Spring 1220: Cornelia and Gallchobar

Brief editorial note: I realized I did the math wrong for the rewards from Cuaidaitheoir’s adventure. Natural Object Build Points from rewards are equal to the Ease Factor/2 rounded down, which with an ease factor of 15, means he actually picked up 21 BP. This allows the Vis source to be 4 pawns/a year (number of BP spent/5) rather than 3, with one additional Natural Object BP left over (converted to a single pawn for his own use). So Cuaidaitheoir will be visiting the hag once a season for cakes and tea, although he’ll be needing to bring news each time. I should also note that this is encased Faerie vis. It’s worth mentioning that per the charter, Cuaidaitheoir is entitled to 50% of the vis yield for this year, which is nice for him. 

I should also mention that I’m rolling at the top of each season for rumors that the covenant learns of, in order to provide other opportunities, using the adventure origins table from the solo rules. 

Anyway, on to Cornelia!

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Cornelia:

Like Cuaidaitheoir, Cornelia planned to use the spring season to tend to her covenant duties. Unlike him, she faced a major obstacle in this regard: she was a woman. While by far the most charismatic of the magi and bearing potent Mentem magic in addition to her Entrancement ability, her gender meant that she was at a disadvantage in the mundane world. Although this didn’t matter for the rest of the Order and Tribunal—indeed, she had met with the also-female Praeco of Hibernia to approve their cathach in 1219—it presented a serious issue when the young covenant had no mundane protector or status.

Another issue that she had only become truly aware of once the magi had taken root in Hibernia was the status of Meath. She had heard of the Norman conquest of much of the island, but had innocently presumed the natives still had certain status and influence over their government. Gallchobar and Ciardha grimly dispelled this notion, and she learned from them of the second-class citizenship of the native Irish in the so-called “Liberty”. This was a thornier problem to navigate. While gender could be overcome with the proper application of her formidable social skills, none of the magi or companions were English, save Leonora, who was quick to tell Cornelia that it was best she not be involved with any matters regarding the ruling Walter de Lacy. It was better to be a foreigner than Irish, but to present one of the other magi as a potential liege of the new settlement would involve them irretrievably in mundane politics, and besides, their Gifts would make the matter significantly more difficult. That being said, Lisovyk as a physician of Salerno represented significant academic cachet, as did Gallchobar in a more unorthodox sense as a representative of the bardic academies. It was this that led the Italian maga to an idea, and then, a plan. 

With careful questioning of the covenfolk, Cornelia learned that it was Baron Richard de Capella de Nugent, son of Gilbert de Nugent--who had come to Ireland with Walter de Lacy--who likely was the theoretical liege of the land on which Witch Mountain sat. At the very least there was an argument to be made, elsewise Witch Mountain would be regarded as personally held by de Lacy, which would bring a whole set of new issues. Better to have a potentially friendly local nobleman than the Lord of Meath himself. And so the sidhe-blooded maga set out to convince the young Baron, indirectly, that he would benefit by becoming the patron of the lands on which the covenant sat. 

First, she convinced Gallchobar to write a poem of great craft and wit, praising Richard and his wise stewardship of the land. This she and he would spread around Delvin and the towns that lay nearby, hoping to draw the attention of the lord to the author. Though the bard would sternly proclaim he took no sides in the wars between English and Gaels, it was clear to her he agreed only reluctantly, which caused a concern she filed away for later. Secondly, she called for an emergency council meeting while he worked, in order to present her plan--better, she thought, to make sure none of the magi furiously disagreed before dipping her toe into the politics of Meath. The council was sharply divided at first. 

While she saw it as the tidiest way to ensure the legal security of the covenant, Cuaidaitheoir and Boagane were both furious at the idea of serving--even just in theory--an English liege lord, given the rapaciousness of the Anglo-Normans. Lisovyk was tentatively in favor of the idea, having occasionally provided potions himself to some of the English noblemen (a legal grey area as far as the council was concerned), while Gamayun cared little for the politics of mundanes and abstained. With some luck, she had drawn the lot of disceptator and thus her secondary vote was used to break the tie between herself and Lisovyk and the two Gaelophilic mages. It was with bitter mutterings that the meeting adjourned, but by charter, they were bound to abide by its result, and so Cornelia carried on with her plan. 

First was Gallchobar's poem. Completed in mid-March, he proclaimed it to be a masterwork, never one to avoid a chance to inflate his own ego. To her surprise, Cornelia rather agreed. He had focused strongly on what he knew of Baron Richard's interests--namely, his skill at and love of horse breeding. The poem waxed with eloquent languor on the fierceness of his fine English mares, grown strong and fleet of foot off rich Irish pastureland and salubrious Irish air. Much was made of the great heroic figures cut by his knights, chosen from only the swiftest master horsemen, as they ran down Gaels in the borderlands. It was beautiful, and memorable, and unfortunately, rather dangerous. It was here that Cornelia truly began to appreciate the style of Ceall Cluaine, the bardic school at which Gallchobar had excelled. The layered meanings of their style allowed him to both seem to praise the Anglo-Normans and their domination of Hibernia, while--to those reading quite analytically--actually decrying the occupation, and in one particularly notable phrase, subtly comparing the English knights to rabid boars. It was dangerous. But it would have to do. 

