When comes the time of Arachné, Lucas is introduced to an old woman, well into her fifties, if not older. She wears red robes patterned after a web, and leans on a staff, a ruby at its top glowing from a soft light. But the most striking part of her appearance is not her wrinkles, quite unusual for a magi, nor her obvious artifact (talisman?), but rather her eyes, which are just as red as her robes, and deeply focused on some inner goal.
Salve sodales. I am Arachné Ex Miscellanea, Warden of Andorra. This means that it is my task to ensure and maintain our defenses, both physical and magical, as well as conceive better ways to defend ourselves against aggression.
Whether you expect to reside in the Redcap Quarter, or intend to stay here and be accepted into our covenant or chapterhouse, I'd like to have a talk with you, get a grip on your abilities. In the second case especially, so I can factor you into the covenant's defenses and find ways for us to work together, and for Andorra to use your strengths.
Lucas shows great respect for Arachne, as is due a maga of her stature, as well as is due to the Warden of the covenant. "I can appreciate your concerns," he replies. "And I'll be frank and say that as a Merecere magus I haven't focused on offensive magics. It's not in my house's character. But I'm not without ability. I've studied the magical feats of harnessing and tethering. For certain spells, I can dismiss them at will, or tether them to someone else who can dismiss them. One of my specialties is turning a willing target into a wolf, and enchantment they can dismiss at will. That might be helpful for patrols. I can also turn myself into a falcon, which might help for scouting. Beyond that, I've been blessed with an extremely gentle Gift. Not only do I not upset people with my Gift, but I've never had any real need to use incantations or gestures with my magic either. It comes in extremely handy when I'm in falcon or wolf form, or when I'm in town and don't want to draw attention to myself."
"Very well then," Lucas replies. "I'll schedule my return for three days from now. That will place the meeting in four day's time. I hope that will be convenient to the other masters. And while I think about it, are you or they partial to wines from Normandy? Our local vineyard makes a white Burgundy that I strongly recommend. If you'd like, I could bring several bottles with me on my return. Or of any of you have particular wine requests, I can see what I can manage in the coming days. There is a wine merchant near the covenant who tends to keep a fairly robust stock."
[color=blue]"I've never been a real wine connoisseur," Fédora says with a smile, [color=blue]"but I doubt that my sodales would refuse a gift of fine wine."
"I come from near Champagne and Burgundy," Lucas replies. "I think I know a thing or two about good wine." Then he smiles at the cat and adds, "but if you have some Jerez wine on hand I'd welcome a glass. I'm never one to turn down a glass of good wine." He seems totally nonplussed that he's having a conversation with a cat.
Arachné listens to lucas carefully. It really seems that, despite her seniority, she takes him seriously.
Oh, I see... This is very interesting, and impressive. I had to learn 2 high-level spells just to emulate part of your abilities.
I thank you. Should you stay here, I shall think about how I can integrate you and your abilities into our defenses.
Anyway, I wish you a good stay in Andorra
It's not just you. A lot of people tend to play their magi as Lawful Neutral sorts. I am only pointing out the missed opportunity in order to encourage you to not be so stiff and uber conservative. House Mercere is not House Tremere. You are a Magus, the cannot order you to do anything. And as you are one of their few magi, it is you that should be giving orders
AND
Though seeking membership is recommended, it is not required nor even requested. The Mercere are not requesting the covenant make you a member. That is entirely on you and you alone. The Mercere are simply installing you in an office, and they have the sole right to determine who fills that office.
Which contradicts what I just said. You are taking a job, so they can tell you what to do. But you don't have to listen. The very most the Mercere can do is assign someone else to fill this position. You can get fired or quit, and it has no effect legally on your status as a Mercere magus. And if you are a member by that point, it makes it more difficult to replace you.
I might well have taken him up on that offer at a different time. But I had just arrived at the covenant and sent someone off to tell the masters that I was here to deliver an important message. It seemed kind of rude to just duck out on them and hare off to a sunken city. Not the best way to endear yourself to the local masters. ("He was here a few moments ago.") And we Mercere are kind of funny about delivering messages. We take it pretty seriously.
Now, if the offer had been made after I finished delivering the message, that would be a different story. I have time to kill before I meet up with the masters in several days time, and a sunken city sounds fun. (I even said as much in response to his offer.) But before the message was delivered? No can do.
As for wanting to be a member of the covenant rather than being in an outside office - well, it's not all that fun to be an outsider. You sit around watching the covenant build and grow and suffer setbacks, but you're not really a part of all that. It's very static and not all that fun from a player standpoint. I imagine it will be much more fun to have some skin in the game.
