OOC:
Any knowledge of either the 'Three Lakes' or 'Confluensis' covenants I might reasonably know?
Also, perhaps a bit late in asking, Dragon's Rest ( Roto's Covenant? )... anything interesting there?
Does Aurian have a rhine-guild affiliation? Roto?
Something else I should have asked earlier... Are there any other magi I know of on the island? A covenant or whathaveyou?
Three Lakes is a powerful, mixed house, poliitcially moderate covenant in the Novgorod Tribunal.
Confluensis is a Guernicus House Covenant on the north coast of the Normandy Tribunal. It's one of the great points of strength of the House, because it was set up specifically to act as a curb on House Tytalus, and right now House Tytalus are busy fighting each other in their civil war, so the Confluensis magi are tidying up all of the other issues they have let slide for a few decades because they couldn't take their eyes off the Tytalians. It has a hoplite marshal, a lot of vis for Normandy, and is thed home of the current Traitor, a Tytalus who voluntarily leaves the House to act as a new Founder if the games of the House ever lead to its annihilation. Confluensis has recently lost its repected leader, and is not quite as focused as usual.
Dragon's Rest is a vassal covenant of Confluensis - actually its where Confluensis used to be. They moved to larger quarters some time ago but because DR is on the Seine, the Mercer House that was in Confluensis at that time chose to stay behind at the more covenient site. They are politically still very close.
Roto doesn't have an affiliation in the Rhine. He's part of the cluster of Confluensis vassals in Normandy.
Aurian was an Apple Gild member, but he's lapsed in every effective sense, being so far away from everything.
Thanks!
Scipio nods affably, shifting his stance a bit as he considers a moment. "Thank you. I am certain this will set us upon the correct trail in due time. May I ask when you last saw him?" the Tremere continues. "Any further insight you could lend us into these three things would be invaluable Archmagus. What has come to you without trying in the years spent here could take us crucial time our good comrade Magus Roto may not have. This witch for instance... whatever hedge sorcery she practices I know not. Could she have been a danger to our man? Or these Fae Ladies perhaps? None of these tasks seems of more potential danger than that one at a glance. Though I suppose the Johansens are of note to Confluensis for a reason..." Scipio speaks in a manner much like thinking aloud, though somehow still with a certain degree of formality in his bearing. It must truly be his nature perhaps?
Titius looks at Scipio, clearing his throat before he speaks. Might I suggest that we start our search on this island? I seem that it is unwise to go search for fay folk if we can avoid it. Titius listens to what the archmagus has to say.
"He had three tasks to do here on the island, at least only three of particular danger. He was going to visit one of the local weather witches and take her boy to Muscovy, for training at Three Lakes Covenant as a magus. The boy has a natural talent for Rego magic. Roto was going to harvest some of the vis of the Ladies of the Isle of Glass, who are faerie creatures along the coast that seek diversions. He was also doing something for Confluensis covenant...he would not tell me the nature of it. I would presume it some sort of sabotage, if the Quaesitores were not above swuch things. It had to do with a boat yard, the Johansen yard at the port. I am not sure what order he was to do his tasks in, or indeed if any were completed."
"I have not seen him in some time. You must pardon me, but I dwell in a regio and therefore do not know how long it has been in mortal years. As to the wtiches, they control weather. She might be dangerous: cold hail and sleet will kill as surely as a ball of flame. The fae ladies are - well, you find what you seek in the faerie realms, do you not?"
Scipio nods firmly, his demeanor showing him to have arrived at some conclusion. "Then we shall not trouble you much further Archmagus. Thank you for your time. I think we shall first call upon this witch and then Johansen Shipyard, as they are closer at hand. If I can impose upon your hospitality enough to know where the witch might be found and the way to this Isle of Glass, and we shall be on our way. My regrets that we shall not have the oppurtunity to further interrupt your studies and get to know you better... yet I fear any delay may be detrimental to the object of our task." Scipio speaks politely, yet with a hint of amusement and almost joking manner towards the end. "Perhaps we shall simply find him flagrantly engaged with these ladies of the isle. Perhaps not. Yet I would of a fact know him safe before I assume the matter less than grave."
The archmage gives you directions, and you travel to a large house that teeters on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the foamy sea. Around the cottage is a low wall, on which a cat is sunning itself. As you approcah, a woman who looks around twenty comes from the cottage, up the path, and stands in the gate.
"I sense the eye of Odin on you. You are wizards from the south. I cannot defeat so many of you, I think, but the dying curse of my kind is something to be feared."
Scipio comes to stand an easy ten feet away from the gate, eyeing the woman dubiously. He stands with one hand on either hip, arms akimbo. His stance iand manner s confident, practically as if this were his own house and land and not that of the woman which he addresses. Snorting derisively he shakes his head with some small amusement. "Could you defeat one of us I would be suprised. Yet while I am no follower of Odin all of the Old Gods are dear to me and your spirit does you great credit, woman. Have no fear, I shall not harm you unless you give me reason." he says.
His men keep a close distance to him, yet mainly their attention is on their surroundings. One even eyes the cat with a seeming undue attention. These men are obviously distrustful of all they see for now, their manner cool and shifting on their feet. They do not however look at or meet the gaze of the witch herself, and it is quite obviously out of fear.
