Chapter IV (1234-1240)

[tab][/tab]You enter the doors leading into a large round chamber with an oval oak table. Carmen sits at the center. Her flaxen blonde hair reflects the light from the glowing lantern overhead. She is a petite woman, young, dressed in an ornate flowing blue silk dress and long black cape that is flattering and dramatic. Worked upon both are lace designs with mystical symbols including those of the Order and of House Flambeau; the three snake heads, the hourglass, the forked dragon, her sigil of a hawk, the astrological symbol of Jupiter, a griffon and drake combatant counterchanged, and others.
[tab][/tab]Roberto stands to her right, scowling at Carlos. Cidito the cat sleeps lazily on the table before him. Glad you didn't get lost Roberto mutters as he shakes his head. Maga Fleur de Bonisagus, allow me to present you to the madame Pontifex of Andorra, Carmen Perez of Flambeau.
Carmen smiles demurely as she sets down the papers she was looking at. Salve sodale. I read your letter and understand you wish to petition for membership. Now, a plegde may be required to wait up to seven seasons and perform three services. But our rules word that as optional, and we have instituted a temporary program to fast track Journeyman magi into the covenant. It is by agreeing to a specific long term service, station in the Balearic Islands to oversee and manage our investments there. If you agree, I will request tat the council vote upon your petition right away.

Fleur considers this "How long of a service, and what is involved in managing these investments?"

A Pledge may be required to wait seven seasons and perform three minor services. But as I said, we can wave that. A Journeywoman can come and go as she pleases, she has rights to the covenant just as any other member. But by being stationed there you are made a junior officer, a warden, not something to be taken or forsaken lightly. And honestly, the Sa Dragonera situation is still yet to be fully defined. We might pull our investment out, we might double down, we might float it for a while. We have not yet decided. But you will get a nice set up and for now you just have to be there.
And we have other stuff for you to do, and many opportunities.
It is only a short seven year span before you are eligible for status as a Mistress. In that time you are expected to perform three important services. These will earn you acclaim and honor in the covenant. And all the while you shall have free access to the resources we offer all regular members. Our library is growing and shall one day rival Doisettep and Durenmar. You will earn vis wages as a warden and have the opportunity to earn more. You may also draw against an account in expectation of your future salary. And the things you need in order to do the things yu need to do, we will provide you.

Fleur pauses. There is something going on here she doesn't understand, this simply seems too good to be true. This isn't just about a shortage of journeymen mages- this isn''t just a position you try hard to recruit new people for, this is the kind of dream setup that journeymen who have been around a few years should be jumping at. However aside from the possibility of expansive duties in the future, which should help her achieve Mistress status, whatever was going on here didn't seem t be aimed at taking advantage of her.
"It seems I would be a fool to turn this down. I choose not to be a fool today." Not counting the little encounter between Marcus and Felicia at least.

Excellent. I shall inform the rest of the council and ask them to vote on it straight away.
You have been to your room I presume? I understand that you have toured the courtyard. Roberto is the gentlemanly sort. I am sure he would be glad to show you around to the library and such and introduce you to the other magi.
Um, okay. Carlos! Go see if you can find Vibria and Vocis and the other magi. Tell them I am showing a prospective new maga around the library and covenant. The will meet her tonight at dinner, but if they want to head over to the library and meet her ahead of time, that is where we will be. Fleur de Bonisagus.

Fleur takes Roberto's arm and whispers to him "Are you upset with Carlos?"

What? No. It's just that he is too carefree and nonchalant about his duties. I had no idea where you guys were, I sent Cidito to find Carlos and the fat cat took his sweet time about it, and I was waiting with Carmen for almost an hour. Maybe half an hour. But still, don't let her fool you. She may seem young and sweet sometimes, but she is a grizzled senior maga, Flambeau to the bone, and she has it in for me.
So his tomfoolery put me in an uncomfortable spot for longer than I wanted. That's all. It's what he does. It's what hes always done.

"Cidito didn't tell you where he found us, did he?" She bites her lower lip, she really wasn't looking for anyone to be in trouble, at least no more than the kind of trouble that wasn't really trouble but might involve a gentle flogging. "If it helps I didn't really think she was young and sweet. More like elegant and imposing."

:unamused:
I've known Carlos over twenty years. He's my best friend. I can figure it out.
I suppose elegant and imposing is a fitting description for Carmen. She is the first woman to be accepted by the Knights of Seneca, the Flambeau societas I am part of. We are of the same lineage I think. But she puts a lot of expectation on me because of that. I don't mind. I can take it. I am not trying to conform to anyone's ideal. As long as I know I have fulfilled my duties to God and Honor, I will be fine.

[sub]Note: This is not the same, in my mind, as authoring one's moral code after the fashion of a Tytalus magus. Rather, his moral code is based on his religion and the lessons of honor he has learned in life. The similarity kies in his claim to not worry about the judgments of others as to how well he conforms to this code or interprets it. Which is not true. He does care what people think and Flambeau acclaim is important to him. And he does unconsciously cherry pick in the fashion of a Tytalus.[/sub]

"Well, I suppose we could have gotten here more quickly if he hadn't stopped to serenade me first." She flashes Roberto a wicked smile. "So, let's see the library."

When Roberto and Fleur reach the library, they are greeted by a small blond woman. She curtsies to them and says Greetings, magus, maga. I am Micaela, apprentice to Master Vocis. As her gaze turns up to you, it becomes apparent that the irises of her eyes are bright red and more than a little disconcerting. How may I help you today? Carlos did not specify.

"Are you in charge of the library, or is there an ungifted who handles the books? I should probably find out what the covenant procedures are for checking out a book or reserving it if it is in use."

