1223.4 Don't Forget the Blacksmith of Brandywine

Fiona doesn't recall anyone and feels pretty sure that she's remembering everyone.

((I've dropped some hints, but I'm too subtle, I guess. So, I'll goose this along.))

"I think he mentioned something about purchasing from his father somewhere in the Rheinland, but I can't be certain. He didn't seem eager to discuss these things, magic and this realm was his favorite topic."

Is Fiona working through her memory? Does she need some assistance?

((I think so, because I'm still not coming up with anything :frowning: ))

The man claiming to be Iosephus was not Iosephus. What other magus disappeared from Mons Electi around the same time? A Magus who had brought his apprentice from Germania?

((Boy, apparently my mind's been foggier longer than I thought, especially since the Blacksmith said that the name started with an "S". It's so obvious, now! :blush: ))

[color=blue]"The fire giant didn't call Iosephus 'Silviatos', by chance,did he?" Fiona asks.

She purses her lips as she thinks. [color=blue]"He didn't stay at the covenant very long before he left, but I seem to recall that his strength lay in wood...much as Ulrich's does." She turns to Wilhelm, who had been pacing around and keeping an eye out.

[color=blue]"You came with Silviatos, didn't you, Wilhelm? What can you tell us about him?"

((What does Wilhelm know/remember about him?))

((He knows that Silviatos was excited to come to Normandy and leave the Rhine. He knows almost anything you can glean from the character sheet and discussion, except his Diedne heritage, although things should be going off in your head.))

[color=green]"I'm not sure how much you already know," Wilhelm begins in French. [color=green]"He didn't like cities – in fact, I think his magic was weaker there – and he didn't seem very comfortable dealing with 'normal' people. And he talked a lot about preserving magic places. Other than that...I kept pretty much to myself, and I can't think of much else to say."

"I suppose I can't be too surprised he lied to me about his name. Given that the giants were doing his bidding, it is likely he is of lineage descended from your Order's renounced House of Diedne. Just take a piece of advice. The enemy of your enemy is not always your friend."

[color=blue]"I had heard rumours that there were still a few magi around descended from the one or two Diedne who escaped the war. Never thought that I would ever actually meet one."

Fiona wanders over and looks out a window. [color=blue]"I can't help but wonder if the king knows that Silviatos is Diedne, or even what Diedne are...or why Silviatos gave him a false name but didn't hide anything else about himself. And whether Silviatos knows where the other Diedne are and are trying to protect them from us, or if he did this for some other reason."

"I thought it was clear from our first discussion. Silviatos, who called himself Iosephus, almost certainly knew what he was doing. The change in behavior of the giants is...disconcerting though. You must also realize something, that the Diedne who reside in the magical realm do not age or at least do not die from their age."

[color=blue]"Hmm. That's interesting. Is it possible that the Diedne have become one with Magic, somehow? My Order history isn't what it should be, but I don't remember them being immortal during the Schism War."

She turns and leans against the windowsill. [color=blue]"I'm also somewhat bothered by the fact that Silviatos seems to be commanding the Fire Giants now...or at the very least, he has their king in his thrall. I may be mistaken, Blacksmith, but I got the feeling that the Diedne and the Fire Giants weren't working together before. That the giants merely happened to be an obstacle on the road to the Diedne. It's quite a coincidence that they join forces the same time that we want to find the Diedne that came through here."

"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... :smiley:

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...