1223.2 The Story of Tam Lin

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: Canaries Are Dying
10

After a few moments of everyone milling around and looking at each other in confusion, one of the women finally speaks up. "Our midwife left a couple of years ago, before the magus was damned."

((Doesn't seem to be a midwife in the covenant, although it looks like Anne has the skills to get by as one. Checking the covenant build points, we do have an as-yet-unnamed healer, though.))

((It is...that, and (at least in the covenant), a dialect of Latin that many of the covenfolk speak at Level 3.))

Anne looks at Thomas with a look on her face that says "I understand the words you're saying, but they make no sense when you put them in that order." After a moment, she turns back to Janet. "Let's get you out of the rain, someplace warm and dry," she says softly in Gaelic, then guides her toward the Revel Hall (which is more or less right there).

((That's fine. Abandoned grogs are open-source, as far as I'm concerned.))

((Talking about the social effects of the gift? I don't think it applies to Folk Ken.))

((Also, I went ahead and edited the second post in the thread to switch it from winter to summer...hope it's okay.))

11

((That's who I meant. The leech specialist, who I now realize has higher medicine than Chirugy.))

After Janet dismisses him so incredibly politely, he just stands there in the rain, looking lost in thought.

Janet takes Anne's arm in a "I deign to let this woman help me, but I really don't need it" sort of attitude, and then calmly walks into the Revel Hall, as her contractions begin.

((Yeah, that edit is fine. And yes, I was asking about the social effects of the Gift and his Disfigured Flaw. I'm trying to determine some useful metric for figuring out how Janet reacts to Thomas, beyond my own inherent sadism.)

12

Thomas notes this for future reference, but says nothing at the time.

As everyone else focuses on the pregnant woman and ushering her into Revel Hall, Thomas is left standing in the rain, completely appalled that everyone ignoring him after he finally managed to get free of the Elfqueen's clutches. It strikes him as ludicrously unfair. He opens his mouth to ask plaintaively What about me?

But instead, the words that come out of his mouth is, "I'm a completely selfish brat, I am. Thinks the world revolves around me. Which is both untrue mechanically and probably somewhat blasphemous."

Stunned and shamed by the words coming out of his own mouth, he bows his head, and enters the Hall.

13

((Does Talia do anything, either to try to help the woman in labor or to deal with the man standing in the rain?))

14

((Sorry))
Is there a capable midwife substitute, she will step back and deal with the man coming in from the rain. Her Gift would probably make any help offered by her not highly desired.

15

((Anne has Chirurgy: 4, with a specialization in Children, that should suffice.))

Janet needs to make a Stamina roll, and Thomas and Talia can interact, if they want. Or stand there in the pouring rain...which, much to Thomas's surprise, doesn't seem to have any effect on Talia's clothes.

16

Talia is dressed in her now traditional imaginary garment, today is a deep royal blue. "What is your story? So far you seem to be a typical man, more concerned with himself than his wife about to go into labor. Had you two talked about how you'll help or had you just presumed she would pop out the child with nary a care? Talia regards the man, "Oh, that's right. You never touched her. She must have mounted you in your sleep and ravished you as you snored.. Talia is speeding in Latin. She doesn't care if he understands the words, the tone is what is important here, to her.

17

((Janet's Sta 0 + die roll 7= 7))

Thomas opens his mouth to speak but only choking noises come out at first. He pounds on his chest, looking very confused, and then tries again. "My name is Thomas Rhymer, fillius of Gregarious of House Criamon, scholar of the Order of Hermes." He adds this last bit as if uncertain if he needs to. "I have been a capt-..cghkk'ch'hk'kk a guest of the Elfqueen for time unfathomably. I know not even what year it is. The lady cough my wife I have seen only twice before."

((The first italics phrase should sound like the word was stuck in his throat. The second time, the phrase "my wife" gets forcibly ejected from his mouth, coming out like a cough. He does not actually say "cough." This next bit is written in a more flowery prose to indicate that his noble's habit of speech is coming back to him. I expect it sounds quite unnatural in the modern tongue, but the point is that these next few sentences clearly mark him as a member of the nobility by his habit of speech.))

"The first time was, oh it feels like centuries ago. I had stepped beyond the vale wherein her guests did dine and dance, to relieve myself of certain burdens I had acquired during the revelry. I caught the girl seeking to join the revel, and intervened, lest she be lost to the mortal world forever."

Then his voice changes altogether, as his visions take over.

