A New Morning (Spring 1234)

[Marko_Markoko]

Tackling everything in some sort of order of reply...

@Marko Markoko

• There is this new junior magus, and upstart journeyman named Roberto, who has submitted a proposal that he claims will revolutionize the way our custodies are managed and utilized. He submitted a written proposal to Vibria the other day. Alexandro received a copy as well, and though he thinks it is a sound plan, he thinks it might be too ambitious. Roberto proposes terminating all mercenary contracts, hiring men-at-arms directly and merging them into a newly organized Andorran Guard. He further advocates developing the Andorran Guard into a mercenary company that we own and operate as a covenant. Our clients would be other magi only, and we would contract out one to four guards as a group of specialists for magi on expedition or adventure or simply to pad out their bodyguard/entourage.

@The Fixer

Arachne will, of course, express almost paranoid concern for the covenant's safery. She has done much, but still not enough. And she is concerned about the attackers (are these related to the ones who destroyed Insidiae?) and their eventual return.
But there's only so much she can do, so she's been thinking about hiring hedge wizards, and maybe hermetic contractors.
...
She'll also support Roberto's proposal, if only because she thinks the covenant will be safer that way. Having trustworthy grogs will also make her task easier, in that she'll be able to equip and train them with magical items. Likewise, she'd like to hire and architect and a team of masons, woodcutters... Time to do some serious work on Andorra's defenses.

and...

@Peregrine_Bjornaer

Maybe it's been too long, but that proposal isn't ringing a bell at all with me.

That is because I just thought it up. :mrgreen:
Not entirely though. It draws from various ideas discussed in the past. Vibria has a few personal custos, Gold Gryphons who have either sworn loyalty to her&/or struck a personal bargain / contract with her. The idea is based on that. The Gold Gryphons of Andorra are part of a larger organization called the Vibra Company (mentioned in Grogs under Almogavars). So they don't actually work for us, they are contracted out to us by the main company.
Roberto's idea is to hire them all directly. Some will stay with us, others will return to the main company. Depends on ow they feel abut the deal and other plans they have in their lives and what their friends in the group are doing here or elsewhere. No big deal about it. Happens all the time. There is a respectable fee due to the main company for doing this, it is written into the contract.
Some will stay and some will go. And they will still be mercenaries. The distinction is that they are directly ours. And technically, the Andorran Guard has always been "mercenaries. They were always paid wages and had their own distinct chain of command. Many came from other mercenary companys and some came and went as is always normal for free soldiers. So theoretically, there might be former members of the old guard somewhere out there, old guys that retired or took other jobs and whatnot.
Then we need to pad out our ranks to replace the Gold Gryphons who decide to go back to Barcelona or elsewhere.
That's where Xavi comes in.
This is only a partial solution, but Roberto knows a mercenary captain who is a hedge wizard. Now it wouldn't be the same as hiring a batch of individuals, they are his soldiers. But the group would be contracted directly to us instead of contracted through a larger group.
At least I think that is how it works. Xavi, is Arnau a leader of men or is your character the servant of some larger group? I should of passed this by you first, but I am trying to knit things together and kick this game back up to speed. I apologize.
Actually, I do remember we were debating that, and you were outraged by my meager ballpark figure.
Name your price and we will figure it out.
As for Hermetic contractors, no need. I decided to let Vulcanus run on NPC autopilot for the sake of keeping Fedora around and happy with family. We will figure that out down the road, but i am thinking two seasons a year of stuff for the covenant.
Rational: now a father, Vulcanus takes his grumpiness out on his children and is to fatigued by family to get involved in the personal affairs or public issues of other magi. The two seasons are designs we tell Fedora to nag Vulcanus about and he complies with the ideas.
No. One season for that, and one season for something one of us designs in the mindset of Vulcanus and his specific masterpiece driven/hubris mindset.
Something like that.

@Marko Markoko

• The town in the valley, Arans, has recently experienced a spike in paranormal activities, such as hauntings by ghosts that cry out in some nonsensical language.

@Peregrine_Bjornaer

Definitely worth investigating. (Vibria)

@The Fixer

Arans is of great interest to her. Not only could this cause trouble in the future, so better to investigate now, but this is a boon for her: She seeks ghosts to bind for Andorra's defenses, but hasn't found a way to bring this to the table, especially as binding ghosts from Andorra might be ill-perceived by the surviving servants. But this... She could both suppress trouble and strengthen Andorra!

This is one for good ol' PoB
The ghosts seek the tablet. They cannog get through the Aegis so the wander in confusion. They are apparently not as powerful as the one that communicated with yough through the tablet, and ghosts roaming so far a distance from their graves are running on autopilot obeying the command of their prince.
And it isn't a spike. It was a rapid curve that followed the initial opening of the Vault.
Fast forwarding it for you, but this is a segue into the urgency to mount and expedition to the City of Brass.

@Peregrine_Bjornaer

• The Redcap Quarter, the new arrangements, and the portal project

As best I can recall, the "new arrangements" is the proposed charter between Andorra and the Redcap Lodge, yes? And I honestly don't remember where we wound up with the portal project. I want to say that the first stage was a Portal between Barcelona and Andorra, but don't hold me to that.

Lots of sticky bits we forgot to work out and finish up on.
But yea, as I recall, we were to have a portal with Barcelona and with a Provencal covenant (I think it was Doisettep). I shall sya the Barcelona portal is finished, and the one to Provencal will open this Summer.
...

@Marko Markoko

• Provencal magi have been encroaching on our territory. There was that Lord Featherbottom incident. But further it has recently been discovered that a Jerbiton magus associated with Bellaquin has been residing in the capitol of Andorra la Vella.

@Peregrine_Bjornaer

[color=red]"Doesn't he at the very least owe us back rent?" Vibria (or maybe Fédora, as what might be part of her Redcap duties, unless she's carrying another of Vulcanus's children) would be interested in checking this out.

We shall make a side story of Fedora doing just that

@Marko Markoko

• The discovery of a large vis source on Sa Dragonera, claimed by Barcelona, and their desire to form a partnership.

@Peregrine_Bjornaer

[I, as a a player, have no strong opinion on that, as long as we don't overextend ourselves or stretch ourselves too thin, both as players/a troupe and as a covenant. Vibria will get ($).($) (or, if you're British, (£).(£) ). On the one hand...[color=red]More vis for me!. On the other hand, [color=red]Wait...I have to share?.
Trying to maintain continuity and keep promises. I, as a SG, am merely leaving the option open for now or sometime in the future or just backburner stuff or drop it.

@Marko Markoko

• The mystery of who attacked our covenant and why...

@The Fixer

...(Arachne) wants revenge, and she wants to get back Andorra's items. It's her friends who were attacked, at least once, and it's her new home's safety that needs these...
(Good ones, marko, a lot of these interest her )

Thanx

@Peregrine_Bjornaer

Even though that was before Vibria's time (although not by all that much, iirc), she still would be interested in that information. She's interested in gakking them, more as a matter of principle than anything else. Fédora is also interested in the covenant shutting down or eliminating whoever (or whatever) attacked the covenant, because if people think that it's dangerous here, they'll be less inclined to put a Portal hub here. Kind of pointless to have a shortcut to the Order here if everyone has to send a Bjornaer seal team in first.

@Marko Markoko

Carmen has turned up some interesting information.

Which will "coincidentally" ( ) have something to do with whatever the next major group adventure that the players choose. Majority vote. These ideas or one you guys invent.