That is a very valid observation. The expedition is to a lost temple of Mercury. It's a fair bet that something of academic interest will come up.
Robero snaps his fingers and smiles as he gets and idea. Donna the Weaponsmith. Bring some of her wares and we can act as if we are trying to open trade for those. And I seem to remember some connection about her. Don't remember exactly. Call it a hunch.
I am sketching out a duty roster. I will have a scribe write it out all legible and fancy and delivered in the morning.
Forgot to address that point
Mateu looks gravely at Lucas. One thing that I take extremely seriously is my given word. For me it is sacred for a man without honor and sense of duty is a man without value to the Almighty and will surely lose its access to the Realm of the Fair. If I give you my word I will keep it.
Exploitation of secrets is not my mission. My Order has other sources of revenue than petty theft. I am sure that some stuff so will witness would be of interest to the Order of Saint John, but I am allowed and willing to do what you ask from me. You do not have to worry about this.
However, it is also true that given the value I put on it, I do not give my word lightly. And that I am a knight of Christ first. That means that if your mission puts you in the hands of Satan, cursed be his name, I will feel obliged to renounce the vow I have given you and summon the forces of the Church to deal with the issue. If this is not the case you can count on me, my discretion and my defense of your interests, since this is the mission I have been given and my solemn vow.
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During the Woad's quick tour of the place, he asks Lucas about the armoury:
The Woad would like to visit the covenant's armoury. If we are expecting trouble, he would like to look at being fitted with armour. Maybe he is so lucky that a resourceful covenant like Andorra has found or produced some quality or magical armour over the years? Perhaps something discarded by more experienced magi once better suits are available. For a junior magus just about anything is useful. Otherwise the Woad would like to speak with an armourer, to discus the possibilities of making something better, which he perhaps can enchant himself. Might the library contain lab texts for such enchantments - to enhance or lighten armour?
And would you know when there is to be a briefing about the objectives of the expedition? The Woad knows we are leaving soon, so he expects time is of essence.
This would be a great point for Donna the Weaponsmith to introduce herself. With Trogdor's consent, can we say Roberto takes The Woad to the armory? He has a list of equipment he needs, and he wants to recruit her for the expedition.
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given that she has put a number of seasons into "maintaining the business" should we say she has a number of +5/+5 longswords in inventory? maybe one or two, its not like that is the only thing she makes, more like one of her showpiece items...
Mateu has not been here very long, but it seems like he is already restless and anxious to go on this expedition. The spirit of adventure is strong with him, which will inspire a favorable impression.
Roberto, having just conferenced with Lucas, is headed to find The Woad and take him to the Armory. There he wants to recruit Donna. But before that happens (insert this scene between the others), a grog gives him a message from Carmen. Roberto rolls his eyes and seeks out Mateu.
Mateu, my friend. Our Pontifex Maxima wishes to meet you. That is what the call the senior ruling members here. Pontifex. It is an old Latin term. Don't read too much into it.
She wants me to introduce you to her. But first, with your permission, I wish to share my Parma Magica with you. Another technical term. My "Magic Shield". It is a rit..., it is established with a ceremony, and is the cornerstone of our Order. It is magical protection, but it is more than that and you have no need to worry about spells. But it also filters out that "negative vibe" that emanates from most wizards. I used to have that. I grew up thinking magic was a curse. But by the grace of the Lord, I found True Love, and the purity of love has released me from that burden.
Pontifex Carmen, that force is strong in her. She has what we call the "Blatant Gift". If you were to encounter her without some sort of screen, she would freak you out.
Mateu narrows slightly his eyes and tilts his head slightly. Then he sits straight and answers Roberto Yes, I have noticed how some of you masters irk me or no special reason. Reviewing what they said and how it affected me later on made me notice that if a friendly member of my order had talked to me in the same terms I would have been quite content, while I was not. I was warned about this before and I can cope with it, even if my skin itches when in the presence of magic. Do you know why your mystical nature irk people in this way?
I will accept your offer of the Magical Shield you talk about. Yes, I also talk some Latin, even if not much, and even less if you ask my hospitallier instructors Mateu grins. After that he gets up. let's see what thos Parma Magica can do. He waits for roberto to cover him and after that looks at his hands. I did not notice anything special. is this normal?
I have heard many theories. Some seem plausible, others are total bs. I myself am convinced it is the hand of God at work. For whatever reason, HE has decided that certain people are to have power over magic. HE further decided that some, or rather most, of those people need to be kept humble. That is the main result of these negative social effects. It keeps the egos of magi in check, keeps wizards suspicious of each other and prevents us from gaining undue influence and temporal power.
Roberto conducts his Parma ceremony a bit different than most magi. He incorporates prayers to Saint James, and focuses on a rosary. He hands it to you, and you ask your question.
