As my character: Alba doesn't have strong feeling to anything remotely political xD She just wants to be relatively in peace and close to her mother, and Tugurium ticks both boxes anyways.
As a player: I just read about the Rhine tribunal, since I though that was already decided. I would need to read more about others tribunals. So I can't really give you an informed opinion about them
Learning about other tribunals wouldn't be a big deal either, so don't feel bad for it, I can adapt But then I would need to read a little first before I'm ready to make some stories ^^!
Bringing this to our OOC discussion. Regulus is the master of hermetic legalese, I'm not. XD
And some of this relates more to how we (players) want the Order and Tribunals to function.
My understanding as a player: by not being part of a Tribunal we would lack the protection given to a covenant (because covenants are formaly defined within a Tribunal, with every Tribunal having it's own rules). We would be just a bunch of magi living together.
Thus, our charter would also not be valid, putting everyting formerly belonging to Leonardus under some risk (but not too high of a risk, because of a bunch of reasons).
Augustus Nero, mentor to Clusius and quesitor from Normandy will register our charter drectly within Magvillus, which should give us at least some legal recognition, but that can only take us so far.
If we do not join a Tribunal, any issues brought against us will be prosecuted at the accusers Tribunal (this is my reading of HoH:TL). Since we are bordering three Tribunals, we might see fire comming from every side, and no one will be on our side. Politically, it's a pretty unstable situation.
Otherwise, there should be no ramifications. Every magus needs to be member of a House, but there's no obligation to be member of a Tribunal AFAIK. No one is going to march us or something like that.
For the game, I believe this will change the kinds of stories we will be involved with. Postponing ur decision would make the first few years more focused on dealing with the crossfire between Tribunals and chosing a suitable place. If we decide now, we skip ahead to the stories leading to joining the chosen Tribunal (but would still experience some crossfire).
Augustus Nero's move grants us some degree of protection, so I think we could just stay silent for a while and pretend we don't exist. Maybe until the next Tribunal (1214)? This is a bit risky.
It might be easier to protect us if we manifest intent of joining a Tribunal (say, Rhine) in 1207, but only properly join a Tribunal (any Tribunal) in 1214. This is also risky. XD
That's the premisse of the saga, a covenant bordering 3 Tribunals, in an unstable situation. I don't think we can escape some risk.
I think @Arthur can complement on what direction he will drive us if we postpone the decision (or just fail to join any Tribunal at all).
Oh, there has been some talk in the past about joining the Lotharingean movement (support the recreation of the Lotharingean Tribunal, between Rhine and Normandy, in the next Grand Tribunal). I'm not personally found of the idea, but it's also a path we can take (albeit later, so we would still need to join a Tribunal now).
A couple things wouldn't change. We are still on the border, still have relations with the Telsberg, still close enough to Dankmar for them to pose us a problem...
As Arthur mentioned it will really change the tone of the Tribunal itself, our hermetic relations and politics. But for our day-to-day activities, I don't think it makes much difference. For example, I reckon Celeste is going to equally seek the killer of her mother, regardless of our Tribunal of choice, and Alba will still inherit her mother's legacy, whatever it is.
There is. Each magus must be a member of a House and of a Tribunal. Otherwise they can be accused of vagrancy. But there is a seven-year period that the magus has to join and meet the requirements of another Tribunal. See HoH:TL p.49 for more information about vagrancy and its penalties.
Note that the magi are still currently members of their home Tribunal. So Clusius, Celeste and Alba are probably still 'residents' of the Rhine, while I believe Regulus is still a 'resident' of Normandy. Residency in the Rhine is easy, since you can declare yourself a peregrinator and just wander about. Same in Normandy with the eremite status. The Greater Alps do not accept covenant-less magi, as they consider them a source of trouble.
What, and spoil the fun?
If you fail to make a choice for the next Tribunal meeting (1207), then the pressure will build. Your vis sources may be challenged, perhaps even raided. You may face threats and accusations of poaching. Each of the neighbouring Tribunals will consider you a destabilizing influence, instead of just those you didn't join. You will have very little political influence, and be vulnerable from all sides.
-- "You are to know pain, you are to know fear, and, at the appointed hour, you are to die." (Babylon 5 quote)
Had completely forgot about that. Thought it applied only to Houses. See, that's why I don't answer that kind of thing in character. XD
Yes. His situation is probably the most precarious, because he didn't formaly join Thebes and he left Normandy in the Spring of 1201, so he needs to join a Tribunal by Spring of 1208.
