Vardian Log #21: The Certamen War --- "The chair is a force to be reckoned with." --Proco "It's hard to track a flying chair." --Anonymous "Then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory." --Matthew 25:31 --- Season: Winter, 1203 Dramatis Personae: Abrogo Grog Acutus of Ex. Misc. Magus (DougO) Antony de Padua Grog Arridere of Jerbiton Magus (Dave) Chair Magic Item Christophano Grog Demoror of Quaesitor Magus (Billy) Flamma of Flambeau Magus (Eric) Frederick Grog Golem Golem Grandmother Grey Dark Thing Medicus of Jerbiton Magus (DougL) Mediocris Grog Proco Apprentice Ris Tiny Faerie Rupes of Bjornaer Magus (Shannon) Sagino of Tremere Magus Sagino's Apprentice Apprentice Samo Grog Vinum of Tremere Arch-mage ** ** From the well organized lab notes of Flamma Incendere ** Spring, 1203 Ah...Success. Taron, who is really quite reasonable if you handle him correctly, has agreed to put me in charge of the younger magi. The only direct power it gives me is that I get to divide the vis from missions for the covenant. Taron will of course think he is taking advantage of me in some way or he would not have agreed, but as all I want is to solidify my power with and over the other younger magi I do not mind. Demoror, who despite his eccentricities understands power and the order, has left with those fools Chavin and Mendum to Literatus. I now feel a little remorse at telling everyone how great that boring library was in order to trick them into going. However, what is done is done, and since Demoror was our Covenant's Quasitor he decided to pick someone to take his place for a year. He wisely chose me. The actions of some of the younger magi are of some concern to me, especially those who constantly go up to Rome to worship in a church. The only good church is a charbroilled church. I can understand that complete idiot Arridere going, but I thought Medicus had more sense. The two of us recently cured one of the grogs, Antony, of muteness given to him by those despicable Faeries. It cost a few pawns of vis, but I am sure Antony will now be more loyal to me than he is to even the elders. He is a good grog. ** ** More selections from the lab notes of Flamma Incendere ** Winter, 1203 I had been quite bored for the last few months as nothing interesting had come up at the covenant, but at the council meeting of winter we were blessed by the appearance of an Arch-mage. This would not be dull. The Arch-mage's name was Vinum of Tremere. He was obviously far older than any of the elders, and he had to be carried in by his grog, Frederick. He kept falling asleep at the meeting, so his apprentice, Proco, filled us in on some facts. An old apprentice of Vinum's named Sagino had challenged him for Arch-mage status. This is definitely bad form and should do nothing to add to Sagino's status in the order. Why? Because poor Vinum has already lost 5 times and is in no condition to defend himself. So one of the reasons he is here is to try to defeat Sagino in the contest. The contest itself has three parts. The first was a simple Certamen and the other two are total number of Certamens and total Certamen victories in a year's time. Therefore, he has come to our large covenant to Certamen and defeat many magi. He is also here for another reason. It seems Sagino's apprentice stole a magic chair from him shortly before Sagino began his challenge. It was a great stone chair that flew and greatly aided the elderly Vinum. He offered a reward of another magic item for the return of his chair. The reward was a music box that aided people in going to sleep. While this seemed useless to me the elders said they would give us time in the real library if we gave it to them. It also turns out the item originally belonged to Verdi, a covenant with great love for ours. It seems that it was made by the founder of their house. The council room was rather crowded that day as some of the grogs had decided to attend. I later found this was due to their distrust of Frederick, and that they loyally wished to protect us in case of trouble. However, the only trouble was that Abrogo and Antony kept arguing. I chased Abrogo away; you have to let your grogs know you are looking after them. We sat around for quite some time before Vinum awoke, and when he did Rupes right away provoked him with irritating questions. Vinum, true Tremere that he is immediately challenged Rupes, but fell asleep again before it could start. At this point Proco mentioned that this was how Sagino had defeated Vinum in the first part of the challenge. When he woke up, he had forgotten Rupes and began Certamening people with the condition that they help recover his chair. Medicus immediately volunteered and lost. Vinum then remembered Rupes, but fell asleep