1228.2 I Know What You Did That Summer

((You mean other than a secret cabal of magi and magae involved in a ritual that must be kept secret from Bilera?))
Bilera looks unconvinced and says, Very well, you leave me little ch-" but before she finishes Tektonius rushes into the pavilion and whispers to Caecilius.
Caecilius turns his attention to Bilera, Bilera, can you explain why Valerian is chipping off pieces of Bonisagus's Tower?" using the name with some sense of reverence. "Such assistance of yours is not required, nor has it been requested. As a member of the council of Durenmar and a Quaesitor in good standing, I'm invoking my right to investigate this matter in the manner I see fit. I require Valerian to submit all piece he has acquired to me. Failure to do so will see me request a point of order with Murion during tomorrow's proceedings,and I will make the request formally and publicly."
Bilera's face changes imperceptibly, (folk ken of 15) and in an even voice, "Talia, Fiona, you're dismissed."
((Talia will exit with Fiona. In case you want to have a bit of a dialog with her.))

(( Is that what we're calling it these days? A 'dialog'? :smiley: ))

((Talia is kinda meh about the sapphic pleasures.))

((Well yeah, but I was hoping she didn't know about that. Although Fiona has no reason to believe that Bilera doesn't know about it (the bit about the performers being representatives of their house, and the ritual being performed by the Prima of each house or her designates), but Fiona was also told not to discuss it with anyone, so she won't.))

((Per 0 + Folk Ken (magi) 2 + die roll of 4 = 6...not even close.

Oh, and thinking back, does Fiona remember Douglas's performance the first night being as...lackluster as Duncan's was at the party? Int 1 + die roll of 0 (botch check is a 9) = 1. So, probably not...too many orgasms since then.))

Fiona looks for a vendor where she can buy Talia a drink and sit down to talk (her treat). (I'm sure some Verditius somewhere sold a case that can create up to a hundred wooden goblets with Sun duration on command...next best thing to paper cups.) Once they sit down, Fiona raises her goblet in a silent toast. [color=blue]"So...what happened after I...blacked out last night?" she asks.

"You and another magus in our communion became in responsive, while another one disappeared entirely, so we figured my botched spell triggered a twilight episode. We pressed on, recruited others and continued the efforts until a Flambeau arrived to finish the job.". Talia seems a bit miffed by this. "You have my apologies for the taillight episode, but given the circumstances I would have done the same thing the exact same way." Her apology seems genuine, though.
((I thought he begged off that first night, too busy.))

Fiona waves a hand dismissively. [color=blue]"Don't worry about it, it happens sometimes. As many times as I push things, I'm surprised it hasn't happened to me more often."

She takes a sip. [color=blue]"So, how do you come to know of Duncan?" ((As far as I know, she doesn't know that Talia's at her former covenant.))

((That was a miscommunication between player and gm that I thought had gotten cleared up and he showed up when he had time; of course, if he said he would show up and then got too busy for her and stood her up, that works, too. She probably could have gone out and picked someone up, since I think Gerulf indicated that he just wasn't interested, and Fiona's kind of determined to not spend a night alone there. Or whatever.))

((Yeah, play it that he was too busy and he sent a note apologizing.))
"I'm at your former covenant, Fiona. Or at least I'm assuming your from Insula Canaria. Don't know how many Giant-blooded, Scottish magae with red hair named Fiona there are, but my guess is one. Douglas has left us alone for the most part. The Redcap he was impersonating was close to me... We have been complacent with regards to him."

[color=blue]"So, Duncan hasn't been bothering you much, then," Fiona says thoughtfully. It's a pleasant surprise to find someone from her old covenant at Grand Tribunal, and she would love to get caught up, but first things first.

[color=blue]"And I haven't seen or heard anything of him since I was there last, so I assumed...well, out of sight, out of mind, I suppose. As much my fault as anyone's. But I wonder what he's been doing the last seven years, and I wonder what brings him here? And I wonder what was up with the Black Fir uprooting itself and attacking the tower. I don't think that was coincidence, the attack happened almost immediately after you exposed him...so to speak."

Talia offers up the best of what she knows. "I heard Bilera and Caecilius talking, apparently Durenmar angered some Dark Fae hundreds of years ago. Caecilius believes the Black Fir may have decided this was the best time to attack. Maybe Duncan could communicate with it somehow? And I think there was and army of something preparing to invade. I saw man shapes against the Aegis border, and some others not man shaped. I got the sense that we were lucky, more than anything.

