[color=blue]"Thank you for your help, Laetitia," Fiona says.
[color=blue]"Now...what would you consider fair recompense for your time and trouble?"
(Fiona's not trying to be insulting, but she's lived her whole life in a Tribunal with only one Quaesitor, who is not exactly on the up-and-up (has a Reputation as Shady at +1 with House Quaesitor, on her character sheet in Lions of the North p. 69). It doesn't say, but I see her as being the kind of Quaesitor who would charge people for her time in matters like this, based upon whether she likes you or your covenant's relation to hers. So, she fully expects Laetitia to charge her for, basically, wasting her time).
She looks a bit embarrassed. "A Quaesitor has a duty to investigate suspected diabolist activity; I cannot charge for investigating a crime scene.
"However, in this case, you neglected to send an Arcane Connection along with your missive-- so if you offered a couple pawns of Intellego as an apology for making me sleep on rocks for two weeks, I'd be much less inclined to give you any grief or guilt about the stiffness in my neck. Not to mention it actually rained on us along the way. Elain had to listen to me complain for two days straight." She grins, only partially joking.
Any Folk Ken, and Fiona will probably pick up that Laetitia is incredibly urban, and truly despises mundane travel; she's actually really annoyed about it.
She looks a little guilty. "One pawn would be fine. While I enjoy your company, I hope you don't find yourself in need of my professional services-- but if there is a next time, please remember that Quaesitores are expected to know Leap of the Homecoming." She smiles then, her annoyance evaporated.
okay, since the Giant situation seems to have settled down some (since the boys went back and reported all well at the house), aside from being sure Angus is on the road to recovery, is there anything else here that needs resolved?
Fiona was intending to brew something to speed Angus' recovery, if I recall, go ahead and make that roll. Also, she has a 10 day journey to Edinburgh, to get to the Mercere Portal.
Once Fiona is satisfied that everything's been resolved, she will turn to Laetitia. [color=blue]"I have made arrangements to return home via the Mercere Portal in Edinburgh. Would you care to accompany us on the road, or would that be too much of an...inconvenience for you?" Fiona's broad smile at the invitation indicates that it's more friendly teasing than anything else.
She also makes her farewells to the remaining magi of Insula Canaria, promising to keep in touch. She also says that, should she hear of anyone looking for a new home, she will keep them in mind.
In an aside to Ion, she will comment that she has seen the Bjornaer in her human form more in the last two weeks than in the last, oh, five years, and wonder why that is, if she is well, or...?
When does Fiona return to Mons Electi, and does she have time to do, really, much of anything for the Season?
Doesn't matter if it likes it or not. It ceases to exist at sundown
Laetitia and Elain will travel to the Mercere Portal with Fiona, and provide a magical mount for her to ride. Should shave off quite a bit of time from the trip.
Ion says, "The next time I resume my Heartbeast form will be my last. My last transformation to human form was extremely difficult, and painful. I might take an apprentice, but waiting 15 years to resume my form, or abandoning him before he's ready... Well, neither are pleasant prospects."
Maybe... I'm considering adopting rules to allow one to fix arcane connections in less time than an entire season... So that might be a possibility. By my reckoning ~35-40 days have been tied up in the story 9 (for Fiona), with 7 days of Tribunal (3 days of Tribunal + 3 days of Tourney, +closing ceremonies and claiming of prizes, which is the day you left, just after having claimed prizes) and then the time spent here 4 (waiting to transform) +14 (waiting for Laetitia, sending the letter and then having to arrive mundanely) +6 days travel to Edinburg.
Since the horses can be ridden near to death and be kept fresh, I'll say 6 days. More is really pushing it, and likely to have me make some stress rolls.
Fiona gets 10 xp.
Laetitia gets 6 xp.
Note, I'll be awarding Tribunal XP, as well, but I'm making an exception to the 1 source of XP per season rule for the Tribunal, everyone gets some based on what they've done. I'll award it only after all the prize pawns have been redeemed...
Fiona feels like she just took a sword to the gut. She knew that Ion was much older than she, and that she was likely approaching Final Twilight...but to be told that this would likely be the last time she'd ever see her? Especially after they had overcome what Fiona had believed to be decades of opposition, she feels like she had just reconciled. [color=blue]"Oh, I am so sorry," she says as she tries to fight back the tears. [color=blue]"I know there's nothing I can do for you, and no way to make up for the years we've lost. But you're always welcome to visit at Mons Electi if you're able, and I will try to make it back to visit here when I can." She will give Ion a big, long hug before she leaves.
Fiona will also get a piece of stone or metal (or two, or three) from the covenant to use as an Arcane Connection with a duration of Years, with the intention of Fixing the connection so that she can use it when she invents a Giant version of Leap of Homecoming.
So, no chance of any of the lab work she had planned, and teaching would be reduced by two-thirds, which would give Ulrich 5xp in whatever if she goes that route. So, I guess she's probably going to relax, putter around the garden for the rest of the summer, whatnot.
Don't know how I missed this, but: Int 1 + Mythic Herbalism (creating potions) 4 + die roll of 2 = 7. Well, she's made this kind of potion dozens, if not times before, including a time or two for herself...and she'll be hornswoggled if she's going to let her cousin fall prey to something like a spear thrust to the gut. So, she'll spend a Confidence Point to get that total up to 10 if she needs to. (the Ease Factor for a healing potion is 9, which adds +6 to his Healing Roll)
Upon her return to Mons Electi, she will track down Korvin.
[color=blue]"Pardon the intrusion, Princeps, but I need a pawn of Intellego vis sent to Laetitia of Guernicus."
Korvin looks tired behind a desk full of wax tablets for preparations for the dinner with the Primi. " I must ask do you ask me as a member of House Mercere to arrange the transfer or as Princeps of Mons Electi to authorize payment from our stocks? I ask only so I know which hat to put on" he says with a tired smile.
[color=blue]"Both, actually. I need you, as Princeps, to authorize payment from our not-insubstantial stocks...and if you would, as Mercere to arrange the transfer, as I told her that it would be sent via Redcap."
Korvin goes to a shelf and finds a tablet with the vis stores. "We can trade 2 pawns of Muto for a pawn of Intellego to be delivered to Laetitia of Guernicus. I shall send a note to Harrco with the two pawns and it will be delivered to Laetitia at ...." He looks at Fiona with his writing stick poised.
