It is almost there. Coughing up smoke is actually a sign of progress. It just feels like you are not making the right connection, not hitting the right note. Something is missing, or you need to do something different.
But what?
[color=green]Never knew my mother. She died giving birth to me. And all I know about my dad is that he is a controlling and abusive @$$#ole. He abducted another bride to wetnurse and raise me as an infant, kicked us both out when I was five, abducted me back when I was seven, dumped me off on some noble relative when I was nine, and so on. He likes to manipulate and manage the lives of his human lineages. It is like he has five heads. Which he does sometimes. Sometimes he has extra legs instead.
But you know, I feel like I am nothing like him. I don't want to control or rule anyone. I can barely run my own life. And I like just doing one thing at a time and in no ruch to accomplish or achieve. I don't even desire wealth. Just a simple happy life is all I ever pray for at night.
Jaksic looks on in amazement, wondering what it is like to have super powers like that.
Jaksic looks upon you with aggresive lust in his eyes, which spooks you momentarilly but does not shake you. You realise he is just blushing and moon eyed. You get why he creeps out mundanes. See, for dragons (like your thee cousins back home), the body language for "I like you" and "I am about to eat you" seem virtually the same to the human eye. Jack isn't a creep, just a nice guy with creepy facial expressions.
Vibria listens sympathetically, just stunned beyond belief that Smok can be like this. She can't help but compare it to her own life, and her relationship with Sigmundo, and realizes that Jaksic had it so much harder than she did. And she's just amazed that he turned out so much better than she thinks she would have under the circumstances.
[color=red]What was that? It sounded almost like he said he doesn't desire wealth!
Vibria smiles. [color=red]"We'll do our best to make sure you have a happy life back in Andorra."
Vibria and Jaksic chat long into the night and fall asleep by the fire.
...
Shortly after dawn, Dragor returns with the magi of Kedzo Valasz. They look a bit roughed up. They had encountered warring dragons the night before last. They were caught in the crossfire and their commander was slain.
But they carry on with pluck and determination!
Vibria curtsies politely when she meets the magi. [color=red]"Thank you for coming to escort us the rest of the way, sodales. I am Vibria Flambonis, late of Andorra. This is my companion Jaksic, these are our men-at-arms Alojz and Prija, and these are the people we are escorting to safety."
She looks them over briefly. [color=red]"And it seems you have fared no better so far than we have. Do you wish to rest briefly before we continue on?"
There are two magi of Kedzo Valasz here. To explain what that means, I refer you to Against the Dark. There is a complicated setup of Covenants and Oppidiae and so on. In short, they are an alliance of magi that set up and maintain various forts as needed.
This detatchment consists of two young magi, Dyvym of Flambeau and Julian of Tremere. They assess the situation in consideration of what you have each been through and what is here at hand. Julian has a conference aside with Dragor and the two grogs (who are Tremere agents as you may recal). Dyvym holds conference with Vibria and the two Redcap students.
[color=brown]Perhaps it may be advantageous to simply fortify this town. The dagon fights are taking place mainly in the sky or in high hills and mountains. This river valley offers some distance from that and allows for a wide field of vision. The main concerns here are giants and nobles. It seems you just killed all the giants in a ten mile radius, so we are safe there. The nobility, well they have their hands full. There is a dragon war going on. Julian there, he can set up a few towers, some walls, and a bunker. I can handle the Aegis. I am guessing you are the most experienced field marshal at hand, so if you can recruit the locals to form a militia, we should be able to hold safely until relief comes.
We lost our commander an soldiers, but we are eqipped with vis and everything needed to build and supply ourselves. Though we may need your help. How good is your Creo?
Vibria beams at the compliment (as least, she takes it as a compliment).
Vibria looks around intently at the area as she answers, to see if she sees what Dyvym says he sees, and if that is the best layout. (Int 1 + Soldier 1 + (die roll of 1, followed by a die roll of 8) 16 = 18.)
[color=red]"It's my best Technique. I've studied it for well over a year in all, and have about two magnitudes of skill.
"We'll get started right away on recruiting for a militia," she says, indicating Jaksic.
Jaksic salutes you and will work together with the two Tremere grogs. He has that Supernatural Air, but interacting through grogs and the gratitude of the villagers helps overcome that.
As for fortification, the Kedzo Valasz magi are dependent mainly on casting tablets to ritually conjure towers. It is strenuous, and they need Vibria to handle one of the castings.
