1205 Summer - A Pilgrimage for Vis

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: The Heir of Laimunt Valley
35

As Edwardo draws attention Marcus looks around and, after making sure there is no one around, tries to spont the spell. Unfortunately the magical energy he manages to muster is insufficient to make the people leave the cave. He grimaces due to the too familiar jolt of pain.

The priest briefly stops his sermon due to Edwardo's "ecstasy" and exhort the parishioners: "Look at this brother! How far has he traveled to reach us? And still the first thing he does when arriving is to fall on his knees and praise the Lord! Oh, Father, allow that us, your people, can have this same resilience. Come closer brother. Your faith is going to be rewarded."

He gestures for the clerk to go ahead and bring Edwardo further inside.

"Good people, as St. Colombe prayed, let us also pray to the Virgin Mary for her divine intercession and humbly approach the fountain. You may approach, but make way for our friend."

The people inside the cave quickly try to organize themselves. There is a silent struggle as they push and pull, trying to get closer, but it doesn't look like it will escalate into violence.

The clerk approaches Edwardo and helps him to his feet, talking in High German in a soothing tone, trying to guide him towards the priest. Edwardo tries to glance at you Marcus, unsure of what to do.

Wolfgang, you jump to your feet. Besides you, the young woman seems to have trouble going ahead with the baby in her arms, and you should have no trouble getting ahead of her and a few others - unless you intend to do something else. What do you do?

36

Wolfgang tries to get close to the fountain, but he's at a bit of a loss. He fears that repeated prayer will destroy the vis, but he doesn't know how to stop it. Desperate, knowing how short on vis the covenant is, he rushes forward, using his small size to get between people, and hoping that his gift will encourage them to get out of the way. As he rushes, he shouts, "I hear you, holy mother! I obey!" He rushes forward to the edge of the pool, drops to his knees, and begins praying

a consecration to Mary

"My Queen and my Mother, I give myself entirely to you; and to show my devotion to you, I consecrate to you this day my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my heart, my whole being without reserve. Wherefore, good Mother, as I am your own, keep me, guard me, as your property and possession. Amen."

As the prayer ends, he waits a moment, kneeling in silent meditation, partly out of respect for his genuine faith, then he casts Mien of Helios, silent and still. His body suddenly glows, as bright as the sun, and he stands, erect, shouting, "To the church! She has instructed me, blessed me, we must go to the House of God, and give worship there!" He will try to lead the group away, if they are following him, back to the village and the church.

[Mien of Helios is a mastered formulaic spell, and he rolls 27 against 15, so assuming I don't need a roll, let me know if I do.]

37

People are clearly dissatisfied as Wolfgang advances, taking advantage both of the Gift pernicious effect and of his small frame. The people around you, closer to the pool are in general well dressed and well fed.

The priest approaches Wolfgang, but before he can tell anything the magus fall to his knees. The onlookers look gets even worse (one would say this isn't possible at all).

After a few moments Wolfgang shines with blinding light as he commands: "To the church! She has instructed me,..."

Everyone was looking at Wolfgang at that moment. Everyone.
The priest covers his eyes, screaming in pain, as many of the surrounding people. Most of the ones who were close were blinded by the sudden light, and the ones who weren't are confused and afraid.

Panic ensues. A few people start to flee the cave, passing by Marcus. On the way they push to the ground the clerk that was approaching Edwardo. Many people are still inside, but they are starting to mobilize towards the exit.

@Plot_Device I will need either a Charm or a Leadership roll to reassert these people that this is, indeed, a miracle, and to try to guide them to the church on peaceful terms...

Of course, you could further develop the chaos and try to profit from it (the milk is already spilled after all).

Or anything else.

38

Wolfgang vastly overestimated how easy it would be to sway people. He continues his original plan, to see if anyone at all will follow him.

got a 6 on Leadership before gift penalty

39

(TBH, if not for Mien of Helios being a blinding light it would have been easier.)

Despite trying his best, Wolfgang don't manage to lead the people. Instead, it is more as if he chases them away. The closest ones (the ones who can see, at least) turn around and flee as he gets closer. The ones blinded by the light try to make their way to the exit, with variable degrees of success.

