Chapter V (1238 to 1245)

Oh! I am sorry, I forgot! You won't tell her, will you? She'd be mad at me, I'm sure. I am Eva, I am to serve Mistress Spider.

Fleur smiles graciously "Of course Eva, it will be our secret. Tell Mistress Spider I will accept her invitation."

(To be followed in the Productive Paranoïa thread)

Summer, 1238

Cecilio approaches the castle "Think they still remember us?" she asks Purity
"Hasn't it been almost two years? They probably think we didn't make it through the void."
"And whose fault is that again?"
"I told you! I smelled a demon rabbit. If you were a little better at navigating the void we'd have caught it."
Well, we're here Cecilio mutters, ending the debate before saying to the doorman/guard/random person at the gate. "Hello! I'm Cecilio and this is Purity! I encountered some of the magi of this covenant and helped them with their mission in at the City of Brass. I'm sure Solomon or Roberto will remember me. I'd like to talk about a potential deal about adding my writings to your library, the work at your hospital and discuss join your covenant. Also I've heard... um... Cecilio pauses looking for the word
Fleur
Yes Fleur! I heard she had some interesting research. If she's interested in discussing it I'd love to. Can you pass that along?

In a fairly short while Cecilio and Purity are in a nice room seated and Fleur arrives "I heard you are interested in donating books to the library."

Ceicilio opens up her bag while talking and starts digging books out "Well, I have some lab texts, translated, spells and items I invented and this tractus I wrote.". In the end she has four different books stacked up. "This one is lab text for two items. Corpus items, mainly for lab use. These next two have assorted spells in them. And this one is the tractus. The only thing is I'm a member of House Bonisagus, so I can't give them to you without knowing you can make them available to other magi. Your a member of House Bonisagus right? You can do the whole sharing knowledge? "

OOC: All of the lab texts and the tractus here are the books.

"We can do what we do with my contributions, we will have the scribes make a copy and send it to Durenmar, which covers the obligation to the house. After that my approach has been that anyone who has access to the library may copy what I have submitted there, and anyone making a copy may attach calf and cow to their copy, not to the original. If you want a more liberal policy for your publications that is of course possible."

A few moments later, the door opens and Lucas hurries inside. "I'm terribly sorry to have kept you waiting," he says, "But I ..." Then he sees Fleur talking to Cecilio and pulls up short.

"I beg your pardon, Fleur," he says apologetically. "I'd been informed that there was someone who had arrived at the covenant on some library business and had been shown to the Unicorn Room." The large tapestry of a unicorn on one wall declares that this is the room in question. "I went to look for Vocis, but he's apparently locked in his lab, 'not to be disturbed.' I hadn't realized that you were in Andorra today. Had I known I should have knocked."

Then, as he is finally able to spare some attention to the newcomer, his eyes widen and a smile forms on his face. "Cecilio, how good to see you again." He offers her a bow. "Lucas de Mercere," he reminds her. "How have you been lately?" He glances at Fleur. "We met Cecilio during our visit to the City of Brass. She was quite helpful there. When we left, we'd extended her an invitation to visit Andorra."

[hr][/hr]
I figure as Vocis' other assistant Librarian, Lucas was probably also sent for when someone came asking questions about the library.

She had specifically asked for Fleur, though admittedly in regards to her research, but I figured Fleur would have also been given information about her desire to donate to the library.

I generally figure that since Fleur lives in Sa Dragonerra, it's good to assume that at any given time she's likely there rather than in Andorra. Yes, she can be fetched at need. But it's not polite to leave visitors waiting for a long time.

Fleur smiles tightly at Lucas "He generally is these days." Turning back to Cecilio "speaking of obligations of a Bonisagus, I understand you were interested in my research as well."

"A more liberal policy would be good. I find it hard to mesh sharing ones research with placing the fruits under Calf and Cow. Anyone should be able to make a copy. Honestly, I've found Durenmar to be a bit... unenthusiastic when it comes to that part of the oath. Not that I object to them getting a copy. The more copies the better. Anyway enough about Durenmar. I was hoping you would be willing to let visitors here or at the Mercere House get access to the books without charging them. That would be going above and beyond I guess. Sending Durenmar a copy would be plenty." She pushes the books over to Fleur "So here are your new additions to your library!"

