In which active characters may attend the tribunal, where the continued recognition of Luctatio and the establishment of the Covenant of Malta as a recognized covenant are both on the ballot for citizen magi.
Characters stuck in ongoing unresolved sagas may join the tribunal late when those sagas are resolved, if they resolve before the tribunal.
Magi who have not obtained recognition as citizens of the tribunal may voice their opinions but may not vote.
Before tribunal, Archimedes makes a few changes to the interior of the hill (using ReTe), coordinating with Taliyah to make sure she doesn't object, also to make sure she doesn't get trapped and retrieves everything she needs. First, the tunnel from the middle to the lower level is gone, there is now a smooth wall a few inches thick, behind which the tunnel has been reshaped into stairs going down to another blank wall, this one carved with Archimedes' sigil, marking his sanctum. He offers to do the same for Taliyah's sanctum, and he fills in the tunnel that goes in from outside the hill, moving some sod around so that to an outsider, the hill appears unblemished. He has always pushed for secrecy about the caves, but he will bring along any covenfolk who know about them as their servants joining them at tribunal. Lastly, he is bringing 13 male and 13 female statues along with him, as well as the lab texts for the two insights he gained from them.
He explains to Taliha that he is preparing for non-recognition, he is trying to protect their discovery; as even if their covenant isn't recognized their sanctums should still be sacrosanct.
Preparations made, at tribunal he will keep a low profile; his lack of social skills means that politicking is likely to do more harm than good. He will talk to his Parens, if he is in attendance, and will inquire about whether he has learned everything there is to learn about the ways of Verditius.
Cornelius is here, selling a few low cost items he made between orders and trying to get more orders to work on between tribunals. He greets Archimedes "So how have you been doing in your mage errancy? Hard road for one of our house."
Archimedes smiles. "Well, I got lucky, I guess... you've heard the rumors that a covenant in Malta is on the ballot to be recognized? That's me, along with a couple of sodales. We found some pretty exciting ancient stuff, including a temple that might be especially interesting..." he whispers, "a proto-Greek goddess marked by a spiral? does that sound familiar?"
He ponders " spirals are common, especially amongst the criamon, but proto Greek you say? That must be old indeed, I'm sure the theurgists would be interested in learning more. Good luck, there are at least a dozen establishments seeking recognition. Citizenship is a lucrative business."
Archimedes nods. "I was thinking it might be of particular interest to pagan scholars, other than the theurgists, if you know what I mean? What I found there reminded me of Hathor and Athena, if that makes a difference..." he shrugs. "I take it there are always a lot of covenants that want to be recognized and aren't? Do you have any advice?"
[just in case you've forgotten about them, he's trying to refer to the Neo-Platonic Order of Lost Wisdom]
" Perhaps, I think they would be more interested in Greek than proto Greek in general, but depending on what is there I could be mistaken. In terms of advice, everyone knows the tribunal is overcrowded. There is a need for more covenants, but there is a greater need for more vis, collectively and individually. Everyone who can vote is a member of a covenant, and will vote with where their interests lie. Which means they are going to vote to approve whichever proto-covenant they have built a relationship with that will benefit them to have recognized."
"I haven't managed to think of a reason why someone would support a new covenant rather than just muscling them into being a chapterhouse." Archimedes sighs. "There was quite the windfall of vis, so at least if we're forced out we'll have something to show for it."
"Malta is a bit outside the recognized boundary of the tribunal. You could always threaten to join a different tribunal if they refuse to recognize you. Maybe even found a couple more covenant sites and find someone to suggest you be granted status as a new tribunal at the next Grand Tribunal. An tribunal of Africa perhaps? Not sure what other tribunal you might try and join, you mentioned proto-Greek figures, they might be willing to take you, if you meet their requirements, or there is Iberia or Provence, a bit of a stretch geographically for some of those, but the threat might get you special consideration in Rome. Especially if there is a windfall of vis. Always helps to have multiple buyers."
Would Archimedes know that there are factions who want to expand to Africa? and if so, would he know who leads them?
Their existence is not a secret, but who they are is something that would have taken research that has not been done.
Archimedes will try to find out what he can at the last minute. He will also ask around about other covenants trying to get recognized and what other mage errants are present, in particular any that might have influence.
roll presence+order of hermes lore
Didn't realize, but Archimedes doesn't actually have OoH Lore. If you allow the roll anyway, got a 10.
He does have Verditius Cult Lore and NPOoLW Cult Lore, which would give him 12 and 13 respectively, if that helps.
You locate a Verditus mage errant who is part of an establishment tryin to gain recognition as a covenant, located in Calabria within the kingdom of Sicily.
Archimedes considers what to do in regard to the other Verditius, but while he is thinking, he gets another idea, and heads off to the Head Quaesitor, requesting an urgent meeting with him regarding a Code violation.
You find the quaesitor hurrying through thehallways with a bundle of papers under his arm. "Talk while i walk, I'm busy."
Archimedes walks alongside him. "Very well. I wish to bring a formal charge to challenge the Roman peripheral code. I was apprenticed and gauntleted in this tribunal, but the rules of the tribunal have prevented me from becoming a resident, and deprived me of the vote that the Oath grants and protects."
"The Roman Tribunal is not required to accept someone as a citizen simply because they apprenticed there. Precedence is well established here, in Hibernia, in Thebes, and in a few cases in Transylvania. I believe there was a case involving the Alps as well. The means to establish your citizenship within the tribunal are well documented. Simply speaking you don't have a case."
Archimedes sighs. "I was afraid of that. But what if it can be proven that it's impossible to establish Roman citizenship? Is that a legal state for a tribunal to be in?"