Fedora knows she can find them work for certain if they come back to Barcelona with her. The Vibria Company there does indeed specialize in Hermetic clientel. With your roll result, I will say she knows the guy personally. Call him Billy. Billy will even keep them intact as a unit, and can place them with an affiliate company in another location.
Yes. It really did work like that. Modern business practice and military rank/tradition is directly evolved from medieval mercenaries. I looked it up. Wikipedia sez so. :mrgreen:
As for specific Covenants, Campomartes might be interested. One of the new spring borderland covenants probably, but most of those last less than three years and she cannot remember any that made it past ten. Andorra is always rotating fresh blood in. Maybe, but they might break up the unit.
Sam can manage Latin as poorly as any other language he has buthered while talking to you.
In Latin...
[color=brown]Latin? Abomine Bisce Billy selleth al his dominoes. Yeah. Soundz like yer speakin' Portuguese ta me. Think I knows a little Ladino too. Dat de way dem Jewish people speak Latin.
Oh, don't think I is like stereotypin or nothin. But Mitch, dat soldier over dere. He handles all a da finances. He is Jewish, but dat ain't why he gots the job.
You look over at Mitch. Very refined, handsome, intelligent looking. Seven feet tall and built like a brick $#!+house.
Peregrine, you are a comic geek like me. Imagine the Hulk during the Peter David years.
Carlos seems to be in his mid 20s, as do most of the rest of the soldiers. The young ones are Rod and Rez, lovers in their late teens. The older ones are Mitch who seems about 40ish and Sam who is easilly at least fifty.
[color=brown]Because they pay well, and bonuses are usually paid in magic. Like youth elixers and magic shirts. I know I sounds likes a rube ta you guys. And I ain't never gonna be the one to use proper ternses or say wurdz da right way. Not my style.
But, see, I haz some experience. When I wuz a [strike]young gurl[/strike] younger man, I worksed fer Nuevo Aqualon, Phoenix, and Santa Selina. Borderland shop of Hermes wizards. They comes and goes quick, but dey is always paranoid and glads to overpay. Den dey go broke, so I move on, and latters I here dey disbanded. So on and off, I worksed five times as a Gorg. Greg? So like maybe two years experience all told. Den I didn't do dat fer a long number of years. A few years ago I did try that again, another camp of idiot young wizzos dat thought dey haz all the keen new ideas and trick no one has ever tried before. And like always, dey flounder. The name was (insert name of failed covenant somehow connected to the history of a PC member magus). Dat's where I met Mitch. He's got some Hermetic Experience too. We saw the writing on the wall, and when dey stated hemmin and hawin about having to postpone payment the thids time, the two of us hiked it outta there and formed our own band. Been six years and all in all it has been good. We is like a family.
Anyway, Mitch had been talking bout more wizard work. I sez that never works out in the long run. Best you can hope for is a magic sword and I has one already. He sez we gotta go further, where dey is older and more stabalizded.
"There are certainly a number of events going on that might increase demand for your services amongst a number of magi. If you had a regular location where I could get ahold of you, I think we could find some mutual benefit in a relationship here."
Sam is very impressed indeed. However...
[color=brown]Well, see, we has no home or anyting like dat. It's is part of my goal as well. Find a regular gig with stable consistency.
[color=blue]"I know a couple of places where you and your cohorts can find work," Fédora says in Latin. [color=blue]"My covenant in Barcelona can use you. And I know of a covenant in Andorra, as well, if you want to go somewhere more neutral. They've both been around longer than I've been alive, so you don't have to worry about them collapsing."
"I was thinking I could set them up with lodging in Barcelona. If the covenant there wishes to use them, either in a permanent capacity or intermittently they would be on hand, and mundanes have regular use of the city even if the covenant does not wish to sponsor them"
*note- impression role was to begin the process of recruiting Sam as an agent.
So anyways, you stride along with Sam Samson and the dirty dozen. You cross the stream and up over the hills, into the no-man's land along the border of Granada. Sparse woods, nice weather and pleasent countryside.
[color=green]Overhead!", someone shouts. A wyvern in flight, way overhead. A magnificent sight! Golden green, larger than an eagle and a length with tail equal to wingspan.