Nicasi is our unGifted librarian, but my master is responsible for the library and I am well-versed in its procedures. In brief, any journeyman or master of the covenant may remove a book by notifying Nicasi. If they intend to remove the book from the covenant itself for any reason, they must seek Master Vocis's permission. The new sites on Mallorca are not considered part of the covenant for these purposes. If the book is in use, the member may notify Nicasi and he or she will be added to a wait list. A magus of higher rank within the covenant will take precedence over a lower-ranked magus on the wait list. Pledges and guests of the covenant are not permitted to remove books from the library. In addition, guests must receive permission from a journeyman or master and notify Master Vocis before utilizing a book.

Her spiel finished, she cocks her head to one side and says I must apologize, maga. I have not been informed of your status or rank. Are you a guest or a new member?

((This isn't just an info dump. Micaela is exceedingly formal at all times and enjoys rules.))

"For now, a guest. Tomorrow hopefully a new member. Mallorca, is these Balearic Islands or Sa Dragonera? If so I should probably meet Master Vocis."

I like the Library Rules :smiley:
And I like that Vocis (you) seized initiative and just declared what they were :slight_smile:
Makes sense. You are the officer in charge of the Library, you get to make the rules as you see fit to best do your job. I don't like the restriction on taking books back to your sanctum, but that's mainly because it affects my character :mrgreen: . Roberto will have to stay in the library all day and teleport or gateway home every night. The commute will be a killer :laughing:

Thanks. I figured he was within his rights to set some rules and tried not to make them too onerous for anyone. Plus reading AtD has me feeling all hierarchical. :slight_smile:

This is a compromise rule. When we first discussed the library, you mentioned that the old library held its best books in reserve for use by masters only. I thought this would be too tough on the journeymen from a meta-game perspective, so I went with the restriction on transporting books instead. I left the option for Vocis to allow it, which he'll (I'll) probably do if the book isn't one of our best summae. Otherwise, as you said, we have a portal to ease the burden.

Of course, maga. If you and magus Roberto would be so kind as to wait here, I will ask Master Vocis to join us. She turns away and raises her voice slightly. Nicasi, could you please provide refreshments for the magi while I am out? A large, balding man with ugly facial scars enters in from a different room. He gives what you assume is his version of a smile and bows. Before heading for the door, Micaela says Nicasi is mute, but his hearing is quite good. He will see to your needs. I will return shortly. With a curtsy, she heads out.

(Nicasi provides water, wine, and/or snacks...)

Within a few minutes, a dark-haired, clean-shaven man in dark grey robes strides into the library, trailed by Micaela. When he sees Fleur, he smiles broadly and says Ah, you must be Fleur. I am Vocis of Tremere. Welcome sodalis, both to our covenant and to our library. I see Nicasi has provided refreshments... he nods at Nicasi, who bows and takes his leave. Vocis has a seat and pours himself a glass of wine before continuing. So, what brings you to Andorra? Carlos said you may be seeking membership? Micaela stands a polite distance away, not quite looking at the magi, but clearly ready to respond if needed.

"Indeed, the process seems to be going better than expected, they are voting today, but under a deal that would put my sanctum in the Balearic Islands, so I expect I will need to be regularly getting permission to remove books to my sanctum."

Roberto nods.
Yeah, that is what Carmen was talking about. The same deal that was set op for myself and Pere Jerbiton.
But I gotta warn you Fleur. This isn't as easy as you may think. This covenant has a hierarchy, the sort not found in many others nowadays. Old school style. It is not oppressive or demanding as, say, Doisettep. We have the same amount of freedom as a member magus in most covenants that have a egalitarian system. But these higher ranking guys here, they receive more privileges and greater benefits. No big deal, it is fair. But they don't really let us make any decisions around here.

Vocis smiles. It might be a touch condescending. Or maybe he's just being friendly. It's hard to tell. You don't know him that well. :slight_smile: Guilty as charged. We do have a hierarchy within the covenant. We do have rules regarding use of resources. We are currently seeking to populate our new holdings in the Balearics with new recruits. These new recruits will be subject to the rules and responsibilities of their rank, just as all other members are.

Whether these rules and responsibilities are onerous or acceptable is largely a matter of perspective and expectations. As Roberto mentions, there are far more restrictive covenants within the Order. Or entire tribunals, for that matter. I think you'd find much less flexibility at any covenant in the Rhine, for example. However, if you are seeking full independence and authority from your first day of membership, Roberto is correct - Andorra does not offer that. What we do offer is a combination of advantages and opportunities you're unlikely to find elsewhere within the Order.

We have significant resources, both in vis and material wealth, and those resources will be available to you, even as a journeyman. We house Mercere portals to both Barcelona and your prospective home in the Balearics. Our covenant is connected to a Mercere House on-site and we have very favorable trade agreements with that House. Our library is extensive and growing constantly. Most remarkable of all, we exist as an independent entity outside the tribunal structure and have no desire for that situation to change. The only local authority to which you will be subject is the Andorran master's council, and we are hardly faceless taskmasters ruling from an ivory tower.

As I see it, you have an opportunity here. An opportunity to utilize significant resources to pursue your magical interests in a fascinating location before ultimately becoming a member of a major covenant's ruling council at a very young age. And please consider that, as masters of the covenant, we want you to succeed. Your achievements will strengthen Andorra. Our goal is not to impede your progress toward your own goals, but to encourage and support them. He nods at Roberto. Granted, we may not always support them in the way you prefer, but in a handful of years even that minor issue will be gone as you become a master in your own right.

So, this is what we offer. If it's not what you're looking for, I and the other masters will understand. Each maga must choose her own way. I just hope you give us our due consideration. If nothing else, visit Mallorca before deciding. It's a magical place.