1267-1270.misc Call me when you have no class

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: Stealing the Future
41

[color=blue]"I should be fine," Fiona says as she steps gingerly into the water. Nevertheless, she places her hand on the silver necklace at her throat and says [color=blue]"Análaím uisce" softly (thus triggering the Lungs of the Fish effect in her choker).

She sighs with bliss as the feel of the mud squishing between her toes, and then as the hot water covers her lap as she settles onto the bottom. After a moment, she leans back and rests her head on the shore to let the water cover the rest of her. [color=blue]"This is quite relaxing," she murmurs before she looks at Clement sidelong.

[color=blue]"I've not seen you out and about since you arrived. Have you been keeping yourself busy?"

42

Transporting my lab has taken much of my time. My lab has some special features that needed care.

I think I am to understand that I will be teaching the Technique part of the curriculum so I am starting to write some text books. Most I can do well with. I'm a little weak on Muto so I may have to look in the Library of our other School.

43

[color=blue]"I trust that you have your laboratory the way you want it, and now we can see more of you?" Fiona says, sounding rather relaxed.

[color=blue]"I'm to be teaching Magia Theoria, once we start taking students. And if you'd like some help with your Muto, I wouldn't mind giving you a little one-on-one."

44

That is kind of you. I'm afraid I will not have time at the present to learn from you. Perhaps in the future.

45

Fiona gives Clement a sidelong glance. [color=blue]"Muto is very useful, I've found. I can be very..." she says as she silently shifts her form to become a red-headed man of the same size, [color=blue] "accommodating when I want to be."

She cast The Succubus's Trick silently and with no gestures (for which she has a Mastery). Her CT is 34 + Aura 3 - No Words 10 = 27 plus a stress die roll (due to her Unpredictable Magic). Unfortunately, she die roll of 0; the follow-up roll, luckily, is a 5. So, no Botch, Casting Score is 27, vs. a Level of 10.

46

Clement sits up a bit when he looks at the changed Fiona. That is fascinating!! That is Muto Corpus right? Not Imaginium? Clement leans back into the water. You should be careful about using that around other magi. It would be considered scrying using magic. I have similar spells using Imaginium that I must also be careful with. Mine tend to make the people's gaze fall off me. Not to notice me.

47

[color=blue]"Yes," Fiona says. [color=blue]"Pure Muto Corpus...not an inkling of Imaginem in sight.

"That would be a rather contorted interpretation of 'scrying', wouldn't it? Especially as I make no bones about who and what I am, regardless of my form. Although I can see how someone can make that argument if they were determined to do so. At the next meeting, I should probably show everyone the forms I use the most. Although my normal form is the one I'm most comfortable in. Like so."

Fiona than switches (wordlessly and without gestures) from her current giant male form to her second-favorite form, that of a normal human-sized woman who appears to be in her early twenties (as opposed to Fiona's apparent 41) and noticeably curvier (La Petite Masquerade, CT of 34 – No Words 10 + (die roll of 1, followed by another 1, followed by a die roll of 2) 8 = 32 + Aura, vs a Spell Level of 15. She then silently and wordlessly casts The Succubus's Trick on her current form, with a CT of 34 – No Words 10 + die roll of 4 = 28 + Aura, vs. a Spell Level of 10.

While she does, she watches Clement to see if any of her forms strike his fancy. ((Per 0 + Folk Ken (Men) 4 + die roll of 2 = 6.))

[color=blue]"I'm not sure I'd want people to not notice me. It's hard for people to want what they don't notice."

48

If you were to go to town in one of your other forms and another magus was there. Perhaps you talked to him or her and did not know they were a magus. That could be considered using your magic to spy on them even though you had no intention of spying at all. It is one of the trickier aspects of the Code as it is wide open for almost anything and any mistake.

As she changes forms, Clement looks on with mild interest. He sighs heavily and leans back for a bit before getting out of the water and going to his blanket to sit. He casts a quick ReAq to dry off. (10 followed by a 8 no botch for a total of 34+ aura). Then gets his robe back on. Fiona would seem to think he is more melancholy now.

49

Fiona watches Clement leave, wondering if she hurt his feelings somehow but not sure how. She relaxes in the lake for a while before she gets up and puts her robe back on. She doesn't dry off first, letting it cling tightly to her form, and decides that a good, vigorous shag will help clear her mind. She sets off back to the school to find someone to provide just that remedy. As she strolls toward the school, she decided that whomever she, he hooks up with knows who and what she is. She wonders if Catrina is still at the lounge, and heads there.

