Roberto tells all, sparing no details (scroll up)
And, as a Verditius, you have the ability to Craft anything, with or without skill. Maybe knit us up some enchanted chainmail?
[color=red]Now I where not thinking about some magical chainmail or other rather small items. Aelianus pause. I am thinking of crafting charged items of mass devastation. [color=red]I am thinking of wands that spew thousands of pillums or make hundreds of men flee for their life until the sun sets, means of independence from mundane authority. Now any suggestions?
Diodorus holds one of his paws on his forehead and seems worried.
[color=red]I gave you my suggestions. Your ideas are bad. Even your cat knows it! Look, I'm the Flambeau magus, and I hink you are over the top. A thousand piliums? Are you crazy? That is the opposite of subtle, and will get us marched for sure! Swords, shields, armour, outfitting for troops. It may appear mundane, but these things could be enchanted to add greater protection, be made light or weightless, augment the wearer's strength, and so on and so forth.
Once Aelianus turns to Diodorus he has stop holding his paw in front of his eyes but instead are licking it and then moves it to groom his head. Aelianus looks back at Roberto. [color=red]I am only saying that the next time when a mundane force camps outside with the intention to storm or lay siege to our dear covenant we can threaten and drive them of. One such demonstration and there will be no more mundane trying to force their will upon us. No marching needed only the possibility to claim our right as magi. So we are hoping to be in league with one of the nobles and thus gain at least some sort of independence then.
[color=red]Perhaps we shall write to Florum and ask them for a favour. We have no right to do that as we have demanded a favour but perhaps we could led some more money and have them set up a mercenary force that will keep the peace here. Then we will owe Florum some more but at least we will be free from the mundane.
[color=red]Aelinius , while I would be happy to be completely free of Mundane entanglements that is not the same as killing them in job lots. That will just get us into trouble with everyone. We came close enougth to disaster this time. We must either hide from them or reach a reasonable settlement which allows us to manage our own affairs with just some financial dealings or agreed tasks for our mundane servants. I think that Roberto did in the end an excellent job to reach a settlement although there may still be some repercusions from the terror campaign against the force that fled.
As I see no good way to hide the entire covenant I think we will have to carry on with Roberto's good work.
Aelianus: [color=red]I know that your words are wise and that is the course of action that we must follow. Roberto you have done a great deed for our covenant. We just now have to await what the noblemen or rather women will decide about our fate. Now until then we can only wait and see what happens.
[color=blue]I cut to next scene here as all the magi will do is to wait…
A few days later six horsemen appear at Novus Mane they are let into the covenant and the magi meets them at the stairs of the tower. Aelianus and Diodorus stands at the top of the stairs. The magi who have seen commander Maxamillian recognise him fast, four of the other riders are just like him, older than the common soldier with faces that show that they have seen more war and bloodshed than most. The sixth raider is slender and dressed in a scholars robe, he has a kind face and he looks closer to forty years of age. He have a hint of grey hair at his temple
Maxamiilina seems content and speaks to the magi. [color=red]I have spoken to my lady. We will accept your terms and thus you will become a part of my mistress subjects. My lady will not take any men from you at least for now but I will train the men here to fight on her behalf if needed. I have a few companions here that will help me mustering your men into a fighting force. Magister Cornellis here, commander Maxamillian gestures towards the magister at his side. [color=red]Magister Cornellis is here to determine what a fair tax would be for your subjects.
Halvard will not meet them until the evening.
Marcello will take Magister Cornelius around and be his best buddy. Basically, try to get to know him as much as possible for future manipulation.
[color=green]Roberto: [color=red]Maxamillian! Welcome my friend! Glad to have you here under better circumstances 
Come! I have one last bottle of Sangria left from my recent visit back home in Spain. I would be honored if you share it with me.
Iolar will not go out of her way to avoid the visitors but as she is avoiding contact with the other magi at the moment she probably will not encounter them much , she will largely be in her lab or flying
I assume that Marcello takes magister Corenlius for something to eat and then later takes a tour showing of the covenant. Trying to befriend the magister as they go. The magister is quite talkative and a friendly person with a sharp eye for details. He asks many about many details that he notices like the ancient temple with some pagan decoration that stands between the towers and about the statue of Neptune in the harbour. There are also a few questions on the magi and if the covenant is prosperous. His questions are curious and asking about details not blunt statements about like “what the … is a statue of a large naked man doing in the middle of the village square†they are more like “interesting statue. Look like some pagan deity, how come it is placed here? It looks new…â€.
Roberto takes care of Commander Maxamillian but what of his battle brothers? Are they taken with the commander or what do you do with them? Any way as Roberto shows the commander through to into the tower he must pass by Aelianus. As the commander walks by Aelianus greets him, it is clear that Aelianus tries to hold back his contempt for the mundanes. [color=red]Welcome here commander Maxamillian. I am Aelianus Robur Ex Verditius, one of the lords of this covenant. This is my familari Diodorus. Aelianus gestures towards the great white fur ball at his feet. Diodorus speak. [color=red]Welcome human. Diodorus then walks over to the commander and brush his body against the commanders leg. Roberto knows that Diodorus scent mark his chosen prey or targets that way.
(whispers to Maxamillan) [color=red]Don't worry about them. Aelianus was isolated for so long, he has forgotten how to properly interact with people. Would you allow me to put my proection over you? It will mitigate the aua of unease. Now, about your friend the Magister, intriguing fellow. I see he noticed the statue. I don't like the statue. I wanted to have one of a local saint. But Aelianus is the artisan, who am I to say no?