With the poem done, Cornelia and Gallchobar set out for Kells, and then on to Delvin, and even as far as Trim and Bective Abbey. All the way, Gallchobar spread his masterwork, tailoring his style to the crowd. To native Irish, there was a mockingly ironic bent that duly brought laughter and cheers. To English townsfolk, knights, and soldiers, his delivery was heartfelt, his voice nearly shaking with the beauty of the picture he painted. And all the while during his performances, Cornelia moved as a shadow in the crowd, practicing the subtle art of the maloccha. The only things that many of the spectators would remember of her were deep brown eyes and a strangely-accented voice commanding them to spread the poem to the next person they saw. In this way, Cornelia subtly spread the bard's work across the Liberty like a plague.

Returning to the covenant to await news in mid-April, Cornelia did not rest on her laurels. Instead, although she knew little of English common law, she set to work constructing a rhetorical argument and cover for the covenant. With Gallchobar acting as her voice, she would claim that the newly-established covenant was a scholarly community, established by a peaceable union of Anglo-Normans, Gaels, and a smattering of foreigners in order to share knowledge and further civilize and modernize Irish traditions while retaining what made them so charming. Here, she planned to specifically mention the residency of a Physician of Salerno, among other educated men, and emphasized the prestige of having such a center of learning within one's lands. A week before the May Day meeting of the council, Witch Mountain received word that Richard de Capella had sent out messengers looking for the bard who so praised him, in order to offer reward and possible patronage for his work. And so the difficult part began. 

The day after the news arrived, Cornelia and Gallchobar set out for Delvin. She would masquerade as his wife before the lord, in order to hopefully ensure her presence at any audience, and he, having memorized her arguments thanks to his prodigious ability in the Art of Memory, would request that the Baron formalize rule over the Mountain of the Witch--making sure to use its less intimidating name, Loch Craobh--in exchange for further production of art celebrating him. It took them only a few hours of decent riding to reach Delvin. It was a fine castle, well-staffed and -armed, that reminded Cornelia of her time in England. At the gate, Gallchobar announced that he had come to meet the Baron's summons, but was met first with suspicion at a Gael claiming such an honor. It was not until he quoted several passages from Urbanus Magnus Danielis Becclesiensis (or The Book of the Civilized Man), a long-form English poem on courtesy by Daniel of Beccles written in the reign of Henry II, that the courtly chamberlain, impressed by his knowledge, insisted he be allowed audience. 

The Baron himself, a short but muscular and jovial man, offered fine hospitality to the author of such an ode to his rule, and both Cornelia and Gallchobar were treated to a dinner with Richard and his wife, Eleanor, as well as certain other local worthies and members of his staff. While Gallchobar focused on charming the Baron and requesting his patronage, Cornelia focused in on his wife, knowing that the lady of the castle would have some influence over her husband's decisions. Despite an initial few minutes of formal coldness by the lady, Cornelia's easy charm melted her soon enough, and the two were fast friends. As the night pushed on--and Gallchobar now drinking with the Baron, who had become even more cheery as he drank further--the maga grew crafty and confident, so close now was her goal. How wonderful it would be--she said--if the two women would be able to meet more, and develop the friendship that had blossomed so naturally between them. What a shame it was--she said--that the erstwhile community of scholars would likely have to pull up stakes and move further afield without a patron. If only there was some way--some helpful lord or kindly knight--that their community could be kept safe from the rapacious Connachta of the west and protected from the legal burdens of the Lord of Meath. 

The lady de Nugent, to Cornelia's immediate and secret relief, immediately expressed that she would prevail upon her husband to seek a formal arrangement whereby he claimed lordship over Loch Craobh,  and also to make sure that he did not press his power, but rather encourage their success, in exchange for further contact between the two ladies, and perhaps the attentions of their vaunted physician, if need should arise. The rest of the night passed happily, and in the morning--having stayed the night--Gallchobar and Cornelia returned to Witch Mountain, flush with a complete and total victory in the political arena. 

Brief Mechanical Explanation:

 

Average Difficulty (Ease Factor 12)

Noble Origin=Landed Noble

Complex (2 challenges) 

 1st Challenge: Legal/Diplomatic (3 successes)

 2nd Challenge: Social (3 successes)

Rewards: 2 + 4 experience points for Cornelia (before adventure exp) (2 rewards converted to 12 People BP, not yet spent)

 

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Given Cornelia and Gallchobar's complete success in this adventure, it is unfortunate that they haven't yet gotten enough BP to formalize a diplomatic/political alliance with Richard de Capella (60 BP), nor even to pay for him to support the covenant in an ongoing issue (40 BP) (in this case, the issue of formalizing their legal status so as not to be directly beholden to--and potentially at the mercy of--the Lord of Meath himself, Walter de Lacy). However, feudal relationships, especially of this sort, take time to build up, and Delvin's horse market--and horse race--is on Lammas Day next season. Potentially this will allow our magi to formalize their relationship with the mundane lord! 

 

Next time, we'll delve into what everyone else has been doing this Spring, and then it's on to Summer.