"Janet tied her kirtle green a bit above her knee
And she's gone to her father as fast as go can she
Well, up then spoke her father dear and he spoke meek and mild
"Oh, and alas, Janet," he said, "I think you go with child"
"Well, if that be so," Janet said, "myself shall bear the blame
There's not a knight in all your hall shall get the baby's name
For if my love were an earthly knight as he is an elfin grey
I'd not change my own true love for any knight you have"

He shakes his head and clears his throat. "Sorry, what was that? Anyway, the second time I saw her, eons later, she tells me this preposterous (yet, undeniably true) story. I mean, it felt like years had passed since I'd last seen her, and now she's pregnant? I did not believe her."

18

OOC:

Nearly forgot -- when he mentions his name, you get a Reputation Roll to see if you've heard of him. Unclear how Order of Hermes Lore would work into that. Success means that you've heard of him, obviously. Example things you might have heard suggested below. Feel free to make up something similar.

Reputation 5 + Stress Roll vs Ease Factor 9 , OR
Per + OoHLore + die vs EF (12 - Reputation 5) maybe ?

  • "Oh, hey, I think I read a lab text you copied once."
  • Or more gossipy might be, "Weren't you the one who spent 2/5/10/20 years at Durenmar getting paid minimum wage to copy a book? And it took you, like, forever, to finish?"
  • I suppose the book default one is "I heard you passed your Gauntlet and it took 2/5/10/20 years for you to realize you didn't have to do apprentice jobs anymore."
19

I try to use the "Order of Hermes as a Small Community stuff from the main forums. Haven't had a chance to really work it out yet, but it seems like it might fit for the purposes.

20

So that would be Int + OoHLore + Reputation 5 + die
vs the Ease Factors listed there.

Should we post that as a House Rule?

21

((Is Talia going to respond to what Thomas said, or stand there in the cold summer rain listening to the sounds of the woman in labour inside?))

22

((Sorry, I wasn't clear on what was going on with the OOC stuff, so I was waiting for that to resolve, and then forgot about this thread.))

Talia says, "Look, that's all very interesting." in a way that suggests she doesn't find it interesting at all. "Sometime after your wife's child is born, feel free to come by my ship, we'll talk. Right now, you're wife is in labor, and I'm going to lend whatever assistance I can. I can boil water or something, or perhaps work a Creo Corpus spell to ease her discomfort. Right now, though, I don't have time to follow the riddles of a Criamon, when your wife is birthing a new mystery as we speak. Your son, or another man, or a faerie, I don't know. Not my concern. Got it? Talia walks off and inside to lend whatever assistance she may.

Talia has a CS of 15(17) in MuCo. (Muto 10, Co 0, Sta 2, Aura 3, and Artes Liberales 2, if ceremonial)
From Magi of Hermes
MuCo 15
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Part
Widens the pelvis of the target, making delivery of the child straightforward. See Art and Academe, page 62, for rules regarding childbirth; this spell gives a +1 bonus to childbirth rolls. Aurulentus invented this spell after realizing that his spell Blissful Sensations had too many undesirable side effects and was not powerful enough to help his wife during childbirth.
(Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 Part)

Dang, Talia hasn't got a prayer of helping, unless she gets lucky and rolls a 15 (13) on a d10. Sure, she'll try... Going for the 15, because 45 minutes of chanting isn't a good idea and doesn't provide much benefit. Trying to cast the spell above, using fatigue.
Rolls a 5, nope not good enough.
If Janet isn't freaking out, she'll try again...
Rolls a 9 Let's burn 2 confidence points, push it up to 15 with the 15 CS is a total of 30, SUCCESS, Boo Ya. Talia drops to Weary fatigue level, she didn't rest between castings.
"There, that should help, dear."

((So, I went to go find that Base, thinking it might've been in Art and Acadame...and I can't find a Base 3 MuCo that seems to apply. So, SG's call as to whether to accept the spell...))

23

((Without a token, Thomas can't spont any InCo spells that would check on the condition of the baby or woman, continuing the impression of him being a useless, self-centered sod. Which is totally cool, OOC, I'm just not sure how to play that off IC. He wants to be able to help, but isn't going to ask for a token after repeatedly having his faults pointed out to him, but is still a self-centered prig who thinks even her childbirth is all about him, specifically, that people are going to judge him based on his behavior right now.))

Thomas follows inside and tries to be helpful. He does a very poor job of concealing his frustration with the whole situation.

