1. The Reafen and the Tree

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: Fire in the North
41

The man raises one eyebrow in (feigned?) surprise.

One-Eyed Man: No idea, you say. Well then, to you I shall be Vafudar the Wanderer. As for my purpose here, they (he waves a hand at the faerie raiders) may seek glory through murder and pillage, but the Gaels are currently accepting the hospitality of the Hvitachrist, and your magic (he steps forward until he is standing right at the edge of Keythleen's hastily-drawn circle) prevents them from harming you and yours, so that pursuit no longer seems likely to yield much, hmm? So, they will do as they will do while I deliver the message I bring for you.

He shifts his weight a little, now leaning on his staff, now not. In the brief pause, the wind ceases almost completely. The branches of the Hairy Tree still themselves, the clothes of Alerock's party settle heavily on their shoulders and the only sound is the hiss of falling rain.

Annaeus: And that message would be?

Vafudar looks from Keythleen, to Annaeus, to Morphiste in the branches of the tree and back again before he answers.

Vafudar: That which many think gone is not. That kings and wolves shall sail. That a time of ravens is coming.
Morphiste: Your pardon, wanderer, but what are we to understand by this?
Annaeus: Aye, we've played enough silly games for one day. Talk straight, if you want us to listen.
Vafudar: You don't yet understand? Well then, perhaps the wizards of Hermes are not as great and wise as I have been led to believe. If that is the case, then I shudder to think what will soon befall you.

With that, he turns and walks away, swiftly vanishing into the curtains of rain. A heartbeat later, the chieftain, his bodyguard and standard-bearer follow. Beneath the tree, all is quiet for a moment. Then a long-suppressed moan escapes Sean's lips as he drops heavily to sit beside Keythleen. Rhys kneels to help him.

Rhys: Beggin' your indulgence, magi, but he's bleedin' fast here. If they're done with us, perhaps we can... wait, what's this?

He points to the ground where Vafudar was standing. One of his footprints quite clearly overlaps Keythleen's circle, which has clearly been broken.

42

Keythleen was simply thinking: What a jerk. That Mister-I-m-one-eyed-but-unassiming-I-am-more-powerful-than-you-and-I-want-you-to-guess-it-without-me-saying-it-loudly has broken my circle. Woaw, he thinks that will impress us? Waw, so... uninteresting. And he is the kind to speak in riddles to impress people... Jared is way better than him at this game!

Then she looked at the wounded old man. If she was healthier, she could have helped him. She looked at Annaeus and Morphiste.
Sodales, I'm too exhausted to be of help here... I'll count on you for that. If you want, i can send him to Alerock now... . If they want to, she does that...

Then pointing at Vance, you come with me, we'll look for vis and check if danger is really gone. Then we will go to Alerock back. I have many spells to develop to prevent the crows, kings and wolves to destroy our little island covenant.

She starts to cast an InVi non exhausting spell, maintening it*. Then, she starts to look to every body of faerie, looking for vis. She would not use it, but for vis trading, that's good to take for the covenant.

And then, they go back to the covenant, because they have many things to do and speak about.

[size=85](I guessed the danger was gone.)

If she spot vis, she take the object containing it. Otherwise, she says to Vance to load it in his bag.

  • Base 1 +4 vision +1 conc, level 10 (casting total is 50). For formulaic and concentration roll, as it's under no stress now, no roll (i restart until it's okay, if needed)[/size]
43

Annaeus unwinds Trokki's Thread from his belt and hands it to Vance.

Annaeus: Someone here will know how to sew wounds. Fix Morphiste, if she wants to be fixed. If not, there should be enough here to heal Sean.

He stomps his crutch thoughtfully before heading after Keythleen. He waches her collect vis as the rain slowly clears. All the while, a single thought keeps echoing in his mind. Vafudar... where have I heard that name before?