[color=red]"You're under our protection now, Bernat," Vibria assures him, [color=red]"and safe from the Bishop's retribution. What did you find out? Or would you prefer to tell our Council, in confidence?"
I... I ww. ww... will not t... t... tell mmm... m... my ssss.. ssecrets ek.. except ii.. in c.. c.. c.. confidence. I ww... will ww.. wait fff... fffor your c.cc.council. Th... th.. they cc.cc.can de... de...decide ww... w.. what th... they ssshhhhould d.d do w. ww... with it.
((Right, I'm going to need to know, and soon, exactly what Bernat overheard (and possibly saw). I've previously been working on "the Bishop promised a faerie gold from the collection plate in exchange for the faerie assuring him continued favour at court; but I don't know much about the Fae, so I don't know if that makes sense.))
((Also, is it likely Bernat would know what nature of being the Bishop was talking to; or would it just be "something weird and magical" to a mundane?))
[size=85]((Finally - sorry, I don't know why Bernat changed colour. He should be green))[/size]
That would depend on a few things- the individual faerie's story, whether vitality can be transferred, and whether that is the real goal of the faerie.
If the faerie is one which receives vitality through offerings the gold from the collection plate would be valuable to the faerie only in terms of how important it was to the bishop.
If vitality can be transferred then the gold from the collection plate would be significant in terms of it being an offering from a great many people.
If the faerie is following a less straightened path, it may well have requested the gold from the offering plate knowing you would overhear so it could involve the Bishop in a story and gain vitality through the resulting dramatic events.
((or it could be a demon posing as a faerie 
))
Or as the bishop! 
It would be funny to have 2 supernatural beings having a deal when they both thought it was with a human :mrgreen:
Ooh, deliciously evil. Although I feel, if it is, it should be something we as players don't know. A possibility for your own back pocket, perhaps.
A thought came to me that - faeries do Changelings in Ars, don't they? So we could have the bishop agreeing to allow the faeries to swap, say, every hundredth newborn in his domain? I don't really know what would be within the faeries' power to gift in return for such a heinous offer, though.
Hmm. Perhaps Bernat doesn't know? Maybe he only heard half the bargain? That would allow the SG or someone else to define it as and when it becomes relevant down the line.
Actually depending on how it being treated, the faerie could simply be given permission to operate within the local divine aura- being given permission for admittance, perhaps at a price, is a very common aspect of faerie- usually this is in the terms of admittance tot the home, but the Bishop could give a faerie access to an entire town and essentially withdraw the power of dominion to suppress the powers of that faerie.
[color=red]"The earliest we can lawfully meet in Counsel is three days hence. Until then, you are under my protection, and anyone who wishes you harm shall answer to me." Vibria throws back her head and blows a jet of flame for emphasis.
[color=red]"Until then, stay here, get some rest and heal up, and I will check on you."
Vibria then heads back to her sanctum and writes out summonses for a meeting.
[i][color=red]"Sodales and fellow Masters of the Council of the Covenant of Andorra:
One Bernat del Caval, formerly of the Bishop of Urgell, has come to us seeking asylum from his former master. Bishop Vilamur, for his part, has sent men with hunting dogs after Bernat in hopes of returning him to Urgell in whatever condition he may be. Our guest claims to have discovered something about the Bishop damning that the Bishop has done – he will only, however, divulge this information to us in confidence. Seeing as how granting Bernat asylum may conceivably have implications with regards to the Oath, it would be best (I feel) if we were to meet in Council to hear what he has to say in confidence and discuss his petition.
I would like us to meet directly after lunch on (whatever the date is, three days hence).
Vibria Flambonis[/i]
Fleur knocks gently on the door. "I don't know how we plan to proceed, but if we need some time, I could take him back to my sanctum, and we could tell the Bishop's men he has left for Mallorca. It will take them some time to travel that distance, discover hat he was there for a period, and return."
Eep!
((Ah, granting permission for the faerie (or faeries) to act within the Dominion of his bishopric is nice. I might take that. Still blank on a suitable other end of the bargain, though 
))
Depends on the Bishop. Some claim that extramarital sex with a faerie is not a sin because either they have no souls, aren't real people, etc. Perhaps the Bishop has personal issues and believes this is a sinless way to deal with them. Perhaps the faerie is one which will frighten the parishioners into the pews and strengthen his influence in the region. Perhaps it is the faerie paying gold to the bishop (I which case we want to trade for that, because enduring faerie gold has vis in it)
Not knowing it has potential. I would leave like that
Yep, good for me. We shall proceed with Bernat knowing only one end of the deal.
[color=red]"That should work...and we, on this side, can truthfully say that he's not here and haven't seen him sense he left."
Vibria then smirks at Fleur. [color=red]"You do plan on letting him get some rest while he's there?"
[color=red]"Will he be fit to travel after the meeting, do you think?"
"Yes, I will let hi get some rest. I would want him in good health before I play with him. Or at least significantly better health than he is in. He should be fit for some travel now, at least by gate. Overland for long distances not so much."
Bernat will - slightly dazedly, as if in the grip of forces beyond his control - accept refuge in Mallorca. He is, naturally, somewhat discomfited by the fact he can walk through a door and end up on an island somewhere so distant he immediately notices the temperature change; but he remains polite and thankful. After all, you have just saved his life.
The Bishop's men will return in the morning; and again the day after that (although you note that there is one fewer, presumably as a messenger has been dispatched back to the Bishop). Assuming there's impasse, I guess we can handwave those; although if anyone wants to further describe the mutual belligerence, feel free.
I am presuming we tell these guys that the man has long since left for another sanctuary.
Do these guys have a warrant or any proof that they are the bishop's men? The first group didn't, so in that way we can claim plausible ignorance.
You can tell the guys that, but they've been keeping watch on the keep since the first night, and they're sure Bernat hasn't left; so they don't believe you.
As for credentials, they're all wearing livery and armour bearing the arms of the Bishop of Urgell, but nothing further. However, on the third day the messenger will return from the Bishop carrying a letter bearing the Bishop's seal. In sufficiently flowery ecclesiastical pomp and formality it requests and requires all parties, as the Bishop's temporal subjects, to aid the Bishop's representatives in the capture and return of one Bernat del Cavall; with threats of open force being used if the order is not complied with.
The men deliver this message on the day the council is to meet, and stand at the gate awaiting a further reply.
Carmen scowls (it seems that she is always scowling lately, leadership is a heavy burden)
I have no problem showing these guys around the place and discussing matters cordially. But I do not care for the demanding tone, the claim of authority, or the threats of force. And here is the catch. To comply would be to interfere with mundanes! These collected parishes have their own way of doing things and their claim of sovereign status. To grant the bishop authority would be to admit that he has authority!Not only would that have unsatisfactory implications for the other parishes, it would offend temporal powers. The Cont of Foix.
At this point I don't care about this refugee, and we probably would have been better off not letting him in. ut be that as it may, I do not want us to be the ones responsible for disrupting the status of these parishes nor do I want us to be the ones that incur the wrath of the Count.
I do not elieve in the no-win situation. There has to be a solution to this. What do you guys suggest?