Prelude for Torros of Jerbiton

“No worries! I will talk to Salu about the accommodation and then start to write the Lab text in a clear format.”

A bit later Torros will talk to Salu: “Master Andrus wants me to write down some text. That will take some time. I suppose it will take a moon or so. And afterwards I will stay for three more months.
So please arrange my room to be available for that period. I know this might be difficult. But I´m also sure you will manage. ”

"Yes, magus, certainly." Salu nods, before asking. "Have you cleared this with Magistra Murion? All visits longer than a moon must be cleared with her first. If you want, I can arrange for you to get an interview with her." The wrinkled woman waits respectfully and patiently for you to answer, although that answer is probably obvious to her.

Later that day, she indicates that you have an appointment with Murion's personal secretary for later that afternoon. She gives you indications as to where to show up and how to address the old man. "Oh, you should make no mention of his failing sight," Salu adds, "as that is a sure way to make him dislike you."

Torros will ask the personal secretary of Murion for permission to stay 4 Month.

"You want to stay for two seasons, you say?" The old man, whose name is apparently Nonus, spends some time looking at various pieces of parchments scattered on a table in large piles. He picks up one, brings it very close to his face, moves it back a little, then just throws it back unto the table before picking another one and repeating the same routine. "What did you say you name was again? And from which covenant?"

My Name is Torros and my covenant was Valnastium Master Nonus.

"Was?" Nonus says, raising his face from the parchment he was peering at to look towards you. "What is your current covenant, then? Or are you a peregrinator? If that is the case, it is a completely different matter!" The old man sounds exasperated, "You should state clearly what your status is, and what your needs are, magus. Otherwise I will be hard pressed to help you." Meanwhile, he was still digging into another pile of parchments, looking at one then another. This goes one for more than a diameter, until he says, "Ah!" with some satisfaction and settles at his writing desk.

He then starts reading questions from the document to Torros, looking at him each time and waiting for an answer: House, pater, previous covenant, duration of the stay, reason for the visit, expected arrival date, expected departure date, type of raw vis being offered as payment for the stay, whether you will be accompanied by your apprentice and/or familiar, the nature of said familiar, as well as the number of mundanes accompanying the magus. There are more question, but most of them seem irrelevant.

At each answer (even those that seem completely irrelevant), the old man takes the time to slowly note each answer on a page, trying to read it again, repeating it to Torros to make sure it is correct, then marking it as verified. The process is quite slow, and takes many hours.

Torros will answer each question patiently and politely.
His main questions are if he gets accommodation at all, and how much will it cost. But he will raise this question only if Nonus doesn´t give the information automatically.
It seems to be some standard procedure so it might be the best to stay quiet and only talk if asked.

After completing the document, Nonus hands it to Torros to sign it. "You can acheminate the request via redcap, and it will be avaluated by Magistra Murion at the next Visitor's Request Meeting." Torros can literally hear the caps in the title of the meeting. Nonus continues in a droning tone, as if repeating a set text from memory, "The answer should get back to you in a month at the latest, also via redcap, telling you at what time your visit can be accommodated. Durenmar is not liable for additional delays incurred by the transportation by redcaps. The standard fee for visitors is one pawn per season, or three pawns per year. This does not include access to a laboratory, which is an extra pawn of vis per season and subject is to current availability as well as your standing amongst other visitors."

"Thank you, magus." Nonus turns away.

Torros first reaction is confusion followed by frustration. All that discussions with master Andrus and Sula and now this.

“Master Nonus. When will the next Visitor's Request Meeting been held?”

He asks the old magus with frustration and panic in his voice.

"Hmmm, what? The next meeting? Oh, let me check..."

Back he goes into the piles of parchments on the table, peering intently (and near-sightedly) at this one or that one until, after some time, he looks back at you. "I believe it is scheduled for two weeks hence, magus. The redcaps should be able to deliver your petition before then, I am fairly sure. Hopefully, at this month's meeting we will have time to go through all the recent petitions for visits. Last month I remember that we had to conclude the meeting before some of them were reviewed." He evaluates a stack of pages on the table, "Yes, yes, I believe we should be able to do this. There seems to be less than fifty of them this time."

(OOC: Nonus doesn't seem to be a magus, at least as far as Torros can tell. He certainly does not dress like a magus does, but rather as a clerk.)

"Am I allowed to stay for these two weeks or do I have to leave soon?"

"I do not handle mundane accommodations. You should see Salu for that, ser magus."

Ok, it should not cost too much to write that petition to visit Dürrenmar.
Torros will write an official request to visit Dürrenmar for two seasons. One season to contribute to the library, and one to study its famous scripts. He will add an abstract about “The artwork of ice” and of course his curriculum vitae.

Torros will also write a second letter. This one he will address to Fengheld. In this letter he will request to visit Fengheld for the Following Winter season. He will also offer to spend a copy of the lab text “The artwork of ice”. Torros states he will travel the Rhine downstream and stopover in cologne. He will propose to send the answer to this request to cologne.

