Vardian Log #5: War Against the Stand

--
"Certamen is for the incompetant.  The competant negotiate."
	--Karantia of House FLAMBEAU
--

Season: Fall, 1199

The Players:

Apertus of House Flambeau			Magus, Vardian's Stand
Aquilonius of House Ex. Misc.			Magus		(Shannon)
Certus of House Bonisagus			Magus
Chavin of House Tytalus				Magus
Flamma of House Flambeau			Magus		(Eric)
Geoffrey of House Verditius			Magus		(Phil)
Guisippe					Grog
Hadrian of House Flambeau			Magus
Karantia of House Flambeau			Magus, Vardian's Stand
Marcelo						Grog
Tiro of House Jerbiton				Magus		(Chris)

**
** From the Diary of Aquilonius

Vardian's Tomb has done little for my temper.  Incidents have once again
come about that angered me so much that I was on the edge of a berzerk
rage.  Something which I thought that I had learned to control long ago.
At least this time, things turned out well, thanks mostly to my quick
application of the philosophy that Angus inadvertantly taught me in the
last season.

We had just returned from Magvillus.  I was hoping to return at last to my
interupted lab work, so that I could finish inventing that spell that I
had begun to make my greatsword strike harder against my foes.  However, a
Council Meeting was called before I was able to get involved with my lab
work.  So, unhappily I trudged across the passages to our Council Room.

I was pleased to see that the reason for the Council Meeting was only a
new magus.  She called herself Flamma, and she hailed from House Flambeau.
I thought her danger to the Covenant, for she seemed to have an obsession
for burning things, including buildings in Rome above.  However, the
decision was made to accept Flamma to our Covenant one season from now.
Tiro or Geoffrey came up with the idea.  Because we don't plan to tell her
that we will accept her in one season, it shall be an excellent test.  If
the Flambeau is patient enough to wait an entire season before she is
accepted, she may not be as bad as some of her house.

During the Council Meeting, the first of many Certamens occured  (Not that
Certamens are rare in the Tomb, of course, with Tractare and Chavin
around).  Geoffrey was afraid that Tiro would tell about the test, and
asked that a spell be cast upon Tiro to make him forget what we had said.
Tiro refused.  The Certamen was called, and Geoffrey said that his
conditions were that the Tiro accept the spell.  Tiro seems to be quite a
nice guy, and his conditions were not harsh at all.  He said that if he
were to win the Certamen then Geoffrey could still have the spell cast,
but would be required to pay a pawn of vis to Tiro for the trouble.  Tiro
quickly won the Certamen, Geoffrey payed the vis, and Tiro forgot about
our decision on Flamma.

However, what would have been a rather silly Council Meeting, rather
typical of our Covenant, was changed by the deameanor of one of those
present.  Throughout the entire council meeting, Certus seemed happy and
cheerful.  He wished to accept Flamma at once with no restrictions at all.
He thought the Certamen silly bickering.  He seemed willing to let all of
the younger magi use the full library, which we had been denied before.
Overall, he seemed to be acting like a very rational person.

Something was clearly wrong.

My blood began to boil when I learned what Certus had been doing for the
last several seasons.  He had been studying the piece of the skull which
we had retrieved in the Fall of last year.  He had been studying the piece
of the skull which had been recovered from Vardian's Stand, where that had
preached that we must all learn to cooperate to keep our Covenant from
being destroyed.

I was busy making ready to leave for Vardian's Stand when Chavin came to
my Sanctum.  I invited him in, and he began to speak of Certus' odd
behavior.  I tried not to smirk when I told him that I would be pleased to
do him the favor of investigating this problem.  I guess he didn't realize
that I liked being manipulated by those bastards as little as he.

At some time during our conversation, I managed to insult Chavin, and he
challenged me to Certamen.  I had avoided doing this for over a year
(quite a record with Chavin, who is quite quick to take insult), but
decided that I would take his one challenge now, so that his conditions
would not be too harsh, since I was already doing him a favor.  Of course,
he trounced me, and now I may not insult the idiot.  Not that he's around
to be worried about it anymore.

Geoffrey was interested in going along, for Tiro had told him of the
interesting magic item that resided at the Stand.  Flamma was also
intrigued.  I suspect she could hear the anger in my voice, and realized
that our expedition might lead to outright violence with the magi.  So,
the three of us set off, with Marcelo along as a guide.

On the trip to the Stand, Geoffrey and I learned more about Flamma's
violent mentality.  During the trip, she challenged both Geoffrey and me
to Certamen for mere pittances.  Now, of all things, we may not throw
objects at her.  A bizarre magus indeed.

