A large grey wolf trots up and sits at Thyra's side. It stares at Garapadax with more interest than the hare and Bartholomeus might deem necessary.
Thyra injects heself into the conversation. If there is enough stone in the area I can make the boundary from it. Otherwise I can just do it simply with dirt. But I would recommend we search the area before casing an Aegis as as to not put something inside that we would rather not. I have done a preliminary look of the area but I was checking the existing structures and places where I would create a tower or two. I do not have thr skill in Intelligo of my Housemate.
"Thyra, that is an excellent idea. Tacitus, yes, please pace out the boundary. Then all of us will verify that there are no surprises within it."
Calpurnia first looks over the area with her talisman on, using Eyes of the Eagle. Then, taking off her helmet, she carefully paces the ground looking for unusual things. She spends more time in the ruined structures.
(OOC: Calpurnia has Second Sight 2 and a Perception of 2, looking for ghosts or other boundaries. For more mundane items, she has Awareness 1 )
Bartholomeus loses track of the conversation as, with a squeak, Garapadax spots the wolf and scrambles up the magus' leg and back to hide into the folds of his robes, suddenly much smaller than he was before. Keeping his eyes on the wolf, he backs away slowly towards Calpurnia's ship.
"I'll take a look around and see what I can see," Galan offers. "I'm blessed with the second sight, and might notice something unusual, if it's there. I'll also have Apollonius fly overhead and see if there's anything notable in the outlying forest."
[hr][/hr]
OOC: Galan also has Second Sight. It never hurts to have a second set of eyes on things.
Agnarr will set his familiar to watch his gear and look to the makeshift camp from the boat, for anyone who might be lacking a tent. If nobody is in need he leaves them without comment. If so, "hello. I am another of the Magi and can create a shelter for the night if you need. It disappears at dawn."
(He's keeping a distance from them still though)
The people inside don't understand the magus' Finnish, but when he repeats in Latin, Maria translates it to German and all the heads shake.
Maria replies, "Thank you, magus. I do have a spell that will keep us warm, although it, too, fades at dawn. I am Maria discipula Calpurnia." She smiles, and it is dazzling. She is as beautiful as her mother is hideous.
Thyra moves to the center of the site and looks around at the site to gauge the boundary and then casts the spell in a loud voice. Rocks from all over the site rise up and begin moving to the edges. While not enough stone s to make a continuous chain, they are closely spaces so the boundary is easily discernible. When she is done she leans on a tree for a short while before making her way back to the gathered magi.
[hr][/hr]
A modified version of what was purposed.
Create A Simple Boundary
ReTe 25
R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Part
All rocks within range of the cast's voice move form a boundary 1000 paces long. If there are not enough stones to go end to end the stones will space themselves evenly apart.
(Base 2, +2 Voice, +1 Part, size +2 Mag+2 stone)
OOC: Agnarr will cast a few Conjure the Refuge from Ice and Snow (CrAq 20) +56, Mastery 1. Rolls are shelter 1: 4+56=60, and then ice shelter 2: 10 +56 = 66 or a potential botch.
JL - It's mastered and likely non-stressful, so does casting twice trigger the anti-monte-carlo rules?
(OOC: Minor quibble, stone is only +1 Mag, spell is only level 20)
Calpurnia carefully watches Thyra's casting, she's always interested in seeing another Rego Terram specialist. Seeing that it was spontaneous, Calpurnia lifts her eyebrows at the power this represents.
"I will be back shortly." Calpurnia goes back to her ship. When she comes back, she has a small leather purse in her hands, with Maria. (Calpurnia has covered her again with the Parma Magica.)
Bartholomeus returns from the ship, this time without his familiar, and observes from a distance. He keeps an eye on the wolf familiar, just in case, but waits until his participation is requested.
Now there is a boundary, Tacitus orders his grogs to keep watch. He then goes and takes a look inside the shelters.
After a quick look, he address the other magi " Have we made a decision on what to do about plague? Frosty breath of the spoken lie and trust we know if we're infected? Use of intellego corpus and vim and hope something would turn up? Or shall we just take it on trust?"
"I am willing to submit to Frosty Breath of the Spoken Lie. If there is but one of us with knowledge of the spell, let her or him first cast it on their own person. We are here together, as equals of the Hermetic Order, if any must answer under a spell, then all will answer under a spell."
"If not, then let us begin building our new home, and say no more until we have a Gifted visitor."