Before he finalizes the second letter he will clarify with the local Redcaps how to get messages while not in a covenant, and particular how to get messages in cologne? Do they know a guest house in cologne where Torros can stay?

Torros prepares to leave Durrenmar the next day, after he handed both letters to the redcaps

The redcap on duty accepts your letters, as well as your request to route any mail to you to Cologne. This costs you a small amount of silver, but nothing unreasonable.

What do you do when you leave from Durenmar?

(Sorry for the long delay, this week was a bit busy.)

No problem! At the Moment I´m also very busy

Traveling backwards the way we came. Untill we reach the point where the Necar meets the Rhine. Here we try to buy a boat and hire a person to handle it. Torros will take the time needed to buy a suitable boat. The boat should have the right size for 4 Persons and our belongings. On the other hand it should be as small and ordinary as possible. Basically he let Franz do the bargain. For the boat men to hire he will try to get someone on a long term base. The plan is to travel the Rhine downstream. For the high amount of toll stations Torros still needs an idea how to keep his money save. But he will take care about this after he managed to by a boat and hire a boatsmen.

Leaving Durenmar, Torros and his mundanes make their way east through the Black Forest. It is a somber and gloomy place, and the path they are taking isn't well-traveled.

As you cross a small opening between the large trees, a small figure comes out from the brush about ten paces in front of you, calling out. "Stop right where thou are, traveller! Yer' gold or yer' life!"

The figure stands a bit over 4 feet high and is rather chunky. Greyish skin and bulbous nose, with pointed teeth and ears. It is wearing scraps of clothing and a brownish cap and holding a large club. From each side of the small clearing, as well as behind you, you can hear and see the brush moving with similar creatures.

Torros will try to talk them out of this situation.
To achieve this he creates a creative story:
“My gold doesn´t belong to me anymore! There was this beautiful faerie woman with the golden hair who wanted me to give her a kiss. Because I couldn’t do this (my heart belongs to another woman) I offered her all my gold. She agreed and after she took it we had a short discussion about actual tendencies in the jewel marked. I explained my secret plan to her how to become extremely rich and by the most beautiful golden comb for my love. Also I explained this beautiful faerie maiden that it would be no problem for me if she takes all my gold because I´m an excellent merchant and it would take me just a few days to re earn the amount I offered her. So we agreed that I don´t have to kiss her and instead of a kiss my gold should become her gold. After that deal she asked me to user her new gold to make her extremely rich, and then buy the most beautiful golden comb for her. I agreed to fulfill this task.
I expect to finish this quest within one year. And then I have to find something more beautiful as the golden comp as a present for my love.

I don’t own any Gold. But I can offer you to bring a marvelous feather from the famous Danish smore bird for your cap on my next visit. The only problem with this feathers is the price. As you may know they are extremely expensive. But I think I can organize one for you. This will cost you just three gold coin!. What do you say? Do we have a deal??” With a broad smile Torros offers his hand to seal this deal by a handshake. :mrgreen:

(OOC: What skill are you trying to use here? When you try to do something like this, it would be useful to me to know the stats you are attempting to use so I don't have to dig it up and make a guess.)

The creature looks a bit confused by your tale, but swings his club threateningly when you approach him, stopping you short. "Whaaat?" it says, "What are ye' gabbing about?"

"Don't believe him, brother," comes a growling voice to the left. There is a loud sniffing noise, "I can smell th' gold. It be in the horse pack, I tell ye'.

Another swing of the club in the air, close enough to your face that you can feel the air moving. "I tol' ye' already. Yer gold or yer life! Now fess up yer gold and ye can be on yer way."

Sorry, I was not sure about which ability would be applicable and assumed you will decide. Next time I will state which ability I try to use. For this one I thought guile, but was not too sure.

Torros will carefully move back: ”Ok! ok! You will get the gold” While he is walking over to the horse he checks how many creatures are around.

OCC: Did we hire someone to take care for the horse? No one of us has animal handling. So maybe we have someone for the Horse, or the horse is a cooperative one.
After counting the creatures and while digging out the gold he will thing about his change to impress them with a mighty torrent of water. Does his Premonition tell him something?

(OOC: I simply wasn't sure whether you were trying to achieve something specific with the story. Stating the intent of the action as OOC text can be quite useful to me. :smiley: )

Only the fact that you heard the low growling voice allows you to spot another of the creatures hiding in the brush a few paces from the two pack mules that Hans was leading. (Your grog picked up the basics of Animal Handling from Anton the redcap as well as his time taking care of such animals since leaving Rorschach.)

Still, there were quite a few areas surrounding you where the undergorwth is moving. Nevertheless, you got no premonitions about any danger. Even now, you don't get the sense that you are actually in grave danger...