Eventually, we reached the Stand, where we were met by Karantia.  My
temper overcame me at once, and I began accusing the traitor maga of
warping the piece of the skull that Certus had been studying, causing it
to change his mind.  After she admitted the deed, in as many words, I
became angrier still.  I was barely able to control myself, as she went on
to say that the elder magi would all eventually die, and that we would
decide the future of the Covenant.

Then, the fates decided to give me a bit of luck.  Karantia suddenly
announced that Chavin was wandering around the nearby passages, and
offered to take us to him, using the Stand's device.  We accepted her
offer, and she took us through the Stand to their magical device.

As we entered the mists, little changed around us.  Rather than being
thrust into the future, as we had been before, everything simply
became discorporeal around us.  Karantia explained that it was all
a matter of focusing the device.  Insubstantial, we walked through
the caverns until we came upon Chavin.  Explaining that she did not
wish to speak with Chavin, Karantia thrust us back out into the real
world.

Chavin had followed us because he had heard of Flamma's skill at Certamen,
and wished to make it clear that he was still the master.  As he
challenged her, he declared that if he were to win, she would never insult
him, and she would also bow before him when he asked.  Chavin proved that
the tales he had heard of Flamma's Certamen talent were truly exagerated
when he pulled out Ignem vis, to down her.  The Certamen was short,
and ended precisely as expected.

While we waited for Flamma to wake I began to tell Chavin of what we had
learned when we spoke with Karantia.  I exagerated her comments, even
insinuating that she had threatened their lives.  I pointed out how
she had been scrying on our Covenant, and soon Chavin was driven into
a wonderful rage.

While I spoke with Chavin, Geoffrey made a simple comment that the magi of
the Stand were not as bad as I made them out.  Vastly angered, Chavin
turned around and challenged him to a Certamen as well.  He stated that
if he were to win, Geoffrey must never scheme against the elders of the
Covenant, and also that he must bow before him, at request.

And soon, we were sitting waiting for two magi to awaken.

As we headed back to the Covenant, I continued my oratory, ensuring
that Chavin was still enraged when we arrived back at the Tomb.  At
once, a Council Meeting was called, and Chavin began screaming to
the others that a Wizard's War must be called against the foul
magi at the Stand.  I sat back and smiled as Chavin convinced
Hadrian to join him.  It was Chavin who declared the War against
Apertus, and Hadrian who challenged Karantia.  As the appropriate
notices went out, I appreciated how well my strategy had worked.
Either Chavin or the magi of the Stand would be crippled by this
war, and good magi could only benefit from it.

**
** From The Code of Hermes

I will not slay nor attempt to slay any member of the Order, except
in justly executed and formally declared Wizard's War.  I hereby
understand that Wizard's War is an open conflict between two magi
who may slay each other without breaking this oath, and that should
I be slain in a Wizard's War, no retribution shall fall on he who
slays me.

**
** From the Peripheral Code of the Order of Hermes

906th year of Aries.  No Wizard's War shall be declared unless one
magus notifies the other on the night of the full moon.  On the rise
of the next full moon, the Wizard's War shall commence, and it shall
end at the rise of the full moon thereafter.  Those who continue in
this conflict after this time shall be considered rogue and shall
have a Wizards' March declared against them at the next Tribunal.

**
** From the Diary of Aquilonius

It was nearly one and a half months before the Wizard's War began, but the
time seemed to pass quite quickly, while I worked in my lab.  When the
time finally came, Flamma went along with Hadrian and Chavin, no doubt
wishing to watch the War in all of it's bloody detail.

When the three arrived at the Stand, they found it utterly deserted.  From
what we had heard from Geoffrey, who had stayed and spoke with the magi of
the Stand for a time, they had fled into their device.  As Chavin, Hadrian
and Flamma approached it, they saw that the ring of Verditius runes which
had been around the area of ground had been removed, and that the mist
that had once been contained now spread throughout the Council room of
Vardian's Stand.

Chavin boldly strode into the Council room, as Flamma and Hadrian watched,
and the mist crawled up towards him, and he disappeared.  A quick end
to an ill-considered Wizard's War, that I helped to precipitate.  It
has proven that the philosophy that Angus taught me was a good one.

Hadrian says that he waited several days, and when Chavin did not
return, he and Flamma decided to give up on the War.  He shows himself
to be much smarter than the lost Tytalus mage.  And now, our
Covenant is a much quieter place.  Who says that there isn't any such
thing as a happy ending?