OOC: they may be poor, or might not, but they see a lot of wealth, and a Jerbiton isn't as stingy with mundanes as other Magi would be. Since you're gently gifted, you have a chance to recover from the slight you offered. If you want to switch some flaws around fine, but you should consider that carefully. Right now, I think you're playing an effectively naturally Gifted magus, and overplaying the Hubris. I'm trying to figure out how you can make your character even more objectionable as his hubris increases, and having a difficult time seeing it. I think it's reasonable that your character would've called someone to his office. I don't think it's reasonable to expect you can order people around who don't work for the covenant in the way you did, misunderstanding about how much to pay or no.
You send someone to deliver your proposal to the woodcutter. When he comes back he says the woodcutter told him that he's not coming back, and if you want his help meet him an hour after dawn, 4 miles from the covenant along the road to Autun the morning after next.
OOC: I have decided to try to play down the hubris (we just assume Onesiphorus had a bad day) and just play his hubris as he wish to dress like an important man thus showing of his status as a magus, show that he is the man in command and think that his suggestions are much wiser than any other.
Onesiphorus make sure that he and a henchman who carries the supplies is at the Autun road the next morning at the time suggested. Onesiphorus is dressed in his traveller’s clothes and carries a staff and his casting tools.
The woodcutter is waiting for you patiently as you arrive. Without exchange of pleasantries, he bids you to follow him into the forrest and heads into it.
(Assuming you follow him).
He keeps a quick and steady pace, he's an accomplished woodsman and the pace zigzags quite a bit. Eventually you figure out that their is a method to his madness, in that he's taking an easy path into the forest. It's not a road, or even a game trail, but it is easy to travel, avoiding areas of heavy brush that would have to be cut through. After several hours, nearly by noon you come upon an area where several of these trees are growing into strange shapes (refer to the earlier picture for a general idea, if you want something specific, tell me what you might be looking for). There appear to be 12 trees in a short area. The area is not quite a clearing, but it is significantly less forested here.
Onesiphorus will walk around investingating the trees and cast a few spells. Like: Scent of the Magical Boundary, Wizard's Eye for Vis and sense the nature of vis. They are all lv. 10 InVi spells and should work and determine if there is a regio that Onesiphorus is about to stumble into, if there are any vis and of what sort. If needed I can roll the dices for the spells but I make a few other abilites checks to see if he sees anything other of interest.
Craft Woodworking 9 + Int 3 + Dice 6 (1 if simple roll) invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3209871/ = 18 (or 13) to determine if the wood is good for crafting and if there are any especially good uses.
Onesiphorus return to the woodcutter and speak with him. I must ask as I am very curious about these trees. Do you know anything about these strange trees or do you know about anyone who can tell me more about these strange trees?
"I know of a few of these locations. This was the easiest one to reach. I don't know anything about them." While the woodcutter talks you can see one tree that is nearly completely circular, and could probably be shaped and finished to be a true circle with little effort.
Onesiphorus: I would like to see the other location that look like this one but perhaps it will take a too great amount of time. How many days would it take to visit them all? Also I wish to know if you could cut down that tree and bring it to my laboratory. I want the tree as intact as possible and with roots and all. I want this done as soon as possible. Could you gather a work crew and do this task for me. The covenant will of course pay handsomely for the tree and for any time you take to show me the other sites. Perhaps even you could draw roadmaps for me to follow if I by any reason wish to go to the clearings or we could make a deal of some sort.
"Trying to dig the tree out would take hours of back-breaking labor, something that I'm sure someone with your power could handle much more easily. Trees, when they grow, typically develop root systems as large as their crown above the ground. Then hauling such a large thing would be another problem. Other locations are much more difficult to reach, and I haven't been to them since I was a boy, long ago. I'm sure I can find my way back to them, but if we were to leave now it would probably be dark, due to how difficult it will be to travel." His demeanor suggests that he's unwilling to take you, but might be willing to work with someone to draw up a map, but isn't interested in any of the other work you're offering to him.
[color=green]"Excuse me, herr Magus," says a voice from behind Onesiphorus in High German. [color=green]"Are you investigating the groves of these...unnatural-looking trees?"
Onesiphorus: I can settle for just the tree and the branches. Just as you would cut down any other tree that is going to a woodworker of my skill. For this work and a map I am willing to pay you in gold or whatever you would like. Just name your price.
Onesiphours replies in low German. Yes I am, and who might you be? Herr? Onesiphorus takes a good look at the man before him.
"Very well. I'll cut it now and have a gang haul it out later. Please stand aside. As Onesiphorus moves out of the way to speak with the young man who just appeared the woodcutter takes his axe out and gets to work. His first swing though sounds as if it is metal hitting metal and he howls out in agony. The axe flies backwards out of his hands and imbeds itself in a nearby tree, and he's falls to the ground.
[color=green]"My name is Wilhelm. I have come to these lands with the magus Silviatos, but I make my home in these woods," he says as he waves his hand to encompass the entire forest.
Wilhelm is a slender, boyish-looking and clean-shaven man with short, unevenly-cut blond hair, and dressed in soft leather shirt, leggings, and boots. He carries himself with the air of one who is completely at ease in his current surroundings. He also has a knife and axe at his side, and an unstrung bow and a quiver full of arrows over his back.
[color=green]"Have you seen the other groves yet?"
As the woodcutter hits the ground, Wilhelm will spring over to be sure he's still alive. If so, he will leave him to the ministrations of one better suited to the healing arts than him, and turn his attention to the tree, examining it minutely.
Onesiphorus also rush towards the man on the ground, keel besides him and touches his hand while casting Physician’s eye to determine the nature of the man’s injuries. How far are we from the covenant and how long would it take to walk back and to fly back with the same speed as a gentle breeze (perhaps 3m/s or 360m/diameter)?
You'll have to go over a hundred feet straight up, throught he canopy. It's at the lightest in this area, two or three average ease finesse+dex rolls would allow you to get through the canopy without incident. However, the woodcutter's arm needs to be splinted and stablized before anything can be done.
Onesiphorus ponders the problems at hand and curses his lack of spontaneous magic but thinks a good man must help himself. He casts the Physician’s eye to determine what the damages there are. Then he turns to Willhelm. I must try to get some help but for that I need to get some idea on how far we are from help and find whomever I can. Remain here and guard the man. Onesiphorus cast the gift of flight so the he can fly as fast as a breeze and then maintain the demanding spell then then flies towards the top of the canopy.
Casting the gift of flight: Casting total 15+ Voice and gesture 2+ 10 dice invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3244391/ = 27
Casting maintaining the demanding spell: Casting total 24 + 2 dice invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3244393/ = 26
Concentration roll: Int 3 + ability 2 + Dice 8 invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3244396/ = 13
Finesse roll 1: Finesse 1 + Dex 2 = 3 + Dice 8 invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3244398/ = 11
Finesse roll 2: Finesse 1 + Dex 2 = 3 + Dice 5 invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3244400/ = 8
Finesse roll 3: Finesse 1 + Dex 2 = 3 + Dice 4 invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3244401/ = 7
He has a badly broken arm, each of the major bones have breaks, but he is otherwise healthy. It is the equivalent of three medium wounds.
Navigating up through the canopy is difficult and Onesiphorous suffers two gashes to his arms (light wounds), but does get through the canopy. He is able to maintain concentration on the spell after getting through and gets back to Mont Beuvray in 30 minutes.