It seems to be implied by forcing the journeymen to station themselves in Sa Dragonera that it is worse off than the main covenant, right? It was made quite explicit by the council after all. If it is a perception of the characters I guess it has a lot to do by how it was shovelled to them by the council.
For what it's worth, my understanding of the plan was that the journeymen would spend some set amount of time at Sa Dragonera (7 years?), after which they would be elevated to masters and free to live wherever they wish. I'm not sure that was explicitly stated anywhere, it's just what I thought we were doing.
There are lots of reasons why Pere will want to stay in Mallorca permanently. Keeping our resident Quaesitor from looking over his shoulder is just one of them. 
I snipped this long debate to a new thread 
I think PoB is just trying to scare you guys. You all have equal votes on the council and can influence decisions like this. And this chapterhouse might close up, and then what will they do? Further, heavy handed oppression will inspire separatist motivations. Roberto will agitate we should form our own covenant if the wise masters push us around too much.
First of all, no one has "forced" anyone to be stationed at Sa Dragonera. We have allowed Pledges to choose to be stationed at Sa Dragonera and thus become journeymen immediately, vice waiting 7 seasons and petitioning after performing 3 services to the covenant. This was because we needed magi there now to protect our assets, and because it is recognized that the situation there is a bit...austere.
The assumption originally was that those choosing to be there would be magi that would prefer to operate in that more austere, but less controlling environment (ie. Acutus and Pere and maybe Roberto). To them, it isn't a disadvantage at all.
Now for some, for example those with a political bent, or who want a high aura in order to perform lab work (say a Bonisagus or Verditius), it would be seen as an imposition, which is why they may choose to petition as a Pledge in the normal way prescribed in the Resolutions of Charter.
As I said, Solomon isn't against the journeymen petitioning for a change in venue after a reasonable amount of time, he just has pointed out that the covenant has no requirement to provide a sanctum at Andorra proper if one has already been provided at Sa Dragonera.
That's a fair statement.
So, while researching some info for the library thread, I stumbled upon something that might completely change Lucas' status. When we were setting up the Mercere Lodge, a charter was written detailing the arrangement. If you follow the link, the initial wording of one of the provisions of the charter stated, "Andorra will offer membership at Master level to any one Mercurian magus Mercere, at House Mercere's discretion." This seemed too steep to Marko (and I agree) and so he recommended changing it to, “Andorra will always hold one membership seat to be held by a magus of House Mercere. If the seat is vacant, House Mercere may assign one at their discretion. The covenant may invoke the right to require House Mercere to provide up to three candidates."
Now I think the intent was that it would read, "“Andorra will always hold one membership seat to be held by a GIFTED magus of House Mercere. If the seat is vacant, House Mercere may assign one at their discretion. The covenant may invoke the right to require House Mercere to provide up to three candidates."
If Marko and/or PB can confirm that, then it changes things for Lucas. Essentially Lucas would be granted journeyman status immediately without need for the 7 seasons and 3 services, and could reside at Andorra.
Darn. That would have been sweet. 
Lucas would, of course, be more than happy to make use of such a provision. In that case he would volunteer to go to the Belearics for a 3-4 year tour in lieu of one of his three master tasks. (Mostly because I had a great idea for quarters and a lab in Mallorca). But ultimately he'd leave the decision of whether he should go or not to the masters. If they really wanted to have him stay in Andorra, Lucas wouldn't push the issue.
Iirc, that was pretty much the intent...that there would be a chair available for a Magus Mercere if the House chose to have one here. Not that they would automatically be granted Master Status, I don't think, but that they would be on the Council. I don't know if we put any safeguards for in case Mercere tried to slip an absolute troll in on us, though.
Right...but when you say magus, you actually meant gifted magus, right? Otherwise Fedora already fills that spot.
I would assume that was the purpose for the clause that said that Andorra could require House Mercere to provide three candidates.
Yes, gifted Mercere, as opposed to just your typical Joe Redcap.
So many details that were never hammered out. But the conclusions drawn are correct to my recollection. This was Carmen's whole point when she inquired Fedora as to Lucas' intended status and station. But Lucas wants to be in the islands, so that changes things.
One of the main reasons Lucas wanted to be on the islands was because that avoided the seven month pledge period. If he could have avoided that under the Mercere agreement, he would have employed that, joined at Andorra proper, and then volunteered for a temporary assignment to the Belearics (which the masters might or might not assign him to).
Presumably Lucas knew the agreement better than Trogdor did. (Not difficult.)
Ah, but as Solomon pointed out, even if automatically a Journeyman ye be made and due a sanctum on covenant ground, the particular part of ground assigned you is as the committee responsible for these things shall determine. In my opinion, such a committee would qualify as Masters Council stuff.
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It's probably a difference without a distinction, since Lucas will go to whichever location they think he's most needed at. My point (or one of them) is that, given the terms of the Mercere agreement, Lucas would have asked to be made a member stationed at Andorra. That would give an opportunity to keep him there if that was what the masters wanted. If they want him in the Balearics, heck, he was going to volunteer for that anyway. 
I agree. And as Solomon had mentioned previously, he would recommend housing him at Andorra proper. In fact, it is probably a fair assumption that when the Mercer Lodge contract was made, the covenant would have set aside a suitable sanctum space near the Redcap quarter for the eventuality of the Mercere filling that position.
Fedora had used it as a nursery, then later made an office of it. It is still a fully functional lab though.
I had Carmen mention all of this like twenty times and you all looked at her like she was stupid 
I thought that was her personal lab space, and what PoB was talking about was a sanctum and lab for any gifted Mercere magus that was assigned to the covenant.
I am talking about the same thing. Fedora has no actual need of a lab, for she doesn't have the gift (though this is where my idea of a teaching-only lab originally came from). It came with the Mercere Quarter, which she is in charge of. Maybe she thought it was a coat room or storage facility? She needed someplace to lock the kids up while she was working :mrgreen:
I was under the same impression as PB. As a magus, and Master, Fedora is entitled to every benefit that any other magus is entitled to, which includes:
" be provided a sanctum with inviolate rights therein, and shall be provided the equipment and supplies needed for their laboratories and other mystical studies"
Nowhere does it state "unless they don't need it."
So, Fedora, as a magus and Master of the covenant was given a Sanctum and equipment and supplies need for a lab and mystical studies (whether she uses it or not), and there would be a second Sanctum and lab set aside for the Gifted Mercere.