((Instead of Alexei arriving late, treat it as he's been quiet during the meeting. I really do not want you guys have to rehash everything gone on.))
Marcus pipes up. Cumhachd has requested an Aegis on her villa. The current proposal is we cast the Aegis on her behalf without Tranquillina or Cumhachd participating in the Aegis."
Alexei raises an eyebrow.
"Just the villa? No further? Just the house and sanctum she dwells in? If it extends no further than that...I'm of a mind to be flexible. After all the law already allows a great deal of protection and privacy afforded merely by a sanctum marker, and that is not something that will likely be upheld in our favour at Tribunal. The Aegis is different of course. By them not participating but presumably given a token we retain a decent amount of control. Who is providing the vis?"
"Cumhachd said she was paying for it. Whatever that entails."
Whoh, hold on. This is Tranquillina's covenant too, she certainly gets to participate in casting.
Look, leave Cumhachd off to the side for now. There is a blatant hole in our security, and that needs to be adressed.
"As you so clearly stated, anyone who participates can revoke permission for guests. If Tranquillina participates, she will just revoke the permission. And as far as a blatant hole in security, no there is not. Are you sure you're not a Tytalus? Maybe if you use small words and explain it to me, sure. But our covenant and the people who live and work in it are covered by an Aegis. Tribunal city is not, and no resources of ours have gone to maintaining it in the past year or more."
There is a hole. Tribunal meetsings taking place there are vulnerable to attack by our enemies. So many targets gathered together in one place. The Tribunal should be protected. And setting one up only for tribunals is ineffective, for there could be traps laid in place during the downtime. Hostile magic items and such.
As far as what Tranquillina does, I would suggest that the fear that one may exercise their rights is no cause to inhibit that or other rights. I am really not concerned by this matter with Cumhachd. In fact, I am fatigued from discussing that issue.
So to put it simply, I only want to raise an Aegis there because I percieve the lack of one as a security hazzard. If no one agrees, then fine. Leave it alone. No Aegis. Cumhachd is free to cast one within her sanctum, but outside of that, I cannot conceed allowing her control over an Aegis area larger than that.
If it is just the villa she is dwelling in, tell her to move the sanctum marker to her front door and proceed as she wishes. Sanctum rights are sacrosanct. As far as participating in casting, I wash my hands of it. That is her sanctum, and none of us has need to control a spell placed thereon.
I still think it would be better if she just moved into the covenant or just went away.
Well, if the Tribunal is to be held here every 7 years, then that should be a consideration. And maybe it is an issue for the Tribunal, rather than us. Meaning, the Tribunal pays for it. The Tribunal has, in years past had to change locations, it was never guaranteed that those locations couldn't have the same problems you propose. But that is not a Mons Electi security problem, and is probably left to the Chief Hoplite to handle."
((again a little tardy - sorry))
"Allow me to put one issue to rest," Tranquillina interrupts. "I have absolutely no intention of participating in a dangerous, powerful spell cast on behalf of that hag. I do not care what she is offering in recompense - which, as far as I can gather from this conversation, is a big fat nil anyway. Fall for her shallow charm and transparent bribery all you want, but I have enough painful experience to know better."
This is definitely not the first time Roberto has stuck up for Tranquillina over this issue, and she hopes to communicate her gratitude to him once the meeting is through. For now, she tries to catch his eye and indicate, through body language not overt enough to draw attention, that she appreciates his comments. However, the old-woman disguise she wears, together with her general agitation, make it hard for her to either subtle or on target.
((Com 3 + Charm 2 + stress die 3 = 8. I'd WAG that Roberto needs a Per + Awareness roll of 10+ to catch her drift; others need a Per + Folk Ken of 8+ to notice the attempt at communication.))
((Fiona's Folk Ken attempt is Per 0 + Folk Ken (magi) 2 + die roll of 2 = 4.))
[color=blue]"I think this whole issue boils down to one question: Is the Tribunal Village ours or does it belong to the Tribunal? If it's ours, then we have every right to place restrictions on who camps there, who can raise an Aegis, who has loud, raucous parties at all hours of the night and keeping their neighbors from getting some much-needed rest. If not, we don't. I am of the opinion that, until such time as Normandy formally grants us permanent hosting of the Tribunal meetings, we can safely act as though it were our property.