Up for the challenge?
Vibria glances at Jaksic, smiles, and squares her shoulders. [color=red]"Of course, sodales."
Using Conjuring the Mystic Tower (CrTe 35), I assume?
Her score is Sta 2 + Cr 10 + Te 4 + Aura 0(?) + die roll of 5 = 21, which is 14 less than the target. The spell is cast, and she loses three Fatigue levels (using a Confidence Point wouldn't make a difference), which puts her at Tired (-3).
When she's done, she admires her handiwork for a moment before she goes over to Jaksic and leans against him "for support." [color=red]"I'm exhausted," she says.
Most excellent. The other Flambeau sets up a tower on the other side of town and the Tremere magus grows a wall encircling it. He knows the spell and customized it. As he walks the boundary, they grow out from the ground behind him. And they look old and established, like they have always been there.
Vibria collapses on Jaksic and he lays her down and brings refreshment. Then rubs her feet :mrgreen:
Vibria lays back with her hands behind her head and her feet in Jaksic's lap, eyes half-closed. She wriggles her toes as he rubs her feet, and makes soft, almost indescribable sounds of delight...something part purr, part growl.
[color=red]"Definitely a keeper," she murmurs softly to herself.
It's not long before her eyes close the rest of the way and she drifts off to sleep.
So you fortify and bunker down. The town is quite cooperative, grateful as they are for being saved from giants. Things are quiet and secure for the next week or so. Then one day a messenger arrives. A Redcap dressed in black. He is to take the two trainees with him, plus he carries communication from Coeris.
Vibria has been given a battlefield promotion
She recieves a letter granting her official status during her stay in Transylvania, a member of Domonstron with the status & privileges of the Socii ("allies"), currently stationed at an Opppidia of Kedzo Valasz. She may wear designs that look like decorations of Grass and Myrtle.
Grass because she saved magi (an apprentice and two Redcaps).
Myrtle because she has been ppromoted to field general.
Vibria's presence is requested at Coeris asap. Sigmundo and Poena have worked out a plan that will end the dragon war quickly. It will be up to Vibria to choose and command a team to execute this plan.
Vibria is rather confused, to say the least. She doesn't mind so much the battlefield promotion (although she does wonder where her medal is, and if it means she'll be getting paid more. [color=red]Wait a minute...if they can give me a promotion, they should be paying me!)
When she's done reading the letter again, she looks at Jaksic. [color=red]"Looks like we've got more travelling ahead of us."
She then goes to the magi of Kedzo Valasz. [color=red]"It seems my immediate presence is requested at Coeris. What's the quickest way to get there?"
The two other magi look it over for you. The Tremere shrugs his shoulders and goes looking through his stuff to see what he has to help you. The Flambeau takes you aside and expains what it all means.
[color=red]You were given a status, an award, and a promotion. Covenants in Transylvania are hard to explain. It is actually a social status. We then form Camps, an Oppidium, members of which come from different "covenants".
Whatever. I'm from Normandy originally, It still seems strange to me.
My associate and I are "Cives", citizens of the Tribunal and members of Coeris. Our Oppidium is Kedzo Valazs. I just call it KV.
When we met you, we had just lost our commanding officer. You were given command of a refugee expedition by Octavian. So when our expeditions met, your chain of command being intact and ours broken, protocol is to hand command over to you. We communicated this to HQ and the letter confirms the decision. You vere made Socii, an Ally of the Tribunal and a member of our camp.
Then comes the battlefield promotion.
There is a bundle of other letters, many of them for you. News we are getting is that there have been heavy casualties and severe collateral damage.
Anyway, you have been promoted from Commander to General.
I need you to let that sink in.
We will get you to Coeris, the Oppidium Coeris. Confusion again, I know. There is a book that explains it somewhere around here.
[color=red]"I see," Vibria says, even though she doesn't. Not really. Sure, she has the gist of it. She's a General now...and as much trouble she has getting people to take her seriously (aside from her being a maga and them...not), she's not sure how that's going to fly.
But it's another obstacle to overcome, another mountain to climb, another inferno to pass through unsinged. She's dealt with worse, and once the initial "Wtf am I doing?" wears off, she nods to herself, takes the letters, and goes back to her quarters to go over them to see just how much merda she's in.
At some point, she's going to go up to Jaksic and give him a big tight hug for a while. No particular reason, just because she appreciates his being there.
