Chapter 1: Gate of Light

Inigo Elazar, called Xalbador, is to be found walking the vineyards with his daughter in tow. Being eleven, she is making every effort to pretend he doesn’t exist and is no doubt fervently praying he will not embarrass her. He will, of course – it’s what fathers do. He smiles as he sees Carmen and Pietro approach, as Kesara looks bored and pretends not to notice, but secretly looks on. Inigo finds the witty Pietro charming and takes an immediate like to him, backed up by a healthy respect. There are old warriors, and stupid warriors, but no old, stupid warriors – an adage he knows well.

[color=crimson]“Ah, Archmage Pietro, what an honor. Grandmaster Perez has mentioned your name, and I am glad to meet one he holds in such high regard. An honorable man and a skilled warrior of our house is always a welcome as a comrade and, if I may be so bold, as a friend as well.” Inigo is normally quite circumspect about himself and his exploits, but Pietro’s engaging manner and trustworthy face soon has him conversing about himself and talking shop.

[color=crimson]“I am called Xalbador by many of my House brethren, a name granted to me by Grandmaster Perez himself when I became a Knight of Seneca. I suppose that was nearly a decade ago. Between us, I still answer to Inigo, the name my vulgar father gave me. If the shoe still fits, I say wear it.

“Of course, how could I forget? Allow me to introduce my daughter, Kesara. Kesara, come meet the Archmage!” Kesara is polite as befits her station, and no doubt a little charmed by Pietro, which makes her even more terrified that her father will embarrass her. Inigo continues on, oblivious to her plight.

[color=crimson]“Forgive my verbiage. I don’t mean to monopolize your time. Enjoy your tour and your stay.”

I put down my papers "innocently" so he can't easily look at then (He'll have either to ask or to really look like he's looking^^), and then smiles.

He can look what he wants, anyway, lesser minds can't understand the complexities of summoning and binding spirits into matter, the crafting of steel, blood and ephemerae into the single form of a powerfull magic item [color=blue](In short, this is shorthand and I am incomprehensible :laughing: )

[color=red]Carmen! Smiles, kisses
[color=red]It's been way too long since I had my day lighten up by your beautiful eyes! :smiley: How are you doing?

And you are Pietro of Flambeau. Antonio spoke somewhat of you, I am pleased to meet you. Are you enjoying the visit? You may be interested by my laboratory, I have some concepts that should please any right-minded magus a lot. I just need to find the right spirits out there.

probably chats a little before Pietro moves on

Of course.
Just as my servants respect me and bow down to me, I, as a rightfull lord, protect them from harm and take care of them :open_mouth:

[color=red]So, you're one of the new guys? You're lucky then, for you've just come to one of the greatest covenants in the whole Order of Hermes.

But your luck cuts both ways, since you just missed beautiful Carmen. Anyway, I'm sure you'll make her acquaintance later.

But I'm forgetting myself there.
Dimir smiles, and, due to his inhuman features, it's very difficult, as always, to tell whether this is a genuine smile or a predatory one.
[color=red]My name's Dimir Taar of Verditius, resident expert on spirit and their magics.

[color=red]Salve soldae I am Decimus Scribonious Lepidus Ex Mercere. Decimus voice is a soft and humble one. [color=red]So you are the expert on spirits and a verditi magus as well. Personally I enjoy travelling on the roads and know a few useful spells, nothing of which could earn me the title of calling my self and expert. I would be most delighted if you could tell me anything of the covenant or it’s residents as I am going to spend some time here. What arts are you most skilled in? I have a need for an magical item if you should have the time to craft one.

Pietro notices the custos and their ball game being directed by Marie Noris. He is interested in the game, but he fascinated by marie once he gets a closer look at her.

Most people are painfully polite, making little or no mention of you handicap, though they often steal glances at your lonely wrists.
But not Pietro. He comes out and says it.

[color=green]Pietro of Flambeau:[color=red] Merciful Mother! What happened to your hands? Were you born that way? Why don’t you use magic to restore them?