"If that's the case, and the Village is ours to handle as we will, then it becomes a matter of do we want Protected Guests to establish small, localized Aegises* in otherwise unprotected areas of the covenant. My dear friend's personal conflicts with Cumhachd to the contrary, I do not see any reason not to, so long as we are not barred by that Aegis. And those very personal conflicts also lead me to agree that, unfortunately, Tranquillina should not participate but rather be granted a casting token, as will Cumhachd.." By this time, Fiona's hair is practically billowing all around her head, and she's not even trying to hide the fact that she finds the whole thing somewhat annoying.
[color=blue]"Tranquillina, you know I love you, but..." Fiona shakes her head. [color=blue]"I honestly feel like you're asking us to fight your battles for you. I will gladly be there to help you fight your battles, if they need to be fought, but not for you."
Fiona tries valiantly to hide the fact that she's afraid of how Tranquillina will react ((Com 2 + Guile (hiding true feelings) 3 + (die roll of 1, followed by another die roll of 1, followed by another die roll of 1, followed by a measly die roll of 3) 24 = 29)), and apparently does a pretty bitchin' job of it.
I will speak to several points. First Korvin looks to Roberto, I offered her protected guest status because she asked and because our Imperiator gave her leave to find shelter in the Tribunal village. I explained the terms and that she would have to move if we needed the villa for a meeting. Second. Korvin turns to Tranquillina. Payment is always negotiated between the magus who is going to cast the spell and the principle. This has always been the way. Or do you wish to tell me what I can or can not charge for Longevity Rituals that I perform at Mons Electi? If you agree that this is the case then bring it up in these discussions is simply a petty matter that distracts from the real discussion.
Fiona and Alexei bring up good points as to size of the proposed Aegis and problems with other things that may be there. If we do agree to cast it, I would recommend that we check the building or buildings within the Aegis boundaries for beings that we would want outside the Aegis. This would happen if the tribunal village were to be used again for it's original purpose.
Stultus adds "I also believe one more person should stay out of the casting and stay within the covenant while the casting is performed. Alexei or Roberto, by preference."
"And I think Tranquillina is interested in keeping a close eye on Cumhachd, too." Marcus seems frustrated, though. "This isn't what she wants, but she's getting something out of it, I just wish I could figure out what it is. We aren't asking the right questions. She knows us, she knows this place. Everyone coming to the Tribunal mundanely had to be escorted across, but she knew how to walk in on her own. How? It's not scrying, we'd notice that over time, and scrying over such a vast area is really difficult. Where has she been before coming here? What has she been doing? Why is she here now? Answering those questions will go a long way towards helping us figure out what her goal truly is."
Why? I would not want to exclude or limit the Imperiator on our own grounds.
Alexei is shaking his head at the permutations of this and finally speaks up.
"The way I see it, if we say no to the Aegis, then I can't see her staying. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't that be a logical follow up? So if we say no, then we will then probably have to evict her. If we say yes...then she'll stay until she decides to leave, and after that the only way would be something rather drastic like Wizard's War. I'm not saying this to alarm you, but it is how I see it. The Rhine has extensive laws and regulations for guests, a long history of cooperation. Normandy is quite different. Based on what I know, what I've witnessed, I'm in favor of allowing the Aegis in a very limited way, present those rules to her and if she accepts it we set it up. The rules alone might discourage her. If she's unwilling for that then we say she must apply for membership at Mons Electi or leave. And that is a process we control completely."
About this time there's a knock on the door. A page enters when bidden and tells Korvin that Loys is waiting outside, waiting to carry a message to Cumhachd about the Aegis she had requested...
Stultus chews on his lip. "I think ... I think I know why she's here now." He seems oddly subdued. "The only problem is that if she's here for the reasons I think she is, not only do we need to render her every assistance possible, but we also need to not change the way we act towards her. Not even a little bit. Bury that knowledge so deep it does not affect our actions in the slightest, because to do otherwise will destroy her and us along with her."
"Do I have your word, sodales, that what I say here will not leave this room and will not influence your actions towards her?"
A better question is why does she not accept a token to be within our superior Aegis? No. I think she is seeking protection of an Aegis but does not want to entangle Mons Electi. To Marcus' point, why do a lot of people with power come to us? I think it is because of Apollodorus and what he represented. He has obviously let selected people know about his research into House Guernicus so we have become a beacon of resistance and conflict in this matter. Does this mean Cumhachd is our ally in this? I do not know. I do not even know if this is the reason she is here. Perhaps it as simple, as Stultus has put it, seeing two of her old apprentices. But Marcus seems to differ on that matter.
Bid him to have a seat in the antechamber. We are discussing it.
Stultus eyes Korvin, because apparently the man has missed completely what's been said, and shrugs. "Never mind."