"When you last visited here, I suggested that the giants were working for the Diedne. One could say that this is a confirmation of my suspicion."
[color=blue]"So, now, all we have to do is make our way past the giants to Silviatos and the Diedne, see what they can tell us about Bibracte, and find out if they'd be willing to rejoin society if we can rehabilitate* them. Piece of cake," Fiona says with a grin.
[color=blue]"Are you coming with us this time, Blacksmith, or will you be staying here?"
((So, we have Fiona, Marcus, Wilhelm, and two random shield grogs, right?))
((I guess we're good to go, unless anyone has anything to add?))
[color=blue]"Does anybody want embiggened before we go, or are we going to stay our normal sizes?"
- rehabilitate, in the ecclesiastical sense of the word.
"I'll be staying here, as I'm the last bastion between this Realm and your home," the Blacksmith responds quietly.
Marcus inquires, "Are we going to go with me being your prisoner again?"
[color=blue]"That almost seemed to work last time, if you're still comfortable with it. Shall we repeat what we did last time, then? Everyone but Marcus will become giant-sized, he pretends to be our prisoner, and we try to bluff our way past any patrols we find before we get to...wherever.
Blacksmith, do you mind making new clothes for us all, again?"
[color=green]"New clothes?" Wilhelm says nervously. [color=green]"Why do we need new clothes?"
[color=blue]"My magic only makes you larger. It has no effect on your clothes, or your equipment. The Blacksmith will be able to outfit you, though."
Wilhelm shakes his head. [color=green]"No! I will stay small, that's all right!"
"Wilhelm, if combat happens, and it is probable, you're going to be ill-equipped to handle it at your size. Can you shoot off half a dozen bolts of fire from your finger tips? It suits our purposes that I maintain my small statue. If it comes to combat, I can take care of many opponents. In your small state, you'll only be a liability."
Wilhelm's eyes dart nervously between Fiona, Marcus, and the Blacksmith, looking very much like a cornered animal. He finally gives a small nod. [color=green]"Very well. But I would like to change in private, bitte."
If possible, he would go into the next room with whatever clothing the Blacksmith can conjure up, with Fiona (who looks at Marcus with a "What the hell was that all about?" look on her face).
Fiona accompanies him to the next room. [color=green]"Don't watch, please...it makes me nervous," Wilhelm says as he turns his back to Fiona.
[color=blue]"Don't be," Fiona replies, but turns to one side anyway, watching Wilhelm out of the corner of her eye. ((Her Awareness check to see what, if anything, Wilhelm is hiding is Per 0 + Awareness 3 + die roll of 1 (followed by a die roll of 5, for a dice total of 10) = 13. Probably good enough?
She then casts her spontaneous version of Preternatural Growth and Shrinking on him. As before, it's base 3 to change the size of a person, R: Touch (+1), D: Sun (+2), T: Individual, for a subtotal of 10. +4 magnitudes for size would make him Size +5 at a Target Spell Level of 30. Sta 3 + Mu 17 + Co 15 + Co 15 (Minor MF) + Aura 12 + die roll of 9 = 71 ÷ 2 = 36. (at least, the aura was 12 before).
She then goes into the other room while Wilhelm puts on his new clothes and alakazams the two shield grogs (with a brief rest between). Grog #1 gets a CT of 62 + die roll of 4 = 66, halved is 33. Grog #2 gets a CT of 62 + die roll of 5 = 67, halved is 34.
She then does herself. Base 3, R: Personal, D: Sun (+2), T: Individual, her Size +1 = 10. Add +1 magnitudes for the size makes it a Target Level of 25 to make her Size +4. Her Casting Total is Sta 3 + Mu 17 + Co 15 + Aura 12 = 47 + die roll of 3 = 50, halved is 25 – exactly what she needed. Whew, that was close!
And as before, she has no qualms about undressing in front of everybody.
Yeah, I'd say the 13 is good enough to notice... Luckily Fiona can keep a secret... 
The Blacksmith makes all the clothes and everyone can get dressed whenever the change is made.
"I'm ready... Well, except for one thing. Blacksmith, would you give me legs, please?"
The Blacksmith inclines his head, and Marcus is standing on legs instead of floating in the air.
The Blacksmith, after giving Marcus his legs brings everyone to his burned out hall. Out of curiosity...among the selected personnel for this mission, what are the known languages? Last time, the familiar was able to fake you guys through to a certain point...
Let's see. Fiona speak Gaelic 5 (native), Latin 5, and French 2.
Wilhelm speaks German 5 (native), French 3, and Latin 3.