again during the Certamen causing Rupes to win. Rupes, who tends to show great respect for his elders, looked as if he was about to be ill. By the time he woke again Medicus had also revived. Medicus then foolishly challenged him for reasons only a Criamon could understand. He of course lost and now must do all that he can to prevent Verdi from getting magic items. After that foolishness I determined that I should show some correct leadership to the others and told Vinum to challenge me in Intellego Imagonem, my worst skills. I did not wish to accidently win as did the fool Rupes. The rest of the Covenant followed my lead except for Hadrian, who may not actually have realized he had been Certamened. Fortunately, Hadrian put no conditions on the old Tremere so that when he awoke he was able to leave for Verdi, where lay many more defeatable magi. Once he had left and everyone else had recovered, Taron did a reading to find the location of the chair. It seemed to be somewhere in my favorite Faerie killing zone to the southeast of Rome. None of the elders wanted to leave their labs, but as they had been Certamened to help they did so by offering us two seasons of study. Actually they promised us one for the job, and another if we gave them the magic music box Vinum intended to reward the returner of the chair with. As head of the younger magi, I knew I could get them to all cooperate on this so that I would get both seasons in the good library. At this point Rupes came out with an astoundingly brilliant suggestion. We would all spend our seasons copying the good library into the lesser one we use. This would benefit us all and give the elders less to hold over us. I shall have to evaluate Rupes again, he is not the foolish rock he pretends to be. This incredibly long meeting was fated to continue until hell froze over for as soon as we were all finally ready to leave, who should appear but Sagino, the rebellious ex-apprentice. He came with the obvious intent to challenge us all as did Vinum, and challenge us all he did. To make sure that people fought the Certamen with him, Vinum always made his condition that if he win, he would give six pawns of Vim Vis to the loser. All of the elder magi accepted except for the always kind Luke who obviously thought Sagino deserved no aid in his quest for Arch-mage status. Many of us agreed and argued with Sagino. He grew angry and challenged several of us younger magi, but as acting Quasitor I ruled that Sagino could not challenge multiple people at a time and must wait until his previous Certamens had been resolved. He threatened me then, but I do not frighten easily. I forced him to Certamen the elders, besides Luke, before he Certamened the younger magi. He won all the contests except that with Taron. Taron's silly condition was that if he ever met an untimely end, Sagino would have to find what had killed him, and destroy that person. It seems clear that Taron was directing this at Certus, and I think he was mistaken to so clearly show his fear. Finally Sagino got to the younger magi. Medicus immediately jumped at the offer of the free vis, but Rupes Certamened him before Sagino could. Rupes lost, but I saw his logic and beat Medicus afterwards. We convinced Sagino to renounce his apprentice (so that we could kill him if we had to) and tell us more about the chair before we agreed to his Certamens. He told us the chair reflects magic and protects the occupant. It also is capable of Intellego magic and can control the person sitting in it. We then agreed to his Certamens and all lost, happily taking the vim vis. He then left the Covenant as well. Thus ended the longest meeting since I have been in the Covenant. I do not look forward to a repeat. ** ** From Rupes' Book When Sagino first came to our Covenant, I took an immediate disliking to him, for he is not only challenging an elder, but his own master, which seems the deepest form of treachery possible. Thus, when he began offering free vis, and Medicus tried to accept the offer, I felt obliged to Certamen Medicus, and force him to not accept this offer. Sagino tried to argue that his Certamen with Medicus had to be fought first, but Flamma, as acting Quasitor, managed to convince him that his Certamen had not really been initiated. Medicus managed to beat me, but from what I have heard, Flamma Certamened him right afterwards. Between this, and her highly anti-Faerie attitude back in the forest, last year, I am beginning to gain new respect for Flamma. I think I shall have to take her into my confidence on my plan for when Luigi's mirror next opens. She would definitely be a strong ally to have in what could be a long and arduous path. I am sure that she will agree, however, that the rewards