin looks to Marcus. Unless I misunderstood the situation, there is conflict between Tranquillina and Cumhachd. And Cumhachd is Stultus' beloved nemesis which, by Stulus' own words would put him at odds with Tranquillina if we, the council, give her power over Cumhachd and she acts on it. Am I missing something? Korvin looks at Stultus and Tranquillina.
"If your concern is that Tranquillina would revoke her from the Aegis, then exclude her."
"You are missing something, Korvin. You're not a Tytalus. You keep trying to take the things that I told you and apply them as hard-and-fast rules, and there is no such thing. There are subtleties and cross-currents you're simply not aware of. The 'love triangle' between Cumhachd, Tranquillina, and myself -- there's a disgusting image for you -- is exceedingly complicated, but I think we will eventually resolve it: all I am trying to do is minimize the interference from outside."
He glances at Marcus. "Marcus is on to something, though. The Aegis is a blind, a distraction. Cumhachd is ahead of us by five steps: let's try to make it four, or three. Let's ask ourselves why she would make such a request."
"One option is that she requires shelter within an Aegis because she does not wish to be located magically: some other plot of hers coming home to roost. Or it may be the preparation of a political move: say, declaring that the villa and the Aegis around it constitute a newly-founded Covenant of the Old Bat, and contesting all our vis sources. Or perhaps she seeks shelter from that ghost that follows her around: I don't know who it is. They seemed friendly, but one never knows. Or any one of a dozen other options. I will admit that her rivalry with Tranquillina is muddying the waters: I find myself unable to predict her next move with as much facility as I usually possess."
If we do the Aegis and exclude her it will void most of those plots. I would propose that perhaps she wants some protection, from something, but does not want to draw Mons Electi into the mess if the shoe drops. If she is outside of our aegis when she is attacked, it gives us some cover politically. Could she be doing something that would cause the Inner Circle of House Guernicus to come after her? Or the Tremere? Korvin looks to Stultus.
Stultus compresses his lips. "I think the first one is quite likely -- if not now, at some point in the future." He does not seem inclined to elaborate in any way, shape or form.
((Sorry this isn't completely seamless - people keep posting more, I can't keep up 
))
"Or, her goal is to disrupt next year's special Tribunal meeting - to cast suspicion on Mons Electi when our Aegis is found active in the Tribunal village before the meeting begins. The Quaesitors would love that opportunity to censure our covenant. Nobody would enjoy injuring a covenant, nay, having the authorities actually perform the injury, more than Cumhachd."
"When she arrived," Tranquillina continues, "she claimed to be offering a gift of vis to Mons Electi in exchange for sanctuary. The gift part, characteristically, was surely a lie. But the fact that she bears vis is quite real: I fe- ... I saw several rooks of vis in her possession. Taigh na Galla, with how poorly balanced our vis stores are at the moment, she probably has more Vim than our entire covenant. So you need to ask yourselves: why does she not simply cast an Aegis herself?" She peers suspiciously around the council table. ""She wants us to think that a maga of her experience is incapable of such a casting alone? Or, perhaps she is constrained by some contract or other, and wants Mons Electi to be her loophole."
"Think ahead, people. You take this foolish offer to Cumhachd, she says oh, how very kind, but I would truly like to participate and help. So much for the 'compromise' then, and suddenly a precedent has been set. We have been carefully trained to respond positively to her requests - and Mons Electi has done exactly what she wanted, at exactly no cost to her." She slaps her palms on the table before sitting back, with arms folded across her cross-whipped breasts. "Quite the bargain you strike, sodales."
Stultus shakes his head, frowning. "Yes, the Quaesitori would love to jump at the chance to investigate us, and that is a concern -- but I don't believe that to be her goal. She does not want damage to this covenant. She would not pose a challenge to you, or to me, that we could not overcome using our own skills and resources, and she has little to no incentive to come after..."
He stops, his mouth hanging open.
"Nevermind. Hold that thought. I've just had a disturbing possibility occur to me."
"As far as casting the Aegis goes -- she's not Notatus, Tranquillina. She is skilled with Vim, but that's not her absolute strongest point. That'd be Corpus, or Mentem. She could, of course, cast an Aegis on her own, but she may not know the ritual at a high enough level. Eighth magnitude, maybe tenth -- compared to the 15th and 20th magnitude versions we've got hanging out in the library. Which only reinforces the disturbing possibility."
"I... I need to think about this." He clambers down off the table, grabbing his juggling implements off Fiona's lap without even a wisecrack, and starts pacing back and forth in the open space, frowning and muttering to himself. He tries to set up a shower, or a cascade, as an aid to thought, but keeps dropping the balls, or missing his grab.
((Tribunal city was overbuilt, due to intense interest in the Lotharingian question. That question was resolved, and the tribunal in 1229 is going to be small, or at least not the circus of the one in 1227. So Cumhachd is setup in a house well out of the way of what could be xpected to be used by a standard Tribunal. Of course this make Tranquillina's contention border on irrational. 
))
(( The villas are pretty much all the same, IIRC. JL, would Cumhachd's house be among the very first villas she came to? Or did she have to walk a bit to settle on that specific one?))
