"You're from the Rhine? I've always wanted to go there.
"Are we ready?"
Can someone summarize the magi and grogs Apollodorus is transporting? If not I'll do it tomorrow.
"The Nosferatu are men who no longer live; vampires. They feast on the blood of the living. They have enslaved the mundane population of Thera. Andru and I explored this place 50 years ago. We had made many preparations to return. Our ward was breached by one of the humans allowing the vampires to come into our camp. Marcus was along as a fail safe. I had asked Mufarjj to come along as brawn. There was another Jerbiton who took us there with his ship. I was able to transport him and his crew back to their ship and then brought everyone else, except Marcus, here."
Apollodorus sighs deeply. "We recovered an artifact for Andru and were preparing to return as we arrived. The ambush by 40 well armed men and or vampires. Marcus was able to remove 12 quite quickly, when they then focused on him, as we had planned. They surrounded him and then he immolated."
This is who I see as definitely saying they're going.
Magi, etc.
- Korvin
- Laetitia (transporting herself)
- Alexei
- Viscaria
- Theraphosa (in human form)
- Isen
Mortals
- Deykin
- Brione
- Michelle le Rouge (if another shield grog is needed)
- Elain
- Vin Diesel
- Claude
So, a total of six magi (including Theraphosa) and five or six mortals.
That's what I was coming up with. 12 total with Laetitia able to transport herself meaning 11. So someone needs to drop out.
To Isen Apollodorus says, "Thera is a Greek island, so no, not within 7 leagues."
Hrm....let's have Vin Diesel drop out, and Thera will act as Viscaria's shield-grog? Either that, or just drop all three of them out. Korvin's a healer, and the other three magi are combat-trained, Viscaria's team is the least combat-intended.
I think qcipher said that Michelle would go if somebody needed a shield grog. I think all the magi have a shield grog, so we don't need Michelle. I, personally, would like to keep Deykin in the party so I'll have a character...he'll probably die 
, but at least he's there.
It's about 1am before everyone can be assembled.
Sunrise has implications to Thera. Her return trip might be complicated or have to suffer with an early transport. This is arguably a rescue or recovery mission. I'm spelling this out because it is a voluntary story.
You could play Elain if you like.
There's no vis cost to bringing her, and I think the 4-5 hours of her company would be worth the 2-3 rounds returning her early would cost her. Heck, we can even work it into our plans, Appolodorus willing. Assemble a B-team squad of shield grogs, ready to go shortly before dawn, so we can swap in fresh reinforcements if needed.
On the other hand, if we have to step into a regio, that could screw the plans hard.
Frankly, I'd like to see what both of them are capable of in combat, but these guys might be a bit much. I'd prefer both of them to go, even if it means sending Viscaria and her team back with any wounded early on.
Note to self: Need to make Rego Animal/Corpus "Bring My Familiar" enchantment/familiar effects.
Bad button to push 
Isen replies
Nothing interesting there. Save Durenmar, of course. If they even let you in.
And I am ready, as it is. I think we all are.
Drop Thera maybe? You don't want to risk your familiar in an unknown situation. Especially since she can't take advantage of her natural form here.
I would need to switch Size +1 Claude with size 0 Jolanda since we have so many.
And if it takes more than a day, she will not be able to come back with the spell that brought us there.
Try a couple of hours. Thera is an hour ahead of Autun, and Thera's sunrise in the middle of June is shortly after 6am. So if it's 1am in Autun, that's 2am in Thera when we arrive, which gives us four hours to chew all our bubblegum and kick all the asses, and make it back before Theraphosa changes back into a spider.
Actually, no. Corpus spells need to be reconfigured when the size is +2 or greater. Claude can go.
"Oh, but I've heard wonderful things about Irencilla! And don't you think the politics there are much more intelligently organized, with its Gilds and clearly espoused agendas? And I will confide in you, Isen, for you seem the soul of discretion....I have long hungered to own a Pomeranian wolf-hound. I saw a statue of one once carved from the wood within which they dwell, and it looked so viciously adorable! I'd love to have one as a pet. They're very big, though. I might try to breed them to be a bit smaller..."
I suppose that'd be the easiest/smartest thing to do, though I'm more interested in seeing her combat effectiveness than Vin's. I guess I'll just have to go looking for an army to beat up during my faux-Princeps chapter.
Speaking of which, what do those spells all add up to for her and Vin?
