The Pontifex directs the Warden to inform the Herald to direct a messenger to tell the pledge she has been accepted as a Journeywoman.
A big fat messenger grog happily comes out to meet Fleur. Congratulations Bill! Now you're a Law!
It's a warm autumn afternoon, not long after the Mercere portal to Harco has been opened up, when the portal comes to life and a man steps out of it. He's a relatively unassuming man, average in height and in appearance, wearing blue robes with yellow trim, cut in the style of magus robes. Looking to the grog guarding the portal he flashes a smile and says, "Good afternoon. My name is Lucas of Mercere, and I've been sent by my house with a message for the masters of this covenant. I wonder if it would be possible to speak with one of them."
In the portal chamber, you find two Redcap guards (they look over your papers), a man that seems to be an officer of soldiers, and a large fat orange cat with a face like Jonah Hex.
How come it is always me that newcomers first meet?
meow Because you are always flitting back and forth through the network between here and the Balearic Islands.
Hurm..
Salve sodale. I am Roberto Rodriguez of Flambeau, a Journeyman of Andorra. Mistress Fedora is...
I am not sure. I'll send someone to go get her or one of the other Masters.
So, new friend, what brings you to Andorra?
"Pleasure to meet you," Lucas replies. Then he adds, "I don't suppose my purpose in coming here is any secret." He shrugs. "My house has requested that your covenant take me on as a new journeyman magus. Seems that House Mercere considers this covenant to be important enough to want a Mercere magus here to help support the two Redcap Mistresses that you have." He smiles and looks around. "From everything I've heard, it promises to be an interesting place to settle down, if your Masters accept me. I've been at the Cunfin covenant since my apprenticeship and gauntlet. And while it's in a nice location and as peaceful as you could want for studying, living around a bunch of monks can be a bit boring at times."
(actually, you don't have to be a member. The covenant is obligated to support you in your work for the Redcaps. But it is preferable for you to join the covenant and influence their council. But whatever spin on your introduction you want to accomplish that 
We are down to just one Redcap member, Fedora. Tiana moved to Barcelona to manage the new hub center. But there are around a half dozen redcaps here in and out at any given time.
You are from Cunfin? y sympathies. I also did time in Normandy.
I am pretty new here, came on late last year. They brought me in as a security specialist. We are planning an expedition to the mythical City of Brass, which I am really excited about!
I figure (based on Lucas's desires), they phrased it as a request to accept Lucas into the covenant. Seems to me that if I'm going to be adventuring with the covenant and supporting them, I might as well be a member as an outsider.
Also, I thought Cunfin was in Burgundy (that's where I took my area knowledge and dialect). If it's actually in Normandy, I ought to switch things around to reflect reality.
[hr][/hr]
"Ah, I'd heard that Mistress Tiana was considering the move. But I hadn't heard that she'd made her final decision." Lucas nods absently. "But it's nice to hear that there's a steady supply of Redcaps through here. My wife will end up being one of them once we relocate. Nice to know there are a bunch of people to help her learn the ropes in a new location."
"City of Brass, you say." Lucas's eyes widen. "Now that sounds impressive. I can see why you'd be excited." He laughs. "Now there's something you'd never see at Cunfin."
Bartholomew opens the door to the room, and in Catalan "Nope, still getting used to this place, sorry for the intrusion." He looks a bit wan, and you can see he has a token, such as a visiting mage might have, hanging from his belt*, with dark hair, and a weathered almost hollow look to him.
- required for him to be inside the Aegeis, given he is viatacarius.
(Not mundane Normandy, the Normandy Tribunal. Burgandy is in it's jurisdiction)
When I was up at Novus Mane, we mounted expeditions Toledo and Thebes and even the Magic Realm. When I was at Mons Electi, I was on an adventure that took me to Venice and Egypt and even under the sea! If you are not doing anything, I was about to head back to Ibiza and take a weekend trip undersea to visit my sweetheart. Wanna join me?
Hey, Bart! Wanna join us?
"Here or undersea?" Bart takes a seat. "Sounds like the action here has a lot more variety than service in Aragon."
Undersea.
Wait, who are you? There is three guys named Bart around here and you look like all of them.
"Bartholoew, new recruit, I don't think we've met yet. And given what I've been through this past year not being able to tell me apart from anyone else is probably the highest complement you could give me,"
Very well then. Your job is to e this man's shield grog. We'll take the portal to Palma, the Regio to Ibiza, I'll grab my man Carlos and my man Johan cn take us to Herecleion, a sunken city of the Tritiones.
"Sunken cities," Lucas exclaims. "This certainly is a lot more interesting than Cunfin. I wish I could join you. But I need to speak to one of the masters as soon as possible. Fedora would be preferable."
One of the covenant's swarm of pages knocks on the door of Fédora's office and enters at her summons. "Excuse me, Mistress, but there is a magus at the Portal for you. Master Roberto says his name is Lucas of Mercere."
