Ah - 60 does make it easier (I'd been erring on the side of caution, but good that we've got a definite answer). She can possibly bring in more lab assistants, as well as raising her Arts a bit - although note that there isn't any requirement that Chryse learn Latin before her Arts are opened, and keeping her too long without formally apprenticing her is risky.
I think "teach my apprentice Latin for me" is the sort of request most magi would view as insulting - if you're not going to do it yourself, get one of the covenfolk / a professional teacher involved. We do have a couple of grogs who could teach her (although sticking Petrus on it is probably a bad plan) - neither of them are brilliant teachers, but they're competent enough.
Wishbone wonders in to the area and joins the conversation "Timaios my friend, are you to join us at Castro Nova? It would be most pleasing to have a familiar face in a new home". "So magus Gregorius, will my friend gain a place as well?"
"Wishbone! We must take some time to catch up. But, no, it doesn't look ilke I will be; Gregorius was just relating to me how difficult conditions are out there, and underscoring that the best way I can help with the current difficulties is to check with Tasia at Magvillus and get some answers from her about what's really going on. Since it sounds like I have nothing to offer, I'll probably be heading to Magvillus to do that and to brush up on some of my studies of obscure points of Order history. What about you?"
"Threat to the order, possible overwhelming odds, enemies around every corner, where else would I be but at Castra Nova, hohoho, what an adventure we will have. Polyagius taught us service to the order dud it not, come now my friend, how can you be of more service in Magvillius where it is safe and cozy than out on the orders edge? Join us and keep us within the rule and remind us of our duties when we get over excited, you know it is what you really want! Right here, right now, we can make a history that all will wish they had a part to play, how could you refuse my friend?"
"Magus Timaios, I apologise that my concern for your safety made me rude. If you wish to spend time at Nova Castra, you are most welcome to visit, although due to our charter it would not be possible for you to become a member until you have completed a three year residency. Having a Quaesitor resident could prove most useful, in addition to whatever individual talents you bring."
"Nonetheless, my warnings were quite serious. I do believe that the covenant is under genuine threat of attack, and that an expedition without the proper preparation and skills has a high likelihood of disaster."
"Nothing like that," says Timaios. "But the things we study and do as magicians are often inherently risky. Tasia was certainly willing to take the risk, and it cost her. In support of my House, I should be willing to face danger in hopes of figuring out the truth of what happened to her. And in support of the Order, I should be willing to try to use what skills I do have in support of the security of its covenants from threats abroad. While I may not be of House Tremere," he says, inclining his head at this point, "I do recognize that I have an obligation to my brother and sister magi." He brings his head up to meet Gregorius' gaze and says, "In short, I understand that there are risks, but I also have a sense of duty. Discovering what these Amazons did, what they want, how they might pose a threat to the Order - these are not necessarily tasks for a single season or even a single year. Yet if it's to be done, someone must start somewhere, and Nova Castra seems the logical starting place."
He smiles slightly and says, "So I did not take your position as rude; quite the opposite - consideration for my well-being is appreciated. I believe you when you say that the risks are real. And I am willing to brave dangers in pursuit of the truth."
Presumably the risk of losing the putative apprentice is minimal in Thebes--but she might get in trouble at the next tribunal. I do think that, despite a lack of an explicit requirement in the rules, learning a magical language would be required for opening the Arts, since magic is cast in either Latin or Ancient Greek.
Opening the Arts is purely a mechanical process, I think - no need to speak any particular language. Note that it is possible to cast spells without knowing Latin* - you just suffer the same penalty to your casting totals as if you were not speaking at all (Ancient Magic pg 29).
*Or Greek.
Obviously her having a language in common with Viola would make teaching much easier / more possible, but you only have to start doing that in the second year of her apprenticeship (and technically training her meets the legal requirements without requiring a language in common, so you could delay further by training her in Magic Theory).
I agree that there's probably not a massive risk of Chryse being poached, although that's not the same as no risk.
"Well, then," Gregorius smiles. "I certainly agree that Nova Castra is the place to launch an investigation from! My other suggestion was serious as well, however; if you do have any contacts at Magvillus you're able to write to and persuade to tell us more of what actually happened with Tasia - or at least, confirm why we're not being told anything, that would be useful."