After the faerie curse is explained to him, and how Antonio invented a spell that instantly regrows severed appendages that has utterly no effect on you, he asks permission to try something. If you allow him, he has you suppress your parma and tries a Perdo Vim spell he knows that is designed to counter Faerie curses.

You think you see your hands flicker and appear for a split second! But maybe it was wishful thinking, but no one else saw it. Pietro says he detects powerful faerie magic, but he doesn’t have enough knowledge to say what the exact nature and design of it is. Maybe a ritual curse-breaking spell? Probably not, it would just be a waste of time and vis. He recommends you find a way to coerce or convince the faerie witch that did this to cooperate and restore you.

[color=green]Pietro: [color=red]A little lacking in the respect department, are we? What have you done to help your covenant mate with her faerie curse?

Xalbador,

Antonio gets annoyed sometimes when you act too formal and such, but Pietro eats it up! :smiley:

He tells you to look him up next time you are visiting the Alps.

When Marie sees the two archmagi aproach across the courtyard, she shouts a command and the grogs interrupt their game.

When Pietro suggests trying a spell, Marie can't help blushing with excitement. She has heard enough about Pietro to know that he is a capable archmagus. Can it be so simple?

As Marie drops her Parma, she feels a sense of distrust washing over her, but her hopes quickly quell what she knows to be the effects of the Gift. She tries to observe the gestures and words Pietro uses, the sharp movements of Perdo and the sweeping motions of Vim - but the spell is to complex for her to follow.

[color=red]Ha!, she cries out as her hands appear for a moment. Then she realises the odd looks the Archmagi give her.

[color=red]But, but they, they were there just...

Recovering her countenance, she says as calm as she can:

[color=red]Archmagus, for a moment I could see them. Well it won't be so easy but thank you for giving me hope.

Pietro says something else about fairies, but Marie doesn't listen anymore. She signals a turb seargent to take over the game and moves away into the central keep where she turns to a window and blinks back a tear she doesn't want anyone to see.

The nurse almost crashes into Marie. Her report about an accident is rather incoherent, but something seems to have happened and so she hurries to the infirmary with the nurse running ahead.

(awesome character role-playing!!!!)

Pietro won't say it out loud, as he makes considerable effort to leave his Tytalus past behind him. But he admires Marie for overcoming adversity and achieving growth. He plays the part of the superior, and eats it up! But deep down inside he is egalitarian and tries to view everyone as equals in a way (old Tytalan ethics again). People such as Marie Norris are why! He has known other arch-magi with both hands, men!, who act to frail and weak to leave the safety of their sanctums. And here is this girl, a cripple!, who has achieved status as a maga and organizes soccer games amongst rough and tumble bruisers!

After this is when he meets Viola, and inquires about what she plans to do to help Marie.

Viola: "Curse? Yes?"

After requesting entrance through the portcullis the two magi are greeted by a pear shaped woman in her late twenties with a plain round face. She introduces herself as Marjolaine, Maid of the Silent Tower and shows them through the antechamber and into a grand meeting hall lined with high mirrors that give the impression the room is at least twice its real size. They are seated at a triangular meeting table and offered refreshments while they await the Master of the Tower.

A few minutes later, Octavian comes down the spiral staircase dressed in the dappled black and blue robes of a Tremere not quite owner of his own sigil. No need to conceal the nature of his eyes, his dark hair is tied back into a ponytail with slight bangs. He inclines his head briefly in apology before addressing the two in a soft contrite voice. "Forgive the lack of accomodations as we were not prepared for the unexpected pleasure of your visit."

Vivian gets the ttention of the other medial personel, and the first magus she comes across is ... ? (which one of you wants to use the Casting Tablet to cast Incantation of the Body Made Whole)

Marie is breathing hard from the run when she arrives at the infirmary (ooc: one fatigue level down). She asks the nurse:
[color=red]Is he stable? Is it necessary to use the casting tablet - or can the veirdness of the strong spell be avoidet?
She feels weary, but not too weary to go on.

