1261.3 - The One that got Away

Ophelia is woken up late into a warm summer night by a heavy pounding on her door. Mistress! calls a voice she recognizes as Ambrose, who had duty tonight. Ophelia!

Keep pounding. She must get up! comes a second voice. A young girls voice.

Ophelia lights a lantern and opens the door. What is it!

She sees Ambrose and Violeta standing outside. Violeta seems distraught. Magus! You must come at once! My Master says it is an emergency that cannot wait!

"Very well. Ambrose, wake the others." Ophelia says as she follows Violeta to her mistress's sanctum.

Ophelia is lead to the tower that houses Laterala's sanctum. She realizes that in the year and a half that she has been at the oppidum, she has never gone into Laterala's sanctum. When she arrives Ophelia sees an exhausted looking Redcap sitting on a chair outside drinking something hot. He stands when Violeta approaches and follows you inside.

Laterala's lab is dominated by a large golden armillary sphere in the center of the lab. Ophelia makes a quick glance around and notices a small set of bookshelves that are surrounded by several ring wards. There are 3 large tomes on the shelves plus what looks like a dozen or so small figurines made of something dark. Either metal or stone she can not tell.

Laterala's familiar, a huge wolf(size 0), is lying on the floor but its head is up and watching your group as you enter. It's ears are up and it seems to feel the agitation of the room and it's master.

Laterala has a cloak over what appears to be her nightshirt. Her hair, which Ophelia has never seen not in a tight bun, is in a single braid down her back. She has obviously woken up not long before you were summoned. She is pacing, head down, back and forth near the wolf. She looks up once notices Ophelia.

Some fool has broken into the Red Library and made off with a dangerous weapon. Normally this would not be an emergency as you would be alerted only if he came this way. But he has fled south to Thebes. The weapon he stole was made to prosecute a Wizard's War. I know it can bring down a magus' Parma. At least up to 8th magnitude, which is as high as we have been able to test it.

It is more worrying to me that Valerian is tracking down the thief. He must not be allowed to get that weapon.

"Who is the fool? What do you know about him? Before I hare off on a potential wild good chase, I need a bit more information." She regards and points to the Redcap, "And who is he to be trusted with such sensitive information?"

Laterala gestures. This is Brodney. He brought us the information and I asked him to come in to answer these sorts of questions.

Hurmmm Brodney clears his throat be fore beginning. My information is four days old and most of it is supposition. We know the library was broken into with the help of enchanted devices. We know that one item was taken. A sword made by Verditius master Magnentius for a Wizard War against Vergilius of Flambeau. As Laterala has said, one of it's properties is to cancel Param Magica. It can also disenchant magic items as well as rituals. Particularly Rego Vim but others can be canceled.

Brodney glaces up to let this sink in. The disadvantage is that the sword must touch the magic item or ward to be effective. Other than that it functions as a sword of quality and thus very sharp. It was Magnentius' talisman so it might have other features that we are unaware of.

Now on to what is guessed. It is strongly suspected that at least 1 Verditius was involved in the robbery. Magnentius was in the Confraternity of Roland. He trained 3 apprentices in his time. Two of which are still alive. The three apprentices of Magnentius trained a total of 8 apprentices that are still alive. It was thought to narrow it down to just those of his line that are also in the Confraternity of Roland. That would be one of his still living apprentices, Master Apollonarius. One of Apollonarius' apprentices, Protaca and two from the deceased Master Tacitus. Those are Master Vocula and journeyman Novius. It was agreed to ignore the ones below Master rank for now.

Of the three remaining, (Apollonarius, Protaca and Vocula ) two live in the tribunal of Thebes. Vocula resides in the Roman Tribunal.