Fiona is currently in the form of a good-looking, clean-shaven red-headed man, of average size (at least, what's visible is of average size), and wearing the same clothes that she was earlier.

50

Catrina is still in the teacher's lounge. Her whisky-laced tea is long gone. Instead she is at one of the larger tables, a table decorated with flowers, of course, an open book before her. Each pair of pages of the book contains a carefully-scribed circle on one side, and several paragraphs of text on the other. Catrina's eyes furrow and immediately an image forms inside one of the circles[sup]1[/sup]. This one is a human hand - a left hand to be precise. The hand flexes, forms a fist, then splays its fingers out. All the while, Catrina's voice can be heard describing the elements of the hand and their mystical significance. A moment later the hand turns around so it's possible to see both the back and the palm, and the description continues. Finally, Catrina's look of concentration ends, but the image remains. In fact, it begins to repeat itself, offering a anyone who peruses the book a study aid for the illusionist's class.

Catrina turns the page and the sound and image disappear. She looks ready to start on the next image when she sees a strange red-haired man enter the room. "Can I help you?" she says, though her eyes narrow as she talks to the man. There was something familiar about him.

[hr][/hr]
[sup]1[/sup] Casting Book of Images. Casting Roll (target 15): 1d10+54=63; Finesse Roll: 1d10+7=8
(Simple Die, so the "1" is not rerolled.)

51

[color=blue]"Oh, I certainly hope so," the man says with an appreciative grin and a distinctive Scottish lilt to his Latin. [color=blue]"I'm Fiona, in one of my other forms."

Now that he's (she's?) identified himself, it clicks for Catrina. The shortish, not-very-ladylike skirt, the v-neck blouse/tunic that's plastered to his skin which is the same outfit that Fiona was wearing earlier. Although Catrina is fairly certain that Fiona wasn't a guy earlier.

[color=blue]"I must admit, I'm pleasantly surprised to find you still here."

52

"Well, surprises seem to be your cup of tea because you're full of them," Catrina replies. "You have me wondering what your true form really is. Or have you forgotten by now?" Her smile shows that she's not serious about that. "Though I'm one to talk. I wrap myself in illusions so much that I sometimes forget what's real and what's an image. I once spent a whole day in my night dress because I forgot that's what I was actually wearing under all the illusions."

Then she shifts the topic. "Hot springs worth the visit? I'm thinking that once I finish up here I'll have to see about taking a soak myself."

53

Fiona smiles.

[color=blue]"They're exquisite. They're a little ways away, and I don't think there was anyone else around. The water's hot, but not too hot, it's secluded, and I can see myself spending some...quality time there without worrying about disturbing anyone.

"Oh. If you want to come by my cottage sometime, with some empty bottles, I can provide you with a little taste of home."

54

"I would adore that," Catrina replies. "I'd love to see what you've done with the cottage. And the promise of a few bottles of whisky doesn't make it any less appealing."

55

((I totally forgot that she wasn't wearing her hermetic robes. So, since she's not giant-sized currently, she would have had to magic the clothes she was wearing so they would fit her current form. Base 3, "Change (an) item made from plant products", R: Voice +2, D: Sun +2, T: Individual, for a Target Level of 15. Her CT is Sta 3 + Mu 14 + He 12 + Aura 3 = 29 + die roll, halved. She would have to cast it twice, once for the skirt and once for the blouse. The roll for the blouse is an 8, for a CT of 37, halved is 18. The roll for the skirt is a 7, for a CT of 36, halved is 18.

[hr][/hr]
[color=blue]"This evening, after dinner, then? Or for dinner? Assuming I can find another maidservant." Fiona walks over to a window, opens it, and takes a couple of steps back into the room. He then casts a quick spell (Accio Talisman, with a CT of 27 + Aura 3 + die roll of 6 = 36, vs. a Spell Level of 25), then stands there with his hand held out. Within moments, a very tall (8½ feet) rough-hewn staff of a blond wood comes streaking through the window and slaps into Fiona's hand.

[color=blue]"And the form you saw me in earlier, the tall, attractive redheaded woman, is my normal form. I do have a couple other forms, mainly because either people find someone my natural size a little...more than they think they can handle or because women are more comfortable being with a man. So...let me know which one appeals to you the most, and that's the form I'll have later."

He smiles as he suppresses his Parma and says, [color=blue]"Gu dá mbeifeá"*. His hair turns white as he transforms from his current form to that of a voluptuous redhead, who looks remarkably like a much younger Fiona.

She then gives Catrina a playful smile. [color=blue]"I would actually have to take my clothes off to show you my other two forms, I don't want to destroy these. You don't mind, do you?"

