"I feel the best choice is to leave the confirmation to an intermediate tribunal allowing the quickest resolution, before someone can try to spoil and poison the waters with dumbassery. Your thoughts my friend?"
"I agree, but I wanna see who is pushing for each option, as it might show their hand."
A combination of mages from a Templar holding and from the covenant of Mount Hermon are arguing that it is best to have such a panel to avoid wasting the time of the whole tribunal for frivolous or preposterous agreements.
"My fellow Magi," Timaeus starts, catching his head as if he's got a headache "this has the usual din of a badly-crafted carriage. Look, we all wish to draft the best agreement between us, and the Order of Suleiman, and unfortunately, we can't seem to reach a consensus of what is part of the BEST agreement. But, and this is an important butt, we can't let that delay this."
He jumps up a chair, to more clearly see everyone here, and he sweeps his gaze around.
"We need to decide who are the delegates we send, and make sure we send a variety of delegates, so no frivolous or preposterous agreements are made, and then, when they return, we convene the tribunal again, to discuss the agreement, and hopefully approve it."
A magus from Mount Hermon steps up "Anyone going on this mission is at risk for a questionable peace at best, and nobody is being drafted to do so, they are all volunteers. If we want the agreement they come back with to be worth our time we need measures to ensure its value before we vote on it."
"Ah, my good friend here is right. Partially. It's true that nobody is being drafted to it, but if it pleases you, if you are SO worried about these peace talks, then why don't you VOLUNTEER, so they can be better?" He jumps down from the chair, and makes his way to the magus who spoke "They say that the best measure is of a magus that he can put his trust in those who volunteer. After all, if one thinks he can DO BETTER, one should step up and DO IT."
"And I say that those who say this are fools. I should put my trust in a Muslim within the order while dealing with Muslims from outside the order, and place my life in the hands of two that I do not trust, hoping that one will somehow balance the other? That is not courage, that is stupidity! We do not need to risk good mages on a fools errand, simply check what agreement they come up with before it is presented for a tribunal vote!"
"No, then don't put your trust in anyone you don't want, and volunteer yourself, so that you can reach an agreement you can live with! Or are you suggesting that it's best to send 'less good' mages, expect them to deliver the best results they can, and then find the agreement isn't to your liking, and risking open wizard war? SOME, might say that this is a fool's plan." And then he sighs, seemingly with resignation "We have a collection of great and wise Magi here in this great Tribunal. We should be able to have their wisdom on such an important mission, but not after the fact. I am willing to nominate you for the negotiations, as your wisdom will light the way to our enemies, and bring us the BEST agreement we can" and then he turns to the assembled mages, and calls out loud "Who amongst you think our beloved friend here needs to be on the delegation?!"
"The order of Seuleman has a price on my head, and you think I am going to march into a meeting and trust to their honor and the symapthisers within the Order? Now if you want the entire delegation to be from Mount Hermon, or perhaps some of our esteemed soldales from the Templar stronghold, now there is a proposition I could get behind!"
"My friend, you're contradicting yourself, first you said that the delegation isn't balanced, even though you, or any of your sodales from Mount Hermon volunteered, and now you propose the entire delegation be from Mount Hermon? But that aside, again I say, even if you have a price over your head, why not encourage one of your sodales, whom you trust, to volunteer?" And after a quick pause he holds his hand and adds "Preferably, someone without a price over his head..."
"When we first came to the levant we stood united against the threat of Seuleman, these Muslim wizards, and we triumphed in our righteous cause. Now because of traitors like this" He gestures towards Nili "we stand divided, weakened. We have lost land and covenants to our indecision and division. We do not need to compromise with these hedge wizards, no matter how numerous they may be. We should come to them with the same offer we have made all others of their kind. Join or Die." The speech is met with a murmur of approval from many of the magi.
"You point fingers at other magi, calling them traitors without a shred of evidence, or calling for a formal investigation, and yet at the same breath you say that we stand divided and weakened, which is exactly the thing you've just done." Turning to the assembled mages, he raises his voice "We can call for war on these hedge wizards, and maybe we'll prevail, though the crusades have been ongoing for over a hundred years, and we're not there. Don't get me wrong! If there is war, I want us to be the winners. But there's no guarantee. And we have no idea how numerous they are." Turning back to the magus who debates with him he says "I will abide by any decision of the Tribunal, but if we go to war, and we lose, know that the entire Order of Hermes will know your name, as the one who agitated for war, when we could have negotiated a peace, if only so we can use that time to study our enemies, and figure out how to win, or failing that, how to counter them."
A bass voice echoes from the far side of the chamber "He will not stand alone in his calls for war, if it comes to that. The question is not whether the Muslim wizards try to drive us out and destroy us, but rather what do they hope to gain through peace that is more effective than war, and conversely what advantage can we potentially gain. I think his plan is wise, to have a secondary council to guard us against the treachery of the Muslim wizards, the limits of their powers being unknown to us, but at the same time we may be able to win more by negotiation than we do by outright conflict, so long as we do not allow ourselves to become complacent once a treaty is achieved."
"I agree with your last point. Whether we pursue an agreement, or not, we cannot be complacent. But who will comprise of this second council? Do we just leave it to one covenant?! I say we have a council of all Houses. After all, if a show of unity is needed, then that's the best way to do it."
"A council of all houses, spread amongst the major covenants then, so Seuleman cannot influence a single location to change our impressions or subvert our security. Simple majority to call a new tribunal or reject the offer?"
"Sounds good. And I'm sure out Flambeau friend, would like to offer his services to sit on this council for his House?" He looks for his 'friend'.
OOC: He'd like to know who sits on this council, from which House, and from which Covenant. And if need be, he'll offer himself from House Mercere.
" And I, Gregory of Flambeau of the Order Templar, will agree to join on this mission for negotiation."
"And I hercule of Flambeau, of Hermon will submit my name for the review council."
"First we need vote on this compromise, all in favor?" The measure carries with few dissentions.
She looked over to Timaeus and nodded to him lightly as she voted in favor of the compromise "I find this acceptable and equitable under the terms of law." She then looked to her fellow mage "Well this will be anything but boring...i can tell you that much."
Timaeus will also vote in favor of the compromise
The compromise passes "next order of business nominees for the negotiation mission. So far we have Nili ex Guernicus, Gregory of Flambeau, Theseus of Jerbiton and Platonis of Bonisagus nominated. Do any of you wish to say anything before the vote?"