Chapter 4a - Barcelona Nights

OOC: Didn't realise you were ill. Hope you're doing better.

Although familiar with the city, Vares is not the ranking member of the expedition, and so he doesn't presume to speak for the group when Thomas arrives with word that they will be escorted into the city after dark.

OOC: Would Vares be acquainted with Thomas from previous visits to Barcelona? It's been several years since he was last in the city.

How many people are in the expedition from Andorra?

I am recovering bit by bit :smiley:

4 or 5 magi I think, plus Golda, 4 custos, and three servants. Rough estimate. Yes, you would recognize Thomas as one of the grogs of Barcelona. He was very young when you last saw him, and he is in his mid 20's now.

I am feeling better every day. Lets get this thing fired up again.

Once the initial contact is made and the senior Magus (Maga?) has spoken for the group, Vares talks quietly with Thomas as they wait for full dark, asking about Barcelona as it is now. Like most residents, Thomas should be proud of his city as one of the great trade centers of the Western Mediterranean.

OOC: What does Vares know about Thomas' personality and predilictions?

not much, Thomas is an average guy. What is Vare's Percerption + Folk Ken score? He is indeed proud of his city, and proud of the covennt he serves

OOC: I believe that Vares' total is 4 (Per 2+ Folk Ken 1 with a specialisation in City Dweller, boosting it to 2).

Okay, you can tell Thomas is relaxed and in a good mood. Sending a grog out to meet visitors ahead of time became a standard practice a few years ago after an incident involving a magus named Trentus. The reason they want you to wait in the suburbs until dark is because of Ludo's Blatant Gift (which makes Thomas uneasy, even though he is somewhat used to meeting visiting magi), and because Octavius just looks strange. Thomas is a good guy, peaceful but willing to put up a fight if needbe, and loves wine and poetry.

Knowing something of the tales surrounding the infamous Magus Trentus, Vares recognises the sense in this policy of the Barcelona Covenant. His own presence is, as usual for him, inconspicuous. Though he doesn't feel the need to cloak himself in concealment magicks at present, he deals with any who may be discomfitted by Ludo's Blatant Gift (other than Thomas, who, as an agent of Barcelona, is tacitly protected by the Peripheral Code) by silently numbing this part of their perceptions, making passage for the group easier.

Working with Thomas' love of poetery, Vares inquires as to the more popular songs and poets or troubadors in the city at present. With so many displaced by the "Crusade" to the north, many of those from Provencal have likely fled to Barcelona, enriching its culture.

:wink: I appreciate a man who knows his lore

You are correct, Troubadore culture is spreading from Provence down through Andorra (us) into Catalonia and Barcelona. But it is also already present here, and some say that it began in Andalusia.

There is a popluar songster named Jaume that is playing at the Gold Gryphon later tonight. Golda knows the place well. She used to party there all the time. Lots of hippies (lol, achronistic joke).

Yes. (Have been told not to use "indeed" so much).

I'll try and dig up some links / resources on Troubadour culture, but Let's note that it's alive and well in Catalonia having spread from southern France (Occitania) from its heartland in Provence even into the courts of Castile, particularly in the wake of the Albigensian Crusade that has ravaged Languedoc in the last decade (1208 to present).

Most of the troubadour poetry/songs are in the classical Limousin dialect of Occitan, which will be reasonably well understood by any character that is familiar with Catalan.

:

As the sun sets, Thomas leads you to the Silver Rooster. You all seem peaceful, and since the magi are busy at the moment *, they simply asign you all comfortable rooms to sleep in and offer to bring you supper.

*(That is, there is a junior magus that will check you in, but the others are unavailable until morning).

However, Golda is not going to stick around here to eat. She is headed for the Gold Gryphon with Thomas, and perhaps Vare if he desires. Anyone else up for a night on the town?

OOC: I'm cognizant of the Andalusian origins of the poetry and song styles that would become the basis of the troubador culture. Much of it flowed north in the 11th Century, to change and grow during the 12th.

