Well, I think that'd partly be up to JL as to whether he'd allow it, and who it would be cool to play him. None of the Laguna Sententia stuff has been explicitly labelled as in-world by JL.
Also, what would his relationship to Viscaria be? He's part of a covenant that has been deceiving/bribing everyone they can for decades. How did he react when Norbert Gunthar won Viscaria in a dice game with a faerie, and then proceeded to experiment on her for years before anyone noticed she was Gifted? There's a pretty complex relationship there, we'd need to flesh out more.
"I dislike the notion of anything so obvious as the series of walls. Better to have no defense but a strong guard, then to have ugliness in the name of safety.
"Enchanting the wall so that it requires penetration and multiple forms to affect is certainly a good way to solve that problem, but deprives me of some of my primary attack methods -- I favor Vilano's Philosophy* when it comes to attack, but I've spent little time thinking about how it applies to defense. At any rate, making pits under peoples feet, or encasing them in earth with Rego Terram, these are my preferred attacks. Now, I seem to recall that Alexei here favors The Methodology of Ramirez*, and Isen falls within The Arboreals. What do these scholars have to say about creating a solid defense? I think that if we were to establish a solid plan that draws from all three masters, diversity would be able to overcome our attackers.
"And really, the damage to the covenant's buildings was minor and resulted in few deaths. The big problem was the teleporting jerks with their spirit creatures."
*Yes, she got the name of the Schools wrong, like she's overheard them but never actually been told about them.
Viscaria ignores his apology with good grace (it is entirely possible that, given her history of abuse, she is literally incapable of hearing it).
"This is an excellent idea that takes maximizes our advantages."
Alexei is both surprised and impressed that anyone outside of the Flambeau would know of the more obscure Schools within his House.
"Well, both the School of Vilano and Ramius, which is my School, would put more emphasis on the mundane defense. The school relies on a mundane attack that is enhanced by magic. But, it is a school that heavily favors fast attack and implacable offense. So it doesn't always , look to defense. When the enemy is seen near the walls, you teleport to them and attack. That is the defense. Walls with good viewpoints, men to watch them, magical aid in detection, and a fast means to engage would also complement this, along with what I earlier said. This is our home, we should have the advantage, teleporting in should be risky, while those who know will have connections to various points."
He pauses and thinks a moment. "Chambers inside the walls, with view points pointing in and out to different areas. A magus with a connection could teleport there, gain a commanding view and teleport to where he is needed. And an enemy magus would likely not be able to see those and so not use them to his advantage. That would be something to add perhaps."
Viscaria and Theraphosa both latch on to this idea eagerly and those conversing with them begin to understand how such disparate-seeming creatures could forge a familiar-bond. Within seconds, they're talking over each other, yet completely keeping pace with each other.
"If we limit the areas in which guests are allowed, then we could even boobytrap high-traffic areas, such that only our own covenfolk know about it, with passages within the walls to allow the mundanes to avoid battle altogether..."
"Given our strength in Rego, a teleportation-based defensive line makes sense, and keeps our grogs focused on attacking that which they can actually deal with..."
"...enchantments which allow covenfolk to walk across walls because the floors are trapped..."
"...ice and fire, with unexpected Hermetic forms protecting our murder holes..."
"...seasons of service creating defenses..."
"....enhanced senses, a sort of passive detection, is definitely harder for magi to notice, let alone counter..."
"...once you start thinking in three dimensions, you don't even need your vantage points to be ground level..."
"...properly mapped our boundaries, who knows what defensive and offensive advantages..."
"...capture the flag games between squads of grogs and magi..."
Fiona typically takes her meals in her cottage, prepared by her maidervant Moire, unless there's a reason to sup with the others. And, as far as I know, council meetings are once a quarter, on the solstices and equinoxes; although, as the Fixer pointed out, it stands to reason that,with the Tribunal drawing nigh, we would have them more often.
[color=blue]"Unfortunately, I doubt I'll be much use in planning, erecting, or testing our defences. As I've said, I'm not very martial...in fact, I'm likely an easier target then must, if we're talking mundane tactics. And my people's idea of strategy is typically 'smash it until it falls down'." Fiona shrugs and looks sincerely apologetic.
Isen smiles wickedly, clearly interested by the discussion (Yeah, it happens when you stumble on one of his pet peeves)
Great idea. We must absolutely implement this.
We could have either items or watching wards that cast illusions, fog or other things that obscure or change the view. I like that, especially as we can even have that as items given to custoded. This lets them be efficient in defending the covenant versus magical threats, yet if they're turned against us, we risk little.
Clever architecture is great, too, although way outside my abilities.
For exemple, maybe we can have some spots were a wall actually supports some weight, so that destroying it at touch range causes something to fall on you.
