Yes, it is starting to feel like Autumn here too.
Good question. "In the mansion on the regio side" is, I believe, both accurate and the sum total of what I know about the possibilities. (Mansion map anywhere, perchance?)
Sounds like you're talking to Siri on an iPhone :mrgreen:
This is awesome by the way.
I think I'm picturing Viscaria as a purple-haired Kristin Chenoweth now.
I think her sensitivity would be to raw vis only. (Beings with Magic Might, perhaps.) Anyway it's not "always on", so for now we cool.
Still waiting on input on the availability of these lab texts. I'll go back and mark all the lab texts in green.
For Fiona's trip to Durenmar, is she looking for texts herself, does Murion help her locate the texts, or someone else? There's a Durenmar Lore mechanic for determining what can be found.
I'm thinking she would take the letter and a letter from Alexei authorizing her to act as his agent in this regard, and go to the library, talking to the librarian and saying something like "I've been given permission to copy books from the library here. I would like to start with a summa on Parma Magica." And when that's done, go back and go to one on Finesse. And so on.
Rules are in GotF 57.
For Abilities, roll a simple die vs Ease Factor of Level
For Arts, roll a simple die +10 + (3 for Masters/6 for Archmagi), max 20, vs Ease Factor of Level.
Quality = simple die + 5 + Durenmar Lore (max 30-level)
Murion's letter essentially gives us the +6 for Archmagi, I'm thinking, since it's a question of access, not availability.
Normally, you would be choosing the level and Ease Factor ahead of time. I suggest either doing that, or just rolling and whatever the dice come out is what we manage to grab. For the abilities, how about the average of two rolls, so as to keep the result from being TOO extreme?
If you can charm the Librarian into helping, then we get his Durenmar Lore added to the quality? Possibly, your charm roll determine's the Librarian's Durenmar roll (Charm Roll / 3)?
What do you think? Such a system preserves the randomness inherent to the slapdash approach Fiona is using, while keeping to the spirit and flavor of Durenmar.
Works for me, as long as JL doesn't have a problem with it. Assuming he doesn't, let's see what we get.
And let's go with the letting the dice determine the levels, and the average of two rolls (rounding to the nearest even, as per house rule) for Abilities.
First, the Charm roll to see if Fiona can get a Durenmar Lore added to Quality. Com 2 + Charm 3 + (die roll of 1, followed by die roll of 8, for a 16) = 21, divided by 3 = 7.
So, Quality will have a total modifier of Durenmar Lore 7 – Copying Quickly 1 = +6.
So. For the Parma Magica summa, the dice were not kind. Level 3, Quality 7. Near as I can tell, only one of our magi (and our apprentices) will be able to use it. Ummm....thanks, but no thanks. Next?
Finesse. A little better. Level 6, Quality 7.
Ignem. Not bad. Level 20, Quality 10 (including the +6 Levels for Archmagus for Murion's letter).
Mentem. Meh. Level 18, Quality 12.
That leaves her 4 levels left to scribe, but it's toward the end of the second season. Let's see if there's a decent Parma Magica summa available (if it's not a 4, try something else). Just what the librarian ordered. Level 4, Quality 12.
So, Fiona comes back with:
- Magus Invictus, a summa on Parma Magica (L4, Q12).
- Threading the Hermetic Needle, a summa on Finesse (L6, Q7). Not as well written as Fiona would have liked, but she was several pages in before she realized that, and decided to plow on.
- Prometheus's Gift: Blessing or Curse?, a summa on Ignem (L20, Q10).
- Anima et Eius Natura, a summa on Mentem (L18, Q12).
Hope this works out for everybody. Or close enough.
That would actually be Quality = 11 + simple....
Did you remembered to pack Viscaria's Ordinary Mirror like she suggested? It's a Magic Item / Free Lab Virtue that provides +3 Texts, which translates to a +1 Prof:Scribe while copying. That's another 3 Levels/season = 6 Levels. Penetration or something Giant Related?
I'm wondering if we can improve these books with resonances?
I think the biggest gem in this pile is actually making a good impression on that Durenmar Librarian! We should name him and keep him in our good graces!
The Finesse book is a clear win. Useful to everybody, even our highest Finesse guys, and while maybe not as high quality as some, it is pretty mid-road for an Ability Book in our saga so far.
While the Parma book may only be useful to about half our magi, the high quality means it may be valuable as a bargaining chip to gain tractus on the subject. Isen with his Parma 10 could then compile those tractus into a Florilegia.
