Fleur is planning on taking 2 books. One is an improved copy of another book, so if anything happened to it then it would not be truly lost and Fleur could replace it by re-copying the original (though if Adan recopied it we'd have an even better version...)
The other is Physics, which is a book on philosophae rather than on magical arts, and which I would presume would be less valuable accordingly. She is of course asking Vocis about these plans, and is currying favor with him to be allowed these books.
Just one thing to note. Solomon has made it clear to the covenant that he is against Fleur going on the trip. Marko has provided a potentially plausible way around that via Cidito, however, Solomon, if he ever finds out, will look poorly on her decision to go against his wishes.
Vocis will likely also know this when the time comes around for Fleur to ask to take the books.
THere's a long tradition of magi being jerks and keeping the best ressources to themselves 
But Arachné would be very concerned by your proposition (Yeah, she's kinda traumatized, in a way 
), so you have at least one ally for it 
. OTOH, she would totally side with Vocis on our best books leaving the library, especially on a field trip
A way around it might be for Fleur to ask to study in the Pyramids library. Maybe she can offer to act as an envoy to open up trade between the libraries of Andorra and Pyramids. I have not checked but I doubt that Andorra has much books of Arab origin in say, medicine or the Greek philosophers. Such trade might be interesting to Vocis. Maybe Lucas will encourage such a thing as responsible for book trade?
Otherwise another magus might want to put that proposal forward to Pyramids anyway. 
Ooooh, great idea! Well done, Xavi!
Yeah, I kind of assumed that was what Lucas was going to be doing.
BTW, you mentioned that the covenant had scribes to copy non-Art books. What's the protocol for getting a book copied? Lucas would be content, in the short term, with copies of any of:
Corpus Hermeticum
A Delicate Matter
Finis
Ultor (The Avenger)
The Bright Sun Brings It to Light
The Spirit Legions
Catalogue of Magical Beasts and Beings
Gazing on Heaven
Into the Abyss
The Empty Cup
Geographica Europa
Philosophiae and Artes Liberales, we have excellent books. Medicine, maybe not so much yet.
Actually, it is written right into our Resolutions of Charter.
BTW, I just noticed Lucas has an insane crazy high upkeep. The covenant will cover Journeymen up to +2, but you have to pay the rest yourself. You can go intro debt spending, not sure if their are limits but I am sure you exceed them if you do.
Is it your plan to get House Mercere to foot the bill?
Ah, so the issue is that the Exclusive Collection is an empty space right now. I see Then it should be a decision by Vocis or the council to move books between collections, right?
Are you talking about the upkeep for his quarters? That was just some color that I tossed in when I had an extra point to assign for his quarters. I added another point of Private Income and then spent it all to hire more servants. It just seemed that a large manor house ought to have more than a small amount of servants.
As I read things, the high upkeep should be paid for by his Private Income. If I'm incorrect about how all that works, let me know and I'll assign that point elsewhere and get rid of the extra servants. As I said, that was really just for color.
(And really, would you be paying a scullery maid a full pound a year? She'd probably get room and board and maybe a penny a month. But I digress.)
If you're talking about the upkeep on his lab in Mallorca, I was also planning on having that paid for by his Private Income. He'll have a much more modest lab whenever he returns to Andorra.
[tab][/tab]So, to get on with the show, the diplomatic envoy is to gather at Roberto's place in Sant Antoni de Portmany, Ibiza. The entourage consists of Roberto & Cidito, Lucas & Horus, and I am hoping maybe Actus. Who else?
Along for the ride we have Bashir, Selim, Antoni, Adan, Petrus de Cunfin, Tretze, Miquel, Carlos, three to six more yet unnamed grogs; then three peons (Larry the Lackey, Pete the Porter, and Tommy the Teamster). Then we have the Captain of our ship, Johan VanHalen II. He has a decent sized ship, comfortable enough for us all and his crew. His crew is small though, a crew of two. Chimo and Ximo.
[tab][/tab]This humble port town is full of friendly festive folk. Forget what the history books tell you. This is Mythic Ibiza. The people here have their own hippy fishing village beliefs and pay lip service to whatever religion is in charge. There are buildings dating back to the days of ancient Rome and Greece, the Phoenicians and Carthaginians left there mark here, and there are cultural traces yet more ancient still.
[tab][/tab]It is a port town with a multiethnic populace, and there are several taverns. Tavers are pretty much peoples houses. They home brew ale or whatever, then when a batch is ready they put out a sign that says "come party here and give us money". Pretty much This is common in the middle ages I have learned. Here, the native beverage is Hierbas. The blend brewed up by a local wife named Beatriu is quite popular, and everyone is hanging out at her place the night before departure. Carlos is playing Flamenco, the people are drinking and laughing, and it is a good time. It is just past Christmas, but the weather is mild and not cold at all. Cool and breezy. 54[sup]o[/sup]F (12[sup]o[/sup]C)
[tab][/tab]It is just around sunset. Roberto and Johan & crew have not joined the party yet, for they are making a final checks upon supplies and preparations. Bashir is not at the party either, for his attention has been captivated by the sunset over the sea, and his imagination wanders to the night time of distant lands.
[tab][/tab][color=red]What? That's crazy talk. Want to know the secret to longevity? Clean living. Good exercise, good diet. Up at dawn every day and I walk a mile or more. I eat meat only three or four times a week, and only at supper. A cup of good wine every evening, no more than two. I stay away from beer, though I do like this local herb beverage.
[tab][/tab]Trust me, you don't want to drink a Longevity Potion when you are still so young. The stuff, it..., it destroys your fertility. Like drawing a bow with no arrows to shoot. ¡sus huevos no producen más leche. I mean, Yikes!