Yes, quite normal. There is nothing to notice right away. What you will notice is that you don't notice much of anything. That strange feeling most other magi give you is blocked. They will seem normal to you. Relatively. Most magi are kind of eccentric anyway. That could be a side effect of being mis - socialized in their youth. Who's to say?
As for me, I don't give off those negative waves. Not anymore. I used to.It was horrible and I hated it. Carmen, her negative waves are much more intense than normal. And she is kind of eccentric to begin with. They say her father was a powerful wizard. Kind of famous one too. Archmagus Antonio. Her mother is a witch and Jewish. Carmen is Catholic, like her father. But having grown up in an environment such as this, she is bound to have turned out a bit odd.
Oh! Her age. She may look quite young, but she is actually older than I am. Her mother has the same condition, but for different reasons. I heard someone refer to her mom as a "shiksa bunny". No idea what that means. But it was probably derrogatory.
So yeah. Carmen looks young but is actually an old maid. She is Catholic, but she has a lot of Jewish sympathies. Try not to say anything sexist, ageist, or anti-semetic.
To move things along, who will Roberto and the Woad meet in the armoury?
Would that be Donna?
Roberto, The Woad is rateful that you take the time to show him a little around. A place to sleep, the dining hall, and the armoury are the most important to find when arriving at a new place. We won't be staying long before sailing off to Africa, to the rest will follow once we are back. Some sort of briefing about the expedition will follow later then?
The Woad would like to look at some sort of armour, although he does not like to be too bogged down. In time, he may want to make some enchantment to lighten or strenghten the armour. But for now, he will use what is available.
The hand of go theory seems to satisfy Mateu but he shows a thinking face as well. I like your theory regarding god, since he is the ultimate creator as we both know. However, it seems strange how God Almighty has decided that some magicians do not deserve to be humble. well, since he is the ultimate judge he might have decided the same thing as he has done with kings and other powerful figures: in the end, we all go through his decision process, so maybe his idea is that by having a few that do not need to be humble he is testing you all, like he tests the common folk placing certain individuals in positions of power. I am thinking this might be a good piece to debate with the theoreticians of your order. I will pass this idea forward to more enlightened theologians in a while.
This ritual of yours sounds Christian enough to me. Let's see if it has the effect you claim. I am sure I will notice it right away if what you say is true. I am used to eccentric: I have had Moorish troopers under my command. Even a few Jews. I had a member of my banner that was a converted Jew. Converted as in "converted". I am sure he still reads the Torah in his spare moments. I named my donkey after the book for that reason. He didn't like it but man, did the rst of us have a laugh! hahaha! Anyway, he is a nice chap (he is still alive if what I heard is true) and very useful with a mace in his hand. Not a proper hospitallier, but one that gets the confidence of my Order.
I will treat Pontifex Carmen with all the respect her age and rank deserve, never worry. I am ready when you say we proceed.
Side note: Roberto does his Parma in a different way because of a Major Flaw, Weak Magic Resistance, which applies if he is not in possession of some symbol of his Catholic faith, such as a rosary or a crucifix (he carries one of each at all times). The prayers to Saint James are not required, that is just some cosmetic fluff.
Roberto takes Mateu to the North Solar (which is where we do these things nowadays it seems). Carmen is waiting there, a servant stands in attendance with a jug of wine. The table before her is laden with fruits and cheeses.
Thank you Roberto. Mateu is it? Welcome. Would you care for some refreshment?
Mateu does not feel any "bad vibes" from Carmen, so the "screen" seems to be working.
To describe Carmen: Imagine Taylor Swift with a Betty Page haircut. She appears to be about 30, not as young as was suggested, but still much younger than you would expect from someone in her position of authority. She is dressed in a fine gown of black silk (or maybe blue, I am unsure of dyes of the era). Elegant and decent, but not "modest". Her head is uncovered, and she shows a bit of cleavage.
Welcome to Andorra Covenant at Arans. A member of the Order of Saint James is warmly welcomed here. So, what brings you to us? If it is adventure you seek, you are in the right place. If you are seeking converts, good luck with that. Father Goncal has been working at that for years. Most of our covenfolk are Christian, but as for the magi, maybe about half. Influence by way of positive example will be far more effective than preaching. And less frustrating.
So tell me a bit about yourself
Mateu takes notice at the odd dressing style, but given what he has seen so far she almost appears normal to him. Generally, the females he meets dress way more chastely, as God commands, but as far as he has seen when you are a wielder of arcane forces you could dress with a straw dress and look regal in this place.
He has met female and male younger than her in positions of authority. War and disease do that to households, but not many. And he has been warned so he is not fooled by the apparent young looks of the sorceress. He thanks Roberto, Lucas and some talkative servants for that.