((I'll post combat totals in a bit, I'm still at work. Brionne is Alexei's Shield grog, Michelle is just a tough, mean grog. If we don't want him he can stay back.
Quick strategy, Alexei can cast a spell that can grant a Group a size +3 advantage, typically he does that to the Grogs as having 10 magi drop their Parma is tough to coordinate and not too bright maybe, and it's a brief spell (Diameter). We'd have to do it after we transported there though and the only combat stat it changes would be how you take a wound and if you can be targetted by a Corpus spell or not, but still, very effective. so if we want that, we can assemble the grogs as soon as we arrive, Alexei casts it, and then the grogs return to their Magi))
Isen, stern
No.
(for one, he is partial, due to him wanting out. And then, Normandy is way better for house flambeau!)
Saw of few of them. Nice beasts, but I wouldn't trust them with my hand.
Listening to some of the discussions about giant sizes, Apollodorus cautions everyone, "We know that the vampires have secluded themselves inside of caves. The send their human servants out from those caves into the villages to collect victims to sate their inhuman bloodthirst. Whether they are infernal or not, is unknown, but it is a strong possibility. We know that they burn or ignite easily, as Marcus took out 12 in a matter of seconds. We then heard orders shouted out, and their human servants were told to converge on Marcus. It was then we made our getaway. Mufarjj slew three men, and Marcus several more before they were completely surrounded. Marcus ignited himself and those nearest him ended up much like Mufarjj, if not worse."
Apollodorus voice is gravelly, but you can hear the determination in his voice, "If they've captured Marcus, I mean to rescue him, if possibe. Destroy him if not. If neessary, the job of destroying him belongs to Carmine, she has an AC to Marcus, and we know that with it she can overcome his substantial resistence to Ignem magics, it was tested before we left, a failsafe for our failsafe. I don't want to use that, unless she or I are certain it is necessary. I'm presuming they mean to turn him. We all agreed that if one of us were captured, we'd come back and ensure that we were not turned into vampires ourselves, or were at least properly killed. Carmine had posession of an AC for each of us in the event that happened."
Carmine's alabaster skin seems to glow in the darkness, while her jet black hair envelops her face making her face appear disembodied. "If it appears that opponents are targeting me to the exclusion of others, I will remove myself to Valnastium and take out Marcus from there, it will be evidence that he has been turned and they know our plans. I will not demonstrate any ignem magics, either, so we will know that they are targeting me for only one reason. If you see me disappear, Apollodorus will be bringing all of you back as quickly as possible. If he fails for some reason, make your way to the ocean, where you'll find a Jerbiton by name of Aeolus. He has means of determining whether or not you have been turned."
Note: if there were any additional preparations that were necessary, those can be stated later and presumed to have already taken place. No one is ill-prepared for this, as there were several hours to prepare while Korvin healed Mufarjj.
To those Apollodorus is sending ahead, he says, "Form a circle, every other man faces the same direction. There should be 5 of you looking inward and 5 looking outward. I need all of you to be touching each other in some way, as I deliver this spell by touch. Make ready and draw weapons, if necessary. Magi who are not drawing weapons, place your hands on those next to you who are, so they can be prepared." He casts the spell, and all of you feel extremely stiff, as if you can barely move, as if all your muscles are tight. And suddenly everyone in the group is transported. ((Note, if a magus has a Corpus MR in excess of 70, please let me know, you did not get transported. I looked through and I don't believe anyone has an MR that high. Isen is the highest. Yes, Apollodorus just let everyone in on his secret. Your characters were not asked to drop their Parma (and they did not). Everyone needs to add a point of warping, too))
The group Apollodorus transported arrive at a hilltop, and everything has been burned. Everyone can smell the sea air and the night breeze is warm. There are remains of dozens of people, burned, ashes, what have you. There are a few voices that are moaning or sobbing. There is no apparent sign of anyone capable of putting up a fight. There is no sign of Marcus.
Back at Mons Electi, Apollodorus says goodbye, Carmine departs, then Apollodorus. Arya, I need you to roll for Leap of Homecoming. It is a stress die in this circumstance, and you have a chance of being fatigued down to Winded (12+12+1+5=30CS) when you arrive at Thera.
Umm. What? Why is there 4+ botch dice at the covenant? We're not in a stressful situation or a hostile aura here. If there is a stressful situation / hostile aura at the destination, it doesn't affect the casting here because by the time the caster arrives there, the spellcasting is already completed.