Cecilio stands up to hug Lucas "Lucas! Its good to see you again. I've been lost mostly."
Purity cuts in. "We should have been killing a demon, but someone can't navigate."
"Purity thought she smelled an evil rabbit. We've mostly been floating through a timeless void. Then we trekked through the desert before taking a boat to a nearby port and heading here."

"Anyway the research! To get the point, I've heard rumors that you've been doing research that has the potential to ensure children being born with the Gift. Is there anything to that?"

Lucas returns the hug with a kiss on each cheek in the Norman manner.

"Yes, the Magic Realm can be tricky. We're fortunate to all have gotten out in one piece. I'm sorry that you and Purity had such a rough time of it yourself. But you're back now and ready for your visit. The guards said you even spoke of petitioning for membership. I look forward to hearing more about that. But it seems like the library matters are settled and that you and Fleur want to discuss her research. I won't intrude any farther. But you must stop by for tea when you're free, or supper, if it gets late. My own Cecelia would love to meet you. She's heard all the stories about the City of Brass already, but I'm sure she'd appreciate hearing them from someone other than me."

"My tower is the first one to the right as you enter the outer bailey. I'll be in the lab, but I'll leave word for the staff to fetch me as soon as you arrive." He sketches Cecelio a short bow and then another for Fleur. "I apologize for the interruption." Then he quickly departs to get back to his research.

"The plan is to research in that direction, although at the moment my research is taking me more in the way of simply understanding heredity and these fetishes I have found in a cave system- apparently a magic realm reflection of an ancient cave system which has been abandoned for a very long time. I am a bit uncertain at this point as to how long it will take to complete my ultimate research goal. I take it you also have some interest in ensuring your own magical lineage?"

"Basically. According to family lore its actually a long standing tradition of having a daughter with the Gift. Lots of stories about how one goes about getting it for their daughter. Many of questionable sanity or questionable morality, or both. My sister is currently working for Dankmar, so she can make use of that charm. At least a few adoptions too. In fact, my Great Grandmother was adopted. The point is if we had a way to do that with Hermetic Magic I think the Order would benefit and we could keep our line going without any more questionable antics. The upshot of all this is I'll get any lab texts to you if I think they might contribute. Translated texts obviously. Although my short term research goal is working out a way to quickly heal people without vis. I already can, so its really just figuring out what I can do naturally, and that just takes a bunch of practice."

"Which I guess brings us back to membership here. You have a hospital right? And that means patients who need healing? I'd like to get a chance to work there, and if I do we need to work out my status. Obviously, I'd prefer membership but there are other possibilities I'm sure."

"It sounds to me like you would be a good addition, but we will need to bring that before the entire council. I'll have someone set you up in guest quarters while I make talk to Carmen about the formal petition for membership."

She will flag down a servant and instruct them to make up chambers for our guest, then head to Carmen's office. Stop, grimace, and return to find Lucas.

Lucas is in his lab, but happily makes time for Fleur.

"Cecilio is interested in joining the covenant, she apparently has some very valuable gifts to share, including the ability to heal without vis from what she has said, but since you have known her longer I thought you might be willing to help present her request to Carmen with me."

"By all means," Lucas replies. "We also probably ought to let Solomon know she's here as well. He's a Pontifex now too and he knew Cecilio in the City of Brass, though I'm not sure their styles meshed all that well. She seemed very loose and relaxed, while Solomon is ... well, not. She did strike me as a top notch maga, though. And if she's half the author she claims to be, we'll be lucky to have her writing for the library."

"What was your impression of her?"

"Fairly impressed, but we also seem to have similar interests. I glanced at her books, she writes about as well as Felicia, which means better than most mages in the order. She does want her books that she contributed to the library to be available to all visitors to read, we may have to set a room aside for that, but she takes her Bonisagus oath rather enthusiastically. I would assume you have more experience with her abilities as a healer, I have only her claims to go on."