"He may already have an arcane connection with me. It was my blood month and apparently he was able to take that as a way to manifest. I can negotiate with him, but I'm not sure what we should be negotiating for, or what kind of concessions might be appropriate. Also someone had mentioned you might have use of his services if that is possible, so I wanted to talk with you before I negotiate with him."
One day in Barcelona, Summer of 1236, Yvall's Tavern, which is the center of Mercere activity.
Kesara of Flambeau, that minor background maga of Andorra Covenant, she is visiting Fedora and signing off on an exchange (Yuvall's is short on currency, so we bought some vis from them at a bargain rate of 9lbs silver per pawn).
Anyway, Fredrika Ex-Miscellanea walks into the bar...
Barcelona was a bustling city: wealthy, strong - as vibrant as and lively as Frederika had heard tell of. It reminded her a little of Salerno. Which is to say, she needed a drink and the inn was welcome shade...
Sipping a drink, she read over the letter that had brought her here once more. In summary, find Carles of Jerbiton with an eye to fostering an uptake of serious scholasticism within the Order of Hermes. A worthy cause! And her first real project since becoming a fully fledged maga.
Nervousness would not do (it would not!); Frederika sniffed at the prospect, took a breath and finished her drink.
"Well...I must make an effort. I will ask around and find this Carles of Jerbiton. Then see what can be done!"
One of the staff, Erik the RedCap (aka English Erik), has been assigned to take you to Carles.
"[color=green]Be wit'cha inna minute toots. Gotta finish me beverage and I'm in da middle of a conversation.
Anyway, El Piroman figures Erat Caecus is planning on..."
Erik continues conversing with the bartender, paying no mind to Fredrika. Then you approached by a young woman.
[color=red]Salve Sodale. I am Kesara of Flambeau from Andorra Covenant. I happen to know Carles personally and would be glad to take you to his shoppe.
Hearing a language Frederika is fluent in comes as a welcome surprise!
Standing, she curtseys swiftly and politely. "A pleasure, Kesara. My name is Frederika of the house Miscellanea. It seems you've overheard my bother. Thank you for stepping forward and offering your assistance."
"Please," Gesturing to the chair opposite her, Frederika sits back down. "I could trouble you to lead me to Carles straight away, but my journey's been long, and overly hot. So forgive me if I ask you to tarry with me while I have another drink. Would you like one?"
"Tell me though, what sort of man is Carles? I've come a long way, and I hardly know the man I'm supposed to meet!"
Kesara orders a large pitcher of juice.
[color=red]Carles is a quirky old man who loves books. OVer a hundred years old I am sure. Gently Gifted and perpetuating a masquerade, like all of the resident members. Yet his oddity is obvious. He runs a store specializing in rare books. .Books of the Eye" he calls it. He is well regarded by mundane scholars though.
He is quirky. Even if he knows you, he will maintain his guise until an exchange of phrases takes place. You inquire of him "Do you have anything written by Quiffara?", the name of his parens. he respons with "Why do you ask?", and the answer must be "I'd like to learn something about his famous student".
What else? He knows a little something about almost everything. Though some of his views are outdated and somewhat conservative.
Oh, and his familiar. Noscur, a black tomcat. The two are always at it like an old married couple, yet they are utterly loyal and devoted to each other.
Frederika claped her hands together, "Wonderful! Thank you." The information was wonderful at least. The pomp and circumstance of the passphrase and general rigmarole would simply have to be endured. And definitely filed under 'old man's annoying eccentricities'. Rika was getting the feeling that she would have to try very hard to bite her tongue.
Though truthfully, she got that feeling a lot.
"Shall we be off then? I'm excited to get started!"
[color=red]Let me grab a letter of travel from Fedora. (and she does).
[color=red]Barcelona has special rules for visiting, and they are struggling to manage traffic. This portal network, it is made up of chapterhouses from each covenant in Iberia, all located in the suburbs outside the actual city. Yvalls,s Tavern is the center of the hub. It has portals to Andorra, Harco, and Mallorca.
Which is a long winded way of saying most of the traffic is intended to stay out of the city. But that's impractical.
The city itself, as defined by the outer wall, is territorry of Barcelona Covenant. Technically you need their permission to enter, and an escort. Escort services are farmed out to the Redcaps of Yvall's. You have an invitation. Erik there was supposed to be your escort, but he is a womanizing jackass. I myself, as a maga of Andorra which is a friend and ally of Barcelona, I hold honored guest status and qualify as an escort. I just want to make sure that they are informed.
She takes care of all that, and you wait another half hour until sundown and cast Parma. She grabs two hired thugs (mooks are always for hire in Barcelona), and you start walking. You chat back and forth.