A wall of bone is great, and Fiona could maybe do it, or at least some items that cast limited versions, allowing custodes to "patch" breaches in our defenses.
It also just occured to me that it could be possible to have an item that, on command, changes our walls to, say, Diamond. Which would be immune to Perdo Terram spells designed to destroy stone, or even metal.
For the record, spend most of the WE updating him, 5 years per 5 years Not yet finished, but it progresses.
As for your answer, you got in on the Laguna Sententia thread: His sister is way more susceptible to notice and help viscaria, and whip her brother into it. She's her Jiminy Criquet
Well, nothing stops us from having it all.
My idea for the outer wall was for it to be stone, with a trap linked to it, and the inner wall be either hidden or created as a result of a breach of the outer wall.
The outer wall's main function is thus to both hide the other walls (or serve as a trigger to create them), and, through an item or a watching ward, spring a trap that activates if some section of it is destroyed, which makes it an effective way of counteracting people that may be undetectable through Intellego Imaginem, while also meaning we don't breach the code by scrying.
As to what kind of trap, knowing that, as you don't scry, you don't know where your opponent is?
Well, since the spells will probably be cast at Touch or Voice range, we need to affect everything that's up to Voice range of our walls. There are several options for this. My favourite implies creating a huge pit round the walls. But this may be difficult to do well, and will have lasting consequences, as well as potentially being detrimental to us. So another option is to batter the area with an offensive spell, like the kind of huge conflagrations Marcus can create, or to encase it in Ice.
I like this. Given sight-range spells, it also means that we can strike at them without them being able to reply :wicked:
There's no shame in that. And don't worry. I keep thinking of you as our Muto specialist, and don't forget it. You may notice that I thought about you for changing our walls to Diamond
Ah. I thought about covering only the buildings. Maybe we can fashion a boundary for them (like walls, or a trench!!!)
I don't want unlimited uses.
Charged items are great because:
They don't use vis
They use the full lab total
Once we're gone, it the items stays behind, he can't be used.
To be clear, I was also thinking in "cool factor" terms So I also like the statues, although a gate, aside from the "Stargate Effect" has a good SM bonus.
Which also implies 2 effects.
One of them being a teleport spell cast at arcane range, to summon the elemental. I barely managed to invest the Leap of Homecoming in my talisman. I doubt I could do something similar at Arcane Connection range.
Also, your solution implies carrying in permanence 2 ACs, one to that specific elemental, the other to the storeroom.
So, you see, it is you who over-complicate things, in fact
Yes
Although if the ennemies all have MR, this works against us: I can coordinate the covenfolk, while their very protection will stop our assaillants from hearing them.
Unless, of course, they bring their shield grogs with them, in which case they lose their main advantage, their mobility.
Notwhistanding, of course, that any grog not protected by Parma should have been taken out by our Wall-triggered defenses. And those who are can't eavesdrop on us anyway :wicked:
Remember that if you repair the wall we may get unwanted attention for the local nobles or the church. No one really cares about a broken down wall from an old Roman villa. But building real fortifications could cause problems. And they would only be good vs mundane attacks. So what are we defending against?
Fiona winks at Alexei. [color=blue]"I'm assuming anything and everything?" she says with a grin.
She then looks serious again. [color=blue]"Before I forget again, though...anything we do for defence that's designed with a Corpus form should include an extra magnitude to affect people significantly larger than normal."
Isen sighs...
Aye, especially as, given their place, our ennemies could surely use that against us.
But we can still rebuild in the regio, or hide our very real wall with illusions of a ruined one. This would also impair attends to translocate through sight, now that I think of it.
Alexei returns her grin with a nod and grin of his own. "No matter what we do, we shall attract attention, but there can be things done to prevent that. For starters, I actually work quite well with mundanes. I am a Christian and my Gift is gentle. My military life can also lend well to dealing with mundanes, especially mercenaries. My magic is subtle enough that few ever realize I have even cast a spell, I was often called 'Lucky Lexi' by soldiers who never knew I was a magus. My men's armor never failed, their swords always sharp and their spirits high, as well as my own enhanced abilities. Should it come down to it I can treat with the mundanes in a way that will keep us safe and preferably anonymous. Any defense on the inside of the Regio of course, we should spare no expense or concern. But outside it, craftily designed defenses need not even look like actual defenses. Add some magic to that and none shall be the wiser."
I like your approach and style, answers Isen.
In my opinion, you should really work on some way for the turb to enhance themselves. This may prove a life saver, and is quite suited to your magic as I understand it.
And we should really find a way to have a team of grogs ready to deal with magi. Probably not to confront them directly, but to at least confuse and misdirect them.