The Redcap sets aside the parchment she had been staring at for the last quarter hour. [color=blue]"Is he alone, or is his wife with him?"
"I don't know, Mistress. Master Roberto only mentioned Magus Lucas."
[color=blue]"I suppose I'll find out soon enough." Fédora rises from her chair and follow the page to the portal.
She instantly recognizes Lucas, as she had spent her whole career from just before her Gauntlet in 1222 until coming to Andorra in 1229 at Cunfin, the same covenant that he had called home for the last decade.
[color=blue]"Lucas! How are you doing?" she says as she kisses him on both cheeks with a half-hearted smile (which is as close as he's likely ever seen her come to beaming with happiness). [color=blue]"And your wife and children? Are they here as well?"
Bart checks the quick arrangements "This man here?" He points to Lucas.
"Fedora," the Mercere magus says with a smile. "It's good to see you again. I'm doing well, as are Cecilia and the children. Cecilia is finishing up one last delivery in Normandy before we relocate, while the nanny looks after the children. Stephanus just started his apprenticeship last year, and Elinor is eager to follow in his footsteps. Edvard is still a handful, and Maria finally started talking. We can hardly get her to stop now." It's clear from the smile on his face that Lucas cares greatly for his family.
"What about you and Vulcanus?" he asks with genuine interest. "You seem to be doing well here. I hope all I've heard is true. Has Semyon stared his apprenticeship yet? And I hear you've had three more children. They must be a handful. I'm sure Elinor would be happy to help you out with them. She's grown so mature over the last year, and she has a lot of experience taking care of Edvard and Maria."
"But there's time to truly catch up later," Lucas says slight shake of his head. "I actually came here on business. I'm sure you've already heard word of this, but the House has decided that your work here is important enough that you should have the support of a house magus. Not that you're not getting the magical support you need from your sodales, I'm sure." He smiles. "But you know how the higher ups can get. They want to show that House Mercere can provide its own magical support when necessary. They asked me if I'd be interested in the job and I said yes. I've heard quite a bit about your covenant recently, and it sounds like an exciting place to be. Moreover, after a quarter of a century living in what amounts to a monastery - or at least in a monastery town - I'm ready for some excitement. Cecilia and I talked it over, and she agreed to reclocate." He reaches into the pouch at his side and takes out a letter sealed in wax. "House Mercere has officially requested that the Covenant of Andorra accept me as a journeyman. Cecilia and the children will come along too, he adds. But she's to be based out of the Mercere Lodge and run messages for the House as usual. They're only looking at having you take me on." He offers her the letter. "Should I give the letter to you, or is there a different procedure I should follow?"
[color=blue]"I would be delighted to...sponsor? Put your name forward for membership. Let me summon the Council for a meeting, which will meet in four day's time. Meanwhile, I invite you to stay as a Protected Guest." Fédora then formally invites Lucas into the Aegis and gives him a token before she gets some palimpsest to write the summonses for the Council meeting.
[color=blue]"Would you like me to give you a tour of the place while I deliver these?" she asks.
Lucas accepts the invitation and the token with a bow of thanks. "You're very kind," he replies. Then when an offer of a tour is mentioned, his eyes light up. "That sounds wonderful. I've heard so much about this place, I'd love to finally get a look for myself."
Fédora proceeds to give Lucas the quarter tour (it's like the nickel tour, but five times more impressive), starting with the Redcap Quarter. Showing him the tower, where the Redcaps stay when they're there, where her offices are, where she lives (although she saves actually taking him there for last), the portals, and what not, and introducing him to all the Redcaps that are there.
She then shows him around the rest of the covenant and introduces him to each of the other magi in turn. Vibria (who is studying that season), she introduces rather coolly, and quietly tells him as they leave, [color=blue]"You might want to avoid getting involved with her. She's a tramp."
Lucas can't help but be impressed by the covenant. If nothing else, the views of the countryside are breathtaking. When they get to the Redcap tower, he greets them all. Some are known to him; others bare acquaintances, others unknown. But they're all Redcaps of House Mercere and deserving of respect. Besides, what would his wife say if she heard that he was rude to a Redcap? He didn't relish the thought.
Lucas smiles at Fedora's last comment. "Now Fedora, you know me better than that," he replies. "I only have eyes for Cecilia. No one, however trampish, could cause my eye to wander." Then he smiles and adds, "but I do appreciate the warning." The combination of marrying so early and living in a monastery had left Lucas a bit conservative when it came to such things.
"As for the rest, would it me an imposition if I stayed for a day or so to get a feel for the surrounding area, and then returned in four days to answer any questions the gathered masters will have? I told our nanny that I might be gone for as much as a week, so I can stay through the meeting of you want. But with Cecilia out on a delivery, it would be nice to let the kids see their father."