It isn't clear what a "suitable quantity of vis" would be from GotF. If charging base prices from Covenants to calculate the bribes, then it's roughly (Level) pawns. That's 48/54 pawns. 65, if we want to give him a 20% tip 
I had forgotten about the mirror. (Is the mirror even usable/allowed in Durenmar?)
If she's able to use it, then she would go for a book on...would it be Giant Lore or Magic Lore (specialty: giants)?
Going for a Level 6, die roll is a 10.
Quality is simple die of 2 + 11 =13).
So. Building Bridges: Understanding Our Outsize Brethren, L6, Q11.
Here are my guesses as to existence/availability of lab texts.
"Perceive the Mystic Aura" CrIg(InVi) 23
The discussion of this effect makes me think it's pretty nonstandard, so there probably wouldn't be a lab text lying around.
Stone Cutter (ReTe15)
Quite likely to exist and be available.
Enchanted Porter (ReTe15)
Extremely likely to exist and be available.
Shape The Supporting Pillar (ReTe 3 +1 Stone, +1 Touch, +5 50 uses/day = ReTe10)
Lamp Lighters (base 3 +1 touch +2 ring +10 unlimited = CrIg20)
Hearth-Starters (base 4 +1 touch +2 ring +10 unlimited = CrIg25)
To me, these three effects seem likely to be sponted by magi rather than installed into items. I'd go with rare or hard to access.
Foundation Stones for bridges (based on HProj 41, "Flying Buttress")
I don't have HProj, but the more similar it is to Flying Buttress, the more likely it would be around for us.
(would other CrTe building spells be available?)
Hmmm, Conjuring the Mystic Tower is pretty standard. Maybe a smallish chance of finding something here.
61 Levels of ReTe (mostly Craft) spells
Should be lots of miscellaneous crafting spells about (maybe less so for sand/dirt).
46 Levels of MuVi spells, including Wizards Communion 30
Anything from the core rulebook should be plentiful.
Thanks!
You don't think magic items to reduce the cost of lamps and fireplaces would be common in covenants?
Foundation Stones for bridges (based on HProj 41, "Flying Buttress")
I don't have HProj, but the more similar it is to Flying Buttress, the more likely it would be around for us.
I'll get to the ReTe spells after this first round, so as not to overwhelm people. 46 - WC 30 = 16. What would you say would be a common MuVi 15 spell that we could find? Or a common collection of MuVi spells that add up to less than 16?
They certainly wouldn't be too hard to make, and useful, true enough. My reaction though was that the actual spell is so so easy that it might be less common to see this in items. (Some ring CrIg locations would need to be doused and relit a lot, but many could just go forever.) Just my 2 cents.
Hmm. At first I thought about magical parrying in combat, but it seems hard to affect significant opposing spells with only MuVi 15. What about one of the possible Wizard's Boosts, for one's own spells? Boosting Duration, perhaps?
Aura 10 - thanks - that'll take some getting used to.
I agree that Viscaria feeling a slight nauseous shiver is appropriate.
The Vis Allergy thing, yeah, we started this discussion earlier. I'm pretty sure it shouldn't go off for magical enchantments (otherwise she'd vomit on her cloak talisman pretty much constantly). I sort of convinced myself it would be triggered by beings with Magic Might, since they actually have vis in them that can be extracted (presumably after they die). But Viscaria doesn't have Magic Might, right? She wouldn't have vis in her corpse if killed? So I'm leaning towards no, mechanically. (It would be an interesting wrinkle though.)
Okay. That was sweetly done.
An excellently applied metaphor, sir.
And as they approach Lapis Crudus, Wen grabs her head. "Girlfriend...sense...tingling!" she gasps.
Thanks. It's not altogether unreasonable that a character Driven to uncover her past might get led astray by the first clues that present themselves. And of course, being led astray can have disastrous consequences. What happens if Somnifer succeeds and kills Norbert? Viscaria just knows about the Wizard's War, not Somnifer's intentions, or methods of prosecuting said Wizard's War.
"Can't sleep...clown will Perdo me."
In case people aren't following Land of Giants, Fiona is convening a quick council meeting over there...might want to show up for a bit. Thanks!
Did anyone else read that in Achmed the Dead Terrorist's voice?
Cut, cut, cut, CUT!!! Oh, for crying out loud...*sigh. Alexei, your line is "arrow to the knee." Not hip, KNEE!!!
Let's try that again, shall we? Everyone to your mark, and....ACTION!
Somebody steal your sweet roll?
"Who gets shot in the knee? Honestly. WHat's my motivation here? Have Blanche meet me in my trailer, we're done for today, I'll be talking to my agent!"