There's no way Caduceus would have trusted Vulcanus with a token, and the only magi who participate in that ritual are not friends. The most plausible would have been that when Vulc scouted out the tower, he planted the items within the Aegis in advance (which is also a good reason why we waited until spring to go).
There you go.
I'm thinking about spending 5 of Vocis's Drake Hunt xp on a level of Mastery for Visions of Hell. Is that acceptable?
Sure 
Cool. Now I need some advice from the troupe. I'm thinking it's long past time Vocis got around to making his talisman. I've been thinking about it for a while, trying to balance the limitations of his Waster of Vis flaw and his focus on illusion, and I keep coming back to a cloak. The bonuses mesh nicely with the powers I have in mind (personal illusions, personal wards, flight) and it won't cost much vis to open for enchantment. However, a cloak is just so fragile. I don't want to spend years enchanting a talisman just to have it torn to pieces or burned to ash in the first combat he sees. Any suggestions for how to make a cloak durable enough to serve as a talisman? Is enchanting it with Doublet of Impenetrable Silk enough?
What if it's woven from something suitably awesome? Like maybe from the silk of Shelob's webs or something?
That'll increase the material value.
Masks have overlap with the S/M bonuses of cloaks, and can be made of sturdier stuffs. Helms or the nebulous "jewelry" could provide similar bonuses while being more durable items.
I have a quick question before I start filling out the Magi Planner; for a lab with a refinement of 0 (ie. our "standard lab") can we refine it immediately (in the Winter of 1230)?
Yeah, my fall-back plan is to use a silver or brass ring, which is the nicest and largest jewelry he can open. I'm just hoping to find a solution for the cloak because it's my stylistic preference.
Samite should be a little sturdier than wool or linen, but it's still flammable and tearable. A constant MuAn(Te) could make the cloak as impenetrable as steel, and a constant ReIg could keep it impervious to fire, but that gets expensive.
If you don't think it's too cheesy, Vulcanus could make a cloak of chainmail for him... With small enough rings, it could be as supple as some cloth types while being resistant to fire and sharp objects... though probably wouldn't offer a whole lot of protection to the wearer.
A google image search also gave me the idea that a chainmail capelet could be really cool, too
farm4.staticflickr.com/3084/2743 ... z.jpg?zz=1
For that matter-- is making items for other magi a salary-worthy activity?
And we should probably figure out whether or not the covenant would actually provide the vis for VIbria's armor or not
Vibria would vote "aye" on both questions. Probably before he finishes the question. 
That's where we run into the joys of Waster of Vis. Vocis has a 6 MT, so he can handle 12 pawns per season. Thanks to WoV, 3 of those pawns don't actually do anything. That means he can only open an object that requires 9 pawns or less. That means a tiny item of silver or base metal, or a cloak of cloth or leather. There's a reason Vocis doesn't have a single enchanted item.
My initial thought is no. The description of the Artifex office (as currently written) focuses on the covenant as a whole rather than individual magi. This suggests (to me, anyway) that items created by the Artifex for salary should be owned by the covenant rather than an individual magus.
Would the covenant provide it because Vibria is a master or because the work was done by the Artifex? If it's the former, it sets a precedent that could theoretically impact even Andorra's vis resources. If it's the latter, I'm ambivalent. And to be clear, I'd be ok with the former if Marko assures me that my worries are unfounded. 
While I agree in theory, it doesn't make sense in practice. A suit of armor doesn't just fit anyone who wants to put it on.
That said Vulc wouldn't have a problem with the covenant owning the armor that he's made for Vibria's use. If she ditches the covenant at a later time, the armor could be re-fitted for someone else.
You can refine or modify the lab straight away if you want. It works like this...
- You start with the basic lab ready to go out of the box
- If you spen the vis for it, you can start out with a lab already refined and equipped with Virtues (and Flaws). Aagain, ready to go out of the box.
- If you refined a lab during development, you may have abandoned it or you may choose to have spent vis to have the whole thing transferred in its entirety to Andorra, ready to go somethingsomething
- You may spend a sinle season rearranging and modifying the lab, starting from the basic, all Virtues & Flaws must balance. There should be a cap on max virtues, like Magic Theory.
- You can refine your lab any time you want, as long as your Magic Theory is three points higher than Refinment.
Here is the HR posted about Laboratories. As a reminder, the point cost is measured in Quarter Pawns of Vis (1 pawn Vim
= 4 qp)
All members get a salary automatically. Officers recieve a Stipend :mrgreen:
I chose the word purposfully, to imply that the covenant is reibursing you for your efforts, as opposed to paying a wage for extra service done. It is the duty of the artifex to supply the covenant with the items and equipment needed for our prosperity and security. Vibria is a Mistress of Andorra, and she says she needs to be equipped with flame resistant armor so that she may better defend and benefit the covenant. It is up to the Artifex to determine if this is needed, and up to him to determine how to go about it. He can give her something on hand, make something customized, farm the project out, or whatnot.
As for the cost, well, that is also up to him. Charge Vibria for Materials (but not for labor) if you decide, or if you are generous you can take it out of your budget. Or you can go to the council and ask them to fund the project or increase your budget. We do have a problem with vis onhand, but that should smooth out in a year or two. It works out even better if we convince the Mercere to continue doing business with us, but they need us more than we need them. That's why we charge them rent
As an aside, Carmen (as Tresurer) would like to make a motion that all payment for vis earnings throughout the year be deferred to the end of that year. See, as repeated in the rules & resolutions, the old ancient charter had archaic msytical language that said such&such and so&so was to be paid on this or that equinox/solsitce/lunar conjunction/etceteras. That is all well and good, and the amonts recorded as units of account will still be credited at the appointed times. Carmen just wants to defer being able to withdraw from said account until the Winter Solstice following the credation. Why? Because she wants the covenant's reserves to inflate a bit first. It is kind of like getting paid every two weeks instead of getting cash at the end of each shift (bartenders and servers and barbacks get that, chef just gets to eat for free).
If agreed, then to help tide everyone over she will give everyone a rook of Ignem (to exchange or use as desired). This is considered a Gift of the Pontifex, for Rodrigo the genie told her where a secret stash was hidden that she didn't know about, Vulcanus was there 
).
[color=red]"Why should I put off getting my stipend for a whole...wait. Did you say a rook? And we still get our full salary and stipend in a year?" Vibria shudders and sighs.
[color=red]"Oh, very well, I suppose that's acceptable."
As Artifex he believes arming the magi is definitely necessary (and he intends to do this for everyone that isn't already suitably outfitted).
How much is our annual budget?
If she is okay with the item being covenant property, but designated for her use, then he has no problem with the material costs coming from covenant budget. If she wants it to be hers forever no matter what and no one else can ever use it and she keeps it even if she leaves Andorra, then she has to provide the material costs. Which is 19 pawns of Vim. (The wings enchantment he will have funded himself, whether or not it's to be Vibria's property or Andorran.)
PB, is that fair? What would Vibria choose?
IIRC she proposed that during the first council meeting and everyone agreed. u giev vis nao plz
Also, I've updated the Vault of Valdarius page on the wiki, cataloguing our current stash of magic items. I included the Arma Draco but I'll move it if PB wants to brony up the vis and keep it as Vibria's private equipment.
The more I think about mining the less I think I can just invent a spell to "build" a new mine.
Mineshafts are built as mineral is excavated from underground. They put in supports and beams so that they can keep on excavating deeper. So while I could invent a spell to go in and yank out whatever mineral we want, and I could invent another spell to stabilize the mineshaft as I go, what I can't do is "build a mine" for others to mine in.