And so those magi newly gauntleded and without another home covenant seem to fall between the two options. May be new magi are not really what you are after? If so then let the three new players with newly gauntleted magi know that and we can redesign or advance to the point we fit the expectation?
Just a thought, not intended as a criticism at all. Please be assured I am glad to have been invited in to the campaign 
I would have thought they fell squarely into "selling their services for vis"? It's somewhat like the Rhine system of Peregrinatores, except there your service would be going for accommodation and lab access (and could be replaced by vis, rather than earning vis).
Note also that, whatever the merits of this covenant structure from a setting perspective, it's intended primarily to solve a real-world game problem: players in online sagas constantly disappear, leaving all sorts of loose ends that have to be tied up, not to mention a rate of covenant member turnover that's scarcely believable.
Scott
âI know a few simple defensive spells,â says Timaios, âthough I am not really a soldier or hoplite, much to my teacherâs chagrin. I am readily willing to learn if you think there is need. I probably donât have th3 skill to master large, wide-ranging effects yet.â
Asena feels she has to add to the warrior talk.
"I am a warrior more than a soldier, but I have spent time among the Mongols in the East and know some of their language. And I have also seen them fight. If they ever come back, we will have trouble on our hands."
"I'd recommend learning at least one offensive spell if you haven't already," Gregorius responds to Timaios. "So you can use it to defend yourself, but also to defend others. But I wouldn't suggest getting too sidetracked into combat magics - investigative ability is likely to be valuable in the years ahead as well."
"These Mongols - they are horse-backed raiders similar to the Amazons?"
Timaios manages to squeeze in a reply just before Asena speaks up. "I do know a spell to hurl metal or stone, hence why I carry this sack of stones, as well as a few trivial defenses. I likely couldn't hold my own against an army of archers," he says wryly.
He folds his hands in front of himself and quiets to listen to what Asena has to say.
Asena replies:
"They are like amazons in a way, bowmen on horseback, but their warriors are usually male. They come from a country far to the east called Cipango and live in tents. They have ungifted natural philosophers that can create ignem effects and rule the greatest empire on this earth. Many of them believe in the blue sky, but some believe in the religion of the Arabians, and some in that weird criamon philosophy. There are Christians among them, too. They have more than one wife each and they like stealing each others wives. Their children have no names to protect them from evil magic. And they have powerful shamans who drink airag, which is alcohol made from milk. They call themselves tartars, and if they come here, it will be hell indeed."
Her voice gets smaller and smaller as she talks, until she is barely audible.
ooc: I spent some xp on Mongol as a language, but none on Mongol Lore or area lore, which means, all her information might be inaccurate or plain wrong. She was a child when she lived there.
Timaios nods along as he takes in Asena's description. Of course people from distant lands are strange and exotic. Some of them even have their heads in their chests, after all!
[OOC: Sorry - thought I'd posted here last night.
Have you read the sections on the Mongols in Ancient Magic and The Cradle & the Crescent? I don't know how closely MTKnife is likely to follow them, but they're probably a good starting point.]
Gregorius nods to both Timaios and Asena's responses, but doesn't ask anything further.
I have both books, so I'll read about the Mongols once I need to.
Scott
I may have read them but I have zero memory of them, which I consider to be a good thing. I'll use the historical Mongols as a base for her childhood memories, and I'm sure that the books will deviate from that which will make her memories wonderfully inaccurate.