"Yes, but how long will there be a Mac Fingal?" Talia asks pointedly.
((Okay, I think I can see it now...it would basically make it treacherous underfoot, like loose rocks or scree on the side of a hill. I've gone ass over teakettle on those a time or two, not fun. So, the dirt is weakened to the point where someone would have to make a Dex roll vs. an ease factor of, say 6 if they're walking or 9 if they're running to not lose their balance? Sound reasonable?))
Sloan draws himself to his full height and glowers at Talia. [color=red]"So long as a single Mac Fingal draws breath, the clan lives. You would have to destroy every last one of us, from me down to the weeest bairn, for there to be no more Clan Mac Fingal."
Talia goes full flame, creating a flame illusion from her fingertips, and holding her hand out as if it is in the palm of her hand. Since she can do the clothes effortlessly, stands to reason she can do the flame effortlessly, as well. "I'm not interested in destroying you, though. You're the one who's interested in fighting here. You come after me, I fire your camp. Like I said, you might pound me into the ground. You might not. But your camp will be on fire. How will that help you get through the winter? And then if you anger my sodales at Insula Canaria, how do you think they'll react? And finally, when that witch for Mac Ossian comes along she'll feel?"
Almost before Paolo can finish translating, she continues, "If you want our support, you need to get Mac Ossian support. If you're concerned that they won't treat with you fairly, I think we can come together and I or another magus or maga from Insula Canaria can mediate. But a confrontation serves no one's long term interests. Or am I wrong? My acquiescence to allowing you to settle here uncontested will be ill-received by my sodales and Mac Ossian."
That's roughly what I was aiming for, yes!
[color=red]"We don't keep track of the other clans. For all I know, Mac Ossian could be down with the ruddy English." He glances nervously at the fire in Talia's hand.
[color=red]"I don't want a confrontation. I just want my clan to be able to winter in peace."
"I think we need to find Mac Ossian. And I think you need to do that. I'll help, as a representative of Insula Canaria we can be a broker for peace between your clans, but you have to be ready to discuss that. Are you ready?"
[color=red]"Can we camp here while we look for him?" Sloane asks. [color=red]"I can send men out, but Angus didn't tell us where he would be wintering, and it may take a while."
"You and I will be going. Your men, women and children can stay here."
((Does Trimalchio have anything to say, do, or add?
And what is the plan? Wander the highlands for a season looking for other giants?))
((The plan was to make this short, I'm not changing Talia's activity for this season, when she's ostensibly copying the Rego suma from Godiva. So, she would head back to the covenant, ask around about haunts of the Mac Ossian and then come back and visit those. Was hoping for no more than the 7 day distraction.))
Darkwing intends to look vaguely menacing. If the giants are staying while their leader looks for MacOssian, he will watch what they are doing and keep glaring at them. If they cause any serious trouble, he will become invisible and start throwing the might-stripping spells multicast repeatedly until they get the hint they're not welcome. If it turns out they have enough second sight to see through his invisibility and splatter him, then my shiny new companion will be joining the covenant while I consider the error of my ways.
Drystan (not surprisingly) knows a little bit about the giants of the Mac Ossian clan...but only knows that they came from the north the last time they spent any considerable time here, about three years ago.
Doineann (!) can actually give directions to a couple of camps that she's seen them at over the years. One is to the southeast, one to the northeast, and one to the north.
It's going to take more than a couple of hours for Sloan to look for the Mac Ossians, so I'm assuming that Trimalchio is going to give them the glowering of a lifetime until he and Sloan make their deal?
Trimalchio will continue to glower, as if he thought he could get the Piercing Gaze virtue by sheer hard practise. Just because they're giants doesn't mean he can't glower at them. He is determined not to give ground until he is sure the covenant has a chance of not being trashed by giants.
Anything about those camps that's known? As in one is better to winter in than the others? Barring no information, we'll go southeast...
Not really. Southeast works, there's a couple of little valleys nestled in the woods that can be used as winter camps two or three day's walk in that direction.
((Alright, we'll gamble that they're there, much longer and I have to be concerned about impact on seasonal activity... If they aren't there, I'll send Paolo and the giant, along with something that indicates that he's acting on behalf of Insula Canaria.))\
"I don't believe we've been introduced, I'm Talia. What is your name?" she says to the giant she's travelling with, and introduce Paolo as the translator.
[color=red]"I am Sloane. Sloane mac Fingal, chief of Clan mac Fingal and king of the giants." He sounds a trifle annoyed, and is carrying a crude club. Not all that big, only about nine feet long (compared to his twenty or so).
As the group crests a ridge overlooking the valley, they do spy a goodly number of giants who have apparently already set up camp. Tents are pitched, fires made, pots boiling, and so on.
Talia will send Paolo ahead to request parley with Angus. She'll tell him to tell Angus that Sloane mac Fingal is with her and that she is from Insula Canaria. She'll leave off the king of the giants bit.
After a couple of minutes, an even taller giant than Sloane (or any of the others, as near as Talia can tell - she doesn't even come up to his knee) approaches her. He is unarmed...but the two others trailing a few paces behind aren't; they each have a club resting on their shoulder.
The tall one glances briefly at Sloane, then looks down at Talia. [color=red]"I am Angus mac Ossian. Is everything all right?"
"Sure, sure. I'm fine. You see, i'm here to broker a peace, if possible. This giant and his clan set up at a camp not far from the covenant. Since they were not you and yours, I felt it best that there be some sort of parley."