Fiona nods. [color=blue]"I saw them too, I didn't know which side they'd be on. I wonder if the Black Fir attacking had anything to do with the primi not doing the ritual this cycle?"

Fiona takes another sip as she checks out Talia. [color=blue]"Are you going to be involved in handling Duncan? And what do you know of Valerian?"

"I don't know about any ritual. Talia asks.

"I don't know know much of politics, honestly. I get really luck recalling facts I've heard from time to time, I'm here because I was outsmarted in politics. Tried to get some senile Verditius sent here for a sodalis at Insula Canaria, wound up here. Looks good enough, I'd roll him in the sack, but he probably likes men more than women. As far as Duncan, until that business with Valerian and the tower, I thought we were both going to be sent to do it. Now? I'd bet Bilera or Valerian or both underestimated that Tektonius.". Talia begs off, "I have to go, I have a couple of men who are waiting on me. Thanks for the drink, see you around."

Fiona bids her good day. [color=blue]"We'll have to get together before Tribunal ends, so I can get caught up on what's going on back at Insula Canaria."

She thinks for a couple of minutes as she finishes her wine, and decides that Talia definitely has the right idea. So she sets out to find a couple of people to pass the time with. Maybe at least three. Can't let a skinny little thing like that out-do her. :laughing:

Fiona has slim pickings for the rest of the evening, but she does manage to find someone who is interested at this late hour.
The next morning begins a day of busy events, the First item on the agenda is discussed for almost the entire day and it sees Florum's supporters throughout the order defending the theory behind establishing a new Tribunal. At the end of the day, the votes are cast, and the creation of the Lotharingian Tribunal is narrowly defeated.

That evening Fiona makes her way to the Founder's Fane and all are gathered together and perform the ritual. When finished several of the magi disappear as soon as they are finished, including the unnamed leader. The pavilion is up again and Fiona can distract herself there again...

Fiona will keep an eye on, or open for, Bilera and Valerian during the day. Not stalking, but just trying to be aware of where they are throughout the day and what they're up to.

Fiona will do so, in her La Petite Mascarade for and casting Disguise of the New Visage on herself to make herself look like not herself (but still as jaw-droppingly beautiful as she can imagine); she has the latter mastered for Disguised Casting, so she can make her hair not white, but blonde instead. And she's going to cast a spontaneous Creo Herbam to make a Sun-duration toga – something easily removable and that she doesn't worry about having to find again later. ((Base 2, +2 for treated and processed, R: Touch +1, D: Sun +2, T: Individual, for a Spell Level of 15. Her CT is Sta 3 + Cr 6 + He 10 +Aura 7 + die roll of 9 = 35, halted is 17. Her Finesse roll is Int 1 + Finesse 3 + (die roll of 1, followed by a die roll of 8) 16 = 20, in trying to make it sheer enough to almost see through.

She keeps an eye open during the revel for anyone she may recognize (even with the masks and disguises) and anything out of the ordinary. Or she'll try to, anyway. And she'll exhibit absolutely no gender bias.

Also, during recesses or evenings, Fiona is going to wander the merchants' booths looking for presents for her sodales. I'm putting together a wish list now.

Can I get some rolls for Fiona from the ritual of the Founders Fane?

Sure. I take it it would be Wizard's Communion? And how many?

Nahh...awareness and observation rolls...
Unless you have any complaints, I'm not interested in inflicting another botch risk on Fiona here... :smiley:

Aren't Awareness and Observation the same rolls?

Regardless.

Awareness roll: Per 0 + Awareness 3 + die roll of 0 (botch check is a 9) = 3.

Observation roll: Per 0 + Awareness 3 + die roll of 9 = 12.

Indeed they are, but in fairness, I asked for a couple. So naming them seemed reasonable.

The Tytalus in me wants to say, you mean irregardless, don't you? :laughing:

The ritual is not hermetic in nature, but the Wizard's communion works with it, and uses a lot of vis, more than a queen of vis.
The fane is also surrounded by a very powerful Aegis, which you are given a token to upon arrival. Before being given the token, the tingling on the skin was almost painful.