I thought the hook was Cidito claiming that he needs to taste Jerez wines. Onward to Taifa teritory!!
Even if I think Cidito deserves his name: diminutive, for being a kind and preferring sweets over real wine.
Actually, that was me wanting to make a smart ass comment and choosing to use Cidito as my voice. I also figure that, with his Hienlien inspired power to walk anywhere if unobserved, he could be here or there or anywhere he needs to be in order to insert a smart alec comment.
I also base characters I play (as a PC) on myself somewhat. And I like sweets :mrgreen: I drink like a gallon of Mountain Dew a day and consume at least two to four doughnuts, I sprinkle sugar on my meat, and it is only in the past year that I learned to drink Jack & Coke or Captain & Coke instead of Amaretto Stone Sours or Daqueris. I still do not like beer.
I also figure Cidito picked up the wine habit from Roberto. I toyed with the idea of making him a drunkard cat like General Sterling Price, the icon I based him on (John Wayne's cat in True Grit and Rooster Cogburn). As for Roerto, he is originally from New Castile, his mother was a Mozarab originally from Malaga in Andalusia. After his village was burned by the paynim, he wandered around the land and hooked up with mercenaries that foraged frequently in the south. That is where he was when he became an adult, so I figured the Jerez region would have a profound impact on his tastes.
I also find it intriguing that this wine, invented y Moors and consumed by them, caused so much strife between Iberian Muslims and their Berber cousins. Im my opinion, one of the reasons the Reconquista lasts so long is because neither side is solid and united. Yet. Christians war against each other, Muslims fight one another, Christians fight Muslims, Christians and Muslims ally together against other Christians and Muslims, and so on. There are large divisions in the style and practice of Islam here, and discrepencies between variations of Christianity. Christians of the North tend to be Catholic. Arianism is virtually extinct. But the Mosarab Christians of the south tend to follow Orthodox traditions.
Ironic facts. There are more Bishoprics in Muslim controlled Andalusia than there are in the northern kingdoms combined. The Christians under Moorish control vastly outnumber the Muslims. Disregard what the liberal pseudo intellectuals would have you believe. The Reconquista at it's heart is a Political struggle to reclaim political control over the land. Granted, religion is a political issue for these people. But it does not take on a fevor of intolorance until the French get involved. Which is starting to happen right around this era, but is still subdued compared to what most people's misconceptions may be.
And I hate Mallort
Having mentioned my sweet tooth, I should also mention I am only 145 pounds. I have a thick head of hair with full color (all my grey is in my beard which I keep shaved), and I can produce twice as much work as two men less than half my age. I am 44, yet I frequently lie and claim I am only 30 and often get away with it. My trick is to claim I am 25 with a smirk that betrays an obvious lie, then when called out on it I humbly admit I am really 30 or 32 or some such, and people believe it and are satisfied that they forced the truth from me.
:mrgreen:
I'm going to assume (hope) that you're shorter than I am. I'm 5' 11" and working to get from 175 back down to 165. 145 is something I haven't seen since high school.
Alas, the grey in my beard belies any claim but that I'm close to my true age (47).
I wish I was 175! That is what I weighed in high school. And I am 5 foot 10, with a wingspan of 6'1" (the people who told you that these are supposed to match have been lying to you). It might be genetics, or it may be my lifestyle. I walk everywhere. I do not own a car, I walk three miles to the train every night I work and three miles home from there every morning after. It is also about a mile frm the station in the city to get to the club I work at. So that is eight miles a day. I move at a good pace too, about a mile every fifteen to twenty minutes. That is roughly 3 to 4 mph, just my long-legged walking stride.
Shave the beard &/or use Grecian Formula. That will also help. I just shave, not an uber grooming sort of guy, so hair color smacks of too much effort for my tastes.
I think this is a digression that has nothing to do with the story at hand. How did we get here?
Oh yeah, sweets
With his message delivered and some time to kill, Lucas decides to wander around the covenant, trying to get a feel for the place. He doesn't go anywhere he's clearly not supposed to go, and he certainly doesn't intrude on any sanctums. But he does look around the covenant, both inside and outside, looking particularly for the library. If allowed there, he'll look around there for a good while, not disturbing any of the books, but looking at labels and appraising the general setup.
[hr][/hr]
Lucas has Profession: Librarian 2 (maintaining books), so he'll look at the place with an appraising eye.
Question...
What message did you deliver? I do not recall any message. Do you mean your travel papers/letter of introduction/visa & passport sorta stuff?
And what season is it? I forgot.
))
