Argentius looks at this sodales and then takes a few tentative steps toward the desert spirit. He invokes the translation capability of the plain gold ring on his right index finger with the spirit in mind before speaking in a calm voice.
"It appears that you are rather hungry, spirit of the desert."
"Hunger is boundless, hunger is eternal. I serve the hunger."
Argentius repeats the words back to his colleagues.
"Now that's a thing. Thoughts?"
"I remember hearing something about The Red, a powerful spirit or entity, that controls various spirits called Leriahs, spirits of hunger associated with various realms - faerie, infernal and magic realm arround here. Hunger... that also reminds me of our aura. This place may be linked to the red, somehow, whatever it is, but I couldn't quite say how yet. Perhaps we took this place from it's control."
Zarkut muses, "Maybe ask it about the Red?"
While you discuss the situation the spirit flees through the back wall.
Aetherius will go arround the building, asking his familiar to guide him to where he emerges since he's looking from above, so they don't lose track of the spirit.
Argentius will also scurry out to see if he can find the spirit again, following after Aetherius and the others.
Aetherius' familiar reports the spirit exited the building then went into the ground.
"My familiar saw the spirit enter the ground somewhere arround here..." Is there anything arround of note? Would that lead into a cave we know of?
Lares seems to be speaking to no one in particular.
"Try to see where it is going, Albrecht - follow it if you must, as long as you stay in the covenant, and tell me where it emerges."
Anyone with the Second Sight or similar will see the apparition of a thin, middle aged, bearded man floating next to Lares.
He then addresses the others.
"I can try to cast a spell to control it - to move it away from here. This will exhaust me severely, though, so I might need protection if this goes wrong and makes it angry. Should I try? Can anyone do anything better?"
Moments later Albrecht returns, "It has re-emerged back within the pantry, sir."
Argentius nods and heads back into the pantry. When he sees the spirit, he speaks to it again:
"Servant of Hunger. Your actions do us harm. We need you to stop. Perhaps we could work out an arrangement with you so that you may still serve the Hunger without harming us."
"What do you offer?"
Argentius shares the question with any of his sodales who came with him back to the pantry.
"What would work as a bargain offer? A daily offering left outside the Aegis? Perhaps we could find a way to trade food for vis?"
Argentius turns back to the desert spirit. "We could enter into a trade, a barter with you and your patron of Hunger: we provide you an offering that you can devour on a regular, scheduled basis. You offer us in return a tithe of your essence. And you agree to leave our home, our property, and our people alone."
The artificer smiles, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Deal?"
Zarkut had no chance to respond verbally, as events moved quickly, but he gives Lares a serious look and nods, not wanting to say anything in front of the spirit.
He whispers, in Latin, "Careful, Argentius. We don't know the Red."
The spirit laughs, "you offer me what is already mine for the taking."
Argentius looks back at Zarkut and shrugs. "It was worth a try." He is also speaking Latin.
"What next?"
He says nothing more to the Spirit. For now.
"I will try to protect us."
Lares draws a circle in the sand around the magi, casting his formulaic Ring of Warding Against Spirits (ReMe 15). His casting total is 25 assuming aura 5.