[color=red]Now those visiting rules I mentioned, there are a few exceptions and constant violations. The simple fact of not invading and vandalizing their covenant is enough to earn their respect. The city crawls with spies and agents, clandestine cabals and secret traditions.
Beware Erat Caecus.
Oh, here we are!
(the whole walk takes a full hour)
Nodding, Frederika followed Kesera.
"Then the political situation sounds...volatile. And dangerous." She hadn't expected this. Exhaling thoughtfully, the young maga tried to consider the implications of walking unwittingly into a den of vipers. "The mere act of talking to Carles will place me on some sort of side. And being new will make me a desirable pawn or an unwelcome wildcard in any number of plots. No doubt."
it was university all over again. Except with more chance of death (probably). Frederika shrugged, frowning slightly: "Nothing to do about it yet. I'll try to be cautious until I find my feet..."
With that, she stepped inside the bookstore: "Hello? Meister Carle?" And rolled her eyes. "...do you have anything written by Quiffara?"
You see an old man, not quite as old as you thought though. He looks at you and shakes his head. Then he calls into the back. [color=green]Carles? Yo! Carles! You have a visitor!
An even older man emerges from the back. They whisper to each other.
[color=brown]Quiffara you say? I have not heard that name in a while.
Why do you ask?
With an effort of obvious willpower, Frederika curtsies curtly and plays Carles' game: "...why, do you ask? I 'd like to learn something about his famous student."
She smiles 'sweetly', removing her travelling cloak and brushing her hair back. "I am Frederika Kassmeyer. I have heard only good things about you, Carles of Jerbiton. I believe you're expecting me. May we sit? I am hoping there is much to discuss."
[color=brown]Yes, let us sit. Have some charcutere.
I asked you here because I am interested in your interests. I participate in book exchanges accross the Order, contributing to the preservation and circulation of the classics of Hermetic literature and study. I also specialize in those rare texts, obscure traditions and occult mysteries.
But what you wrote me expressing interest in. The classics. True classics! Aristotle, Plato, Virgil, Sophoclese, Cicero...
True foundations of wisdom.
And what I wrote you is true! Coming out of Toledo and now Cordova, Arabic manuscripts for Greek classics for which no modern Latin translation exists. Lost knowledge rediscovered! Not just philosophy or rhetoric. Math such as you never imagined!
(just making stuff up based on what I figured Fredrika would be interested in, seeing if we can bait a hook with whatever)
"Precisely! You wouldn't believe the knowledge coming out of heathen lands. They might be Godless, but what they know works better than many of the techniques we have here in Christendom. Did you know that the Arabs use leeches to draw blood? Leeches! No need for a lancet or a way to staunch the bleeding. It's marvellous."
Frederika is positively alight with enthusiasm!
"Some would scoff at the idea of taking knowledge from such people. But we must remember that the authors of classic wisdom followed an unrighteous path as well. It's only by sharing such knowledge that we realise its value. Hiding it away because we think it's valuable or we don't agree with it serves no purpose! If I might be precocious,"
And Frederika is nothing if not precocious without paying heed to those around her.
"I could stand the Order itself to share more readily. The wisdom of our elders is valuable - so valuable! - but to lock it away because of its value? That's unthinkable! Knowledge by itself is not valuable. Not unless it's shared!"
"That's an idea I'd love to see spread. More than anything."
[color=brown]Hmmm...
Can you define what qualifies certain people as godless or unrighteous? See, the thing is...
No, perhaps this is not the time nor place for theological debates. Suffice to say, my own beliefs are not quite orthodox. I find myself more in agreement with Judaism that Catholicism these days. I also have sympathy for Islam and great respect for our pagan ancestors. Yet I am by no means godless, and I do believe Chist is our savior. I just think everyone is doing it wrong. The Cathaers, now they have some interesting ideas. I don't agree with much of their philosophy. But I respect it, and I would hesitate to call them goddless or even heretics.
Then there's that Order of Hermes and all their ctazy ideas and inner cults.
Oh wait. That's us. 
See what I mean? We can't push this agenda forward by alienating magi of various non-Catholis faiths.
Now, what is this agenda? Simply stated, I would like to encourage magi to take the academic as serious as the arcane. We write and recopy books that are of use to only a fraction of a percent of the population. Books on the Arts. We also produce and copy books on Arcane Lore and supernatural subjects, useful to other wizards and mundane scholars alike.
But the Academic classics. Sure, we magi trade and copy these as well. But few if any of us write on the subjects. Our great literary and scribal power, only a fraction of our potential is utilized for academics. So many rare and lost treasures! Preserved by the Visigoths then the Andalusians, yet unknown to the rest of the world! We magi vainly waste our time focusing exclusively on texts concerning the Magical Arts. If the Order as a whole would just increase attention to academics by merely a fraction, a new goldenage of literacy and learning would bloom!