((She walked, not for a specific one that met some architectural requirement, but one that was out of the way.))
((And to be clear she is putting no strain on covenants resources and is the men with her don't appearto need food, as she has requested small amounts, enough for just her, at first, and then for Loys. And she has been very genial and friendly with the covenfolk. They love her. And then there is the matter of the gifts, well thought out and very personal.))
As far as having an Aegis over the tribunal, well, I think that every other tribunal in the Order does this. I do not understand what's wrong with that at all, so someone needs to explain it to me.
As far as the question of wangting to heighten the conflict between two members, that is a faulty question on face value. We are discussing unalienable rights. The right to have a guest, to grant or reject tokens, and the right to control the Aegis that covers our property. If someone takes issue with upholding basic rights, the fault is within them and not the council.
And as far as concerns that, if we don't give Crumblehatch what she wants, she will keep causing misery. Along with cries of "it's a Tytalus thing" and "you don't understand because you are not a stark raving lunatic". I am incredibly unworried. No one gets a free pass to flout the rules, and I do not negotiate with tactics of intimidation.
And I ask you, Korvin, what's in this for you? I come to discover that she is your protected guest. You are the source and origin of our internal turmoil now. Why?
Perhaps it is time to tell her it is time to get packing. "No offense, but your presence has cause much disruption in our ranks."
Or, if this is unpalatible, and you guys really think anyone would take issue with an Aegis over the Tribunal ground. Then tell her she simply has to move into the covenant proper if she desires magical protection.
Back to the Aegis issue. I really do not understand why anyone would not want an Aegis protecting the Tribunal. It seems logical common sense. But still, what if we invited the Praeco and chief Quasitor participation and shared control. For an oustider with official funtion and special rank, I would conceed such may be a necessity and would agree to their participation.
But not for a run-of-the-mill Hermetic guest.
And she has been generous. Perhaps too generous. And it makes me supicious. She sent me a new sword, a nice one too. But it makes me uncomfortable accepting it, so I have decided to lock it up in the covenant's armoury. It would be rude to refuse it, but I do not wish her to imagine I might feel obligated. So I must think of some sort of gift to give her in return.
(OCC: I may have been rambling more than normal and slightly incohesive. Lack of sleep. I will tune in tonight after I get my required slumber, so take whatever Roberto just said with that in mind, and maybe I need to revise it).
Stultus eyes Roberto. "Speaking as one of the aforementioned stark raving lunatics, you're wrong. Neither myself nor Marcus are saying Cumhachd needs to be mollified with gifts, or with us doing what she wants. Not in the least."
He shrugs. "Thinking about it -- Marcus and Tranquillina are both correct. The request doesn't make all that much sense. I think Marcus is right in that the request is meant to accomplish something else, but I don't believe 'causing conflict within the Council' is the reason. That's too imprecise, too broadly targeted. I can't figure out what the reason is, though... unless it's to make all of us leave the protection of our Aegis all at once.
She did have her grogs block the entrance to the regio, briefly. That highlighted the fact that just about anyone can get into the Regio without our knowledge: a hole in our defenses that I am certain the Imperator has already addressed, yes?" He looks straight at Roberto as he says this. "Perhaps this is an attempt to point out another flaw."
((The regio entrance is in sight of a watchtower, next to the south gate. Crossing the regio boundary normally requires a guide, knowledge of the method or Hermetic magic. Since it is a boon, I'm using it in ways that are advantageous to the covenant. I won't use it to sneak Valerian and a force of Hoplites in to slaughter the magi. And when Valeroan was last hear they appeared via Leaps of Homecoming cast with enough penetration to get through the Aegis.))
((He had a token. And, it I remember correctly, there are two ways into the tribunal regio.))
((That's right, but in reality some of the magi I had ginned up to send could barely cast Leap of Homecoming themselves, without fatigue, so I had to have them do a Wizard's communion, anyway...))
Marcus adds a qualification, "I wouldn't say that her sole goal is to create conflict within the council, but that she's doing, by design, is causing conflict, in addition to whatever her ultimate objective is."
((I'm presuming Alexei and Isen are also in this meeting or otherwise indisposed?")
[strike]((I thought this was a meeting between the particulars already here. We'll say Alexei is indisposed, because he would have said something by now, since he's binding his familiar he's likely chasing his tail right now))[/strike]
Alexei arrives rather late at the meeting looking rather disheveled, even...shaggy? His beard is longer and unkempt as is his hair. He also smells more than a bit like a kennel and his clothes have numerous small tears and rips. He sits down and scratches his neck with a quick gesture of his left hand.
"I'm sorry my sodales for being so late. I've been busy in the lab. So...I have heard a bit of some problems and have stayed out for my own business right now as well as the...well let's call it what it is, the Tytalus and Flambeau rather famously disagreed not so long ago. I sought to avoid what seemed to be an issue primarily between a House as well as a parens and former apprentices." he pauses and scratches again, somewhat doglike.
"Sorry. Is there something I should know, are we calling a vote? I've heard talk of an alternate aegis or something, or of the...guest trying to gain membership."
((I've been reading this, but not attentively, so if someone wants to just nail down a resolution that is being considered?))