In which Aodhan and his pater Tintavius must make their way to the Hephaestus's Forge at Verdi in order to complete his initiation to the Mystery of Items of Quality.
Meanwhile, Talia has got a little hankerin' to hit the open seas again for a while.
qcipher, please work up the item that Aodhan is going to make (and sacrifice) for his Initiation, and the mundane analog. The final lab total and Aodhan's lab total will determine when y'all leave and how much time you have.
Scales of the Vis Merchant
An ornate balance for measuring small amounts, it has pans of polished tin and a balance of shining brass. Place a pawn of vis in the left pan and in the right pan place the amount of unknown vis onto it. The right pan is larger to hold the larger clumps of vis one might find. The pan will move according to the amount of vis on it, indicated by a measure.
As Scales of the Magical Weight, 1 time per day, Lesser Enchanted Device, 1 pawn of Vim.
Lab total:
Int 5 + Magic Theory 6 + Intelego 5 + Vim 5 + Philosophaie/Scales bonus (4+3 max 6) 6 + Magnitude of Known spell 1 + Aura 6 + Inventive Genius 3 = 37 (the Aura might be lower, not sure)
A matching balance that is not enchanted is made at the same time as the enchanted one. Both will be carefully packed in wooden crates with shorn wool to cushion them.
The Aura is 6 if you're using the Common Lab, which doesn't have any claims on it for winter or spring. And it looks like it's simple enough that you'll be able to leave in pretty good time. I'll figure out just when later (I've got a weird, noon to 3:30 shift today, I'm not used to being able to do anything before work).
Looks like Aodhan will be able to leave at the end of March.
Travel arrangements? Or does he plan on hoofing it with his cantankerous pater?
I'd like to go by boat if possible, Talia could be involved then. It wouldn't be three seasons of total travel, but the whole endeavor will take 3 I figure with the culmination being the Tribunal when we return.
Alright... Assuming we get underway without issue, [strike]stowing[/strike] Tintiavius and Aodhan safely installed aboard with all of their assorted cargo, sail up Loch to the River Ness, have the crew drop Anchor, furl the sales.
She'll then prepare for the Ceremonial casting to lift the ship a few feet higher, to avoid running aground.
The level is 25, as discussed elsewhere, and also for the Hull of Unbreakable Iron need to have a size +3 component or . Base 3: R:Touch, D:Sun, T:Ind Size+3 is a total level of 25. Talia's Casting Score in 1224 is Rego 6 + Herbam 10 +Sta 2 + Artes Liberales 2 + Aura 3 (it covers the entire Loch) + Focus 6 +20 Vis =49.
Talia burns 10 pawns of Herbam Vis, and the roll is: 2, so the spell is successful.
Once cast, unfurl the sails, raise the anchor and move down the River to the open Ocean.
Talia will be taking the Lab Text for Lungs of the Fish to study while at sea.
I'm thinking, given that the Whoa Buoy is unladen, and with the Spell of Fair Wind, that we can make 8 knots per hour easily, probably do a total of 70 miles or so a day, since we always have a favorable wind...
((Oh, and I'm kind of disappointed Talia didn't roll a 0 on that die. 11 Botch dice could have been fun. OF course, there is the return trip.))
Aodhan does his level best to keep Tintavius occupied and not meddling with the ship or the crew. It's not easy, Tintavius likes to tinker in just about everything. For Aodhan he brought some wax tablets to write on and is making detailed drawings of the ship along with some Hermetic notes on different inventions that could be applied:
A wheel for greater piloting
Sails that are always full (instead of needing to cast a spell)
Strengthening the wood (instead of needing to cast a spell)
A method for turning salt water fresh
A cargo hold to keep food fresh and store more of it (such as shrinking it or transforming it into something nonperishable)
A way to keep the crew warm on deck without risk of fire
A better method for keeping the toilet necessities
When given a chance he'll ask Talia if there are other needs, and of the needs which might be most important and urgent?
I take it the route will be basically Inverness down the English Coast, across the Channel to the French coast, along the coastline around Iberia through Gibraltar, then up the Mediterranean until where you have to head out to Verdi? Quick path with the Ruler function on Google Earth puts that at about 3,000 nautical miles, or 5,556 kilometers...which is about 42 days.
It's a little chilly on the North Sea (say, highs in the low to mid 40s, lows in the mid 30s F.), with intermittent rain. No real storms to speak of. Not sure how Talia wants to deal with that...wear real clothes, maybe? Or spont some CrIg to keep herself warm? And will she be entertaining the crew in route?
Once they cut across and get about half way down Portugal, it gets warmer, into the 60s during they day and 50s at night, great sailing weather. The spell does help keep the wind going the right way.
It takes Tintavius a few days to get his sea legs, so to speak. And if you thought he was a pain when he was healthy... 
("Boy! Get me another bucket!")
Hence the necessity of the 'Better toilet facilities' 
2 nailed down chamber pots...
Aodhan approaches Talia after some time has passed on the ship, the second day travelling.
He takes off his shapeless cap before he speaks. "Talia...Captain Talia? I wanted to thank ye for agreeing to take me an my Pater on this sudden journey. Twas very kind. While there in Verdi you might be able to take advantage of all kinds of magical wonders. But I also wanted to know, what might ye like for this ship? It's a fine ship, to be sure, but with some magical outfittings, she can be legendary!" he pulls out the wax tablets. "I've been thinking of a few things, but I figure only a captain and owner of a ship would truly know what was needed. Maybe we could talk about some designs? Even some simple ones can make the ship faster and more agile on the waves."
Talia's spending most of her time below decks in the sanctum, but she does come up for breaks now and again.
"These things are all in my plans, of course. I studied under Memnos, a magus of your House in the Theban Tribunal for a time. It's how I learned the spell to make this ship, and the two others I've made. Most of the items I've, uh-acquired, are for the purposes of keeping my crew happy, well fed, and healthy. The cask below decks will transform salt water to fresh water. We have the chamber pots, as I mentioned. When I'm out at sea, I move the one out of my sanctum into a more accessible area. And we have The Vitalizer of Provisions to keep our food fresh. And my Arts are sufficient to make a pot hot enough to cook, so I don't worry about a fire in the ship's hearth."
Aodhan seems perplexed and disappointed before finally shrugging. "Aye...well then I guess this ship is very well taken care of. I had no idea it was so well provided with enchantments. Well...if something should come to mind, ye let me know then." he slinks off and startes to scrape away the drawings made on the tablet.
"If your pater needs his robes cleaned up now that he's feeling better, we can have one of my sailors use the Abluere Magica to clean them up.' Talia says to Aodhan as he walks away.
Aodhan returns to Tintavius. "The captain has put a lot of work into this ship." he lists the enchantments she boasted of. "Rather impressive, it could probably be done cheaper and faster by your or I, but I was definitely impressed. I had hoped to sell her most of the enchantments myself."
"You seem surprised. Must not spend a lot of time talking, eh?" Tintavius says with a leer.
He hops to his feet. "Made all those things herself, did she, boy?" He heads up to the deck and starts to examine everything he can get his hands on.
((While we're waiting for the stars to align... ))
((Does Talia continue to give the crew their customary rewards during the voyage, or is she going to try to be chaste for three months?))
About two or three days before the Whoa Buoy reaches Verdi, everyone needs to make an Awareness Roll (visual, if it matters).
Oh, yes. Talia entertains at least one sailor every night.