"Come along then," Lucas says and leads Cecilio over to where Roberto and Vibria are sparring.
"Hold!" he calls out when they get close, not wanting to get fried by a fireball. "Roberto, you remember Cecilio from our trip to the City of Brass." He steps forward and gestures to their visitor. "And Cecilio, this is Mistress Vibria, a mistress of our covenant. Vibria, Cecilio has come to petition for membership at Andorra."
Vibria looks exhausted from the exercises, but is still beaming. Her hair had apparently been in a ponytail when the session started, but more than a few strands had worked their way free and were straying every which way.
[color=red]"You're Cecilio," she says as she extends a hand in greeting. [color=red]"I'm Vibria Filia Fulminara Flambonis. Welcome to Andorra. I understand you had quite the adventure in the east. I'm sorry I wasn't around to join you."
Vibria gets a cup from the water barrel and takes several slow, measured sips, looking at Cecilio as she does so.
Cecilio shakes the extended hand. Hello, hello. It was quite the adventure, I'm sure Roberto has talked all about it. I hope I'll be able to help out here. If not as an member, cooperation on the library and healing at the Hospital. And Roberto its good to see you again! We've been traveling through the void the past couple years in a futile quest to slay a bunny. We're pretty sure it was infernal. Never did catch it. I hope you've had a more productive past few years."
[color=red]Ah yes. Vibria, meet Cecelio the blood drinker. She was quite helpful in our adventure. And a talented healer too. I told you about the sand genie? A giant. I did a Wizard Leap up to his shoulder and snatched his earring, tossing it down to Soloman to use as a Penetration boost. The genie grabbed me and threw me to the ground. He didn't drop me, he didn't toss me. He threw me down with force. Busted my leg so bad that bone was sticking out! Ceceio mended it with magic reducing it to a mere bruise without needing vis for her ritual. Her healing spells are well mastered I am guessing.
Cecelio, meet Vibria of Flambeau. Veteran general of the Dragon Wars. She is of the blood of dragons, and her husband Jack over there is also a dragon.
Vibria looks back to Cecilio with a surprised and inquisitive look on her face. [color=red]"The 'Blood Drinker'?"
Purity laughs at this, answering before Cecilio "That's an exaggeration if I've ever heard it. She sips just enough to not insult the Queen of Blood and Ice and Sand. Or is it Sand that comes first? It would be like calling someone a Drunkard because they drink half a glass of wine a couple times a year. Or... Purity trails off when she realizes Cecilio has her face in her palms.
If it helps my cases I've given up at least as much as I've drank. Anyway I should probably explain, I'm friends with the Queen of Ice, Blood and Sand. I suppose she's technically my Faerie Godmother, but I haven't called her Godmother for a long time. She throws parties and balls and such. Anyway sometimes they involve blood based beverages. Most of the blood comes from willing gifts, a small portion comes from people who would have been executed for treason in any human kingdom. It'd be seriously rude to skip toasts and stuff when she's gone to so much work. She's really awesome though! The last party she managed to get an absurd amount of materials and she hired some Genies who could do craft magic and project illusions so we could... Cecilio continues her babble about the City of Brass adventure before composing herself.
Anyway, point is the Queen is a really good person and it would be an insult to not even try the drinks.
Roberto chuckles and grins at Vibria. [color=red]She is strange, but quite helpful and friendly.
[color=red]"Strange is relative," Vibria says after she takes another sip of water. [color=red]"I'm sure people find my bedchambers 'strange'"
"'Inhospitable, more like," Jaksic says. "Unless you like sleeping in a furnace."
[color=red]"I just like to be comfortable, love. And it's not like...ahem. Anyway...I'm sure it must be quite remarkable having a faerie queen for a godmother. You'll have to tell me stories about what it's like, if you don't mind.
"And if what Roberto says is correct, about you being able to heal wounds without vis...that would be very helpful indeed!"
"She's quite the expert at that," Lucas adds. "Cecilio was a great help in that area while we were in the City of Brass."
"With any luck its a skill I'll be able to spread. Practice can improve upon it for me and hopefully others using the same techniques will be able to get some benefit. Part of the reason why I wanted to be able to practice at the Hospital. If it works your library will be the first to get the books."
"If you let us stay and provide materials. Otherwise we'll probably be forced to beg materials off the Great Library and then even if it works the writings will fade into disorganization."
"Until some young magus finds them a few centuries later."