OOC - I spaced and did not realize we went through with the tacky statue idea. Roberto is none too keen about it.
[color=green]Wirth
[color=red]
Agreed.
Still, we must be carefull not to bring upon us the wrath of the quaesitores. Subtle magics might be preferable. Maybe something to affect our opponents morale? Like the spell I proposed before, on a grander scale?
And my operation went just fine, the men did good.
About the visitors, Wirth is not happy, and won't be showing up very much. He don't like this, he'd prefer to be independant.
In fact, maybe he'll check them from afar under the cover of invisibility.
OOC Aelianus did. His building materials where stolen but he replaced them. It where back in the days when Aelianus ruled everything and made what he thought where right
Maxamillian whispers. [color=red]Oh I see, Roberto can read from Maxamillians face that he now thinks that Aelianus is not playing with a full deck (don’t know if that is the right choice of words).[color=red] How about that cat? Did he speak…? What form of witchcraft can do such a thing? Maxamillian looks worried. Roberto can see Diodorus face as well he has laid his ears back. Unless he is listening to something behind him he did not like what Maxamillian whispered.
Roberto throws something at the cat that it chases after. [color=red]Gato estupido..., never mind about the cat. Yeah, he can talk, but he's not really all that smart. And yes, my friend Aelianus does seem strange. But I assure you he is a good man. He grew up in isolation, not well socialized.
Marcello:
[color=red]The leader of the scholars is an artist. A wood carver I think. I believe he traded his services or art work for this art work. This was in a caravan that was robbed by bandits. Too big to steal I think.
[in regards to the newer fishing boats]
[color=red]...The fishing ships were decimated or taken by pirates. To help support the village Aelianus made some deals to get more ships.
[color=green]Roberto: (Walking with Maximilian Benard to his quarters in his sanctum, where he keeps his sangria)
[color=red]Maximilian Benard, my friend, you gotta have nerves of steel. I warned you we are wizards. And so there’s a cat that can talk. You just got to let it roll off of you. I knew a guy with a talking horse once, named it Babieca. It was the white war stallion of El Cid 
. You will get used to it. We have a monk around, he got used to it.
(Opens his last bottle of sangria, pours two cups, clink cups and say cheers 
)
[color=red]I can place my Parma Magica upon you, share my magical protection like I did when I came to visit you last. As I told you, most wizards carry the burden of an unsettling presence. It is God’s reminder to be humble, lest we succumb to Hubris.
In the case of Aelianus, he is more humbled than others for his presence is even stronger and more unsettling. It has caused him to become isolated and even more socially maladjusted. Have pity.
Bernard seems to see the wisdom of Roberto’s words. There where no trouble convincing him that Aelianus is a bit maladjusted to society. The bottle of sangria have it’s supposed effect and turns the evening into a quite pleasant one. Roberto tells as I assume war stories and tales from adventures far south. Bernard tells him of his war stories in the service of his lady. He also tells that he and his men will turn the covenants able bodied men into a proper fighting force that can aid in case the castle is threatened. He also mention that one of his men Adolf have been in the east fighting the heathens in the forest of Pomerania.
Night turn into morning and a few days pass on. From the different places in the covenant the barking of orders and drilling can be seen and heard. Fishermen and servants are being forged into a fighting force.
Then one evening Aelianus summons a council meeting. Once every magi is assembled the meeting starts. Magister Cornelius seems to have concluded his survey of the covenants resources.
Magister Cornelius speaks. [color=red]I have with the aid of your staff gathered a summary of your expenditure and you income. Despite the fact that this covenant lacks any apparent source of income it is still spending over 185 pounds of silver each year. The fishing is not producing any silver to your coffers for now it seems. As I learnt they where given some freedom from taxation from magus Aelianus in four more years so that the village may grow strong and vibrant. The income I learn came from the sale of magical resources and the odd magical service. As I see it the covenant generates a surplus of 19 pounds of silver each year. If you where ordinary subjects then I could easily demand that a tenth of your income plus the ability to defend these domains where a fair tax. Now as this income come from your magical gifts it seems inappropriate to demand the fruits of your labour. After all you are the lords of this covenant not peasants working the fields. So now I need to hear your thoughts regarding this matter.
[color=green]Roberto: [color=red]Hmmm, well, it would seem you know much more than I expected. I do not know much about the financial matters hereabouts. I think a 10% charge on our income plus the duty of defending the land is most fair.
(thinks to self - "you can take that horrid tacky statue if you want")
[color=red]Yeah, I am sick and tired of heathens too. I mean, in Iberia we were more than accomodating to our Moslem neighboors. We let them keep their mosques, then their fundamentalist cousins sweep in and undo a generation of peacemaking and society building. And in Novgorod, er, I mean the Baltic and Pomerania, there are these Pagan witches and werewolves that are an enemy to mundane and magus alike!
Rrrrr, sometimes I yearn for the good old days, when I used to dish out repentence with a flaming sword...
Aelianus can agree to the deal suggested to the magi by magister Cornellis.
Unless there is someone who will oppose this deal then I draw this thread to an end here. And begin with a new council meeting when I return.
For those that think that their character partook in this story in any significant way I give you 5 xp and recovery of confidence for Roberto for his brave duel.