Yes, sorry for being vague indeed, especially its actual target I realize. I guess that I'm still wrapping my mind around Fieltarn's new situation. 8)
First, he'll actually cast an InVi spell to gauge the strenght of the local aura.
+1Sta +8Intellego +4Vim +3Cyclic Magic/night + some Aura... + roll of 7 : (at least) 23/2 = 11
Fieltarn will salute the God, then use the time to :
Investigate the Temple, looking for markings or engraving on walls, bas-reliefs, that sort of things.
observe what the surroundings look like from this regio, does Fieltarn can contemplate the same landscape as he could in the mundane version of the temple.
track-back his own tracks and - presumably - the wolve tracks to try and get an idea of what the packs did there (ie : was this regio just a transitory place of sort, or did they linger and... did whatever wolves do for a time?)
On the other hand, he will be careful not to accidentally "fall" through some chance exit, as he still wants to investigate a bit further - so, he'll keeps his second sights in alertness.
As the night falls, he'll cast an equivalent of 'Sense the Nature of Vis' on the coins in Janus' hand. Presuming its vis does not seem like a great stretch.
+1Sta +8Intellego +4Vim +3Cyclic Magic/night + some Aura... + roll of 2 : 18+/2 = 9 or a bit more depending of the aura's strenght.
It's a 2nd magnitude Aura (+10). Fieltarn's magic has never been so effective or easy.
The temple is remarkably unadorned, it seems almost perfectly austere. His second sight doesn't uncover any additional openings. There are no tracks of any sort in the temple. Eventually you find a dagger.
The silver coins develop a white luminesence about them after Fieltarn's spell goes off, and fatiguing himself was unnecessary, so he didn't do it. 28/5=5.6.
No, actually quite the opposite, as Fieltarn swears he had been over that portion of the temple before when the dagger seemed to appear. Note, he didn't witness it appear before his eyes, but he's pretty certain it appeared in a spot he'd already looked over earlier.
Should probably read the description of the spell...
((Oups, my bad. .)) White... Creo. (he still doesn't touch/take the coins, for now) (edited)
Fieltarn brings the dagger back to the statue and, on a whim, put it in the other hand of Janus. If nothing happens, he probes his memory for tales on traditions or mysteries regarding the god Janus
=> +1Int +3Magic Lore + roll of 1 = 5 if simple die, or 24 if stress. (+1 if his specialty "magical traditions" counts)
Whith my luck, it'll be some sacrificial dagger...
I would say either Magical lore again, or Artes Liberales; the later through perhaps more indirect knowledge, from the greek language and astrology aspect of Artes Liberales. A third possibility might be some indirect recollection of redcaps tales too (Order of Hermes lore, then), considering the nature of this god, kinda close to Mercury by some aspect, but that seems a bit of a stretch though.
Regarding Magical lore, as Fieltarn has a score of 3, he might share some of my own knowledge about Janus. I'd say :
A two-faces god, one of the oldest of Rome - hence probably not uncared for by the old priest of the Cult of Mercury.
God of transitions and portals, again this would have interested the precursors of the Order of Hermes, and even current Mercere may keep some knowledge about him.
His particular dominion was transition from one state to another, past to future, one world to another, one vision of the world to another (though he was known to send contradictory visions one after another).
Interestingly, he also "ruled" over beginnings, and the first month of the year was dedicated to this god, in the old roman religion, as his name implies (Janus/Janua/then Januarius or "the Gate of the Year".). And since Fieltarn has a feeling that a few days have past, since he left Mons Electi on the 28th december, we're obviously now in January... Can't be a coincidence.
There's a bit more, but that would probably require a higher score than '3' for Fieltarn to possibly share some of this player knowledge.
So, convincing enough?
In any case, pick as you see fit :
if Magical Lore, let's roll again : +1Int +3 + roll of 7= 11 (12 if "magical traditions" counts)
if Artes Liberales : +1Int +1 Artes Liberales (ouch) + roll of 7 again = 9
Magic Lore roll of 12 is sufficiently high enough to know that Janus is the god of beginnings and endings. The dagger seems well suited to a sacrifice. It has a nice cutting edge, with a more rounded point. and the back of the blade is flat and not sharp.
Well, not a whole lot of choice as sacrificial lambs ou there, but since I am just the guest here...
Fieltarn grasp the dagger firmly, close his eyes and kneel and facing Janus, meditating on his situation and his place in the world. After a moment, he bleeds himself while paying his respects to his "host"
I thank you for granting passage to the shadow-wolf who walks with me, God of Passage. And while I'm a priest of your cousin Dana of many names, mother of earth and nature, I humbly hope for your wisdom in leading me back to the realm of men. I am as I appear here before you, and as the wolf brought me here : with no offerings worthy of your blessing other than this oblation of blood as a testimony of my respect and, if you'd consider this mortal's plea, of my vow to respect your temple as you'd inspire me to.
Then he waits, again opening his senses for... any sign.