It slowly sinks in that you are a victim of circumstance. Having not yet met you face to face, the powers that be have yet to judge you unfairly. That will come later when they whisper it is because of your grafather getting cozy with Poena (Prima of Tremere). Which is sort of true.
War Reorts...
Heavy casualties. Shortage of officers. Promote to fill ranks as needed. Battlefield Gauntlets at discretion.
Royal city of Veszprem in Hungary utterly detroyed. More than a dozen magi slain. King survives.
Oppidium of Laniena repells attack, suffering heavy casualties.
Scholomance taken by Stormriders, but are apparently trapped in regio. Students and staff safely evacuated.
The Antares of Archmagi stated he is sending advisors to Transylvania with instructions to keep the conflict contained.
All regional strategic reserves open. Priotity code Gamma.
Then you read over your orders again. Closer this time. From Coeris HQ
Orders for General Vibria Flambeau
General Exadaur Tremere is on his way to fortify your position. Unite your forces under his command, then detatch a squad of your choosing and report to Coeris for special orders. Priority code Alpha.
-- General Sigmund Miscellanea
Vibria reads the letters carefully, trying to take everything in. When she reads the letter about the destruction of Veszprem, she will ask the magi where that is, and what (if anything) they know about the situation there. Particularly, whether this is solely a result of the sudden dragon wars or if the dragons had just taken advantage of something that had been building for a while
She also asks where Laniena is, and whether we can expect whoever attacked Laniena to turn their attention here.
She raises her brows in surprise when she sees that Pietro (who, near as I can tell, is the current Antares) is getting involved in the situation, even if indirectly, and she finds herself hoping that she's up to the task ahead of her.
She redoubles her efforts to get her troops (or keep them) in shape and ready to transition them to Exadaur when he arrives, and decides who to take with her to Coeris. Definitely Jaksic. The survivors of the squad that came with her from Scholomance. And three others, to make it an even six mortals, and seven including the Dragon-born.
You know it is a major city and that History has forever been changed. There was also a major university there, a fabulous academic library turned to ash.
Jaksic knocks on your tent post.
[color=green]Hey, there are a bunch of wizards out here to see you.
It is not whom you expect.
Aeorix Minore of Tremere, about your age, is leading a force of a half dozen young magi. All are younger than you and each is injured or damaged in some way. They are the remnants of three different units that have broken and been rallied by Aeorix. He has come to unite his forces with yours and hand over command.
[color=blue]General... (salutes)
Vibria returns the salute. [color=red]"Sodales. It's a pleasure to meet you. I only wish we could have met under better circumstances."
She invites them into her tent and offers them some wine while they talk. [color=red]"I miss Lucia sometimes," she mutters when she realizes she doesn't have a maid or servant to pour the wine for her, so does so herself.
[color=red]"Let us introduce ourselves, so that I may get a better idea of our strengths and weaknesses. I'll begin.
"I am Vibria Filia Fulminara Flambonis Nascor Draconem, a peregrinatrix late of the Covenant of Andorra. I am dragon-blood, by virtue of my grandfather, and a student of the School of the Founder. I don't like cold."
Minor point. Ereginator is the Rhine term. Iberia calls a homeless magus "Vagabundo", a vagabond. But that is something I made up. In Provencal there is no special term for anything outside of what is described in the core RAW.
Aeorix explains that [color=blue]"In Transyvania, every magus is assigned a covenant. You, General Vibria, are a member of Domostron now. Age 36 of our handbook here, "Against the Dark".
As for myself, I am Aeorix filius Aeorix, magus of five years and a Cive of Coeris. My Oppidium is Lycanedon, where I was also raised. I also studied several years at Scholomance. My four strongest Arts are Creo, Perdo, Animal, and Herbam. I am also a Nyktophalanx. My Parma Magisa, and Sun Duration spells, run between Noon and Midnight.
The forces I brought with me, I am their leader by default. This war came on sudden and strong. Many were caught underprepared. But not unprepared, thank fate. This tribunal owes a debt to the magus that brought word to Scholomance and had them evacuated.
Vibria inclines her head. [color=red]"Point taken. I'm still getting used to how things are done here as opposed to farther west."
Vibria smiles. [color=red]"I'll be sure to convey your gratitude when I see him in a few days. Until then...do you happen to know when Exadaur is to arrive? I would like to work with my men and drill with them until he gets here."