I've thought a little about this, trying to bend my mind to your thinking and style.
As I see it, we could equip this team with the following: (counting on his fingers)
An item that makes them invisible.
An item that protects them from Mentem effects. This can be done with Perdo Vim, so that any spell lasts at most a moment.
A way to create fog, and various illusions, as well as to see through them
An item that enhances their defenses, through spells such as Doublet of Impenetrable Silk
A way to translocate at short range, for tactical jumps.
We could also equip them with some non-standard weaponry, such as daggers made of both animal and human bone. Better yet, should viscaria one day design a suitable ritual, we can have them sport diamond blades
Alexei nods as is if such things are obvious. "Yes, yes." he waves. "I always go into combat with arms and armor maximized to their greatest potential, the men will be as strong and durable as an anvil." he shrugs. "With some time in a lab I could easily make items that provide the same benefit, for when I'm not there. Perhaps charged items for economy. Trabslocation is a specialty of mine actually, it is what my enemies find out too late. But it takes a lot of practice to use effectively. I know a spell called the Wizard's Leap, it is low in magnitude and allows for short jumps, ideal for combat or leaving it. It is meant to be used by the caster, but it would only take a bit more power to effect one who wields an item that bears the property. You'd have to look to someone else for invisibility..." he frowns. "I find such tactics...distasteful."
[color=blue]"But in war, is it not necessary to do that which you find 'distasteful' at times,or lose the day?" Fiona asks. [color=blue]"As forward as you are, my friend, I can see why you would think so: it smacks too much of the assassin's trick. But it can also be an invaluable tool in the scout's arsenal, could it not? And a scout who cannot be seen is also much less likely to be taken prisoner or killed."
Isen is not really surprised by Alexei's reaction. Nonetheless...
Fiona is right, sodales.
But don't forget that, in my mind, there are 2 different cases here.
The one is our normal turb, which we could enhance to make them more efficient. For these, invisibility is not nescessary, save for the scouts and spies, of course.
The second is to have a small team able to divert or, maybe, if very lucky, kill an attacking magus.
With all due respect, if he's going to face a magus, a mundane has no chance unless he can surprise him. Would you confront valerian without your Parma Magica or Form Resistance? Because this is what they may have to do.
To tell the truth, I did not so much think of invisibility as a means for them to murder someone than as a means to protect them a little from ennemy magics. I am not trying to give them an unfair advantage, but to tip a little the scales back in their favor.
Alexei acknowledges the arguments, but the frown on his face doesn't change. "It will not be me that does such things then. I do not deny the tactics are sound, the reasons logical. But it is not tactics I abide, but I won't stop them from being used either."
((Fyi, it's not just honour that concerns Alexei, he knows he's not very good with Imaginem anyway, he has a flaw with it.))
I have not even heard what threat we want to defend against. Is it an Army? Brigands? Magus? What is the greatest threat? What is the purpose of the defense? To slow them down until some of us get into action or to allow everyone to escape? Are we to win a fight or flee? Do we want to appear strong magically and physically or weak?
Before you say all of them, consider that we do have limited resources that might be better put to the most urgent one first and then the next.
Alexei looks to Korvin and considers his words. "An excellent point my friend. Of course the problem is a cagey foe will attack with means that are unexpected. We should prepare for both with superior means. The aegis shall only provide protection for the mystical, but solidly made mundane defense with enhancements that only we can provide will work against both. Our Regio will be one of the best defenses, but we have to take it into account and guard all known entrances. As for what foe to expect...we have waited some time for the follow up assault on us and it has not happened yet. They are patient and plotting."
In my opinion, any defense efficient versus magic will work just as well against mundanes. I'm counting on either a magi-only assault, or magi plus teams of grogs. But we should be ready for an attack by physical force. Expect the unexpected, and prepare as much as possible.
So, as I see it, we should aim for these:
Surprise them and hurt as many of them as possible, be it through a high-penetration spell or the school of vilano. This is my idea of a stone outerwall whose destruction serves as a trigger for another spell.
Impede their capacity to move around and translocate. This includes both barriers they can't destroy, illusions, architectural tricks...
Find ways for us to move around rapidly through the covenant and target them while they're out in the open. This is mainly the hidden niches my sodales suggested.
In case everything fails and we are overwhelmed, we need a way for the covenfolks to retreat, and a new base of operations. And to drill them, too.
As for our appearance, it should appear roughly unchanged. Still mundane, with new walls and some new buildings, but that's all. Magically... The aegis will be visible. We'll need, though, to shroud our defensive enchantments.
Not yet finished, but it progresses.
So I also like the statues, although a gate, aside from the "Stargate Effect" has a good SM bonus.