Cygna is outraged. Not so much for herself, as she doesn't eat much meat (although having vellum would be nice), but for her covenmates who do enjoy meat. [color=red]"How can this happen? What's been happening to all our sheep? Who was supposed to ensure that we were having enough lambs to keep up?"
I think Sinmore just found herself a job... snort
The now-unemployed shepherdhess informs Cygna, "There is a great beast that savages the flock for three nights, around the 15th of every month. The maga Sophia said she would look into it, but the attacks never stopped, and then when magus Iapetus showed up with that big lizard, that finished them off. I still have two lambs I keep as pets, but they don't graze anymore, it's too dangerous."
Is the shepherdess Christian or Jewish? (Cygna recalls, from her time at Phoenix, that the Jews, and Muslims for that matter, have a different calendar than Christians). If she's Jewish, Cygna asks if that's the 15th on the Jewish or Christian calendar. She also asks if anyone's seen this "great beast" or knows anything about it.
She also tracks down Iapetus and Sophronea and asks if she might have a word with them.
Attravere proposes over breakfast that the next time in the cycle that the beast is meant to show up that the Magi help keep watch to deal with it.
"Sanno is helping the fishermen to pick up the slack due to this loss. We should do what we can do remove this problem as well. I'm sure we can acquire some chickens to help with the meat loss, but the wool and vellum was something we can't as easily replace."
How much goop is left, exactly? And does the goop cause warping?
I'm having a hard time reconciling how she doesn't have a buttload of warping already, unless Justinius disabled the darkness during the apprenticeship...
Cygna catches up with Sophronia out and about, even though it's been a dreadful winter. She seems to be avoiding spending time in her sanctum for some reason. "Ahh, well, I had done what I could with that matter. My hands are tied, to a certain extent. If you can riddle it out we can discuss it more in depth." She looks over towards the lighthouse.
The shepherdess is named Sarit bat Tamir, so Cygna's pretty sure she's Jewish 
"The Jewish calendar is the only accurate calendar, ma'am. Meaning no disrespect, but the Christian calendar loses days." If asked to clarify, she will tell you (and Chayyim will confirm) that it is a lunisolar calendar, with months beginning on the new moon. Which puts the full moon squarely on the 15th.
We'll say a season's worth. It is a natural herbal tincture and does not cause warping.
The real answer: she didn't get tons of warping because she was a 4th ed NPC 
So, a recipe should be about somewhere.
She'll ask Iapetus if he's found anything. She'll do an InHe to see if she can determine the components, at the very least....
She'll cast it on what she's wearing, since she's touching it. Base 4 Learn all mundane properties of a plant or item made from plant products, R:T D:Mom T:Ind, for a total of 5th level.
InHe CS: 17In +5He +2Int +5Aura/5=29/5, or nearly 6th level.
Worth a shot.
I'm not going to make up plant names for it, but suffice to say that Sophia gets all sorts of mundane properties of various and sundry plants, but she realizes that the whole is much more than the sum of its parts, and there's likely some Mystery involved.
Justinius never mentioned a peep about what went in it or how it worked or where he got it-- he was always of the opinion that if you wanted to know badly enough, you'd bloody well find out.
The fact that it doesn't inflict Warping should be of particular interest. She's only ever heard of Leona's longevity rituals being exempt from warping from constant mystical effect.
Are there lab notes in Justinius lab?
Rephrase: Are there some of Justinius lab notes in my lab?
If not, and they don't mention any of the plants, she'll peruse the library.
While searching the library she'll attempt to inquire of Attravere and Iapetus, and even Lilly to see if they have any hints.
((Incidentally, I just reviewed the name of the person I was going to write a letter to about Second Sight, and they're from Voluntas. So, I have to ask, what's so great about this lab, is there a reason I can't dismantle it and build it elsewhere, or just leave it and set another one up elsewhere?))
Added the rephrased question.
So, if the monster only ravages the countryside the nights of the full moon, then there's a pretty good chance it's a were-critter of some kind. I think the whole Sinmore were-gulon was before Cygna arrived, and don't think it's the kind of thing that got bandied about.
Saves her the trouble of tracking down head of security (Guillaume?) and talking to him about it. Um...it's not the 15th, is it? Cygna will go with Sophronia to the lighthouse and tell her what she's figured out about the were-beastie.
