One thing to keep in mind- the Cathars have the information on how to harvest most of the vis, but will not do so until a Perfecti can be located to advise them. Right now the only vs being collected is teh vis collected from the Berber mountaintop temple.
Perhaps we should just collect the vis ourselves. Is any vis harvesting particularly time intensive?
The Cathars have not, at this point, shared that information.
Ah, so that's how it is. I hadn't quite understood the situation. What reason did they give for refusing to collect the vis? Is it apparent that they are blackmailing us, or how is it presented?
They are afraid for their eternal salvation if they collect the vis and die before undergoing the rite of perfection. Additionally they have concerns because the rite can only be performed once, and so there are questions about the state of those who became perfecti and then became younger then when they underwent the ceremony.
I can be very sympathetic to their spiritual needs and am supportive of the idea of finding a perfecti, as soon as we're reasonably able to do so without risking one of our owned getting burned by a possible inquisition in Europe, and if they don't want to collect the vis in the meanwhile because they don't know the spiritual implications, I can have some tolerance as well. We can reaffect duties within the covenant accordingly, I would think. Withholding the information on vis location and collection method, however, is beyond a redline for me. It is akin to blackmailing the magi and the covenant. It is a bit of a surprise, however, as I thought we had located the vis sources in our last season.
Do I interpret correctly that they wouldn't mind it if someone else collected the vis, but they would rather not do it themselves for fear of sinning?
You had in the last session determined that they knew how to collect the vis. Their reasons for withholding the information have to do with the status of their cultural group within the covenant- namely they don't morally object to someone else claiming the vis, but they are afraid that if they surrender the duty to someone else that they will not be valued within the covenant and might eventually be turned out to face the inquisition.
I am always in favour of having a council meeting, but it might not be needed as you say.
Silas basically wants personal vis sources to be recognized as such. No vis salary is need but have the coffers open for any project. Especially project that’s for the covenants good.
With Lares suggestion of a maximum spending of (just how many pawns would it even be?) Silas will remark that vis is naturally more useful for members of House Verditius and that the rules should reflect this. In return for this the Verditius might be expected to create an item every 7 year for just the covenant, but really – he argues – just us using the vis will aid the whole covenant.
As the vis discussion comes to an end, he will also note that he’s of course open for business. Selling his services for vis, including but not limited to opening items or completing them. The exact details and price can be discussed in private. Silas is a little careful about the mention of price looking for the other Verditius’ reaction.
@silveroak Could we get an Artificer's Workshop OOC thread? It would be helpful to me to have a spot to talk through the details of enchanted items. I'm quite sure I'll need some help as we go forward.
Ok, thanks for the clarification.
There are a few things here:
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Like Aetherius, Lares would not consent to stopping vis gathering almost entirely for a long time - it's a huge expense to the covenant for an understandable but minor reason.
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He would also not find it optimal that the vis gathering depends solely on one group - what if something like this were to happen again?
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He would propose a deal (after having discussed with the others) to compromise, something like this: they divulge the gathering technique for two-thirds of the sources (especially vim, which is needed for the Aegis), but keep one-third. The one-third remains ungathered until there is a perfectus. This ensures that it is a high priority for the covenant to arrange one and the Cathars retain their value to the covenant. There might also be other arrangements considered such that the Cathars have sufficient assurance of their position at the covenant without monopolizing the vis. One might be to include something about the status of the covenfolk into the charter.
Should we play this out?
I could see playing this one out.
We may be able to convince the Cathars of a few things:
- Their safety is not at risk. They still have a refuge at Al Kufra.
- Despite the loss of memory and age, they are still the same people. Thus if they have already undergone the right of perfection, the efficacy of that rite is still in play.
- Their gathering of vis is part of who they became at Al Kufra. Their role and purpose here. Also part of their social bargain within the covenant.
- We may be able to use our arts to recover memory. This may take some time to develop adequate understanding of intellego and mentem but it may be possible.
Let's go for it. I'll want a shield grog who has some knowledge of the local area and appropriate language skills with me, at a minimum.
I just noticed, based on the excel table, that we presently only have three Vigil casters: Lares, Okeannetis, and Argentius. That means the penetration on the aegis will be sub-optimal. I think it's too late to do anything about it now - the first season is already gone, and I don't think anyone can learn it by Winter - but it might be useful to have at least one more Vigil caster next year. I seem to recall that Plasmatoris, Zarkut, and Aetherius were closest to being able to cast a level 25 Vigil.
Our aura was 8 for the labs, right? I was unsure of the level of our Vigil. I can cast a 25 vigil at the end of Winter if I have access to a lab text that season.
Yeah, 8. How does that work - is the Winter season indeed quick enough for learning it? If so, then that would be helpful.
Zarkut is a vigil caster but doing it spontaneously.
Ah, I forgot and am an idiot. Apologies.
Far from an idiot. See my artificer thread if you want to see an idiot. 
The Aegis is traditionally cast at the beginning of the winter season (winter solstice) but could just as easily be cast at the beginning of any season. In fact thus far you are assuming that the current aegis was cast at the winter solstice because it is tradition, but all you really know is that the current aegis is up.