  • This is technically not correct, but I couldn't find how to say "As you were" in Scottish Gaelic, or Irish Gaelic for that matter.
56

"Oh, I don't mind at all," Catrina replies. "But if you're worried about finding another maidservant, I can help there." She waves a hand and an attractive young woman appears from nowhere, wearing the simple dress of a maidservant.[sup]1[/sup] The young woman makes a simple curtsy and says, "at your service."

"She'll only last until sunset," Catrina says. "But until then she's as solid as any person. Don't expect great initiative. But she can follow orders and is passably intelligent."

[hr][/hr]
[sup]1[/sup] Casting Glamour of the Human Form to create a maidservant. Casting Roll (target 35): 1d10+44=49; Finesse Check: 1d10+7=10

57

[color=blue]"That could be a very...handy spell to have," Fiona says thoughtfully as she eyes the phantasmal maid. [color=blue]"Just how realistic is she? And is that a spell you could teach me?"

She removes her clothes with practiced ease and takes her time retrieving her Talisman. She then says the trigger phrase for the Reverto Mutandum enchantment and momentarily becomes an almost-nine-foot -tall red-headed male (looking exactly like the man who had entered the lounge a few minutes ago, except taller), who is remarkably well-endowed and obviously in the mood. He stands there smiling for a long moment as he gauges Catrina's reaction, then dispels the last transformation to become her normal self.

[color=blue]Albus, are you awake? Fiona asks her familiar through their bond power.

[color=dodgerblue]If I say no, will you let me sleep some more?

[color=blue]Of course. Enjoy your nap.

[color=dodgerblue]Thank you. Those dream mice aren't going to catch themselves, you know.

Fiona chuckles as she refocuses on her surroundings. [color=blue]"I suppose I should do something about clothing," she says as she looks at the pitifully small clothes and does some mental calculation. PeVi to dispel a Level 15 spell is (I think) 15, with R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual. (the PeVi guideline "Dispel any magical effect with a level less than or equal to half the (level + 4 magnitudes) of the Vim spell + a stress die (no botch)." always confuses me when I'm building from scratch. They all do, actually.) She can pull off a Sta 3 + Pe 12 + Vi 12 + Aura 3 = 30 + die roll, halved. So, on the blouse, she can dispel up to a level 15 + die roll of 6 = 21, and for the PeVi is a 30 + die roll of 9 = 39, halved is 20.

On the skirt, she can dispel up to a level 15 + die roll of 0 = 15. Her PeVi is 30 + (die roll of 0, with a 2 on the Botch Check) 0 = 30 ÷ 2 = 15. Spot on.

So, now she's in her normal form, with normal-sized clothes, although Fiona is sweating nervously after she almost lost it on the skirt. And she gets dressed.

58

Going with her "go for a die roll of five as my target" deal, her Target Roll for both dispelling PeVi would be 18. She was two over her "margin of error" on the blouse, and three under on her skirt. Checking the rolls to shrink them originally, they were both within the MoE. And those were the only sponts I could find.

59

"She can be as realistic as I want her to be," Catrina says with a smirk. "To be honest, sometimes I cheat and only define the areas that people will see. But with enough finesse, I can also make her indistinguishable from a normal human being."

When Fiona disrobes, Catrina watches, clearly appreciative of what she sees. She shows no embarrassment about it, though she does give an involuntary gasp when Fiona reaches her/his full size. "I suppose the advantage of Muto magic is that you can give yourself whatever physical attributes you want," she muses. "But then, the same is true about my images and my glamours, so who am I to talk?"

The illusionist does not turn away when Fiona changes into female form, and again shows no signs of embarrassment. She waits patiently as Fiona casts her impromptu spell, knowing that it can take a few moments to get those together. When she sees her friend's worried look about the skirt, Catrina reassures her. "Don't worry. If you ever have trouble with your clothes while I'm around, I'll fix it with an illusion. I can make it so that even if you were stark naked, you'd look like you had clothes on."

60

The full-sized female Fiona smiles and does a little twirl in place before she gets dressed. [color=blue]"This is the real me. And Muto can come in rather handy. Especially when someone half my size wants to satisfy me and needs a little help in that department. But my magic is more suited for transforming others than myself, so I had to invent a couple of spells to change my form when I want to."

[color=blue]"Where's the fun of that?" Fiona asks with a playful smile. [color=blue]"Undressing each other can be very...enjoyable. Speaking of which...since I have the services of young Marye here, for a while, would you like to come for dinner this evening? Hopefully, she can cook something passable. And if you'd like, stay for dessert." Fiona smiles more broadly. [color=blue]"You can even choose what form you want."