Gawd, I miss 4th ed Herbalism. Even with the 5th ed Mythic Herbalism, it is so limited compared to what you used to be able to do and what I was hoping to do with Fiona's MH and potions mastery. Ah well.
Sophronia will not go anywhere without naming names. You called a foul on jebrick saying, something to the effect that he repeated the contents of his thread. I'm calling a foul in you. 
Yes, she all but said it, but she didn't actually say it, and she's not going to say it.
"Maga Cygna, you're looking well. I was wondering if I might borrow a bit of your time to ask a few questions about your old covenant." Attravere inquires when he finds her.
"Our covenant recently lost Shmuel, Aequi's apprentice and Josef's son to Aulus Germanicus. I am going to see if anything can be done to get him back, peaceably. Is there much you can tell me about this fellow...? And possibly where to find Duos Flumen?" Attravere seems a bit downcast when talking about Shmuel as Josef's son.
"Oh, and were you interested in waiting with me this coming moon to see what can be done about the predator?" He asks, almost as an afterthought.
[color=red]"Aulus?" Cygna says, then pauses to gather her recollection. [color=red]"Let's see. He's Bonisagus, obviously, of the Trianoman clan. He has the Gentle Gift, as I do, which might help him in that regard. Which is good, since, God love him, he's not as shrewd a politician as he thinks he is. He's certainly smart enough, but he's not such a good judge of character, and he's easily manipulated if you know what you're doing. Hmm...he does tend to fuss about how low his House acclaim is. Travels a lot, great manners. Nice magus. Does that help?
"Oh...and I'm way overdue for a visit to my mater, there. If you'd like, we can both go to Duos Flumen, unless you'd rather just have directions."
[color=red]"I don't know how much help I will be, but I would be happy to do what I can."
You serious, bro? 
That was, like, a nine page thread (or was it 15?) that I wasn't involved in, this is like one post!
Fine. [color=red]"Sophronia, I think that the monster that pretty much destroyed our livestock is a lycanthrope of some kind, since it only shows up on the nights of the full moon. Sarit said that you were going to look into it, but the attacks never stopped, and then Iapetus's dragon showed up and..." Cygna shrugs.
So...Sophronia's going to be all like, "I cannot tell you that one of our sodales has contracted lycanthropy. Nor can I tell you that the monster is significantly larger than a creature of its type would normally be."? Just a shade confused, here.
"I did look into it. And I believed the matter settled, imagine my surprise to find it wasn't. I know who it is. I cannot, in good conscience, identify them." Again, she looks at the lighthouse, for an extended period. "When you can identify them, I'll be happy to come along and confront them. If you want to attempt to apprehend the individual in their beast form, I will endeavor to assist you, and even request the soldaten to come along, though I don't command them, and they may be annoyed with me and refuse. I will, in the intervening time between now and the full moon confront the individual and ask that they make amends, and confess their transgressions and accept punishment that the council deems necessary."
((Just a bit surprised that I need to be explicit about keeping an eye on this situation. I'll endeavor to be explicit about any and all possible actions from now on. Thanks.))
Edit: changed "your beast form" to their beast form Although, I probably offended Cygna. shrug
"Thanks. That information does help... (Easily manipulated, eh...) It'd be a pleasure to travel there together! It'd likely be good to meet some more of the Magi of the isles, hopefully on decent terms, before tribunal." Attravere finishes with a smile.
"I'm glad you'll join me. Knowing as little as we do about this beast has me worried."
(OOC: I'm sure (not) that she's going for the pouty vengeance RP award on this one. "If I couldn't fix the problem, nobody can! cackle")
Attravere speaks to Stefan about making sure he is alerted on the appropriate day. He'll also inquire about where he could buy some chickens for the covenant. (It would be a bit silly to keep watch for some beast without bait as well)
((Actually thought the problem had been fixed, or that having been involved with it initially, and shown a willingness to get involved with the mundane issues that I wouldn't have to actively and continuously maintain that I was staying aware of the problem. So, Sophronia is now recklessly irresponsible and ignoring a potential danger to the covenant. But hey, now I know how it works, and I can move forward.))