He makes a bow in front of her and introduces himself in a very accented Latin. Salvete Maga Carmen. As I told your fellow magi I am here as an envoy for the Holy Order of Saint John of Jerusalem. As you well know my superiors have been aware of the whereabouts of the Order of Hermes for decades, but my local chapter is not well acquainted with the covenants in its area of influence. This is something Master Berenguer is trying to correct, since we believe in the alignment of our objectives. As such I have been sent to see where we can improve our relationship for the benefit of both our organizations. I am entitled and ordered to act as a liaison for the time being, apprising your capabilities and interests so my Order can make an offer to yours for collaboration. He grins when Carmen talks about conversions. I am not much of the preacher type, milady, even if I will make sure that a heathen is given the option to repent his ways if he wants to. If, on the other hand, a man is not God-fearing and prefers to condemn his soul to the lands of Satan by his own free will, I am nobody to prevent his sinful transit. I can even be merciful and help him reach his underground destination faster with my own blade if he gives me reason for it and we encounter each other in the battlefield. As you can see I am a strong defender of free Will.
I am certainly entitled to travel with your sodlaes. Only knowing your capabilities can my Order provide a suitable offer of friendship later on.
I myself come from a banneret family from Besalú, but have not been with them in more than a decade. I enlisted with the Holy knights as a teenager and have never looked back. I have served the Hospitalliers more in the battlefields of Iberia than in the hospitals and priories of our Holy Order, and was knighted in the siege of Valencia. I have been a leader of a lance of mounted men-at-arms for most of my time as a Brother, but recently I was assigned to our church in Vilamur, and as it is one of the nearest locations of my order to Andorra was given the task to interact with the Covenant. I hope you find me a suitable envoy.
(Shamelessly bumping up my own role in this story, but also trying to move things along)
The Woad and Roberto enter the Armoury, and find Donna there. The Woad bows his head respectfully:
Smithmaster Donna, the Woad is pleased to make your acquaintance. He is new to this place, and is skipping the formal tour in favour of just the most important locations, in order to prepare for the expedition to be leaving soon. Roberto was kind enough to accompany the Woad here, as acceptance of the Woad's wishes to look at available armour. In time the Woad may want to optimize this endeavour, and find the right armour to enchant. But right now the time factor necessitates practicality, and the Woad will be happy with whatever is available.
"Sure, I have a few stock longswords, finest quality that can be forged without customizing the work to the client. If you have time later I can make a far better weapon customized to your own person." She begins showing him around the shop, which has been enhanced quite a bit through innovations. Donna herself is dressed as a man, though the high voice and lack of facial hair prevent it from being a true deceit, she still looks young enough that if she kept quiet and wasn't at the front of a group she could certainly pass for a young man, or perhaps a man who had taken a rather extreme oath about avoiding facial hair... if not for the brand on her cheek marking her as a sexual deviant according to whichever church official condemned her to wear the mark. She seems comfortable however, much more so than you would expect for someone of her inclinations, though what they might be beyond how she dresses is unclear, but she is relaxed and professional, and you realize that between her dress and her profession she does not have a lot of other options about where she could ply her trade.
The Woad is utterly unaffected by Donna's situation. He is polite, and much more interested in the workshop and the things it produces.
The Woad is much obliged. He knows you are a master swordsmith, but what he is really looking for is armour. Do you also make that, or does one of your journeymen? It was Roberto who mentioned your name, as the Woad asked about the armoury. I think perhaps he wanted a word with you?
Anyway, the Woad is lucky enough to have in his possession the legendary Irish hero Lugh's longspear
He motions to his old but Excellent spear; decorations are understated, sharpness and balance is excuisite.
Behold Slea Lugh which is also the Woad's talisman. So he takes good care of it. He is afraid he has never learned to fight with longsword, but a greatsword could work, if you have any?
To not take too much of your precious time, it is fine if you want to delegate looking at armour to an underling
"I do have armor as well, though since the salt dragon incident I haven't made a lot of it. Plate would require custom fitting, but I do have some chain. I'm afraid the armor is not so good as the weaponry." At this point she seems actually embarrassed, and you see her appraising the spear rather critically, if silently. Great swords are certainly possible, long swords have been more the standard around here, especially since I made the one knife sword."
The Woad does not expect to find the perfect armour on such short notice, nor does he presume to have such things given just now. Valuable items should be earned.
He would like to try on a chain mail.
Is it standard quality?
yes
A chainmail hauberk is fine, The Woad can find a use for this. Who is the covenant's armoursmith then? The Woad wishes to greet him, and in time discuss the possibilities of a custom armour.
But apart from that, the Woad shall not take any more of your time. He believes Robert0 wanted a word with you, Donna?