will be great. ** ** From the prison writings of Christophano After the very long council meeting, the magi came out and told me to prepare for a trip to the Faerie woods. It seemed several of them intended to recover a stolen magical stone chair. Luigi assigned Abrogo, Mediocris and Samo to come along as well. The magi that came along were Arridere and Medicus, both very nice and kind. Flamma also came which worried me, but she had been nicer to the grogs lately. The last magus that came was Rupes, who seems to care little for anyone besides himself. The short trip to the Faerie wood was without incident. Once we entered the forest we were unsure as to the direction to take. Flamma offered to burn a trail for us, but fortunatley Rupes stalled her by talking to the ground and convincing her to go in a different direction. She always seems to think that the only way to get anything done is to start burning, then wait for what you want to show up. ** ** More selections from Flamma's lab notes We had been hunting Faeries for several hours when we had our first success. A tiny little Faerie named Ris was carrying a box on his back. He attempted to convince Arridere to hold it for him but Arridere refused. I got bored and destroyed part of the box to see what was inside. At this point Ris dropped it and ran. I wasted him. Meanwhile this black gunk started flowing out of the box and forming a dark figure. So what do the others do while I am collecting vis for all of us? Rupes tries to talk to the figure and Arridere thinks it is a Demon and tries to banish it! Fools all! Rupes in fact was acting very very strange so we had to remove him from the forest to straighten him out. When we re-entered I noticed it had become quite cold in the forest. Ignoring the bad weather we managed to track the progress of the chair into the nearby hills where we found a cave with smoke rising from it. There were some very obscene engravings over the cave mouth as well as an invitation to please come in. I put the grogs in front and in we went. ** ** From the prison writings of Christophano As we walked through the cave entrance we came upon a large fire with a huge dark figure standing behind it. It was a golem of some sort for it had no hair, no ears and large eyes. Samo yelled that there was also someone in a chair hiding in the darkness at the back of the room. Mediocris leapt towards the golem while I hurled my axe at it. The magi were useful as always. Arridere shrunk it down to just larger than a normal man and Flamma hurled her usual ball of fire at it. Mediocris and I remembered to close our eyes as we are tired of been blinded by her. He must of held them shut a little too long as the golem smashed poor Mediocris and he was gravely injured, as he was in all the fights I shared with him. After another exchange of blows the magi cast more spells and finished off the golem. They then started discussing the chair while Abrogo shot arrows at the guy in the chair. The chair seemed annoyed because it shot out a spell which hit Medicus and made him talk funny. I leapt forward and slew the man in the chair as Flamma caused the area to go dark so that the chair could not see to cast spells. With the occupant of the chair dead the magi made us grogs all carry it back to the Covenant. My back was sore for a week, but the cook made us extra-special meals until we felt better. ** ** Another chapter from Flamma's lab notes After dispatching the golem and the apprentice I collected their vis and put it in my pack. There was nothing more in the caves so we returned to the Covenant. There I passed out the vis. I had hoped to reward those magi that I like, but only Medicus fit that description. He was most pleased with his creo vis. ** ** Yet more of Flamma's lab notes ** Spring, 1204 A messenger arrived today with the magic music box which I gave to Taron in return for that extra library access. The messenger also mentioned that Sagino had indeed won the contest and was now an Arch-mage. Despite the cheap way in which Sagino won I have some amount of respect for him. While he has not the true power of an Arch-mage, he now has the appearance of one. Is not that appearance in itself a form of power? ** ** From Rupes' Book ** Spring, 1204 I have spoken to Flamma, and shown her what I have written, and she has agreed to the whole scheme. She has even agreed to provide half of the vis that I will need in order to make Luigi's armor perfect, as bribing him is a very important part of the plan. She seems pleased with picking Marlon as our catspaw. He should be easy enough to manipulate if it ever becomes necessary. Now, all that is necessary is for Luigi's mirror to open once again, and then my grand plan will be underway.