Well, he might request to join Rhine as a peregrinator, so we should have no problem if we want (or need) to postpone our decision a bit.
Regarding Items ordered from a Verditius. I believe the cost is x3 the cost to enchant, right?
If so, i might have a n enchanted Item level 24 I might want to get for Celeste, even if it takes most of her Vis.
Cloak of Fair Weather
ReAu24
This fine cloak is made from heavy wool colored white and light blue. When worn, it protects it's wearer from winds as strong as gale force.
(Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, Individual, 2/day, Environmental trigger)
My choice is not a statement of which Tribunal I think is better, but about which one I think would be most interesting given the context of this particular saga.
But to be fair, IMO Normandy and Rhine are quite close in rank (each for different reasons).
It seems like in Normandy the stories will be more around mundanes and the Dominion. Then also we would have the political stories between covenants.
On the other hand, we are at the east, and the wilderness and magical stories are placed more to the west, so we would be more excluded from those too.
Is it more or less how i'm reading it?
Btw, how do the interactions between covenants from differents Tribunals work? Would i be able to visit and stay in, say, Irencillia if im not part of the Rhine Tribunal?
My reading is that stories centered on the covenant will still be dependant on our immediate surroundings.
We are surrounded by the Telsberg and the valley. In terms of Tribunal conflict the closest candidates are Dankmar (Rhine) and Basel and the Tower of Ashes (Greater Alps). The closest hermetic presence in Normandy is Cunfin, more than a week away.
These won't change, but I imagine they will be colored by our choice of Tribunal.
For example, I wouldn't expect our stories to generally involve more dealings with mundanes if we join Normandy. We will interact with the Telsberg and the people of Laimunt, nothing more, nothing less. But I'd expect our dealings with the Telsberg to be examined in a different light depending on our Tribunal (with Normandy being more lax, Greater Alps more strict, and Rhine somewhat in between).
The stories centered on our magi will still be dependant on what the magi chose to do, but might also be colored by the Tribunal. While in Normandy Regulus might be called more often to investigate mundane interference, in Rhine he might need to defend someone accused under the Guardians of the Forest clause, and in the Greater Alps, track down an amaranth dealer (the Alps have a drug problem). But he will also get Varius remains (the roman soldier he met in the caves) back to his hometown, and that is independent of our Tribunal of choice.
I imagine the Tribunal will be of little consequence for Celeste and Alba activities or goals, and for the Tribunal proper they can always chose to attend in Rhine, if nothing else just to trade and mingle with people from Irencillia.
Since regardless of our choice we will be quite isolated from the big players of the Tribunal, I imagine this would be centered more around large scale politics and negotiation of votes.
In Rhine politics will center on the Gilds, or on specific oposing covenants (such as Dankmar X Durenmar, or Durenmar X Fengheld).
In Normandy it will center on relations between covenants, indeed. Since we are rich in vis we might face old and strong covenants opposing us, or fighting to have us under them, and people wanting us to sponsor them in founding new covenants and swearing oaths of fealty to Tugurium (we might decide to stay neutral in all of that). We will also have the hermetic tournament every 7 years, which I personally think would be hard to plan, but also a lot of fun (and we can always share the burden between us all to run it).
The Greater Alps are very isolationist, and from my reading, not very political. They don't usually accept new covenants, so I believe we would face some pushback if we try to join, but after we succeed they should leave us to our devices... or so I hope.
I wouldn't say so. We are likely (but not surely, since Cunfin is relatively close) too far to be meaningfully involved in Arthuriana, for example, but we have plenty of magical stories to explore in the Alps, and the Black Forest is not far away. And we might always be invited for a particular story a bit more distant from Tugurium due to our particular talents or interests. Just as in any other Tribunal, I suppose. For example, regardless of the Tribunal, I'd expect Celeste to eventually become a reference in ghosts.
But well, these are my personal interpretations and expectations.
I don't see why not?
For Rhine in particular I imagine there is a great flux of foreign magi, either Bonisagus/Bjornaer/Merinita visiting their Domus Magna or people wanting to consult Durenmar's Library. But if Alba overstays her welcome in Irencillia I imagine she would be politely invited to leave (or join).
But then I would need to read a little first before I'm ready to make some stories ^^!
