That may have worked for you, but it has never worked for me 
...You're pretty too, Marko.
:LOL:
Ok, I've been thinking to this Ballista project, although with Herbam instead of Terram, and it seems relatively easy, easier than what I would have though.
So, did I miss something?
- Fire at will
ReHe base 3, personnal, mom, +1 flexibility, unlimited uses = lvl 14, to have the hook release, seize and pull the bow. This can be enchanted as a lesser item who's assembled with the rest of the ballista. - Reload
ReHe base 3, +1 touch, mom, +1 complexity, unlimited uses = lvl 15 to take a bolt and put it in its place. I figure a box with bolts. This can, again, be done as a lesser device. - Hovering Balista
ReHe base 3, personnal, +1 size, +2 sun, +4 constant = lvl 14 to have it hover and move slowly. If one doesn't concentrate and gives orders, it just overs in place. Yet another lesser device.
In fact, it might be worthwhile to instead create items that does that to any ballista, such as a wand with 3 rings:
- Ring of Hook Control
ReHe base 3, +2 voice, mom, +1 flexibility, unlimited uses = lvl 20 - Ring of Reload
ReHe base 3, +2 voice, mom, +1 complexity, unlimited uses = lvl 20 - Fly
ReHe base 3, +1 Touch, +1 size, +2 sun, one use per day = lvl 10
If willing to add +3 for a linked trigger to "fire at will", another enchantment can be added for a mental command
InMe base 15, +1 touch, + 2 sun = lvl 30 too hard.
Let's go for it 
I'm always harsher on myself 
So, let's see...
Lab total Re 21 + He 6 + MT 7 + Int 2 + Aura 5 + intissar 7 = 48
This still means 3 seasons of lab work
I'll see with the distractions, maybe she can take max distraction and use the days thus gained to craft some items, like bolts.
That is 50 levels, right? Two 20's and a 10.
LT48, hmmm...
Take the level 10 first, that uses 20LT points. Than takle a lvl 20 and put 8 points towards completion.
Next season finish it off, using ...
That won't work.
Take a level 20 first, then 8 ...
nope
Carmen can assist you, giving you a bonus of +11 (Int +4, Magic Theory 7).
Lab Total 59
Take out the 20 and part of the 10 in one season, finish that and the other 20 in the second.
Yeah, since the effects are all the same TeFo, they can all be worked on within the same season.
Right after the fiasco with vulcanus, Hélène would kiss carmen for this. And will offer to reciprocate, or enchant something for her sodales. Really, one wonders why she doesn't like men.
We'll just have to equip our ballistas with a boltcase, and go!
For now, I've put it in Autumn 1331 and winter 1232, but we can shift seasons around, if need be.
It's not Vulc's fault Arachne doesn't know the proper way to Kiss Ass 
Bad news: We can't create the 2nd ring over 2 seasons, as it is a lesser item.
More, I miscalculated the last effect. It is lvl 15.
Tant pis, she'll do it over 3 seasons. The good news being that she no longer needs Carmen's help, so marko, you get your seasons back
The total vis cost for the covenant is... 6 paws (Rego or Herbam) .
Now, I also wanted her to create a "permanent" flying carpet instead of a crafted one, I think I'll abstain, for now
So:
-
Ring of Bow Command
Effect: "Fire at Will"
ReHe base 3, +2 voice, mom, +1 flexibility = 10 + 10 unlimited uses = lvl 20
This effect has the hook release, seize and pull the ballista's bow. -
Ring of Bolt Reload
Effect: "Lock and Load"
ReHe base 3, +2 voice, mom, +1 complexity = 10 + 10 unlimited uses = lvl 20
This effect takes a ballista bolt and position it perfectly so that it can be fired. -
Ring of the Winged Ballista
Effect: The Hovering Ballista
ReHe base 3, +2 Voice, +1 size, +1 Concentration = 15 + 05 items maintains concentration, + 05 for 24 uses per day = lvl 25.
