"It is not blasphemy to me. It is not my faith. The dominion is the enemy of magic and does not fit well with the ancients magics and gods of these lands. Indeed, the dominion is young newcomer to these lands compared to the ancient faiths." Kallista says softly "Still I am not very fearful of what someone that can't take competition of house Tytalus can do. Let him be rash if he wishes, it will just reflect badly upon him at best and bring mockery of his sodalis at worst."
"Maga Kallista, while I respect the..." he pauses for a moment choosing his next words with care "Older religions, you must remember that to a majority of the world your views are considered Blasphemy. Whatever your issues with Magus Stavros, I would ask that you please keep such things outside of this Council, it only causes bad feelings and detracts from what we came here to do. However, what you chose to do in private is none of my concern..."
"I do not care about the Majority of the world, in this council chamber, I see the church as much our enemy as the infernal and a much more insideous one. I do not care if anyone else calls my words blasphemy. This is a gathering of a covenant of the order of hermes and mages, not a conclave of bishops. We are not the order of Christ. The church doesn't rule here. The church has no authority here and I am not going to refrain from speaking out against it in this council." Kallista has a point and a firm one. The dominion does hurt magical powers, the church does impact magical auras and the order is not a christian organization. "If this were middle of the village or center of a major city, that would be one thing but this is meeting of mages to discuss the fact that the nearby village wants to strength the impact of the dominion in the area that we live. We want to do that, then it should be as far from us as feasable and we should make sure the priest brought in is the sort to attend to his duties and ignore us and barely attend to those duties if possible."
Odysseus' eyebrows shoot up at this "Again you compare the Divine to the Infernal? Maga Kallista with all due respect are you just daft? I have given you leeway twice now, but if you continue to blaspheme we will have a problem." Sighing he looks around to the other assembled Magi "While Maga Kallista seems to lack any and all forms of tact, she does deserve a say in all of this. However, again I'd ask her to show some restraint when discussing religion as tempers may flare, especially given the crass nature of her statements." He pauses for a moment before continuing "Magus Polycarpus' compromise should please all sides, no? I for one will be happy to meet our dear Bishop."
Nestor doesn't his attempt at changing the topic before the theological dispute gets too heated:
(He is well aware that the infernal can only exist with God's permission as various church fathers have written, but refrains from stating it because he won't debate this with people who know little about theology)
I am going to talk to this bishop. How about you? MethinksIt won't keep us from our books and alembics for too long.
Or are you afraid that the nature of your gifts might spoil such a mission?
Solomon: "Hear hear. I mean, quite. Exactly. Post haste and all that. Tempus fugit, after all."
"It is not for you to dictate to me or demand leeway or not. This is the truth whether you like it or not. Demons are the enemy of the order and we deal not with them and their areas of power have detrimental effect on our magics. They are opposed. The dominion is common among the mundanes and much more power and code requires us to be care with it but it too intrudes on our magics and has negative impact on our spells. I see both as enemy. We are the order of Hermes and I follow Hermes among the others I worship. If I can not speak plainly among my covenmates, who should I speak plainly among. We are all sodalis and equals here. If you can not understand that, you do not understand the community we build here. In this council, a proponent of the church should be only slightly more welcome than diabolist because both would destroy " Kallista is not going to be threatened into silence or insulted.
"Still, I will be happy to come with on the trip incase you need something to tempt the bishop with. I will even be on good behavior. I won't go into the meeting itself but I am sure you can arrange to call me and tell me what you need."
Solomon: "You. . ah. . . err. . shouldn't. Come, that is. I, ah, well. Not the diplomat, eh? Me, I mean. I know that, you see. And I see, too. I see you, and. . .you. . . well. . . All-you-ever-do-is-say-the-same-thing-over-and-over. Sorry. Probably came out wrong. But, well, you hate the Church and. . . well. Wouldn't work. . . would it. Eh?"
"maybe. But if I am nearby, I can take steps to provide things if the Bishop asks some things of you. Our overly religious sorts here don't seem likely to have much in way of worldly goods or favors if asked." Kallista is nothing if not every beautiful and would make a good boy or girl if the bishop is temptable. She most definately would be the person to turn to for screwing the church, literally.
Odysseus stands abruptly, his chair clattering to the ground "I have had it with you and your blasphemy Maga Kallista, I hereby challenge you to Certamen!" Letting his challenge hang in the air for a moment, he continues "If I win, I demand that you cease your blasphemy at once and never utter such words again in my presence. My offer to you is thus, if you win I will never raise an objection to your statements concerning our Lord, no matter how blasphemous they may be. What say you?"
"Indeed not, If I win, you will abandon your faith and beliefs and never mention christianity again because that is what you are asking of me. The dominion is directly opposed to our magic and our order. Whether you like it or not, that is the truth. Whether you like it or not, your priests are not above use of power and desires of the flesh in various forms either. A certamen will not cancel truth. You are sworn to the order of hermes, not the church. Remember where your loyalty lies. Still we do have this challenge unless you want to withdraw it: What technique are you challenging me in?" She sounds adamant enough that she might escalate this to wizard war if she loses though. She is not going to have her vote and voice in debate and discussion silenced. "You can fight it yourself right now because if you can't, withdraw your challenge."
"I asked that you simply show the same tact and respect for beliefs that was extended to you. Instead you have continually attacked my faith and blasphemed against G-d offending more than just myself. And now you question my devotion to the Order?!" Odysseus glares at her, his gaze hard "I accept your terms Maga Kallista." A sly smile spreads across his face "Oh I will do nothing of the sort Maga! It is my right as a Redcap to appoint a Champion to fight in my stead. If you will excuse me, I will make the appropriate arrangements to have her here shortly" He gives a half bow, the smirk still on his face as he turns to leave the chamber.
Polycarpus: Kallista and Odysseus before you leave this chamber and before you make hasty decisions. This covenant where founded with the intent to give us magi a free haven without a ruling council that enforces it laws upon the covenants members. Could you not back down and see if you could live together here at first and in peace. We need to co-operate not battle against one and other. Give it a moon before you turn into rash actions.
Kallista looks at Polycarpus, "The dominion and infernal both interfere with our power and magic. Indeed, they hinder our order. Those two christians might not like it but when speaking of that which is interference to us, those two are the strongest of which the dominion is the greater threat to the order for we can freely slay agents of the infernal and beat back its encroaching upon us. I will not be told to shut up for all times in my own faith by the whim of some man, because they don't like that I mention two oppositions in the same breath. Despite the fact that I would see all dominion banished from these lands, I was open minded enough to say we should help with the building of the church though as far from us as possible. These others are so closed minded that they would seek to deprive me of my vote, voice and perhaps even my life because I SPEAK of the dominion impact on us as being like another hostile force. I will not accept a tyranny upon my thought and words in council of equals because it offends their propriety." Indeed refusing to bow to such man made rules to beat others down is one of the core principles of house Tytalus. These are rules of man, not God who does not instruct man to oppress fellow man.
Odysseus pauses for a moment to listen to Polycarpus. He makes as if to respond, but upon hearing Kallista his scowl returns and he storms out of the Council Chamber, the door slamming shut behind him.
Polycarpus sighs. I fear that we have to conclude this first meeting. We resume council at a later day.