1223-1226 In the Living Years

Tranquillina is really happy that she happened to draw Fiona out a little bit. "Both seem quite interesting, although I'm sure I would have better luck with the spell-crafting one than the, ah, practical manual. Are these the sorts of remarkable plants you tend to in your garden?" She's hoping to phrase the question in a positive way, with a gentle inflection, that makes Fiona feel comfortable continuing the conversation. ((Com 3 + Charm 2 + stress die 7 = 12.))

Wandering back to the two giant Tropaea dominating one wall of the covenant library, Tranquillina grunts softly as she opens the second one to a random page as well. "Hmmm, a detailed description of the rapid stages of apa ... apoplectic, trauma undergone by the victim of Clenching Grasp of the Crushed Heart. Not a particular desire of mine to learn, although I suppose my training would make me rather qualified for such an endeavor." She leafs forward several chapters. "Here he uses Incantation of the Milky Eyes as his point of departure, but digresses into the physical symptoms of something called, Suffusio, which can be contracted quite mundanely by the overstimulation of tired or unhealthy eyes." Tranquillina closes the huge tractatus and returns to her chair; the effort of manipulating the grog-sized book even a few times seems to have taken its toll on the frail girl.

"There are so many maladies in the world - especially in our native land, with both its natural challenges to survival and its wild, oft-malicious fae. And I'm very - people are so susceptible to disease, unknowing prey to these untimely cuts through what should be life's long thread." She looks down at the side table, running her fingertips across the woven linen for a few seconds. "I would like to know whatever I can, about how our magic can guard against such unfairness," she summarizes softly. "Really, that's part of why my lab work at Le Maison - and its subsequent application - was so satisfying."

[color=blue]"Some of my plants serve two purposes, but I'd say about half is decorative and half is practical. Food tastes better when it's seasoned with herbs from your garden." Fiona smiles. [color=blue]"There are plenty of plants with magical properties on the Regio side, if you know where to look. I taught Sheelagh a couple of years ago...much more difficult than merely teaching Herbam or Latin."

[color=blue]"Have you considered making up a RegoAnimal spell to turn the pages, manipulate the book for you?"

Fiona says nothing in response to Tranquillina's comment about being susceptible to disease, etc, but merely files it away. She will, however, in the future, just happen to have some herbal tea brewed from plants with medicinal or healthy benefits on hand.

"May your garden be ever bountiful then," Tranquillina smiles in response. She's a little bit befuddled why someone wouldn't just use Taste of the Spices and Herbs on their food; but it's good to have hobbies.

"Aye, that was the first thing I thought of," she concurs ruefully. "But one mistake, one slip of Finesse, and I've just torn a page out of a possession of my new Tribunal. Didn't think it was worth the risk." Her tone makes it clear that she would much rather do things with magic than by hand.

[color=blue]"Thank you." ((Fiona has that spell, but when she uses it, it turns her food white. It was one of her earlier spells, before she quite figured out the tricks of making your casting sigil less obvious.)) [color=blue]"Perhaps some day you can come over for dinner. Moire usually uses herbs and spices from my garden. I'm certain I have a small plot of vegetables as well, so aside from the meat it will all be freshly-grown."

((For the most part, the rest of the conversation will be idle chatter. Fiona doesn't like to talk about herself much, nor say things which expose herself.))

aand SCENE :mrgreen:

In the fall of 1224, Fiona takes a little break from her work in the laboratory and goes out into the woods to gather some plants, herbs, flowers, etcetera. She finds herself walking down a path that seems vaguely familiar...and then it hits her: the last time she was here, was with Laetitia and Alexei, when Fieltarn had gone missing. She thinks about that for a couple of minutes, then hurries back to the covenant (dropping off what little she had gathered at her cottage).

She tracks down Viscaria (the Aedilis), and asks if she can take a quick glance at the vis logs. Once she does, she thanks Viscaria and goes off in search of Alexei.

[color=blue]"Alexei...may I have a few minutes of your time?"

((I was going to be bringing this up as well with Vis and also the LR. Was Korvin going to do that? But the timing of this inquiry is well before he'd need the LR))

Alexei welcomes Fiona into his outer chambers. "What can I do for you this fine day Fiona?"

((Korvin has you scheduled for 1228.2 did it need to be sooner?))

[color=blue]"I was out in the woods earlier today, and I stumbled across the path that we traveled a couple of years ago when we were looking for Fieltarn. And I had, honestly, complete forgotten about that hidden temple up there, with the regio that's only accessible a few hours every winter.