This effect makes a huge piece of wood, such as a ballista, fly slowly, and move at the caster's command
All advancment as per the Magi Planner
1230
Reads Riddles of Mars (Ignem Summa)
Mission Improbable, Learn Voice from Hollow Spaces (ReMe 35)
Reads Riddle of Steel (Terram Summa)
Learn Rarefy the Crude Stone (CrTe 30). Exposure: Terram
1231
Invents Coerce the Spirits of the Night (ReMe 20). Exposure: Mentem
Enchants a Relief of the Wizard's Workings (8 personnal Vis). Exposure: Vim
Learn her Personnal Ward against Steel (ReTe 40). Exposure: Terram
Enchants the First Ring of Ballista Control (ReHe 20, as above); Invests Acorns for Amusement (ReHe 15*) into her Talisman, barely. Exposure: Herbam
1232
Enchants the Second Ring of Ballista Control (ReHe 20, as above). Exposure: Herbam
Enchants the third Ring of Ballista Control (ReHe 25, as above). Exposure: Herbam
Invents "Passing the Reigns of Herbam" (MuVi 20, HP p97). Exposure: Muto
Learn from text "Sight of the Active Magics" (InVi 40). Exposure: Intellego
1233
Invents "Passing the Reigns of Terram" (MuVi 20, HP p97)
Reads "Shadows in the Aether" (Intellego Summa)
Reads "Eyes of the World" (Intellego Summa)
Reads "Corporeum" (Corpus Summa)
- ReHe 5; Design: Base 3, +2 Voice, +10 unlimited
She puts the rings of ballista control onto a wand that she gives to the covenant
Now, I've been thinking... Arachne sucks at spontaneous magic. She's supposed to rely on planning and crafted (charged) items instead.
So, a thing I think she'll do, is craft wooden beads. Big beads, about one finger wide, like these, each with a charged effect. And she'll wear these on a bracelet, so she can adjust it if she adds/substract beads.
I'm thinking:
- Wards against substances
- Wards against creatures
- Create Light
- Bind Wounds
- Unseen Porter, and variants for other forms
- Patient Spell effects (like in MoH)
Ideas?
Another "non-item item" she'll do.
I call it her Blood Maps.
Not a magic item at all, this is just a small collection of scrolls in which she's inscribed names of most of Andorra's guards and servants. And right after the name, she had them spill some blood, in order to serve as a Arcane connection. The connections aren't fixed, but should last a few years. She tests them each couple of years and after each collection, renewing those that need to be.
Due to her gift and general creepiness, she gives the blood collection duty to some trusted covenfolk. She doesn't lie about it, and the collector is free to spill the truth: This is to ensure that, should the need arise, she can pull back the injured to andorra, or summon warriors to battle.
I doubt she'll ever get to use it, but it is both cool, the kind off things she'd do, and isn't that different from collecting locks of hair to any and all soldier leaving andorra, like she did already, just cooler and easier.
That is both really creepy and incredibly cool. I like it!
Thanks!
Ok, I want Arachné to do something to improve covenant defenses in 1237.
Now that she can summon Earth Elementals, we have a potential supply of eternal guards to our service. Guards immune to PeCo attacks, like the one that felt the previous covenant.
Thing is, these need to be bound. A Conc + Maintain Con enchantment wouldn't do the trick, since at each sunrise/sunset, the enchatment would flicker, which means incidents.
So we need something constant. Sun duration, +1 for 2 uses per day, +3 constant effect.
But what if one elemental is destroyed? Would the item binding him thus become useless? IMO, for a normal constant enchantment, yes. And whatever she does, she wants it to endure the test of time.
I've thought about this a little. I think this is HR territory, but solves the problem.
Something like:
ReTe, Range Touch, Duration Sun, Target Group.
+2 for 3 uses per day, +3 constant effect.
This enchantment controls up to 10 earth elementals. If less than 10 are controled, one per day, another one can be brought up into the loop.
What do you think of it?
They would still need to be summoned by a magus then introduced to the control device?