"I'd be honoured magus!"
"I, too, would like to be there." Praxiteles says in broken German.
"Titus, I too would be happy to witness your gauntlet, but I think, based on the commendation by our brother from Rosnov, that one of us should reside close to the new site to oversee the construction and search for any additional vis sources in the area. It may be that the caves near the lake there may yield some quantity of vis." Aedituus smiles as he traces the vine tatoos around his wrists. "I have a contact at Laach Abbey who can provide for a space for me to study there; it is close enough to the new site to allow me to keep an eye on the work."
"Indeed, there are many tasks that will to be performed in the coming years. If you and Praxiteles are close at hand, this will make it possible to recruit mundanes, supervise the building of our home, and investigate the potential vis sources. For my part, I will probably spend most of my time travelling, in order to secure the resources that cannot be obtained locally. Lab equipment, books for the library, trained grogs and specialists willing to work for magi. I will, of course, come back to Koblenz as often as I can, to discuss our plans together."
"I am well suited to recruiting covenfolk, especially from those around Koblenz. My gentle Gift and comfort in speaking German and French can be a great boon. I could also oversee construction of the covenant proper, and but prefer to stay in my house in Koblenz most of the time. And I can host you whenever you come by to visit." Praxiteles will say it first in German and then repeat it in French.
Petronius nods at Praxiteles' words, relieved that the Jerbiton agrees to tackle this important task. Then he frowns, "I just had a troubling thought... Considering that we will be establishing ourselves so close to a populous city, won't we have to secure some form of rights to the forest before we can start building there? Undoubtedly our presence will attract some attention from whatever lord rules over Koblenz, even if the forest is known to be haunted by ghosts." Looking around at his three covenant-mates, he shrugs, "My guess is that one of you may be more familiar with Koblenz than I am, so I'll leave it up to you to determine how to secure this, and from whom."
"I believe it's a bishopric. Much like any nobility, they crave art. I could sculpt some pieces and donate them, and initiate a dialogue. That would be permissible, wouldn't it?"
(OOC: Code of Hermes roll of 6 (die roll) + 3 (Int) + 2 (CoH score with a specialty of mundane relations) = 10)
"I do not see how offering anything mundane, be it art or money, be a problem. It might be more a question of offering it the to right individuals. And negociating the rights to last long enough for our purposes."
(OOC: In the finances, I indicated this as an expenditure of 20 pounds per year to secure the rights to lumber and hunt in the Koblenz Forest for 99 years. This may need to be adjusted up or down whenever actual negotiations are to take place again with the powers-that-be in Koblenz. For example, when a new official is named to manage the city for the Church.)
I will be happy to make inquiries about those with whom we need to make agreements, and provide the necessary introductions for you Praxiteles.
(OOC: Should me move on again? Is there any further points that are discussed or done at this time and place? If not then I think we can jump ahead a few years. I can describe something about who and under what circumstances the various grogs and covenfolk trickle in to the covenant during the recruiting and building period.)
((I think we can, we're not necessarily going to hit everything between now and the next few years, and I can write something up about being introduced to the bishop. Or Archimedes can do it. I forget he is a holy magus and has a gentle gift, too. So he may be able to better do it, and if he has a germ of a story, all the better. I can of course make some rolls for Praxiteles to present a sculpture to be given to the Bishop.
Are we going to jump ahead to the gauntlet, or what's the sense of what we want to do with inter-character interaction from everyone else?))
(Digging up an old post where I had proposed a possible timeline.)
Here's the adjustements that I propose:
- 1179 A.D.: Right after Tribunal, Praxiteles travels back to Koblenz to begin establishing the appropriate contacts to secure a grant to the forest. While trying to navigate the bureaucraty surrounding the Church officials in Koblenz, he meets Ulric, a retired mercenary with training as an accountant, who gives him valuable tips on how to navigate and meet the correct officials to begin his campaign to secure the grant. The appropriate bribes, gifts and spells allow him to secure the grant for the forest. The covenant will have to pay a Tithe of 20 pounds per year, but has exclusive rights to lumber and hunt in the forest for a duration of 99 years, and build such structures as they require for establishment of an undefined community withing the forest.
Meanwhile, Aedituus and Petronius remain some time at Durenmar to negociate the purchase of some damaged books as a low-level base for the library. Further negociations will allow them to secure copying rights to a number of better books, while others are promised by the other covenants of the Tribunal as gifts to the new covenant. Others offer grogs, lab equipment, services to help build their covenant, and so on. These gifts are delivered over the next few years. Notably, Oculus Septentrionalis send Hans (to become the captain of the grogs) and Laurent (the chamberlain) who soon join Praxiteles in Koblenz to help with recruitment and building.
- 1180 A.D.: Resources begin to trickle in. Clean-up at the main site slowly begins, with a fairly small team of mundanes. Trees are cut and set to dry. Plans are made for the layout of the manor house late in the year when Aedituus and Petronius travel back to Koblenz.
- 1181 A.D.: Restoration of the temple begins, with only a few mundanes helping because of the sensitive nature of the statues. The magi realize the value of those artifacts and the risk of reaction from the Church is such a pagan symbol is revealed, so they try to keep it a secret, As a result, restoration goes slowly until this part of the covenant is sheltered from the sight of outsiders. But when this is done, services from other covenants are called to dig up the foundation of the much larger building that will surround the old Celia where the statues were.
Aedituus and Petronius have travelled back to Durenmar to withness the successful completion of his Gauntlet by Titus Aurelius, and his induction as a full magus.
Initial contacts are established with Gregor the Cooper and Amelie the Wine Merchant.
How does this sound so far?
((Do we want to go through the motions on the Gauntlet and then naming ceremony?))
((we can, but no need. We already know who was there, unless someone wants to make a point of having been prevented, so it adds little IMAO))
((I don't think there's a need either, unless Tellus wants our input for a background story. He would have received small gifts from us, officially signed the charter, etc.))