The nurse tells Marie that they have stabilized Marcellus, but his wounds are still heavy. Marie blinks at a sheet and moves it over the naked man's body. Then she uses the "Heavy porter" to move a bed right next to the bed of the patient and has a nurse put on the Glove of vigor.
The nurse does as she is told: when she touches the forehead of the man she slumps and he opens his eyes and looks around, bewildered.
[color=red]Sodalis, can you hear me? You haf suffered heafy wounds, but the bleeding has been stilt. Do you want it to heal natural or are you villing to accept the veirdness zat comes vis a strong magical healing? If you vant me to use a casting tablet, it might be of help if you dropt your Parma!
Marie is secretly saisfied that she managed to express herself so well in this language, so full of Os and As (Little does she know that her accent makes her sound like a drill sergent).

OOC: I changed the diagnosis spell into a mundane diagnosis (I forgot the Parma. Don't vorry I von't keep up the accent :wink: ).

[color=blue]Max: sorry, little time to do it in character now :frowning:. I talk a lot about the covenant, a little about the residents (you'll dioscover soon enough, and I'm not a tour guide :smiling_imp: ), and an awful lot about magic items, spirits, and the incredible mastery required by both 8). I ask about what you wish for, and speaks about how this could be done.

Dimir Taar just doesn't care much, nor need to state the obvious :wink:
Maybe he hasn't even noticed. After all, it's not like marie's hand-icaped.

I was out sick yeterday, sorry :slight_smile:

Anyway, only Xavi knows for certain. This is his little intro story, in order to introduce us to the lifestyle of danger and adventure!!

OOC: damage would be 2 heavy wounds and 3 light wounds (-9 on all activities or so). Unconscius due to blood loss. Danger of falling into incapacitating wounds if blood loss continues (unlikeluy in an infirmary with amgical help?). That is the level of damage I was imagining. He can recover, but it will be long and painful for a while.

As a side note, I am racing to get into my bosses' shoes (he should be going up, so it is not me trying to fire him....I am just trying not to be passed over in the promotion oportunity that this offers), so sorry for being a little late in my submission of the finished character.

Cheers,

Xavi

PD: Name of character is Marcellus Glacius (Double name) since he got a secondary name after a major event in his past.

OOC: Above post edited!!! Healing tablet + warping point or natural healing? Question still open.

He is unconscious! The Nurse or Bonesetter can give you their informed opinon (basically, Xavi'sself diagnosos). But there is no one to advise you magically. It is your decision :slight_smile:

Antonio clears the yard so he and Pietro can start blasting lightning bolts at each other for fun and sport. When he looks around, he wonders where the guy went off to. He is with Carmen who is giving him the tour. So he warms up by himself with a few other Creo Auram spells, classics such as Circling Winds of Protection and Charge of the Angry Winds. He shoots a few bolts into the air, an odd sight to see on a clear sunny day. Then he sees Xalbador, who just passed Carmen and Antonio a few minutes ago.

[color=green]Antonio: [color=red]Inigo! Come over! Dimicatio! Wanna play? Best two out of three? I give you a one point handicap.

Marcellus murmurs as he comes to momentarily, frantically he looks around for his satchel. It is at his side, and the eggs he risked his life for are intact and safe. Satisfied, he relaxes and lapses back into unconsciousness.

Now for your reprieve! You were wise to not cast the most powerful ritual spell right away. The keep that as the first tablet on hand for emergencies right in the gate. You never know how bad it will be. But they have other scrolls on hand as well (you don’t have to run to the library, they have copies at the infirmary. There is a copy of CrCo35 The Severed Appendage Regrown. That’s not needed here, but you recall Antonio invented it for you. But there is a scroll with CrCo30 The Gentle Touch of Aesclepius. It will heal all of his wounds by one level of severity, and it is low enough of a level that it won’t cause Warping (it takes level 35 or greater to cause warping, I hereby declare, because there is supposed to be something symbolic about the Seventh Magnitude).