[OOC: Waiting for JesseHeinig before I respond to Wishbone. Other than that, though, are we okay to move onto the results of the apprentice presentation and then wrap up?]
"I'm sure with your help, Wishbone, we should have no trouble if fighting does happen," says Timaios. "But I hope that we are able to avoid hostilities while establishing better resources for your covenant."
I'm beginning to regret that we kicked things off before that clarification on learning by familiars...but I suspect that the rule in question leads to a lot of arguments over exactly how many seasons a year a familiar is willing to sit reading books on Magic Theory, so it's probably for the best.
I don't know how Viola is gonna manage this, especially since she's got to devote Winter and Spring 1229 to learning the Aegis and mastering it, and more seasons to get the lab in proper shape. She might need to start asking around to see if anyone needs a shard negated. Calliope might be persuaded to trade for a future favor, but I'm not sure her Int + MT is going to amount to much, given her age.
Asena was trying to find favors that needed doing to facilitate her joining the tribunal in 7 years time: Stuff like harvesting from a vis source for the tribunal etc
Plus: do you really want to have to redo Constantine's last 12 years of advancement?
Deprioritise the lab improvements? Gregorius also isn't going to be much use, but maybe ask Fray really nicely to be your lab assistant (or find something he wants badly enough)?
I'll leave that one for MTKnife (but it probably shouldn't clash with the apprentice ceremony, so I'll proceed with that).
On to the apprentice presentation...it's part of the first of the three Assemblies at the Theban tribunal, but the penultimate item of business in that, before only the Ostracism. Each child in turn steps forward, declares the number of tokens they have received, and names they maga or magus they wish to become apprenticed to. Not all of the apprentices Viola heard of earlier are present; in particular, both the Redcap's daughter and the cretan girl are missing from the presentation. She does note the results of a few of the earlier apprentices, however:
The nun chooses as her mistress Theocharista Pselleus of Jerbiton, one of the magae of Oikos tou Eleous
The two silk manufacturers' daughters get taken as apprentices by a pair of conjoined Verditius twins from Ingasia.
The wise-woman's boy goes to an Ex-Misc at Erebus.
Krum of Aegea picks up the Vlach herdsman's son.
Then onto the apprentices Viola's specifically interested in. Symeon stands up and proudly displays tokens from three magi; as well as Viola, he's also had offers from Lucian and a Jerbiton from Moero's Garden. He selects Lucian.
Chryse has tokens from only Viola, so has little choice; she nonetheless declares in a slightly quavering voice for Viola of Nova Castra.
That, honestly, wouldn't bother me that much. Sometimes I even enjoy that kind of stuff. The balance aspects, though, would be a mess: quite aside from the munchkiny behavior it would encourage (If your best friend is a wild animal, would you really sit him in a library to read books 3 seasons a year?), the "Independent" and "At odds" traits in our house rules would suddenly become much, much more significant.
I'll have to look to see what impact the improvements might have on the lab score. At her level of MT, the library's summae on In and Vi are going to be the best bet--two seasons studying each would increase her lab total by 8. If she could convince Fray, that would nearly get her there.
Let me come up with sometihng....That might be an adventure seed.
Viola smiles at the girl, reassuringly, and welcomes her into the covenant. She'll introduce her to Gregorius and Fray and the grogs.
Ooc: happy for Fray to help. His MT & Int is reasonable and Inventive Gen might apply(?). No idea what he’d ask for in return, but similar help would appeal to him. That might also let them keep the story quiet (if that matters to the magi)
She gives you something that might have been an attempt at a smile back, but eyes you (and the people you introduce her to - is Fray actually at the tribunal?) warily.
Is Viola planning to take her to Eleusis, or are you sending / taking her directly back to the covenant?
The balance aspects, though, would be a mess: quite aside from the munchkiny behavior it would encourage (If your best friend is a wild animal, would you really sit him in a library to read books 3 seasons a year?), the "Independent" and "At odds" traits in our house rules would suddenly become much, much more significant.