Wolfgang nods. "I understand. Have they been staying away, as you instructed?"
"Hardly."
He seems mildly dismayed, and it seems he has more to say, but is refraining himself from. You also note a tinge of displeasure targeted at you.
Wolfgang looks at him, raising an eyebrow. "If there were anything I could do to help, I would. If you have a grievance, or a question, I won't take offense, please speak."
He hesitates a bit.
"You and your friend didn't came to the Mass on the 15th because you went on to the cave near Underswyler, isn't that right? It's already hard enough to guide these people when the ones in positions of authority are fearful of God. The festival two months ago didn't help either. It incentivizes people to worship pagan gods."
"Why bother coming to Mass every Sunday if when outside the church you erect golden calves?"
While he does raise reasonable points you are pretty sure that this is partially a reaction to your Blatant Gift. At the same time, you notice that Luc is striving to keep his composure (succeeding... until now).
((I'm assuming we did the festival under the Oak this year, or at least made public preparations to do so next year.))
Wolfgang sighs. "I had intended to go to the cave, and try to lead people back here. But it didn't go well, and due to the mood of the crowd I felt it prudent to return home, rather than here. As for the ceremony... well, it's meant to be celebration, not worship. And truly, no worship takes place. People make promises, it's true, but no power binds them, other than their own morality."
"It's a slippery slope. The people..."
Father Luc stops and glances at something behind you. Turning around you find one of the villagers, a man in his mid-thirties, awaiting ten or so meters away from you both.
"I'm sorry Mr. Wolfgang, I have other people to attend to and it doesn't seem like this conversation is going to be brief. I trust that we can continue this on another day?"
Wolfgang nods. "Of course, Father. Goodbye for now."
Wolfgang nods politely in farewell, and heads out of the church and back home.
((@Plot_Device is there anything that Wolfgang would still like to accomplish directly? Or maybe some proposal for the council to tackle for next year's harvest?))
Wolfgang does make a report at the next regular council meeting.
"Sodales, there was a challenge in collecting the Creo vis from the cave, mainly because it seems to be transitory, and because it is diffuse in the pool of water. Pilgrims come to the cave, and I believe the divine aura may become stronger immediately after the water descends as vis. Collecting the vis while the sermon is going on is very challenging; we could check to see if it is present the night after the sermon, but we risk losing a year's worth of the income.
I think a simple item might be made, that will collect and store all vis in a pool of water, this would preserve the vis against the divine aura. We could leave it in place either a few days before the date, or leave it for an entire year and perhaps find more vis than we were aware of."
Regulus has returned to Tugurium a few days before. He listens attentively to Wolfgang's report before saying:
"I have lived in Cunfin for a good part of my apprenticeship. For the ones unaware, it's a covenant in the middle of a monastery. Most of the clergy was unaware of the magi, of course... the point is, it worked. This makes me think, maybe we could achieve some kind of arrangement with the local clergy for harversting the vis? But I think we should avoid to reveal our hermetic status if possible".
((OOC: Sorry for the delay, I thought I had already answered. While talking as Regulus I will be giving his opinion, and I'll make it clear if I say something as the SG.))
"That is a possibility, although I wouldn't know how to achieve it," admits Clusius. "None of us have a gentle gift, so interaction with mundanes will always be difficult."
"Perhaps trying to equip ourselves with enchanted items that would allow us to harvest the vis unconspicuously might be easier? Particularly since such enchanted items might very well be useful to harvest some of our other sources?"
"That seems feasible. I'd rather avoid leaving a device there to gather the vis, but from Wolfgang's account it seems we could have someone go there every year."
"This still leaves us with a problem, however. What do we do if the rumors of an angel appearing don't diminish, but instead, get stronger, and we have more people going to the cave in the next year?"
"I have a bit of expertise with Terram. If required I could invent an spell to seal the cave, but I would have to focus entirely on that for some time, and I don't think three seasons would be enough to get me there."
"I didn't mean an enchanted item that we would leave there," says Clusius, "but rather one that would allow us to gather the vis without drawing attention, which one of us or even a trusted grog could use when the time comes to do so."
"That way, one would could stand with the crowd and harvest the source without casting a spell, with no one noticing. It could even take the shape of a cross or something similar, so it would pass off as a mundane item. As a cross, for example, it might transfer the vis into its laniard or chain. Just touch it to the water and activate it, and no one would be the wiser."
"Yes, yes, I agree with you. Wolfgang mentioned the possibility of leaving a device in the pool a few days before, or through the entire year, but I fear that such a device, even if it was made in the semblance of a small rock, could be stolen by a pilgrim wanting a memento or relic."
((OOC: I don't think I had formally finished this. Thanks for the reminder @Plot_Device.))
Adventure Summary
Following the notes left behind by Leonardus, Wolfgang and Marcus went to a cave a few miles away from the covenant on the 15th August, in order to harvest vis from the "miraculous waters" in that cave.
Arriving there they found the cave occupied by the people of Undervelier, a priest conducting mass. After entering the cave, and fearing that the mass could somehow diminish the amount of vis, Wolfgang tried to pass for a messenger of Mary and lead the people away from the cave, and he did so by casting a CrIg spell to shroud himself in a halo of light. Unfortunately the magus underestimated the effects of his spell. The light blinded several people, and the villagers fled the cave in fear, causing havoc and mayhem.
Afterwards, the magi where able to gather the vis and return to Tugurium. Wolfgang presented the situation to the council, which after deliberation, ended on an inconclusive tone regarding what steps (if any) should be taken in order to ease the harvest next year.
Adventure Results
- The magi were able to harvest from the source and bring back 3 pawns of Creo.
- The rumors going around say that the cave is indeed holy, and that a demon tried to hinder the Mass, but Mary sent an angel to scary the foul creature.
- It seems that "the angel's holy light" permanently blinded Father Samuel, the priest from Undervelier.
- The usage of folk charms increased between the people of the valley.
- Father Luc, the priest from Chatillon, is displeased with the scholars from Tugurium attending mass in the cave (which he deems too much pagan) instead of going to the village's church.
- To the moment, no one traced the events back to the magi of Tugurium.
Adventure Source Quality: 5
Vis harvest: 3 pawns of Creo vis
The way I see things, next year the harvest can be either easier or harder... but I don't think we need a story for harvesting every year. We simply "somehow manage it" every year. We could probably bring these characters back in a few years, however. I'm a bit curious about what will happen to Father Samuel from now on. =]
But that is just me thinking out loud.
That’s quite an eventful vis harvest! I definitely see potential future story seeds with Father Samuel, Father Luc or someone else figuring out it was the magi, or even something like Iacob from Irencillia hearing about it and starting the rumor it was actually a visit from one of the albino angels of the faerie God of Truth.
@Arthur should we add the cave near Undervelier to the vis sources post for providing 3 creo vis?
Yes, someone can go ahead and add the source to the list. The posts in that topic are mostly editable by everyone.