"I got to wondering what ever became of that place, because I seem to recall a few coins that were Vis...Creo, was it? And...did that vis source miss getting put in the covenant's ledger, or did it get registered at all, do you know?"

No. His failed in 1227.4, as long as he gets a new one or his old one back in place before the start of 1228.4, it's cool.

((If he's fine until then, sure. Just for review, if you have an aging crisis, your LR protects you and you don't take any of the effects of the aging, right? Mine was to get 1 point worse in a stat and get the Decrepitude))

"Yes...I remember those coins. I can't recall what became of them, I might have kept them as vis found on expedition though. I don't believe I kept all of it, we split it, did we not?"

((Winter, 1226)) After Alexei gets Fiona home after her little magical mishap, and after Fiona's explained to Sheelagh what happened (and that it was she that Sheelagh roughed up and threw out a day or two before), and as the transformed Fiona starts to prepare for bed, she gets an idea. She gets a blanket and wraps it around herself like a cloak (wearing nothing underneath) and makes her way to Korvin's quarters, where she knocks on his door.

You still get 1 point worse in a stat, and Decrepitude. The crisis is seperate from the aging and decrepitude event (it says "and Crisis"). The LR ensures that crisis is averted: the character survives the crisis, and the LR is spent. It's unclear in RAW, but I'm ruling that since the crisis is never overcome or tested and is averted by the LR, that the character doesn't need to rest for the remainder of the season. The LR essentially cures your illness and is "used up" in the process.

OK, I'll double check but I think updated Alexei to reflect that, his Perception I believe was going to get worse.

After a couple of minutes without a response, the transformed Fiona inches over to a window to see if any lights are on, and listens intently for any signs that Korvin is home. (Per 0 + Awareness 3 + die roll of 4 = 7.))

She pounds a little harder on the door. [color=blue]"Korvin! It's Fiona. Are you home?"

Bang! Bang!
On the door, baby!

A light comes on in the cottage and in a moment the door opens with a very sleepy looking Korvin holding a flame in one upturned hand and the other is trying to keep a blanket wrapped around him. Come in. Come in. it must be freezing out there. He seems to say this without really looking but once inside, he stares at Blanche/Fiona for a full 5 seconds as his brain slowly wakes up. Fiona? The light goes out as Korvin loses his concentration.

Fiona smiles to herself as Korvin stands there dumbfounded. [color=blue]"I was trying to cast a spell to change how I looked for a little while, and my magic got away from me," she says. She then spontaneously casts a Creo Ignem to suffuse the room with moonlight (or the equivalent)

((CrIg base 1, R: Touch +1, D: Diameter +1, T: Room +2, for a final spell level of 5. Sta 3 + Cr 6 + Ig 5 + Aura 5 + (die roll of 0, followed by a 9, so no botch) = 19, halved is 10. Maybe she needs to do less sponting.))

[color=blue]"So, I was wondering what you thought," she says as she lets the blanket fall to the floor to reveal her new form (5'2", larger breasts, fuller hips, looks to be about half as old as she looked before, long flowing white hair notwithstanding). [color=blue]"And I want to see what it's like to be with someone about the same size, for a change." She wraps herself around Korvin and kisses him hungrily. If he's willing, she is insatiable that night, and neither one gets any sleep to speak of.

When the house is a rockin' Don't come a knocking :smiley:

I guess Korvin is very late to his lab work the next day.

A couple of weeks after Fiona's botch wears off (say, the end of January or so in 1227), she pays a call to Rashid the silk weaver.

[color=blue]"May I have a seat?" she asks.

[color=blue]"I want to thank you for the kindness you showed me when I wasn't quite myself last month."

[color=blue]"To that end, I wish to commission a dress from you. I'm sure you know that we, the magi from across France and beyond, will be holding a meeting here this summer, in the middle of June. At this meeting, we will be having a grand ball. I would like you to make me a dress for the ball. I will leave the details up to you, since you're the expert. All I ask is that it be very alluring. I want people, when they see me in the dress, to want to get me out of that dress," she says with a grin.

[color=blue]"How much would you normally charge for such a dress, for someone of my stature?"

She won't even bother to negotiate. When Rashid names his price, she pulls out her purse, counts out his price, and hands it to him. [color=blue]"Here is half. I'll pay the other half when it's finished. And thank you, again."