((Had Marcus ever rejoined us?))
((Whoops. No, he hadn't. I'll fix it.))
No, but it's not hard, you'll go up to the ridge line and then follow the pastoral road back to the Blacksmith's cottage. You can make it sometime after the second day. The rest of the trip goes without incident, but Marcus never does catch up to the party by the time they get to the Blacksmith's residence.
Fiona spends the rest of the trip with her head on a swivel, looking for Marcus. She pauses when they reach the Blacksmith's door, looking around one last time for him before she knocks on the door. [color=blue]"Do you see him anywhere?" she asks Wilhelm.
Wilhelm takes a good look around ((Per 2 + Awareness 3 + Keen Vision 3 + die roll of 7 = 15 (or 19, if this is close enough to count as "in the forest" for his Awareness specialization and Ways of the Forest virtue).
No sign of Marcus and it looks as if the entire forest is on fire based on the amount of smoke.
[color=blue]"Oh, Marcus, what have ye done, lad?" Fiona says in Gaelic before she turns and knocks more firmly on the Blacksmith's door.
The Blacksmith invites Fiona and her party into his home. "It would seem you found some additional guests while you were out, and appear to have lost Marcus."
[color=blue]"Yes, we have," Fiona says with a catch in her voice. [color=blue]"We're hoping the lad can elude our pursuers and find his way back here.
"Meanwhile, Captivius and Jurgen, here, have been...guests of the giants and their Diedne friends for the past thirty years, your time, which is better than two centuries in the mortal realm. We were hoping we could impose on you to offer them hospitality for a couple of days while I consult with my sodales, to find out if it is safe for them to reenter the mortal realm after so long away or if doing so would have dire consequences."
As Fiona speaks, Wilhelm moves to one of the windows to keep looking for Marcus.
"Certainly, especially if they can help rebuild my home. A Hermetic Ward against fire could be useful. My skills aren't in Warding." When he says that, Jurgen nods his head, suggesting that he could help in that regard. Despite how long it Fiona and the magi are talking with the Blacksmith, Marcus never shows up.
[color=blue]"Sounds good. We will try to be back in a couple of days, once we've figured out the safest way to proceed."
((Does Fiona or the Blacksmith need to dispel the growth spell on the party, or would that be dispelled automatically when they pass through to the mortal realm again? Couldn't find it in the earlier voyage.))
As they prepare to return home, Fiona gathers up her clothes and goes to change, only to realize that they don't even come close to fitting. ((Figure this is as good a place as any for that growth spurt we talked about to come to pass.)) [color=blue]"What the hell?" she mutters, before she finally gives up and sponts a CrHe to make a new dress. ((Base 1, +2 for treated/processed products, R: Touch +1, D: Sun +2, T: Individual, for a spell level of 10. Her CT is Sta 3 + Cr 6 + He 10 + Aura 10 + die roll of 2 = 31, halved is 16. Finesse roll to make it look good rather than just utilitarian (going for attractive, a hint of sexy, but not too slutty) is Int 1 + Finesse 3 + die roll of 9 = 13. ))
Once she puts the dress on, she rejoins the others. [color=blue]"Is there something different about me?" she asks. ((Although Fiona still has the same shape and curves, she had been 7'3"/221 cm tall; now, she's 8'11"/272 cm.))
The Blacksmith gives a mysterious smile but says nothing. ((No, he is not going to answer a discreetly disguised, "does this make my ass look fat?" question.))
Everyone can go back and the spell will wear off at the next sunrise/sunset, depending on when you get back. The halls and stairways are sufficiently large enough to accommodate the giant party, although crouching and bending over is required.
Jehanne might not notice Fiona's new stature immediately, since he himself is bigger than normal and who knows what these crazy magi get up to. But after a day or so, he'll definitely say something to her about it - probably tactlessly. "You're even taller now? You look less and less like a normal person."
Falko's tree-club-sized bruise restores itself at the next sunblah when he shrinks to normal. The next day he can be heard repeatedly keening a shanty-like air with the refrain "fiery arse promised me healed". Fortunately, the wound looks worse than it is, and he's fine within a week. ((First recovery roll worked: Sta 2 + stress die 9 = 11 beats the necessary 10.))
As soon as she returns, she will track down a page or someone to find out how long she's been gone.
She will then summon the other magi to a council meeting that afternoon, say, around three-ish.
