Carmen clairifies a few things. Speaking in purple 
Vulcanus wouldn't dare Wizard War you. If he does, I will stand in as your champion. With the condition that, if you do appropriate an apprentice of his, you see it through to the end. I suspect even he may even be glad to put his son in the hands of a Bonisagus, and he'd be outraged if you pawned the kid off somewhere.
Besides, think about it. If Vulcanus had Gifted children by two different woman, conceived here at Arans by wenches born and raised here, there is some serious research potential going on there.
However, I am sure he is not expecting it. He is expecting me, I'd bet. I told you, I infiltrated the place before. On Vulcanus' behalf. But Vulcanus wasn't with us, see, and you are the only one I told about the secret way in that I found. But I told all of my Tales of Asgard, and he was jelous I tell you, and angry!
Vulcanus is obsessed with Nordic tales and culture. I was posted there a few years when I was young. Not at all what you would imagine from reading those sagas.
Where am I going with this?
Oh yeah, I am going to infiltrate his tower, recover the phoenix sword, and bring Lux the phoenix to Lord Frey.
Wanna help?
You're going there anyway. Skip going to Durenmar. I know he is expecting me, just not when. Going to Durenmar first could tip him off.
If I might, Pontifex, may I be the one to actually appropriate the sword? Obviously, you are the mastermind in this; it is I who would be assisting you and not the other way around to be sure! However, it seems that stealing the sword may help further my understanding of the Valdarians, although exactly how I cannot say. Either way, the sword ends up back with the covenant.
"Perhaps I should go to Duerenmar and act as distraction for you. If you leave before me, and go directly to infiltrate his sanctum, and I proceed with my plans you will once again have someone approaching from the front end, only this time with paperwork and looking for an apprentice, and possibly with the local Guerniucs in tow. If I go to Duerenmar and you do not, it will tip him off as to my plans rather than yours. As to the apprentice, if I find I cannot train them all the way through I can pledge to ensure he is sold to another bonisagus. Or I might find a schedule of fosterage that works. Then again I might reach an arrangement to sell the boy back to Vulcanus, depending on the situation."
Lucas puts a hand on Antoine's shoulder. "Don't worry," he says. "We'll get the sword back. And if it serves your training to be the one who takes it, I have no trouble with that."
That sounds like a plan. And I am no mastermind. Well, I am, but I am not pulling strings or scheming. I am an opportunist.
Unacceptable. If you claim your right to appropriate an apprentice for research, use him for research. Do not shirk your duty, make loopholes, pawn it off, ransom a kidnapped child or sell him as a slave.
If you want my support, swear to me here and now that you will fully train the child yourself and see it through to Gauntlet. If you do not, then I stand against you in this.
"Some seasons of fosterage may be necessary, that is a Bonisagus tradition. The only other caveat I have is that if Vulcanus would prefer I return the child after a year and that can be used to avoid further conflict, and if it truly is his son, whom he would hopefully not abuse, I do want to retain that option. I can hardly tell Vulcanus I need your permission without implicating the rest of the covenant, which I have told Solomon I would not do."
"I have a plan," Guiverna says. "Okay, it's not so much of a 'plan' as it is a 'wild, hare-brained idea', but it should work. How long do you need Vulcanus to be distracted?
"I'm thinking that if I showed up with a couple of bags and Semsuhfaw, I could convince him that I love him, that I can't live without him and his incredibly sexy and muscular body. Shouldn't be that h...difficult, considering how full of himself he is. And then I can keep him busy for a few hours. Or until you get what you came for and make it safely out. Take your time on that, by the way."
"I see one major problem with that," Lucas offers. "What if he keeps the sword in his bed chamber? We're in this as much to find that as to find Vulcanis's apprentice."
"My thought was that we might want to make heavy use of flight, invisibility, and silence spells to get in without alerting Vulcanis of trouble. We might even be able to trick an apprentice into leaving by using an illusion to make one of us look and sound like Vulcanis."
Once we're there, finding the sword shouldn't be too hard. From what I've heard of its power, I imagine it must contain ten pawns at least. Then I believe I could conjure a spell to let it sing to me. Lucas, I believe you and I are roughly equal in Intellego and Vim, so you could probably do it silently as well. Of course, we might get a bit of confusion from other powerful items he no doubt has.
InVi base 1 (detect residues of 10th magnitude), +1 Conc, +3 Hearing = 5. Casting total = (11 + Aura) before dividing by 2 or 5.
I can't find guidelines for a spell to detect a specific magical item, assuming Carmen could provide a sufficiently-good description of it. But that would help if we can figure it.
Fleur decides it is time to visit Solomon again, "I seem to have a problem with not involving the covenant as a whole, as a signifigant portion of magi seem dedicated to proposition of breeching Vulcanus' sanctum to retrieve a sword that I take it has some significance, and are wanting to use my expedition as a cover for their activity, far exceeding the scope of the plans I had laid and being, frankly, a bit more reckless than I am comfortable with. I'm not going to go into any names, but I'm not certain how to separate myself from their activities, as my plans are quite within the code. on the plus side if I do separate myself and I succeed, I think I will be well down the list of people that Vulcanus will be targeting for Wizard War. Also, what can you tell me about champions in a wizard war? I'm afraid I am not that familiar with that portion of the code."