[tab][/tab]I've been doing everything I can to put Longevity treatments off for as long as possible. I am 44 years old, soon to be 45. Yet I have the vim and vigor of two men half my age! I use all kinds of little tricks. The clean living is one thing, and the covenant affords their magi a quality lifestyle. The environment here, specifically this island and this town, is just a great place to live. Don't mention this to the other magi, but I would much rather live here than over there at the cold mountain keep. The weather is warm and wonderful, the food is fantastic, that herb beverage is fantastic. My only issues are the lack of an Aegis and checking books out of the library. But you know what, I can suck it up. I was planning on living here to begin with anyway.
[tab][/tab]The other trick I use would be of no benefit to you though, I am afraid to say. My Familiar, Cidito. Other wizards have familiars, but the Hermetic method devised by Merinita is far superior. There are three cords, Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Gold is of magic and Silver is of the mind. Bronze represents the body. Strengthening that cord strengthens the body's ability to resist injury and disease, to heal and endure, and to resist aging.
[tab][/tab]So in my opinion, Longevity Rituals suck and they are a last resort. They also warp you over time, due to the constant unnatural effects of the magic. I have never made one, I don't know if I can, and if I could I might not be the best one to do it for you. Talk to Lucas, the new Mecere magus traveling with us. Those of his House have connections concerning these things. But I have heard of mundanes paying two or thee hundred marks or more.
[tab][/tab]I think the covenant does have a pension plan though. Not sure how that works. Check with your department head or something. Heh-heh. I don't know. One of the officers I think? The Treasurer in charge of pensions and payroll. I always have to submit my vouchers and receipts to Carmen.
"Perhaps you are correct," Bashir replies. "To deny a man his chance to father children is a great cost." He nods absently. "But I do not think that being a father is my fate. And I can't help but consider the people I could help if Allah granted me but ten or twenty more years on this mortal world." The moor bows slightly to Roberto. "I thank you for your information. I shall speak with Lucas when I get a chance, and with one of the masters upon my return to Andorra."
[color=red]You speak truth my friend. It is God alone that decides how long the span of your life will be. My parens, he once boasted about his Longevity Potion was potent enough to keep him young and fit for decades. Two years later he was beheaded in battle. A sorcerer conjured a ghul against him. That sorcerer, he probably bartered with devils to extend his lifespan, but they failed him when the point of my sword caused his Longevity Ritual to fail him.
[tab][/tab]The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away. Access to Longevity, a Healthy Life, a bold Familiar, these are all blessings of good fortune which is the province of God. A sword in the face or a heart attack in the night, these fortunes are also decided upon God. Poor Moeses Mendez, God rest his soul. Im new here so I only got to talk to the old guy a few times. I bet he had a score or more years left in him, but the Lord had greater need of him and called him up.
[tab][/tab]Met a merchant once. Always busy, always hustling a deal. He often would say "time is money". I told him that was crap, for if time equals money then money equals time. But when your time is up, it doesn't matter how much money you have. That's it. Your over. Done. You can't buy another hour.
"Inshallah," Bashir replies. "I saw much the same when the Christians retook Mallorca. Many died with much to live for, yet some lived who sought death in battle. It was only by chance that my leg was struck by a sword during that last chaotic battle, and not my neck or my heart." The moor bows his head, touching his heart, his lips, and his brow. "Since then I have come to understand that each new day I have is a gift. And I try and repay that gift as best I can by helping those in need. My training is as a physician, so I mostly do that by helping the sick and injured. But I have found that it is wise to be compassionate in all that I do. For does not your own holy scripture say 'Cast thy bread upon the waters: for after a long time thou shalt find it again?' Ecclesiastes, chapter eleven."
[hr][/hr]
I rolled a Theology: Christianity (biblical knowledge) check to see if he could cite chapter and verse: 1d10+3=11. An 11 seemed good enough to me.
You did great, and your total is actually 12 (Int +3, Theology 1, roll of 8)
As for Roberto...
Int +2, No Theology, die roll of 1d10=9. Which doesn't matter because Theology is one of those special abilities that cannot be attempted without a score.
So I shall employ Charm 1 (wit) instead :mrgreen:
With a Presence of +1 and the die already rolled equals 12
[color=red]All we are is dust in the wind 
Also...
Remember these words, for the time will come when it is important for Bashir to repeat them back to Roberto.
Hearing the discussion Adan begins to try and enter it in a manner that only one who has been a monk would consider appropriate.
"Indeed, I am moved to consider Job. For the Lord both gave and took from Job, not in accordance with the virtue of his actions, but for higher purposes in his dealings with the Devil. Much is made of Job's ignorance of how the universe works when the Lord speaks through his child, and indeed it is never made clear to the reader exactly what the terms of the wager were between God and the Devil..."
"An excellent point," Bashir replies to the former monk. "Our fate is ultimately for God - Allah - to decide. Man must abide that decision and trust that fate."
Meanwhile, back at the festivities, Lucas approaches Selim, a drink in his hand and a smile on his face.
"Hello, Selim, is it not? I'm still learning all the names of everyone." The magus holds up his drink. "This is some mighty fine stuff, is it not? Never tasted it's like before. It's made with rosemary and lemons, if I'm not mistaken. Interesting choices. But then, this may not be so strange to you. I understand that you're from the lands just west of here. So perhaps you've had something similar before. Perhaps you've even been in these lands?" The last is more question than statement.
Antoni goes all glassy-eyed and ???????
He looks around, eyes wandering in search of food or good wine... Target acquired...