Calpurnia stops for a minute and frowns. "Tacitus, did you say that you had a way to detect the plague? Or are you speculating?"
(OOC: I'm presuming that we've all attended Tribunal, and seen the spell in action. I'm also presuming that Quaesitors first ask a question that is to be answered incorrectly, to show that the spell is working correctly. [This is done if you ever undergo a polygraph test for a security clearance.] )
Galan nods at Calpurnia's words. "I stand ready to submit myself to such a spell to guarantee that I do not willingly carry the plague - provided anyone knows such a spell. But like Calpurnia, I did not think that there was any way to detect if someone was infected. Do you indeed have a way to detect the plague, Tacitus?"
OOC1: FWIW, we have no way of knowing whether the plague spreads only through Gifted people. For all we know, it spreads through normal people too. They just don't know they have it because they have no Gift to lose.
OOC2: I don't know that anyone actually took a spell to detect truth. (I may be incorrect.) That would be funny. Galan has a lab text for the spell, but that's a good ways from knowing it.
Tacitus nods. "I can cast The Frosty Breath of the spoken lie if we wish to check the truth of people's statements. I can use Revealed flaws of the mortal Flesh to check if anyone has a normal disease or infirmity. I can even use sight of the active magics to see if people are under the effects of any magical effects, if you are worried the plague is secretly a curse. I can also use sight of the lazy parens to confirm someone has the Gift, in case you are worried someone's Gift has been destroyed."
"For now, let us start with the simplest."
Tacitus mutters the words to an Intellego Mentem effect.
"Galan, are you an elephant?"
Tacitus waits to see if Galan's breath frosts over.
All points are good and we will need to trust in each other. I will submit myself for the test. Thyra interjects. But I would like larger questions answered before we begin the articles of the Covenant. For example, do we accept Redcaps visiting? If no then do we allow anyone within the Order to know we exist? Is that limited to a time period? Should we wait 20 year or 50 years before contacting the Order?
She pauses while itching the wolf behind the ears. It comes down to why we have fled and what we are willing to do?
Galan is shocked when a spell is cast on him without warning. Yes, he'd consented to the spell. But it was traditional to give warning first and to allow the subject magus the opportunity to drop his Parma Magica. The shock at the spell casting is then followed by more shock that it penetrated his Parma Magica at all.
"A little warning next time," he says to Tacitus in a friendly tone, mastering his feelings. "But I'm impressed. Your Intellego and Mentem skills must be impressive to get past my defenses." So far no mist forms from his exhalations.
"But to move forward with the questioning," he continues, "yes, I am an elephant." For the first time his breath frosts over.
"Well, the spell seems to be working," he notes, his breath reflecting that he believes this statement to be true.
He glances to Thyra, "I agree that we have much to discuss. But I recommend that we do things one-at-a-time. Questioning first, then discussions about the articles of the covenant. I find it awkward to debate when I am the only one under the influence of this spell." These statements all seem to be true.
OOC1: Technically, Tacitus has to roll for this one, since if he rolls a 1 or a 2 the spell bounces off Galan's Parma. But I'll let it slide.
OOC2: If we're going to have to negotiate the articles, I recommend that we do most of it in OOC, as that will go relatively more quickly. If we try and negotiate it all IC, I fear we'll be spending the next six months in real time just roleplaying negotiations, which can be dull. Touching on the major issues IC is fine. But I'd rather not get bogged down in the minutiae.
When it is his time to submit to the spell, Bartholomeus lowers his Parma and answers the questions truthfully.
(OOC: Agreed, whatever we need to discuss as a way of a 'charter' -- though it won't be anything so formal -- it will go much faster if we do so out of character. Though I don't think there will be that much to discuss. Treating each other with respect and how to share resources mostly? I think the discussing will quickly turn to how we want to build our homes.)
When his turn arrives Agnarr capitulates by dropping his Parma and answers Tacitus very directly and truthfully.
"I too was born an Elephant", as frosty whisps flows from his mouth, then the mists ceace as he continues, "however to the best of my knowledge my familiar and I are untainted by the magical disease. And I come here freely with good intent."
His manner is very tense until he establishes his Parma again, and returns to a place aside the group to watch a little removed as the other Magi complete the process.
Thyra lowers her parma and answers the questions " I was hatch from an egg" Her breath steams. "To the best of my knowledge I do not have nor have I come in contact with anyone with the Plague."
