PC magi are approached by an elderly, but still vigorous, magus who is traveling mostly Mediterranean Europe. (There may be more than one collecting all of you, hence I won't give specifics on the magus.) He has reasonably good searching powers, and PC magi need not be at covenant or in tribunal to be found. The pitch is something like as follows:

"You are searching for a covenant to settle in. We have a covenant which would welcome you. If you are interested, and agree to be sworn to secrecy, I will tell you more.

[One assumes you either agree, or create a different character who would. :)]

"In Alexandria, at the very edge of the known world, I and my sodales have for the last century built a covenant dedicated to examining the mysteries of the Egyptian and Byzantine worlds. We have distilled vis from unusual sources, giving lie to the rumor that among the desrt sands there is nothing but the trackless mundane. We have researched much of the history of Egypt, and uncovered stunning proofs of the existence of the magic order of Thoth. Even now we are at work cataloguing and scribing our knowledge for future members of our Covenant to read, to follow where we have gone, and one day to transcend us and come to deeper understanding still.

"But this has come at a cost. None of us has trained an apprentice, while the sands have settled to the bottom of our hourglass, and now we fear none of us has the necessary fifteen years remaining in this life. Thus we are searching for magi to continue our learning after we are gone.

"I remind you now of your oath. In time you will understand why it is necessary. For now, I will provide you with a small part of the reason: the sources we use for vis are fragile in ways the typical aggressive and arrogant magus of the Order would not understand. While our vis is plentiful compared to that of many covenants in the heart of Europe, our sources dry unusually easily, as any overharvesting of vis may cause its source to vanish. We hope to find more such sources, and use the secrets we have learned to continue their safe collection."

[He will answer your questions.]

"If this interests you, meet us in Alexandria on the next Winter solstice, bringing only trusted sodales, having first confounded all arcane connections to yourself and otherwise severed all ties to your past life. If you think better, be bound by your oath and tell no one of our meeting or of the secrets I have told you."