Vares stows what minor items he does not carry on his person or call forth as needed. He scrutinises his lodging at the inn. Later, he will erect a barrier to drive out any of the ubiquitous minor vermin that infest so much of the city. Just one of the many inconveniences that come with the surroundings.

Intrigued by the ongoing changes in the culture of the city, Vares is quite interested in accompanying Thomas and Golda to the Gold Gryphon.

Excellent! Who else would like to attend?

Surprisingly, Octavian will be joining. He wears subdued brown colours which mesh somewhat with the tan his delicate features have developped since embarking on this journey. His dark hair is tied back into a tight ponytail with a few loose strands of hair covering his face.

The Gold Gryphon is a really nice place for what it is. Polished oak funishings, a warm hearth, laughing and song, buxom mesedas (waitresses) serving good wine and tapas, and people dress up nice.

[color=red]Golda! shouts the owner as you arrive. [color=red]My favorite customer! It has been a while, yet you look Fantastic! In twenty years you have not aged even one. How do you do it?

Golda laughs and responds [color=red]A healthy love life! (really it is longevity potion made by Antonio, her lover, so perhaps she is accurate in her statement).

The owner, Jorge, continues [color=red]Introduce me to your friends! Who is this charming fellow? He speaks of Octavius, and if you have any sort of Folk Ken score you will get that vibe from him that indicates that he is, um, the "flamboyant" type. [color=red]I love the eyes! How do you do that?

Vares listens and watches attentively as the group passes through the city on its way to the Gold Gryphon. The active night life is a good sign of the community's health. In more troubled times, most would hesitate to venture out into the darkness, though it is still only mid-evening. His own vision pierces the gloom as if it were daylight, revealing the details of the urban landscape.

Slipping into the tavern behind Golda and the others, the Magus observes the character and aspects of those present. The emotional atmosphere is convival, the physical atmosphere...perhaps not altogether unpleasant, if the aromas of food, drink, spice, and perfume mask the other things that cling. He scans the floor to see how it is kept, and notes the presence of any animals that may be indigenous or have wandered in.

Naturally, he catches Jorge's demeanour and interest in Octaivan. He is quite willing to stay in the other Magus' figurative shadow for now, watching and observing.

:laughing: The interest fades. And yes, there is a healthy and active nightlife here. The Gold Gryphon is on the edge of the Jewish quarter, in an area containing various forms of dining and entertainment that attract local minorities and travelers from abroad as well. There is an Italian Tratoria and Coffee House, and Egyptian Hookah Lounge, and all sorts of strange mixed up variations. The Gold Gryphon gets its name from a fabulous life sized gold statue of a griffon. Gold plated actually, and the plating is alloyed with bronze, which is the substance of the sculpture. The owner of the bar was lovers with the sculptor, and it is prominently displayed in the background of the stage.

The crowd is primarily composed of tourists and travelers and wealthy locals. It is sort of a classy dive, for the revelry here can get quite boisterous and bawdy. For example, when you first walk in there is a comedic minstrel on stage making up lewd and hilarious rhymes about this lady or that gent in the crowd, interjecting snide comments here and there and talking openly with the crowd. They love to be insulted by this guy or the subject of his innuendos.

In fact, he calls one of you out. He is a good read of crowds and individuals, and for whatever reason he feels it is funny to be rude to Ludovicio and berate him. The crowd seems to agree. He makes whatever stereotypical comments apply to Italians in the middle ages, and from there it gets worse. He calls Ludo creepy, a letch, a pervert and a thief. All in an amusing and joking way. He makes it clear it is all part of his act.

The owner is indeed “unmanly”, but of course would never admit it even in this liberal of a crowd. He was briefly fascinated by Octavius as a result of his eerie faerie beauty, but right away gets to gossiping with Golda and asks her if she can do a reading for him. You guys will have an opportunity to watch her do her hedge magic :smiley:.