"Servants? Well, not in the regio, probably. I would advise keeping a few on the surface, with whatever venture you have up there. Most mundanes don't like staying underground all the time."
Tandaline points down the corridor ahead, "There is another circle down, with additional room I arranged to be dug out. They are shaped differently than the original rooms, square instead of circular. Two roughly the same size of of these, one which could be a fifth sanctum while the other can have whatever use you see fit. And one larger room, which I thought you might use as a combination of library and meeting room. But that is up to you."
Well I can understand why they prefer sunlight. We'll have to discuss this together but having mundane know how to enter the covenant seems like an unnecessary security risk for the most part, assuming they have a way to contact us.
changing subject
How strong is the aura ?
After Tandaline answers she adds
I'll take a quick look at the new room and I'd like to experiment with the bones to see if some of them aren't aligned with animal magic before we leave.
ooc I'd like to make spontaneous non fatiguing "pink dot test" on multiple bones (I'd say all visible bones but there might be too much, so give me a large batch) to ensure they all react to animal magic (and are therefore easy to collect for me) using MuAn 1 guideline " make a superficial change to something made of animal product" at R: voice D : mom and T : ind
that's level 3 and I can manage lvl 4. There no botch on those so...
As you make your way to the deeper rooms, Tandaline says, "The caves seem to have a fourth magnitude aura."
After taking a look at the square room, which basically look like vaulted basement rooms of a castle instead of natural caves, she leads you back to the cavern on the first level, this time takes the stairs.
Morrigan casts her spell, but gains no information at all, as if the bones at the bottom of the pool were beyond her range.
They're out of my voice range because my voice doesn't reach in the water, but can I try with sight range or the water is too turbulent or dark and I need a spell like sight if the naiad? (making this level 4 and still in the range of the spells I can cast without fatigue)
Morrigan is exited
Hum It seems like I can't target the bones from here. That's interesting !
turning to Tandaline and Borealis
Could It be that the bones are in a different regio or outside the regio? I've heard you can't cast spell from outside a regio if you don't have an arcane connexion to it or something ?
Tandaline looks surprised, "Really? I was able to cast Vim spells to determine that the pool was, in fact, a vis source. But that doesn't require anything fancy to do so, of course. Let me check for a regio boundary."
She casts a Vim spell, then frowns. "That's unusual. There may be a boundary, but I'm not sure. Things get blurry near the water's surface, but nothing clear. Perhaps it is a locked regio, one which can only be entered under specific circumstances. Or it could be a one-way boundary."
She shrugs, "One thing is sure, I would be careful about entering the pool. You might get sucked into a regio completely filled with water and no way out. That would be particularly bad if the boundary doesn't allow spells to pass through. No teleporting out."
"Or maybe the bones aren't really there at all. Something like a faerie seeming, but magical in origin. In any case, that is an interesting mystery for you to investigate," she smiles at you.
Morrigan takes her wax tablet and takes a few notes
Interesting indeed. It raises many potential investigation, but If I'm realistic I don't have time for them right now. A simple mundane trap for the bones might be the only think we could do about it for now.
Borealis looks at the water and says "I don't know enough aquam magic to be able to breathe underwater, and that looks tricky to investigate unless you happen to be a master swimmer. We shall have to leave the mystery of the pool for the future.
Have we seen everything below ground, or is there more?"
"This is the complete tour of the regio," Tandaline says, "We can go back to the surface now."
She leads you back up the first tunnel, up to the place where you entered the regio. Leaving is even easier, as the outside world is visible, if slightly hazy as if looking through a waterfall. Tandaline just steps through and you follow into a surprisingly cool afternoon. It makes you realize how warm it was inside, as you are all damp with sweat.
And hungry too, as it is well past noon. You spent about two hours inside the regio, so there is nothing unnatural there. At Tandaline's request, the grogs unpack some food for everyone.
Depending on how arcane connexion work, I think i'll be able to investigate the pool using a fish or ideally a crayfish. I wouldn't risk myself inside...At least for now.
Turning to Tandaline
Well, I still want to investigate the surroundings, maybe collect plant samples and check if there's any streams that could connect to the pool or anything unusual really. Then I'd like to check on the river's merchant and see what they transport.
At last checking the town to get a general idea of the activities and maybe find a net, to install in the pool. I'm not sure how efficient that would be though, probably a long shot... What do you think Borealis anything you want to check in particular ?
"If you do to town," says Tandaline, "take the grogs with you. I'll wait here, so my Gift won't cause trouble. Just make sure to come back here well before night."
Borealis says "I'm mostly interested in looking at the area near the spring, so we can look for where our covenfolk can live. Other than that, I would like to go to town."
"Let's set up camp first, then you can explore for the rest of the day," comments Tandaline. "Since we intend to stay for two or three days, better make ourselves comfortable. Once Jorge and Jan are done with that, they can escort each of you and make sure you stay safe."
Borealis looks to help out where he can with setting up camp. He tries to engage the grogs in pleasantries, as he knows they will be journeying to town tomorrow.
After the camp is ready, he starts to explore the hillside, enjoying the fresh air and breeze upon his face.
Engaging the grogs is double edged. They look amiable enough and nod when you speak to them, but they don't say anything. After a few times, Borealis remembers Tandaline mentioning that both are mute.
Morrigan also scours the surrounding area while the grogs are setting up the camp, but before leaving she asks if she can help them magically or otherwise.
If she's able to she uses any bird around to get a view from the sky and If she tries to locate an entrance to the pool from the outside of the covenant, using any aquatic animal she can find.
The next day she plans to head to town and asks Borealis about It. Shall we go together or am I going alone with the grogs ?
I can do a first trip alone with a grog and if talking is needed we can go together ? Maybe I'll start by going by the river.
The hill (more a small mountain) has varied trees, plants and small animals. There are a few patches with enough soil for some gardening, once cleared, but it is mostly rocky. You find a few rocks that show signs of having been cut and used for buildings a long time ago.
You are unable to find where the pond gets its water. The few little streams that you find seem to be rain fed, and flow down the mountain, eventually flowing to the Main.
Could one of you accompany me in town, I'd like to explore the streets to get an idea of the activities, the shops, the church presence. Depending on how long It takes I'd also like to get to the river. If that's not possible I'll go tomorrow.
To Tandaline.
I could cast a circle of beast warding around the camp this evening when I come back