Cecilio turns to Vibria People always say my lab is to hot. And having a Faerie Godmother is wonderful. Its not always been good for my studies, but its certainly gotten me a lot of opportunities, I never would have had otherwise. Like going to the City of Brass for example!
[color=red]"From what I've heard so far, I don't see any reason to oppose your petition."
Vibria takes another sip and addresses Lucas. [color=red]"When are you planning to call a meeting to discuss this?"
"The wheels are already in motion," Lucas replies. "She's met Carmen, and I think the Pontifex will be calling the meeting soon."
Not long after her return from Paris (among other places) in the Spring of 1242, Vibria invites Fleur to a dinner with her and Jaksic at Vibria's tower, when their schedules permit. At the appointed hour, Jaksic and Vibria are dressed in their best clothes Jaksic is wearing something that looks like what a noble of the Holy Roman Empire would wear, while Vibria is wearing an emerald green gown with a grass pattern embroidered into the skirt (basically from the waist down), and a silver brooch that looks like a myrtle flower; Artur and Maria are with the babysitter.
She and Jaksic engage Fleur in conversation over dinner, talking about pretty much anything and everything.
As they enjoy an after-dinner wine, Vibria gets around to bringing up the other reason for the dinner. [color=red]"Let me cut straight to the chase. Jaksic and I have two incredibly beautiful children. But we're not getting any younger, and we feel that two is all we can handle, with my studies and his duties to Andorra. So, we've decided that it's time for us to have our Longevity Rituals.
"Now, I could probably invent one myself; but in all honesty, it wouldn't be as effective as I would like. I suspect that yours would be much better. And I would be more than willing to assist in both of ours."
((Just out of curiosity, would Vibria's draconic heritage mean there's a chance that Ignem could come into play on her LR?))
Fleur nods thoughtfully. "I would certainly be willing to help with that, there is something I am curious about that you might be able to help me with. In my research into fertility magic I keep coming up dragons. You have the cat which resulted from my first encounter, much of my understanding has come from a cult that worshiped dragons, and Thor's story about children being generated by magic involved one being a dragon, and involved an onion... anyways I know you have a connection to the draconic community, if you would ask around and find out what you can about whether this is simple coincidence or if there is a stronger connection I should be looking into..."
Vibria beams. [color=red]"Thank you!" After a second's hesitation, she sweeps Fleur up in a big hug. [color=red]"When do you want to start? And who do you want to do first, me or Jaksic?"
[color=red]"I'll speak with Grandfather next time I see him to see if he has any ideas, and write to some I know in the Rhine and Transylvania."
She then does a double-take. [color=red]"Wait...what? A dragon and an onion?"
"It was a fairy tale the Thor told me, where a woman was instructed to put two onions under her pillow at night, then peel and eat them in the morning in order to conceive. In her haste she forgot to peel one onion and she had two boys, one of which turned out to be a dragon. I have the notes on the story, though by itself I doubt it is one of my more promising leads." She pauses to refocus he thoughts "I am making a longevity potion for Isolde this summer, I could fit the two of you in for the autumn and following winter." she licks her lips a moment as she thinks "It doesn't really matter which I do first I don't think, but I suppose I will do your first,"
[color=red]"That is an...interesting story, and one that I'm not familiar with. I'll see if I can find more references to that somewhere." (Int 1 + Magic Lore(?) 5 + die roll of 7 = 13. I'm thinking it's a pretty obscure story, even if Magic Lore is the right ability.)
[color=red]"I would be more than happy to help you in the lab, on both of our rituals, if you'd like." (She would add 5 to Fleur's Lab Total: Int 1 + Magic Theory 4.)
"I would certainly be fine with that, it is your longevity potions after all."
It was Frey who told the story. The tale itself was drawn from an authentic Scandinavian Folk Tale. Vibria may have heard it or something similar. Feel free to google "King Linnorm" for the original tale and the rest of that story.
Onions come up often in Nordic tales for some reason. The allegory in that one, or the portion of it I used, was the whole layers under layers until you find the truth at the heart. The linorm, after layers were peeled back, turned out to be a prince.
I also note there is a slight connection in some dragon tales with growth and fertility.
It was Frey who told the story. The tale itself was drawn from an authentic Scandinavian Folk Tale. Vibria may have heard it or something similar. Feel free to google "King Linnorm" for the original tale and the rest of that story.
Onions come up often in Nordic tales for some reason. The allegory in that one, or the portion of it I used, was the whole layers under layers until you find the truth at the heart. The linorm, after layers were peeled back, turned out to be a prince.
I also note there is a slight connection in some dragon tales with growth and fertility.