24

((Fathers are genrally superfluous to the process of giving birth. A bunch of women being about will also cluck like hens about men's uselessness in these situations. I thought about letting Talia consider the token issue, but I have her as being really hating the father of her child, so this whole situation is probably making her annoyed with men in general. Speaking from experience, I was lucky enough to be present for the birth of my daughter and cut the cord (we adopted) and I just felt I had to walk on eggshells, so I didn't offend/bother the birth mother. So I can empathize with Thomas, while playing Talia like a total biatch. :smiley: We probably need to have an idea as to how long her labor is going to be, and whether or not Talia's spell will ease her discomfort.
Oh, and can we say that Talia cast that spell after sunset, to maximize the duration? I just thought of that now. It might even have a chance of lasting until delivery if Peregrine is generous. :smiley:
Oh, and Talia hasn't introduced herself, but she's done plenty to demonstrate that she is a Maga. She has been a bit rude in not identifying herself, not that it bothers her,))

25

((That's all fine by me, but it makes it a bit hard to know where to pick up the RP. Oh, and if other players want to join in...Elder mages, darkwing, whoever, that's fine by me too. This is supposed to be right after your Aegis ritual, so you should all be nearby...))

((Also, to be perfectly clear, I have absolutely zero interest in rolling dice on some chart to see if she successfully gives birth, boy or girl, etc. Janet's been cursed to re-enact this story every year by the Elfqueen until she has seven sons by her prophet husband. Presumably, that means it's a storybook birthing, too.))

And just because he really is that much of an unstoppably spoiled brat...

At some in-opportune moment during the proceedings, Thomas tries to discreetly slide over to Talia (the only maga he's identified yet), and whisper, "Listen, there's one thing I don't understand. Why is it so warm on the winter solstice?"

26

"What on earth are you talking about? It's the summer solstice," and leaves an implicit you dolt unsaid at the end of the sentence. She looks at Anne, "I've done about all I can, I think I need to take care of something else," she points her head and gives a nod in Thomas's direction without directly looking at him to indicate to Anne she intends to take Thomas a bit out of earshot. If Janet wants him nearby, she'll stay closer, though.

Wherever they end up, close our out of Janet's earshot Talia goes on, "Just so you know, I'm really close to punching you in the face." She takes a deep breath and then says, "I imagine your situation, as you've described it, is rather difficult. But none of that matters now. You are about to realize the beginning of the biggest riddle of your life, Criamon. You're going to be a parent. You need to focus on that, and you need to be there for your wife, do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?" And if Thomas starts to go off on some long convoluted monologue, Talia will shush him, and even go so far as to put a finger on his lips. "It's a yes or no question, Criamon. First things first and all that. Be there for your wife. Be present in her riddle, for her, without trying to go off into your own riddles. Can you do that? You're not the only one who's been inconvenienced tonight, I had other plans. I have a ship full of men waiting to pleasure me. This," Talia waves her hand across the scene of Janet in labor, "comes first."

27

((Based on her earlier Guile roll, it will take an extraordinary effort to realize that Janet is now fully feeling the effects of Thomas's Gift, and wants him nowhere near her, but she in fact, does not want him anywhere near her and is currently trying to keep herself too occupied giving birth to think about anything else.))

Thomas becomes visibly more agitated during this conversation. "You don't seem to understand. I have never touched her. We Criamon believe....well, just put it this way: we don't bear children. We don't believe in having children."

Assuming Talia rolls her eyes or otherwise displays her beliefs about men's capacity to maintain vows of chastity, Thomas interrupts harshly. "It's not some idle oath. I grew up in The Cave of Shadows. My cherry got popped by an eldritch horror from beyond the stars while an archmaga in the body of a 10 year old watched and giggled, okay? Growing up, I couldn't even masturbate without a ghost asking if he could have a ride-along. Chicks without tentacles just don't do it for me. I never touched her. She's having my baby."

28

Talia's eyes narrow, "You are getting on my last nerve, Criamon. I suggest the best way you can make yourself useful is to be somewhere else. We can find some guest quarters, I suppose." Calling out to the covenfolk, "Can someone make that happen? Thomas and his wife and new child will be in need of guest quarters for their stay. And he's exceeded my tolerance for riddles right now." Talia normally never looks upset, looks she gives the covenfolk have varied from disinterest to wanton desire, but never really any amount of anger. Even her actions with the recently departed Haile while confrontational and argumentative never seemed especially angry, but Talia looks fit to blow.

29

After a couple of minutes, a bedraggled-looking young man approaches Thomas tentatively. "Beg pardon, magus," he says in passable Latin, "but the cottage next to mine is empty, and has a bed in it. Not much, but it'll keep the rain off of you." He turns and heads off, looking back at Thomas every couple of seconds as though he expects him to follow.