As Fieltiarn has not returned by that afternoon, Wilhelm returns with the others to the covenant (at least, I'm assuming that's what they do), along with his wolf-pelt. Quick google-search seems to indicate that people didn't really eat wolf meat unless they were really desperate, so he will leave the carcass for the wolves and/or the scavengers.
Back at the covenant or surrounding village, he will see if he can find a tailor who can do something with the pelt, possibly a vest or leggings, something furry to keep him warm...or, depending on the size, a blanket. He will try to barter for the service, although the only thing he has to barter with is making or stringing bows, or bringing in meat.
He will also continue to go about his normal business, but swing by the cottage where they last saw Fieltarn about once or twice a day to check on things and to see if the magus has returned. He will be very alert for any wolves in his vicinity, as well.
I didn't describe the time frame to arrive, but it is outside of Autun, meaning the better part of a day's walk, 5 or 6 hours. Of course, running could shave that down considerably. However it is unlikely that one would be visiting it twice a day. The wolf carcass was likely buried or burned. The wolves all ran off. Someone can dry the hide properly, parchment production is the key part of the enterprise. No one really asks to be paid, it seems as if Willhelm is familiar enough with the some of the Magi, and just think that he likes to live in the forest.
Willhelm does know that Fieltarn spent the rest of the evening on the first evening out with the wolf just sitting outside the temple. I'm unsure if Willhelm knows or witnessed Fieltarn's transformation. In any event, Willhelm checks for four days, but there is no sign. This syncs us up (3 nights of full moon of 95% or better at moonrise).
According to the pm, Wilhelm did see the transformation. Okay, so maybe once a day or so, or every other day, just to kind of keep an eye out for the magus in case he needs help getting back to the covenant or something. Some of these magi, as powerful as they are, are as helpless as babes if you get them outside their four comfortable walls. Fieltarn seems like he may be a little different, but he's still a magus. If he's still not back, or Wilhelm sees no sign of him, by the day after the full moon, then he'll more or less quit worrying about it.
So...Wilhelm has a decent wolf-skin vest/jacket, now?
((ooc : somehow, this brings to mind this gimmick of manga and anime in which the artist draws a flying "aho-aho" bird (this cry sounding like "idiot" in japanese) over the head of characters who realize that they might just have put themselves deeper into some stupid situation 8) ))
In any case...
Well, obviously not enough... Fieltarn ponders his limited options for a while : Alone, butt-naked, without vis of his own, nor pretty much anything, before considering two or three possibilities, all not really promising an easy solution. He knows that most mystery cults involve some more demanding sacrifice, but he's flying blind here and is not that familiar with what the God might deem as a fair bargain. He first tries the less extreme ones of his tentative "plans"...
Janus was known to send visions... or was that dreams? And the place is extremely magical, besides I've spilled enough blood already. So, he relaxes as best he can, and tries to meditate, then sleep (I know, I know), at the foot of the statue.
If that doesn't bring anything other than a relaxing moment, he'll try and find some small animals (birds, rodents...) in the surrounding in hope that he might get some clues, if indirectly, by starting a conversation with the "locals".
As a last resort, for now, he'll summon the wolves...
+2Com + 4Summoning + roll of 3 +10 Aura (if memory serves me well, Aura should count for this supernatural ability) = 19.
No wolves come, nor are there any other animals or vermin, even. The entirety of the regio is the temple interior, and what you perceive to be the entrance/exit noted earlier.
I cast a spontaneous InVim spell on myself to determine if I'm subjected to any active magic, and not just basking in this incredible Aura...
=>(unfatiguing) +1Int +8Intellego +4Vim + 10 aura +3CyclicMagic : 26/5 = 5.
Then a fatiguing equivalent with the statue as the target of the spell. With 'touch' range this should raise the base to a level 10.
=> CS: 26 + roll of 8 : 34/2 = 16.
Sight of the Active Magics is a 40th level InVi spell. The effect you are trying to replicate is missing a sense to effect (I don't recommend sight).
Your first spell either doesn't work, or isn't powerful enough. The next one is for free...
Taste of the Active Magics, momentary duration is something you can do with the fatiguing spell. You lick the statue, and yes, it's magic. The taste lingers on your tongue but you[1] can't figure out what it is.
The SG can't, either, but you won't get anymore information than that...
It's not a big deal, but I respectfully disagree. I know that Sight of Active Magic is level 40(edited), but it is because of the 5 magnitudes added to the base effect (conc., vision, determining form and techniques), which Fieltarn did not try to emulate here. Accoding to the InVi baseline, I thought that a level 5 (pers, mom, ind.) would be enough for Fieltarn to simply determine if he was subject to a magical effect, without any further details as given by SoAM. But anyway, I guess that's not the case.
And no please, I touched but didn't lick the statue... there's limits even to Fieltarn own sense of derision, or deference to an "foreign" God's statue. He's not a buffoon, I'd like to think.
Well, in the meantime, I'm still stuck inside this regio. Grumble... does anything happens if I lift the creo vis from the statue's hand?
.))