Perhaps this guy is predicting the future? That is what happened in the Renisance. Maybe his cause is the source and origin of that. Or maybe it has nothing to do with this, but his plan would cause it to maybe happen earlier?
And what would Fredrika's role in all this be?
Frederika nods rapturously.
"Knowledge is knowledge, and we cannot dismiss it because it doesn't conform to our worldviews. I believe that all magi should be aware of where they come from: we are a tradition of 'knowing', of integration and sharing - the likes of which has never been seen in the magical arts before or since!" `
"This makes us learned individuals. We train, and we read and we acquire the knowledge of those that have come before us! And as learned individuals we cannot discount the past. Walk into a village - walk into a city! - and almost no one will know Aristotle or Plato. Walk into a covenant of our kind, and who will know of the masters that exist in records of Durenmar? All of them...?" Yes!"
Slamming her hands on the table, Frederika looks Carles directly in the eye.
"But who will have read them? Who! Almost none. We stand on the shoulders of giants, meister Carles. But to stand with a firm foundation, we need to know what those giants knew. As magi, we should advance our traditions! We need free access to the research of our grandest forefathers. Else we risk reinventing the wheel - it's pointless."
"Let the learned academics of the mundane advance our studies of the classics - better we learn of the fruits of their labour than make it our labour. I hold the classics dear to my heart, and I have learnt much from them - things that all magi should know. But our labour should be in areas the best scholars cannot advance in; and what they cannot advance in is the magical tradition of the Order of Hermes."
Settling back down, she folds her arms: "I believe, if I may suggest, that all magi would benefit from the wisdom provided by the greatest thinkers of humankind. It is a rational, informed view of the world. But as for the order itself, I want to see free and unrestricted access to the books and knowledge of our masters and mentors! Why hide such things? Use them, build on them!"
"Those are my beliefs. Radical though they may be," Rika nods with finality. "And I'm willing to fight for them. I might even start here. If I could just show the benefits of learning to our colleagues, they'd surely be convinced? We can't disregard the past - we can't! - but I feel too many young magi do, and too many old magi encourage that..."
"I think you're right. I truly do. I'm a neophyte in many ways, but the path we should take seems so clear to me."
The first old man you met, that was Florenzo filius Carles. A mature wizard with his own filius now a young magus, he still stays close with his pater and is dedicated to the librarian traditions.
Then there is Noscur, an old black cat, sitting on a table next to him.
[color=green]What do you think of this one?, Florenzo says to Noscur, who licks his leg then replies.
[color=brown][b]She rambles ecclectically, repeating the same point over and again. Just like he does. She'll make a perfect addition.
Kesara sits with Fredrika and Carles. He continues on, ignoring the background chatter.
[color=brown]How fortunate Kesara met you and escorted you here. See, though she knows it not, a member of her covenant wrote to me asking for assistance. Master Vocis of Tremere, Librarian of Andorra Covenant, requested that I recruit for him a magus that could aid him in his work.
I feel that should be you.
It is not a matter of skill. You will have a staff, and if needed I can provide you with notes for useful magic.
It is your discernment and enthusiasm I value. Andorra Library, it had a fire some years ago. The best were preserved though, and they have rebuilt much. I have a vested interest in their library, and I want to invest in it.
Frederika swells a little with some measure of self-satisfaction: "I would be delighted to take such an assignment And any notes, research or aid you can provide, I will gladly take. The quicker I can get grounded here, the quicker I can prove myself a valuable addition to the Order of Hermes here."
"In fact, with your leave, I would eagerly start as soon as possible!"
[color=brown]Then it is settled. I shall write you my letter of reccomendation which you shall present to Master Vocis or Pontifex Carmen. Kesara will be glad to guide you. Wont she?
Kesara looks surprised, but agrees. [color=red]Yeah, sure. Sounds like a plan.
"Fabulous!" Frederika clasps Carle's hand warmly.
Then, turning to her new covenant sister: "It seems I'm in your care again, Kesara. Our meeting must have been providence. Please, as we're going to be working more closely from now on, let me get to know you. Or," she held her hand up. "if I'm imposing too much, let me implore you to tell me a little about Andorra before we have to part. I'll repay the favour later - I insist."
[color=red]Um, well, what do you want to know? It is an old and established institution. It is located in Arans Andorra, a tiny nation outside any feudal bonds. Our covenant is part of no Tribunal, yet strongly connected to both Provencal and Iberia. Delendos filius Flambeau, he resided there once. Um, we lay claim to the whole of the land, but we are leasing rights to a Provencal covenant. Bellaquon. We are wealthy and have much influence, but we have our struggles and difficulties. Autumn. I say we have started Autumn.