Session 1
24 June 1999, 6:30pm
Attended by: Jason, Scott, Chris, Merwin, Steve, Ken
StoryGuide: Ken
Logged by: Jason
Background
It is March of 1118, the 1872nd year since the founding of Rome. The emperor of the Romans has died (Alexios I Komnenos, who was in his 60s) and his successor, John II Comnenus (young, in his 20s), has taken the throne. It is a time of paying homage to the emperor, even for magi. For Theban magi especially, the fortunes of magic are tied to the fortunes of the empire; having a strong emperor gives the tribunal additional resources and territory, and this greater sway in the order. Magi of Thebes take pride in their "true" Romanness. Constantinople has not fallen in over a thousand years; surely it is the most blessed of God's cities on earth.
Magi must maintain the Code, however, so they may not pay fealty to the emperor, but they may pay their respects. It is a fine line, and one must take care to maintain the fiction. Nevertheless, doing so has its benefits. Any magus who pays respect to the emperor is certainly one of the "good magi"!
In order to address the coronation of a new emperor, Thebes is holding a special tribunal in Constantinople. It is March, and it is spring.
The Game
The paths of the PCs converge in Constantinople.
Those who come by land find the roads straight and well-patrolled. Towns have little or no fortification to speak of, because they do not need them. Approaching the city, one passes a moat, a smaller wall (which would do any other city proud), and finally a larger wall.
Those who come by sea travel either by ships of Constantinople, or of Venice, which has recently been awarded mercantile power. There is a massive wall that protects the city along the coast, and only a few harbors. One sails through the Golden Horn into the city, and looking behind oneself, spies the vast hills of Anatolia on the other side of the waters.
It is said that the empire and its capital city is in decline. But if this is winter, then what a fabulous, wondrous winter it is!
It is late morning.
In the city, the streets are relatively wide. The city--at least the parts the PCs travel through--are not narrow and windy and confusing as one might have heard.
The PCs, accompanying their masters and perhaps other magi from their covenants, find their way to one of the nicer parts of the city, to a villa. It is large, has plenty of trees. PCs pass through the outer gates, where a Mercere stands to greet those who come. PCs see other magi, some with apprentices themselves, entering the villa and speaking their greetings to their sodales.
Among magi, it is not a difficult matter to tell a magus from an apprentice, if one pays attention to their demeanor, stance, and the air about them. It is less easy to make the distinction so quickly when not among a group of magi.
The PCs were given over to a servant girl, who led them down a corridor and into a room, which faced (and entered into) a second, smaller courtyard, In the room are some 10 chairs, a table laden with warm foods, sweetmeats, fruit, water, wine, and other foods.
In the room were four apprentices.
[Appearances and originating covenant descriptions were provided for Claudius (Steve), Iseus (Jason), Kurpat (Merwin), Marcus (Scott), and Purros (Chris).]
After some long minutes of silence, perhaps a diameter or two, the dwarf sidled over to the pitcher of wine and poured himself a drink. Then he spoke in his deep, almost gravelly voice.
"Wine?"
Various people, in the next hour, accepted the wine and made their introductions.
Claudius made it clear that he was interested in studying Purros ("When I am older and wiser, perhaps you will permit me to experiment on you?").
Later, when immersed in a conversation with Marcus, discussing the Merinita's recent experiences, the Criamon also made it clear that he was interested in "experimenting" on the fae, as well. Marcus nevertheless shared his most recent journal with Claudius, whose interest was only eclipsed by his weariness in interacting with other people.
Almost to the opposite, Kurpat socialized with the group, and encouraged introductions, but some were not to be. Some left the room at various times to go into the adjacent courtyard, which, though smaller than the one through which one passed as one entered the villa, was nevertheless splendid. It featured a lemon tree (though fruitless, being March at the dawn of spring), and a well-crafted water fountain in an abstract style.
Time stretched on as the apprentices waited for their masters to return.
Purros instructed Claudius in the perils of wearing a purple cloak. Claudius, however, spent most of his time in meditation on the number of chairs in the room, a riddle set to him by his master. There were ten, but the young Criamon seemed firm in his conviction in the existence of an eleventh, be it invisible or tabular.
Iseus seemed to be avoiding Kurpat, which puzzled the Guernicus somewhat. Marcus counseled the Turk to watch and listen rather than to act, firm in the conviction that observation is often superior to speech.
After some time, a fifth apprentice entered. She introduced herself as Aurelia filia Helen of Flambeau, and could hardly contain the twitching of her right hand, which seemed almost to make the symbols of the Hermetic Arts.
She was apparently outraged that introductions were not complete, for two apprentices (Iseus and Claudius) had left for the courtyard, and through the window she split the earth of the courtyard asunder, all but toppling the fountain into a crevasse about 15 paces deep.
Claudius, apparently afraid, went for a corner and made to climb up the walls to escape. The other, however, stormed inside.
Pressed, he made his introduction, where it was revealed that he was Iseus "the infamous", one of the few apprentices who has his own ruling in the peripheral code, and well known through the tribunal as an example of doing Hermetic magic the wrong way.
Claudius instructed Aurelia in the perils of wearing the purple, and she was only too happy to solve the problem of the purple cloak. Obviously, something went horribly wrong, because Claudius was left with his brown woolen cloak intact, featuring only a large blotch of cleanliness.
Aurelia suggested that the group cure its doldrums by going out and doing something. She suggested several courses of action, one of which was of particular offense to Marcus, who stormed out of the room in a rage.
After some time, the group of apprentices--not quite fast friends, to say the least--settled on showing Claudius a chariot race at the Hippodrome. For many, this was their first time in the fabled city, and such marvels were surely not to be missed.
Updated on 4 August 1999
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