To takes some time to recognize anything resembling an organizing principle to the library, but it appears texts are sorted first by language, then by interest. Administrative documents are between the texts for Imagonem and an a tractatus on etiquette in Egyptian courts. According to the founding document the covenant is officially termed the Al Kufra covenant, in the tribunal of Africa, as defined in the grand tribunal of 1228, and was founded in 1233.
Barshako left about half an hour ago, and is nowhere to be seen.
The ibis looks over your collection, "Hey that one represents Thoth!'
Sure enough one of the Egyptian relics is an image of a man with an ibis head.
He heads back to his sanctum at a quick pace. On the way, he asks the boy, âHow would you say âReturn to Laresâ in her language?â
Lares tells the boy to wait in the hallway. He then searches his sanctum for the Barshakoâs hair or anything else that might function as an arcane connection to her. If he canât find any, he lifelink sponts Sight of the Molting Magus at range:touch (InCo level 10, +14 without aura with loud and gestures) to help, running his hands over the bed and her belongings. He rests before proceeding if necessary.
Lares then enters his laboratory and casts Opening the Intangible Tunnel (ReVi 25, +35 without aura with loud and gestures), using the arcane connection.
He casts Maintaining the Demanding Spell (ReVi 25, +35 without aura) to maintain concentration on the Tunnel. Concentration roll difficulty 6, stamina + concentration with spec = 7.
Then, he casts Aura of Rightful Authority (ReMe 20, +22 without aura with loud and gestures) through the tunnel.
Finally, he sponts Words of the Unbroken Silence at range:touch (level 4, +17 with loud and gestures) through the tunnel, saying âReturn to Laresâ.
The hair Lares finds is not what he remembers of er, but is coarse and short, and the InCo spell shows an older woman who might or might not be Barshako, stooped but muscular, with a face contorted into a bestial semblance.
The other spells if you proceed are cast easily...
Argentius takes the founding document to a table, carefully opening it.
"Al Kufra. Tribunal of Africa," says the magus as he scans through the document.
As Argentius scans, he looks in particular for any names or signers of the charter, either the founding members or others who may have joined after its establishment.
âQuite the energetic fellow⌠Oh I forgot to tell him the other magi intended to gather here later. Oh well I suppose he will return sooner or laterâŚâ
Eyeing the student that Lares left behind Silas shrugs a little and turns to Argentius.
âNo not yet. Must be here somewhere. Guess we ought to rummage around until we can find it.â
Silas looks through the shelfs mostly in silence occasionally eyeing the students and Argentius. When the Charter is finally found he follows Argentius to the table and once Argentius has finished reading through it, Silas very briefly looks through it as well. Once satisfied Silas speaks.
âTribunal of Africa, not bad I suppose. The name you had for the covenant was easier to say, I donât know what Al Kufra is suppose to mean. Do any of you locals understand it?â
Silas looks around for one of the scribes left behind by Lares.
The charter is included, according to the documents Argentius, Tastheus, and Zarkut are founding members, along with two other mages, one of whom has entered final twilight and the other departed for the levant shortly after the finding to deal with the "Mongol situation and establishment of house Seuleman"
The others joined later, Aetherius and Okeannetis joining togther.
"I'll be damned," says Argentius as he looks down at his own signature on the charter. Apparently his cook was right: he had helped establish this covenant, Al Kufra. He looks over at Silas, his fellow Verditius.
"Have you met any of the others, Silas? Tastheus or Zarkut?"
Argentius stands up straighter, his face drawn with concern as he again looks about him. He then taps the charter.
"We need to gather a council of the covenant, Silas. We're in serious danger."
Zarkut made his way back after a few minutes in his laboratory, and is in the library, rummaging around the shelves to take stock of the languages there.
[OOC: looking for an Arabic primer written in Latin.]
She will carefully put it to the side, as it will need to be dealt with soon, and resumes looking around her lab for anything that might tell her more on what she's been doing for the past 100+ years. It was staggering to think about what could have happened over that time period. What worldly events has she missed? What did she live through and experience to have gotten here?
Even properly garbed, Plasmatoris is a bit unkempt. His hair is messy, and help back from his face by a headband of loose cloth, in a style he picked up from artists in Venice. His robes are fine and well tailored, but he doesn't wear them with experience. He has a scholar's satchel with tools to take notes.
And thusly, he heads into the library to join his Siblings of Confusion, the other Magi and Maga of what apparently his home.
"Good morning, Sodales," he says with an almost aggressive cheer, spying some familiar faces as they pore over the charter. "Have we found anything interesting?"
Plasmatoris will also bring out his list he's been making of the covenfolk's age and their apparent 'current year', and is curious as to the covenant charter's workings. He does want to get the covenant up to full working order as soon as possible so he can stop paying attention to it.
Zarkut finds a two-way primer, It can be read as being an Arabic text for Latin or a Latin text for arabic. Either way it is level 3 Q:26. There are similar texts for Berber and Franco-Provençal. Each also has a text at Level:4 Q:23 written the same way.
After compiling the information, Tastheus will stroll back to the courtyard, and if no magi are there, search around until he finds a room with some magi in it to share his information.
Approaching the group of magi having a discussion in the library, Tastheus pauses a moment to catch the last bit of conversation before speaking. "Excuse me sodalis. For those who have not yet met me, I am Tastheus ex Tytalus. I have spent some time in my lab going through my correspondence. In 1228 I was asked by a senior Quaesitor to be a Quaesitor for the new African Tribunal. This is or was a goal of mine, though I expected to be more than that as well. So strange."
Tastheus's eyes slide off as he gets a far away look in his face, wondering about dreams never realized.
Zarkut takes the level 4 Latin-Arabic double primer, and heads over to the group at the charter. "Greetings again, sodales. I found a few primers, if anyone else has lost language skills." He points at where he left the others. "You found the charter?" He peers at it through the crowd of magi. "Interesting."