(If this is brought up to Guiverna, does she remember seeing where Vulcanus kept that sword? Int 1 + die roll of 4 = 5.)
Solomon looks down and raises his hand to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose is obvious concern. "This is truly concerning, that magi of our covenant would so brazenly discuss violating the Code in this way. I recognize you reluctance, and admire you loyalty, to not name the magi who were part of this discussion, but I would ask you to please provide their names. They have committed no violations of the Code as yet, and thus would not be punished, but I must counsel them against this course of action.
As for Wizard War champions, you must have been talking to Roberto. It is a Flambeau notion; one not actually supported by the Code. The concept is that a magus proficient in Wizard War announces himself as champion of another, in theory deterring others from declaring Wizard War on said individual for fear of retribution. However, it provides no actual legal protection. For ease of discussion, let's use or current hypothetical case. Roberto announces himself as your champion. Vulcanus ignores this and announces a Wizard War against you anyway. Legally, Roberto is not allowed to interfere in that Wizard War without violating the Code. He can (and would generally be expected to) then declare Wizard War on Vulcanus in retaliation. But, that would still leave you in a Wizard War alone with Vulcanus for a cycle of the moon until Roberto's declaration takes affect."
"The non interference, does that apply to providing advice or information?" She pauses "As to who is planning the intrusion, you really don't want to know." she gives Solomon the kind of meaningful look which hopefully combined with the statement will give him enough information to guess Carmen is involved without officially 'knowing'.
(sorry, I somehow missed the question Fleur had)
Solomon shakes his head, "No, advice and information are allowed, as long as gaining the information was not a Code violation. For example, Lucas couldn't use his magic to gain intelligence on Vulcanus in order to aid you, as that would constitute a violation of the Code. But as long as no one violates the Code, they can provide you any other form of support they are capable of.”
"Then I believe I shall proceed as I had planned, and if others choose to use this as a diversion for their plans, that decision is upon them."
Fleur leaves immediately for Deurenmar.
Upon arrival she will ask who would have records of members of the order of apprentice status in the Rhine. (Rhine list apprentice as a hermetic social status, I am assuming records are kept)
After his discussion with Fleur, Solomon will seek out Carmen, "Pontifex, may I have a moment of your time?"
I was expecting this...
First off though, call me Carmen. You have known me ten years now.
Anyway, I have a feeling Fleur has been buzzing your ear. The surest way to get someone to do something is to tell them not to.
So you know, I am panning to help Antoine steal the Phoenix Sword. Now before you freak out, know that it is part of the Valdarian cult initiation. The Confraternity of Roland has an initiation that is virtually the same. In their case it is to steal what they claim to be Roland's sword.
I am also planning to go to Asguard.
The third thing I am intending to do is warn Vulcanus of Fleur's intention. I do not approve of her plan. I offered to champion her cause if she gave me her oath to keep the apprentice all the way through. She coud not agree to do that, and she is full of excuses and loop holes. She has no need or use for his apprentice. She is being petty and plans to ransom the kid.
I cannot abide by that. Propriety aside. Vulcanus is Flambeau and a Knight of Seneca. Regardless of how I feel about him, loyalty to my House and societas is more important. If Fleur would have given me her oath, I wiuld have accepted that. She won't, so I am obligated to oppose her.
Solomon sighs, "While I don't condone the actions of these so called 'mystery cults' and their initiations, I understand that it is something that is done. With that being said, I didn't realize you were a member of the Valdarian cult, or had any intention of joining it. Assuming you're not, then while Antoine may have some excuse for his actions, you will have none. All that matters in the end is that you will be violating the sanctity of Vulcanus' sanctum; perhaps one of the most important strictures of the Code.
As for Fleur, while I agree with your impressions, and have counseled her strongly against this course of action, at least her actions are legal. I have no issue with you warning Vulcanus, and as far as I can tell, Fleur is not trying to be underhanded in her dealings. She told me she intended to leave here for Duresca in order to formally announce and register her intention to take Vulcanus' apprentice. That's going to make it difficult for him to refuse without violating the Code himself."
You jump to conclusions and make unwarrented presumptions. I never said anything to you about breaking into any sanctum. I just said I was going to help Antoine steal a sword, not do it for him. And Vulcanus opened the "assistance can of worms" when he had us help him against his rival, who used to dwell in that same tower.
Fleur told me she was headed for Durenmar, not Duresca. I don't even know if the keep those sorts of records.
Anyway, legal or not, it does Fleur no good if she never locates Vulcanus or the apprentice. That's my plan.
If she was going to keep the apprentice, I would back her. But she intends to kidnapp an innocent child and ransom him, like she was a pirate or something. Unconscionable. The woman lacks a moral center.