Scipio speaks again after a short pause for breath. "It is understood to me that your son also bears the Gift of the Old Gods, and that one Roto was to, with your leave, fetch him and bear him to a place where he might be trained. Is this so?"
Have you madam seen this Roto or any other odd stranger that has been involved is this matter. If so then please describe him or her. Did they leave any item behind? Titius looks at the woman to determine what she thinks and how she responses.
It is so, yes. As you say, the magic of the South is stronger than that of the north, and I wanted my son to know it. Your Roto came for him, and took him away on his travels. AS to anything he left behind? WEll, he is my son. I have all of the things he chose not to take. Of Roto I cannot think of anything precious he might leave. I know him slightly, but other of your messengers I know well, and they are meticulous with their precious things. They fear curses placed by the spirits if they leave their beloeved things unattended, yes?
There comes a moment, in the next few days, when Iohannes is alone. It may be merely a moment, and in that moment he sees again the two women who he briefly saw by the quayside in Visby.
"What", asks the younger one, dressed in green "would it take to convince you to guide your people away from the Isle of Glass and the maidens there, even if your lost messenger and his boy are there?"
"What, contrawise?" asks the older one, dressed in burgundy.
The younger one looks cross and says to her companion that this is not a time for contrariness.
Isle of Glass?
Iohannes sketches a courtly bow, and uses the time to reject the first two comments that came to mind. "What are you considering to offer?"
[You have heard of the Isle of Glass: it's an Arthurian myth. A place of heroism and temptation that was part of the Grail Quest.
"Now," says the one in burgundy "you know that's not how this works. You share the Blood, and that is why you are outside our game, but you are mortal and we are not. Were we to choose, it would just be a reflection of another choice, by another human, at another time. Would you like a son who has powers greater than yours? Would you like a legend to spring from your name that will last a thousand years and a year?"
"Would you like treasure that is piled up to your chin? The name of your truest love, or as true as such as we can find?" The other asks.
"See?", she says, "None novel. None yours. What do you want?"
"Ah," Iohannes says. "We may share much in common. I find my choices similarly constrained by my role. Or," he gestures, "I choose to constrain them. I'm no philosopher to argue the difference. I am a captain, you know, determined, intrepid, adventurous, salt in my clothes and all that. I undertook a venture to find the two and return them, if possible. I like being that kind of man. Or," he smiles, "creating myself in that way. A journey to the Isle of Glass only adds to the appeal. As I suspect you know. Why would I not want to go?"
"There is no reason for you not to want to go: if there were we would merely have told that to you. It is that we do not wish your people to go. You, perhaps, might go: you are not our concern for the blood of our kind is close to the surface of you. Your fellows are involved in our game: not the game of the ladies of the Isle of Glass. We want them to remain in our game, and not theirs. You, as we have said, are the free agent in our game, and thus may set it back to rights, away from the risk to our gamew that we see. And so, bribes."
Iohannes says, "If I take a bribe, I become part of another game, not of my choosing. You know how that works as well as I!
Iohannes steeples his hands. "It seems, then, that I have a choice of games, either to favor yours or the Ladies of the Isle of Glass. What is your game? What is theirs? I might support you just because."
Scipio nods slowly for a moment, his hands coming up to cross over his chest as he pauses to consider his words. Finally he looks up and speaks directly to the woman again. "And they had no trouble, our Roto and your Boy?" He says sniffing slightly and shifting on his feet. Clearly it is a leading question. Before getting an answer he speaks again. "Bring me a Thing of your Boy's. We may have need of it." he gives, his tone commanding.
"No, if you take our bribe you simply stay in the game you have already chosen. Very well, we shall explain, and you shall choose, or ask your humans to."
"My mother and I," says the older-looking one in burgundy, "await the dawn of a new age of humanity. It begins soon, and in Lubeck or some place like it. Lubeck, if we play well. It will be an era of richest beyondthat seen in the time of the Romans, when trade and art and culture flourish. New ways of being human will rise out of the new societies humans will make and we, the creatures of human dreams, will have vast new vistas opened to us as the tiny minds of humans, pressed down for centuries by poverty and agriculture, are loosed on the world. Your magicians are our pawns in this, and your enemies, as you suspect I am sure, are the diabolators who wish to crush this new way of dreaming."
"The alternative game for you," says the younger looking one in green, "is a mere variant of an old game, but it has been tipped in your favour, to encourage you to play. Some of our number serve the Infernal. In this case not directly, but sufficently to give you the location of an ancient druid treasure. While you seek it, the plagues and wars of the diabolators will ravage the countryside. Poverty and the ills it brings will crush out the new way of living that might rise from the Hansa. Our game will be over, or at least called on account of weather, for several hundred years. You will have niether fame nor glory. You will simply play the old game of chasing the shadows of Diedne. Even if you win, then you will not be original, merely something freshly remembered."
"And so now," says the one who looks older, "to bribery. What do you want?" Her companion laughs.
She goes briefly into the house and returns with a milk tooth.
"This perhaps?"