I'm assuming that the grogs speak French 5 (native), and maybe Latin 2, if Alexei has been giving them Exposure in Latin or something.
Fsck it.
Just because I feel like it, Glaukopis is with you guys, too. He's annoyed with his mistress, and you Mons Electi is probably a bit safer than other covenants. Got a problem with this? If so, we need to roll with something/someone having the Gift of Tongues, as I had effectively established that these giants speak an ancient Celtic dialect. My willingness to modify the story goes only so far...
The party makes their way through the countryside, this time they don't encounter anyone. The road comes up against a ridge and they can see a valley below them and off in the distance some small mountains/large hills. Nestled into the hillside is a large structure, difficult to make out a lot of detail, but it definitely looks to be built rather than natural. There is some smoke or haze that is hanging in the valley. Guessing, it will take about a full day (8 hours or so) to get to the structure. It's about noon when the party arrives on the ridge line.
Gee, I wonder why 
.
Fiona and Wilhelm both look over the valley and the hills facing them. Fiona looks at Wilhelm. [color=blue]"Do you think there's any safe place to make camp down there before nightfall, or should we pitch camp here and try to make it tomorrow?"
Fiona is looking at an Awareness roll of Per 0 + Awareness 3 + die roll of 9 = 12, and a Survival roll of (I'm guessing) Per* 0 + Survival 2 + die roll of 2 = 4.
Wilhelm is looking at an Awareness roll of Per 2 + Keen Vision 3 + Awareness 3 + die roll of 9 = 17, and a Survival roll of Per 2 + Survival 6 + die roll of 6 = 14.
She also asks Glaukopis to take a look around to see if he sees anything.
- I'm thinking Perception because, according to the description on p. 18, Perception is "the ability to notice things, as well as powers of intuition," and Intelligence says that "common sense, street savvy, and wisdom are not described by Intelligence." And it's definitely not any of the physical or social Characteristics.
It's gambler's choice, as long as you don't setup camp immediately on the ridge line.
Yeah, my inclination is to set up camp here, but back a little bit to where we're just on the other side of the ridge from them, and get some rest.
I'm thinking set up the mortals in single duty watches (we have, I think, three: Fiona and Marcus's shield grogs, and Wilhelm. Fiona's willing to take a watch if the mortals aren't willing to take four-hour shifts instead of three, but would rather not. (For his part, Wilhelm's like, whatever, you're the magi.)
Camp is made and the night passes without any incident. In the morning, at first light, just before you begin the descent into the valley one can see about 5 giants making their way from the right and heading towards the structure. Waiting to observe them they all go inside.
[color=blue]"Well, on the one hand, that's five that we won't come across somewhere else," Fiona grumbles. [color=blue]"On the other hand, I'm curious as to why they all went in there. Is it simply a base camp, is there a portal to somewhere else, or could we so lucky as to find our wayward sodalis."
She looks at Glaukopis. [color=blue]"Do you think you can safely get a look through the windows to see what's going on in there?"
"I'm not exactly stealthy in this form." Glaukopis says cautiously.
Marcus chimes in and says, "Perhaps sending Glaukopis is incautious, as he is the only way we can communicate, and while he might be able to talk is way out of something, if he can't, we're without a pretty important ability."
((I'm just thinking sending the only one you have available to communicate to scout, and he's not built for scouting. I think I had established we had transformed him into a giant based on the last time, too. If he isn't a giant and is still an owl, then he can fly off and do some scouting.))
((It's okay, for some reason I was thinking he was an owl. Giant works. In which case, nevermind.))
Fiona looks around at the other. Finally, she nods at Wilhelm. [color=blue]"Do you think you can get close enough to the building to peek through the window, get a quick feel for the situation, then get back to us without being seen?"
Wilhelm looks over the situation. ((He has Dex +2 and Stealth 2, with a specialization of "in natural areas." He also has Ways of the Forest, which doesn't seem to apply here, as well as Keen Vision and Sharp Ears. Unfortunately, he also has Anchored to the Forest, which would seem to add a -3 penalty to all actions not in the forest or wooded area. All that being said, does he think he can pull it off? All that gives him a net +1 or +2 if it's a "natural area", whereas Fiona as a net +2 with Stealth.))
Incomplete descriptions, I suck.
The valley is forested up to a stream/river. The other side looks as if it might have been recently cleared forest. Most of the reconnoiter can be done from the cover of the forest.
((Two Stealth rolls to get there, a Visual and Hearing Awareness roll there to see/hear what's going on, then two more Stealths to make it back?))