1222.4: Family holiday (Siobhan)

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: Canaries Are Dying
1

Winter has arrived. The magi have had their Council Meeting, the muggles have had their post-meeting revels, and everyone has hunkered down for the winter. The weather is likely more mild than you're accustomed to...the temperatures are at or just below freezing, and there's a mere frosting of snow on the ground. The pier, certainly, needs to be Cleared every so often, but there's much discussion as to whether or not they should Clear the paths that criss-cross the covenant as well.

Christmas Eve, somewhat surprisingly, finds some of Siobhan's kinfolk from Dublin arriving for the holidays. Dubhan and his wife Vevila show up in the middle of the day, on foot, hoping to take advantage of Siobhan's offer of hospitality.

2

Siobhan is more than happy to greet family and look for room to put them up. She is busy getting her lab in but not so busy that she can't take the time to get them settled comfortably. "So is anyone else coming or is it just the two of you. Eventually I will have a small guesthouse attached to my personal quarters for family. For now, we will see you quartered with others that live here." She waits to see if what news they have, whether they are on the run or if they have some things to sell.

3

The three sit and visit for a while, getting caught up on the family gossip, who's on the run, who barely managed to escape getting caught, who's seeing who, stuff like that.

Over the course of the conversation, which runs well into the evening, they do reveal that they're not technically on the run, but....you know how it is: better safe than sorry.

"We were out on the town a few nights ago," Dubhan says, "just minding our own business and having a good time. Nothing shady, of course."

"And we just happened to see a man leaving one of the public houses," Vevila continues. "He'd obviously over-indulged, and we were worried about him. He was in no shape to make it home."

"So, of course, we offered to give him a hand, make sure he made it home safe and sound, without being molested by one of the ruffians you find lurking in the shadows nowadays."

"Well, no sooner had we gotten him home than he passed out cold. Well, we knew that, him being the fine upstanding man that he obviously was, he would have offered us a token for our troubles. Putting our safety on the line and all."

"We knew that, when he woke up, he would have felt just horrid about not giving a little something," Dubhan says. "But we also knew that, the shape he was in, trying to wake him up would have been pointless. So...we just helped ourselves to the trifle that he certainly would have given us if he were awake."

"And when we got home, there was a handful of coins, and these," Vevila finishes as Dubhan sets a purse on the table.

When he opens it and dumps out the contents, there's a handful of bones, and a red wand.

"We knew, as soon as we saw these, that you would be interested." Dubhan says.

4

Siobhan considers, "Well now, I am definately interested and you most definately should have helped him home to keep him safe from ruffians and a token for your trouble is more than deserved and I would definately be interested in these things. Now I have to ask, do you think anyone saw you helping the fine gentleman that he can perhaps chase you for it? What city was this fine gentleman in so I can see if it is likely to cause trouble?"

She is eager to get the things to her lab for a time to try some tests on them but family does come first. It would take some time and she might even has to visit the higher aura island to spontaneous cast the spells to tell more.

5

They will tell her that it happened in Limerick, and as far as they know, nobody saw them.

"I see you might have some interest in things like this, cousin?" Dubhan says. "It's only fair that, you being family and all, that I would give you the first crack at these. What do you think a fair price would be? £10? £15?" (It takes about £2 to feed a peasant family for a year, just for reference).

6

"That would depend, I would need to do some examination. It is possible it is just a stick and some bones, it is also possible that it could be very valuable." She carefully studies the objects and starts with the most obvious spell, glad that her magic is without void and gestures. She detects them all for vis. "It is also possible that these can be traced with the abilities that some like me can invoke and that you are in a lot of trouble. If they weren't missed before you got here, you are safe and there is protection here to prevent chasing you to this location." The next step would be to check for magical powers but that is a little more tiring. She also needs to see if she can recall any order members in Limerick. She takes her time in examining the wand looking for a maker's mark and the bones carefully.

OOC A the spells are no voice, no gestures so no clue I am casting.
SImple die for spell to detect vis in sight range, successful since CT is +14
Four sponts: Wand first and then 3 of the bones, 2 minutes apart so I don't go down in fatigue much all of them are base 4 (detect magic of 3 magnitude or higher), +1 touch for level 5. Casting total is 14+aura (3)=17 +roll /2 or greater than 5 so just no botch.
Rolls were 5, 9, 0(3), 3 in order to check for magic so successful

invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3506121/
invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3506124/

7

The wand is, in fact, a magical wand, with at least three pawns of vis cooked into it.

Of the three bones that you check (there are seven in all), all of them are Vis.

8

Siobhan considers carefully, "They are valuable but how valuable remains to be seen. To determine the true value of the wand would take me a season in my lab to identify the magic and figure out how it works. The bones themselves, I would need to weigh them with magical scales to determine their nature. I suspect it is likely in the 1-2 range for each bones depending on the type of magic in them, the wand itself could be equal to that amount of the bones together by itself depending on what its nature is. Obviously they are stolen so that the purchase value will be slightly less than straight market value. Still I will consult and see that you get a fair offer."

OOC: She checked all of them for being vis, she only checked wand and 3 stones for having magic effects.

9

Shortly after Christmas Day, Siobhan unexpectedly and without explanation leaves the covenant within a day or two of her receiving visitors from Ireland.