Borealis is happy if we have somewhere to sleep, somewhere to study, enough money to survive, and enough grogs to keep watch and tell us if something is coming towards us.
A scriptorium and suitable grogs (depending on how detailed your book rules were going to be) would be nice, but is something we can live without for the first year or two.
I was thinking about having Jorge and Jan (the two grogs who accompanied the magi during the initial visit) join the new covenant. They're mute and fairly dull, but competent enough to guard the magi.
The covenant might be able to support one or two additional grogs (if they double up as laborers when staying at the covenant), as well as a covenfolk or two for menial tasks (cleaning and cooking), but that's about it for now.
The House Rule for libraries was updated a little while ago. A scriptorium is still useful to produce new books or make copies, though in an abstract way. Will you place it in the regio (safer) or outside with the brewery (better light)?
Each sanctum will be outfitted with some basic furniture, so a place to sleep and study is a given, though it is a bit warm in the caves.
@jebrick and @VanSilke, do you have any plans for the 6 months before the saga starts? It's been a while since you've posted, so I have to wonder if you are still with us. 
I am here just busy at work. I will have something shortly
Shortly will hopefully be today. Was there a decision on the brewers, et al? Hermetic or local?
Emericus would like do 3 months of lab set up. On month of travel time ( to covenant ).
Am I allowed to earn an vis either doing copying work ( scribe 3) or helping in a lab (MT 6)?
Alberic( companion) will get to know the locals and the priests/monks. I think we set up that he would be trading in copper wares so he will try to get that set up with the locals as well as supplying the Covenant with the necessities for brewing.
Hermetic
The time is to allow you all to set up the covenant, so not as such.
If you want to say that Emericus spends his time working on improving the library through trade or copying (see the House Rule), that's perfectly fine. Same if he spends time trying to locate and investigate additional vis sources.
Perfectly fine. In addition to copper equiment for brewing, I'm assuming he will also provide the covenant with some lab equipment.
I will ask the others Improve the library or search fo vis sources? I am inclined for the later but I have not seen what others are doing for set up
So far, darkwing (Borealis) has focused more on the physical set up of the covenant (brewery and mundanes). But that may not necessarily reflect what his magus was doing, even though Borealis is certainly more suited to it than Emericus (who has Blatant Gift).
Haven't heard from VanSilke yet. His last post was on October 31st.
Borealis is certainly keen on making sure the physical set up is going well, so we have income, somewhere to sleep, somewhere (and something) to eat, somewhere for supplies to be delivered to and mundanes to handle this. Put me down for exposure xp in Folk Ken.
Emericus is better away from people ( which is why he has the very social companion). He will try to find and identify more vis resources after lab setup
Sorry for that, I've been a little out of it for the past few weeks... My plans would have been to repay for Durenmar's books with scribing hospitality as agreed. As for covenant development, Basilus would want to set up the new covenant's library (find a good room for it and hire a scribe, a bookbinder, and couple other mundanes to help with that. Additionally, he'd see to the nearest source of mundane books, like monastery or university, to get a good selection of books on mundane topics as well)
Hiring of a scribe, bookbinder and other specialists is more problematic. The covenant's modest source of income won't be enough to support those. Plus, there would not be enough work for a full-time position.
Setting up the library is easy enough. The covenant map already shows one of the room large enough to have a combination library/coucil chamber. Although, with the number of magi reduced to 3, there is room to spare for a separate library.
Which leads to a question: Where does each magus set up his sanctum, and what do you do with the other chambers? (Covenant map)
New room, lvl 3 for Emericus please
The room on level 1 opposite the way down for Borealis please - being an Auram mage, he wants to be able to get into the fresh air as fast as possible if he feels the need.
I updated the map to reflect your choices. While I was at it, I identified each room with a letter for ease of reference.
Once VanSilke indicates which one will be Basilus' sanctum, you will need to decide what to do with the empty rooms (if anything).
I am guessing G will be the combo meeting and library unless we need the room for the brewery.
On second thought, I think it should be the brewery. with just 3 magi we can take a small round room for library/council room
Do you really want to put the brewery inside the regio? There will be frequent comings and goings as supplies are brought in and barrels shipped out. Putting aside the extra work of carrying all of these into the caves, that means anyone observing the daily business of the brewery would be alerted to the existence of the caves. Which means the regio, as there is no way to not notice that the shallow cave is empty.
Beyond being the covenant's source of income, the brewery can serve as a mundane cover for why people travel to and from the top of the mountain.
Is the Regio in the Cave? Is so then we might want to build and out building for the brewery. I would not mind the brewery being in the Aura.
Remember the topic about the visit of the site? The top of the mountain (where the brewery is supposed to be built) has a small magical aura (+2).
On the side of the mountain, inside of that aura, there is a shallow cave (about 10' in width and depth) that is the entrance to the regio.
The regio itself is a natural tunnel that leads to the natural cave (with the pool that is a vis source), as well as the spiral tunnel and rooms dug out by the previous covenant. The regio itself has a stronger magical aura (+4).
Initially I thought I'd be interested in either B, C or D. As far as I understand they're virtually the same.
However, I'm somewhat tempted to select F as Basil's sanctum, to keep the scheme of one wizard per level going.
So, I think F will be my choice.