The first thing the magi would notice about Fiona is that she is substantially taller than she was before.
Fiona simply looks at Jehanne with a "Really?" look on her face, but other than that does a good job of hiding how much that comment hurts (Com 2 + Guile (hiding true feelings) 3 + die roll of 5 = 10).
And the cycle continues, as Jehanne completely fails to comprehend Fiona's expression and has no idea he said anything wrong.
Tranquillina arrives a little bit late, dressed in her wolfskin cloak (the one with the clasp made of a human bone) and plain trousers, with no shoes. [color=magenta]"Apologies, sodales, I was out in the pastures observing some of the covenfolk," she pants, scratching her hip vigorously.
((moved here from the In the Living Years thread))
[color=blue]"I think so," Fiona says. [color=blue]"I'm not sure how it happened. If I didn't know better, I'd say I'd been reforged again, but the last time it was a deliberate process in Magic that consumed vis." Fiona looks thoughtful as she speaks, as though she were trying to reason out a difficult puzzle.
Fiona throws her arms to the heavens. [color=blue]"Finally, someone gets it!" she proclaims.
Gets what? Oh!
Kovin looks Fiona up and down. Perhaps a bit too long.
This should be a good tale.
Fiona smiles at Korvin as she gets her thoughts in order.
[color=blue]"As some of you may know, Marcus and I have returned to the Magic Realm, to follow up on some information that we, as well as Laetitia, had uncovered the last time we were there, shortly after Apollodorus's untimely demise." She pauses and shifts in her chair (which just coincidentally happens to give Korvin a nicer view).
[color=blue]"Actually, let me start at the beginning. The earthquake that struck at Apollodorus's passing knocked me through a regio entrance into the Realm of Magic. While there, the gentleman who lives there, who goes by the Blacksmith of Brandywine, helped me overcome a certain weakness of my magic. While there, I learned that our former sodalis Silviatos had passed through in search of the Diedne." Fiona pauses to let any presumed ruckus die down.
[color=blue]"Upon my return, Laetitia, Marcus and I decided to return to the realm to seek out a possible alliance with the Diedne. In light of what we learned last summer, she felt that if we could convince them that we had evidence that they were the victims of a conspiracy by Guernicus, they would aid us in our...for lack of a better phrase, conflict against Guernicus.
"Our initial expedition had less than remarkable results...in fact, I believe all of us were injured to some degree by the giants who live there. We returned home to recuperate and to try to bolster our...or my...offensive capabilities.
"I had forgotten to take the time dilation into account in my scheduling. Shortly after we returned home, the Blacksmith's house was damaged by the giants*, although the Blacksmith was unharmed.
"In our last foray into Magic, we learned that Silviatos (who, for some reason, was calling himself Iosephus) was somehow in league with the Giants (who still called him Silviatos...it took me a while to make the connection), and that the giants were joined by, I believe, Norse giants. Giants of fire and of ice...Jotun, I think they were called?
"We were a better match for them, this time, but we ran into a bit of a complication which made me want to come back and seek your counsel before we decide how to proceed next. We found a couple of Hermetic magi who have been held prisoner by the Diedne and the Giants there since the Diedne covenant at Bibracte fell. We released them, but we were pursued by the Giants."
Fiona takes a deep breath.
[color=blue]"Marcus created a diversion, got the Giants' attention while we made our way to the Blacksmith's house, and then to here. He did not return with us."
She swallows as she looks around at the gathered magi.
*I think this is right, or at least a reasonable assumption on Fiona's part...if not, please correct me.
Isen surges forward, suddenly interested
What??? This is... Jesus christ, this is great news!
Fiona, as you may know, my magic is as unyielding as the heart of the deepest glacier, and I am unable to cast rituals or to use vis. This has not bothered me until now, but this has become a great problem today.
I am currently the only magus here able to cast our 10th magnitude Aegis, yet am unable to do so. Likewise, I have defense plans for Mons Electi, that reside on rituals only I may be able to cast, like watching wards and elemental creation, yet can't. This is frustrating to no ends, and keeps us in a state of weakness, especially the Aegis.
Fiona, this gentleman of yours... Do you think he could help me to overcome my disability?
Nevermind Marcus...
Do we need to mount an expedition to rescue Marcus?
((Can the person in charge of Mage Planner share it with me again. It has disappeared from my docs since Google switch to the "drive" jebrick@gmail.com))