Wolfgang and Marcus notice:

  • The clerk that was getting closer to Edwardo and fell to the ground as the first people to exit pushed him? He is about to be trampled by the other people exiting the cave. No way to tell how hurt he will get. He is closer to Edwardo and Marcus, but Wolfgang might also be able to do something.
  • The light from Mien of Helios doesn't illuminate the maiden with the baby (usually a sign that MoH failed to penetrate MR). She has retracted as far away from Wolgang as possible, with her back against the wall, and is praying with her eyes closed. Wolfgang catches words such as "protect us", "deliver us from evil", "by Your grace, save this child" among others, uttered in Low German. It doesn't look like she is going to move from there soon, but she isn't posing an obstacle either.

Wolfgang, with a look to the pool you ascertain that the vis is still there. As soon as the rest of the people who are fleeing leave the cave it should be a good moment to collect the water.

40

((really sorry.bmissed a reply and thought I was waiting on you and stopped getting notifications. My bad entirely))

41

Wolfgang tries to move so that the presence of his light, that's causing people to run, will drive people away from the fallen clerk instead of toward him.

42

While Wolfgang tries to direct the flow of people Edwardo grabs the clerk's clothes and drags the man away. Between you both you manage to avoid him getting injured.

After a few dozen seconds the cave is empty, save for you and a few mundanes whimpering on the ground. You noticed that, as they exited the cave, most people fled towards south.

The maiden is still praying, her eyes closed. She moves slowly towards the exit, groping the wall.

The vis is still there.

43

Wolfgang kneels and prays for forgiveness for his trick until she leaves. Once gone, he goes and gathers the vis.

44

Harvesting the vis should be as simple as collecting the water. How do you intend to do that? Do you grab a bucket? Or did you made any other kind of preparation before leaving the covenant?

A sponted lvl 15 ReVi spell would also do the trick. From a quick look at your arts it seems like you can manage it with a few tries.

45

Wolfgang casts a spell, reaching his hand into the pool and pulling the vis into his grasp.

ReVi to harvest vis: 1D10+25 = [8]+25 = 33

46

You feel the tiredness take over you body as you improvise the spell, but you manage to cast it without trouble.

((You still need to move the vis to another object (it's not just a blob of floating energy). Where to?))

After harvesting the vis: what now?

47

Wolfgang realizes he should have prepared an object, but in the heat of the moment all he can do is put the vis into his voting sigil (a malachite ring he wears).

He will look around to see if it seems like anyone was aware enough to witness the spellcasting, then heads out to round up his companions and head home - by an indirect route, not going through the village.

48

Everyone who stayed in the cave is either blind (only temporarily, if God allows) or unconscious, (except for the young woman, who has her eyes still closed). No one seems to have saw you, except for Marcus and Edwardo.

The three of you make your way back avoiding the road, making the trip extend far longer than in the morning. You reach the covenant just before the sun goes down, tired.

49

Wolfgang is relieved to be back. He asks for food to be brought to his sanctum, and heads straight there. In the morning, in his laboratory, he shifts the vis out of his ring and into the usual wooden pawns, and takes them to the covenant stores, having the clerk mark it in the ledger.

50

Later that day, during the evening meal, Clusius asks Wolfgang how the vis collection went and if the covenant should make preparations to ease the harvesting of that source. He appears a bit distracted.

51

Wolfgang sighs. "It was... problematic. The place had become a pilgrimage site, there was a... a mad prophet of some sort there, that people were flocking to. The village priest was unhappy that people were going there. I had a minor problem; I was trying to create a story that would keep people away, both to make the priest happy and to gain access to the vis, and I did, but not in the way I intended. But nobody was permanently harmed, and while there may be rumors, I don't think they'll be linked to us. We'll need to be careful next year, but I may have made things easier. I hope so, anyway. The vis is in the stores, by the way."

52

"Are there any preparations we could make that would ease things in the future? Either for this specific source or for others? If so, let Adeline know and we can add that topic to the next council meeting."

53

"It depends on what happens over the next few months, I think. The cave either will be or won't be occupied by pilgrims next time we try to harvest, I'm not sure what preparation would solve that. I may learn more from the village priest on Sunday."

54

"Very well," Clusius smiles, "let us know how things evolve."