No danger. It circles off in to the distance, then suddenly dives at something over the ridge.
As they travel Rilcheuax will talk about arrangements, where to leave word in Barcelona when the troupe arrives, if he gets there first he will see they are set up with housing upon their arrival, and he givens them a location where he can leave word for them, more likely attached to Mercere than the Barcelonian covenant.
Quick Retcon, due to advancement of another story- Rilcheaux would surely have heard about both the twins getting bonisnatched and Vulcanus being under investigation by a bonisagus guernicus, and would have mentioned these things to Fedora early on...
Duly noted. It is up to Peregrine as to how Fedora feels about it. Just a remider, Vulcanus is a jerk that bndoned her and his children. The bit with the ginger girls happened before they were married. However, Fedora may be interested to note that their two boys are the older brothers to children. All except for the oldest.
Anyways, after some walking through the dark woods, you all arive at a high wooden wall and a large gate door. You can see the taall grove trees inside swaying in the wimd and basking in the sun. Everywhere in the forest seems dark and cludy today. But here, there is a break in the clouds and a circle of sunshine bathes the grove.
Good idea
It just so happens that Fedora has a "purcase order" for a gross of "Arcane Oranges".
May we retcon to say that Fedora knew this all along and this was a planned part of the trip?
Fédora watches the wyvern warily, both awestruck by its grandeur and apprehensive that the travellers might catch its eye. The wyvern calls to her mind Vibria, and she wonders (not for the first time) if that maga with the dragon obsession saw Vulcanus for the monster that he was and drove him into Fédora's arms.
This would have gotten a wide, vicious grin out of Fédora. [color=blue]"Good. I hope they find cause to March him, and I'm glad Fleur was able to get his bastards away from that monster. If...what was her name, Donna? If Donna's not able to take the boys as her apprentices, I will find a home for them in Barcelona."
She spends the next several days chuckling to herself as she imagines Vulcanus's grisly face, and ponders who she knows that she can get to take part in his March.
[color=blue]"Well, Gulielmus Marius wishes to purchase a lot of Joshua's oranges, and he's arranged for me to deliver the order."
((I had completely forgotten about Aldonza, fwiw.))
When Fédora and Rilcheaux reach the path that leads to Joshua the Blessed's place, she asks the mercenaries to wait for them.
The path, just wide enough for two to walk abreast, winds and twists through a series of stoney hillocks that are tall enough for anyone who's not half-Giant to not see over, and which may or may not be natural.
After a couple of miles, they come to a very tall, perfectly even hedge with an opening that shows a cottage and a large orange grove behind. Fédora stops just outside the gate and calls out, [color=blue]"Joshua the Blessed! Weary travellers seek the solace of your company!"
A few chilren gather at the front gte to see wht is happening. Then the gate keeper arrives. Hamaal. Josua's all around right hand man, Ham is giant blooded and can see over the stones. He seems very refined and educated if you get to know him, but first impressions are of a half-dead lurch.
The odd-dozen hang back as instructed. Sam's lieutenant, Mitch, is also a big boy. As tall as Ham. They lock gazes momentarilly and seem to recognize each other.
Then Ham turns to Fedora. [color=gray]The master, he will be a moment. Wait...
...here.
And you don't wait long. Joshua comes to the gate, dressed in Andalusian finery, and greets you warmly as he lets you in.
[color=brown]Hello! Hello my friends! Welcome! I am Jashuah whom the call blessed. But I am modest and I say this grove is blessed and I am the one God has chosen to care for it and protecct it.
My Hermetic name is Joshua Ex-Miscellanea. Fedora, I seem to recal drinking with you at the last Tribunal. . (Fedora vaguely remembers this, and knows he is not a Sahir but some kind of agrarian/herbalist Hermetic hedge wizard).
[color=brown]You can bring your bodyguards in with you. They are of good reputation by my standards. I've known Sam for years.
Joshua's servants have laid out a table full of food outdoors in the midst of a garden. Vegitarian (not vegan, for there is lots of cheese). And it is really-really good. And it makes you feel good.
And these oranges are the very best tasting fruits you have ever eaten.
