Ok, Phelippe, this time I'm going after him. You stay here and keep an eye on our friend the captain; I'm going to follow the ape. Here, let me cast on you... There. I'll be able to hear you until sundown*, so if you need me, just speak. And if I may just take bit of hair... if I need you, I can now talk to you.
Antoine heads off after the ape, in the same unobtrusive-but-not-sneaky manner.
Hear the Distant Voice, flexed to Sun duration - InIm10 vs Formulaic CT 14 + 1. Success assuming no seriously nasty aura.
There is a level:1 dominion aura here
The ape heads into the crowd, but when it gets dense takes to climbing trees or the sides of buildings to get where he is going faster, and barring some form of magical pursuit will quickly outpace you.
Lacking any such, Antoine reluctantly gives up the chase. He attempts to let Phelippe know*: Our monkey can climb like, well, like a monkey. I've lost him, and will head back to join you. He does so.
A Word in your Ear, flexed to AC range - CrIm 20 vs Formulaic CT 14 - 3 + 1 = 12; success with Fatigue.
I had considered trying to verify that the monkey was indeed magical, but I can't figure out the required InVi for that. Probably can't cast it anyway.
This time, Antoine approaches the captain and monkey. Excuse me, he starts, trying both French and Latin to see if the monkey reacts to either. When he gives an indication he understands the Latin, Antoine continues in that language.
I wonder if you would introduce me to your sailor here? It's actually him we're wanting to meet. We've come a long way chasing tales of him.
As I understand it, the Gift will still be negatively affecting the Captain (albeit offset with AoEP); but Lemon, being a creature of Magic, should be immune.
"Lemon here is our mascot, of sorts. I also have him run messages since he can get through the crowds around the docks better than any man, and he is quite memorable, so we make an impression on the local merchants." The captain offers as introduction before he turns back to shouting orders to the crew.
Lemon sits up on a rail and pulls out a lemon which he begins peeling while he waits for the captain to give him instructions.
OOC: magic animals are not intrinsically Unaffected by the Gift, but Lemon is.
Also in creating Lemon he was described as a Barbary Ape, but was made using statistics for a monkey. Barbary apes are Macaque of the Genus Cercopithecidae, which are monkeys with a vestigial tail, so the distinction is one which is not likely to be recognized quickly in Medieval Europe, even amongst those educated enough to understand the difference between apes and monkeys...
Lemon stands up and seems to be mimicking Antoine "Hello Antoine, I am very pleased to make your acquaintance"
You can hear some of the sailors snickering.
Antoine catches the reactions, and gives a half smile.
Too formal? I'm not used to talking to sailors - I'm more of an... academic. To be fair, I'm not much used to talking to monkeys. Which is what you are, isn't it?
Lemon it is, then. I should explain a bit about why I've been so keen to find you. You see, I'm something of an... academic. A scholar, if you will. Naturally, talking monkeys aren't very common, and I was hoping that perhaps I might be able to... watch you; talk to you, when your duties allow. Find out more about you, that sort of thing. And, because I'm sure tales of academics and natural historians go around, I would like to solemnly swear on my honour that I have absolutely no desire to dissect you, or cut you up in any way. Think we might be able to make something work?
Lemon grins "You can watch me if you can keep up." with which he grabs a rope, which he swings on as he grabs a knot and unties it. The rope zips upwards and he launches himself into town.
I'm not going to have a huge amount of luck with that, so can I hypothetically check some spell numbers? (I'm not in the same place as my core book).
Suppose I wanted to see through Lemon's eyes, so I can at least tell him where he went when he came back. Would that be InIm 5 (Base 1, +3 Sight, +1 Concentration, +0 Individual) - it's the base I can't find confirmation of. If so, I'd be spont'ing in a -3 Aura:
(In 4 + Im 9 + Sta 1 - Aura 3 + Talisman 4 (for Im - I can't also apply the +2 bonus for In, can I?) + stress die)/2 = 7.5 + SD/2, versus level 5 spell resisted at MR=8?
So I'd need to get a grand total of at least 13, meaning the SD has to be 11 (or I have to spend Confidence or fortune, which is... before division?). Obviously, Antoine doesn't know the value of his magic resistance, but he'll know he has one of some magnitude.
Also, presumably it would be a bit noticeable to begin casting magic on a crowded dockside?
InIm has use 1 sense at a distance as a Base:1, however that distance is generally figured as a range, so unless that range is AC, tying it to the monkey doesn't make a lot of sense.
InMe or InAn would let you read surface thoughts, which could reasonably include "what I am seeing right now", but that has a base effect of 15 either way.
Fair enough (although I wonder what the base for "borrowing another's eyes" would be - perhaps it's a Co/Me/An requisite?)
Ok, here's an alternative. Antoine will look around for a suitably high vantage point - say a clock tower, or a particularly large barn - which may give a vantage point from where he could see Lemon's travels. Then he sponts an InIm spell to move his sight to that vantage point. He'll attempt to do so reasonably subtly:
View from the High Tower, spontaneous InIm 5 (Base 1, +3 Sight, +1 Conc).
CT = (In 4 + Im 9 + Sta 1 - Aura 3 + Talisman 4 - Quiet&Subtle 7 + stress die)/2 = 4 + SD/2. Roll: 1 Exploder: 2
Casting Total: 6 vs level 5. Success.
I'm not sure how the mechanics of that work. I have Sta + Conc 3, and a stress die of 5, for 8. I'm willing to spend 1 Confidence if it makes a difference.
the rules indicate 15 minutes per point of concentration ability. So you can follow him for half an hour as he dashes about town, first to a factor's business, then to a tavern where he picks up some food. He is eating on a rooftop when you lose track.
Ok, better than nothing. Let's hope it's enough to impress Lemon. Antoine waits for his return.
(While I could technically recast the spell in 6 seconds, which ought to be enough to refind him as he's stationary and eating, I'm guessing that's not within your intention for playing fair here)