Rekindling the Council; Winter 1230

"I would not be averse to holding off on Vis shares for an entire year. The first priority should be to make sure the covenant is solid and secure again... As for roles here, most of my experience has been in combat - including fighting alongside grogs - and acting as a Hoplite. I have only limited experience so far in investigation. Regardless, I will serve as the council sees fit."

We are not so bad off that we cannot pay due wages and salary. It would just be best if everyone accepted late payments.
But Guillme has a point. No one has been a member for a full year yet, other than myself and Inigo. And we are both sufficient.
Still, we can afford to pay everyone. But I would be grateful for those willing to leave their vis on account. Having a large stock will help entice the Mercere to keep doing business here. The profit from the vis exchange trade. But that requires a stockpile with great variety. Our previous stocks enabled a lucrative arrangement for both of us. The Mercere had an exchange bank and we were ablte to exchange at straight value. That and the rents they pay are essential to our prosperity.

[color=blue]Captain Alexandro can lead the turb better than any or all of us. But we do need a magus to act as Marshall and see to their mystical requirements.
You mention you are experienced with small units and tactical skirmishes. This is good. We need custos to be specially trained
to serve as shield grogs on expeditions, and member magi need to be trained in how to emplow the Wizard's Lance (a trained group covered by the Parma of a magus who has been also trained to work with their assigned crew; the unit of grogs and a magus is termed a Wizard's Lance, like a Lance of Knights).

Vocis: Then I am at your disposal.

Were there any objections to my plan to recruit young covenfolk from friendly covenants?

(OOC: how many grogs are normally included in a Wizard's Lance?)

"As am I,"says Guillaume.

(OOC - The limit would be based on the lower of your Parma Magica (adjusted) and the grog leader's Leadership, with adjustments for also covering your familiar and the grog leader.)

Not at all, so long as we can afford it, answers Arachné

"As long as you mean honorably, with the covenant's consent instead of against their wishes." Guillaume clearly isn't too sure about agreeing with that as it was worded.

Vocis: Of course. I never meant to imply otherwise. I plan to speak with the leaders of several covenants, explain our situation if word has not already reached them, and ask if they have any covenfolk they might be willing to part with in order to aid our recovery. I would expect them to request some payment or other arrangement in return, to which I will not agree before returning and consulting the council here. Everything will be handled openly and honestly.

I am open to suggestions regarding what we might be willing to offer, though. I would expect that these covenants will need some idea concerning what we can provide before considering the request. Most of their assumptions based on familiarity with the covenant of Andorra will be inaccurate given our current state.

Carmen: I am not opposed to the idea, but I am not shure what you are intent or objective is. Of course, as Guillme said, before you try and hire or recruit employees from other covenants, then yes, only with the consent of the magi of that covenant. But I don't understand what you seek to accomplish. What sort of specialists are you looking for that we cannot hire in a more conventional manner?

(OOC - I thought there might be some advantage to recruiting covenfolk who are accustomed to living and working in a covenant. I also thought some covenants would be willing to help our recovery efforts. If neither of those will be the case (and I'm getting the impression they won't), I won't pursue this.)

Struck by a idea, Arachné freezes, then turns towards Vocis.

Something just came on my mind. Andorra was attacked by hermetic magic. We can't be sure that one, or more, of our assaillants didn't come from another Iberian covenant. Of that's the case, I'd expect them to use this recruitment to plant spies and traitors in our midst. So, even if this is easier and more efficient, we should maybe abstain from recruiting from other covenants.

Vocis considers for a moment. You make a good point. We could potentially face a similar situation recruiting from the general populace, but the risk is reduced and we will be in a better situation to magically screen candidates if they're not tied to (or in) a covenant. Our immediate shortage of resources for trade also complicates matters. I withdraw the proposal.

OOC - thanks for the save, Fixer. :slight_smile:

Pleasure :wink:

Carmen is not nixing the idea. She is just demonstrating a cultural bias.

Just trying to summarize the topics on the table...

  • Carmen requests suspending or delaying vis salaries until the summer solstice. Vocis, Arachne, and Guillaume have supported this, with no objections voiced.
  • Carmen proposes a Drake Hunt to replenish the covenant's vis stores.
  • Solomon volunteers to catalog the library. Vocis offers Micaela to assist him.
  • Solomon and Vocis offer to perform vis extraction, but Carmen feels this won't be necessary.
  • Vulcanus offers to fortify the covenant's physical defenses and requests assistance in establishing a forge.
  • Vulcanus offers one season's crafting per cycle as a bargaining chip with Harco. Carmen nominates (appoints?) him as our head of Artificing.
  • Arachne offers to renew our magical defenses and establish security protocols among the grogs. Carmen nominates Arachne as our head of Security.
  • Carmon nominates Alexandro as turb captain.
  • Vocis and Guillaume volunteer to train 'expeditionary' grogs, including Wizard's Lance tactics.
  • Carmen recommends we keep the standard tradition of working for the covenant one season per year in exchange for 3 pawns of vis.
  • The following 'offices' have been mentioned, with no specific volunteers or nominees: Marshall, investigations, vis harvesting/oversight, librarian, Hermetic trade, mundane trade.
  • Reestablishment of our trade agreement with House Mercere has been mentioned several times, but no course of action has been proposed.

Please yell if I missed anything.

No appointments, only nominations. And Alexandro is already Captain, has been so for many years now and he is hiring Almogavars from Barcelona to fill our ranks.
Otherwise all is right on the money, and this summary is quite handy. Thanx :smiley:

Solomon also mentioned he expected to perform his quaesitorial duties, which probably fits the investigations s office.

Guillaume remains relatively quiet during much of the discussion, running his hand through Astrid's fur most of the time. Although the recent attacks have occupied a lot of his thoughts, he is paying attention. He does offer to help Solomon investigate, whether as a Hoplite or as an assistant investigator.

Vulcanus is fine with this, though he does say he should probably make himself a longevity ritual before next winter solstice, so an indefinite postponement would be undesirable.

Vulcanus agrees to go, and asks if anyone would be interested in using the drake hunt to test out the new sword he made.

Vulcanus grunts noncommittally.

Vulcanus grunts enigmatically.

More grunting ensues.

"Are there any Redcaps whose loyalty whose loyalty to Andorra rivals their House loyalty? Someone who may have been healed by a magus here, or summat?"

Neither Vibria nor Fédora have any objection. Vibria does ask if they want her to go out looking for vis, either a stash or a source somewhere.

Sounds good to Vibria.

[color=blue]"Have you discussed this with anyone at Harco, or do you wish to negotiate to provide your goods to House Mercere?" Fédora asks.

Fédora and Vibria do not object.

Vibria would not mind being in charge of the vis stores. Fédora feels she could handle the mundane trade, as she must deal with them on a regular basis in the course of her duties anyway.

[color=blue]"I do believe that it would be in Mercere's interest to keep a house here, and that a trade agreement that was beneficial to both sides would be in everyone's interest." Fédora says.

((Does Fédora know of anyone? Int 1 + Order of Hermes Lore (House Mercere) 5 + die roll of 9 = 15.))