So, to recap, am I right in thinking that we have agreed on the following (cry foul if I've got something wrong):
First we recast the Aegis. If someone wants a book, they can put in an order. Likewise with sending letters.
Plasmatoris, Zarkut, Aetherius, and Tastheus set off towards Cairo asap. They bring a couple of pebbles as arcane connections so Lares can keep in touch. Aetherius makes contact with the redcaps, tries to be coy about his youth. The expedition tries to locate the trail of the perfectus.
(Notes: Perhaps bring a grog who has been there and knows where things are, if such a person exists - Winitran? Perhaps bring a Cathar whom the perfectus would likely recognize and trust - someone who hasn't rejuvenated overmuch so remembers the perfectus and vice versa?)
Set off towards wherever the perfectus went, as well as Magvillus - expedition decides on details, but Magvillus is kind of on the way to southern France, if that's how the cookie crumbles. Tastheus does whatever at Magvillus, but tries not to get caught lying and not to invite a quaesitor over.
The expedition tries not to get caught by the inquisition. Locates the perfectus, or another, and invites them back / to the covenant. Everyone hopes it's not some maniac who instakills all of the people Lares has been keeping asleep.
Edit: Lares tries this out. He tries to find something in his lab that would probably count as an arcane connection to his old self, and tries to cast the Tunnel on it to see what happens.
You are unable to find any arcane connection that would last longer than months, and these do not work. Whether they have expired or if it is an effect of what has happened to you would be difficult to say.
How about Plasmatoris's paintings, or the magical items crafted by our Verditius? (I am not at a book and cannot remember the standard duration on those)
By core those are generally a duration of weeks.
The rules in Art and Acadame could extend this to months, unless it is a mnemonic artwork made by a legendary artist, which does not apply to this situation.
I assume the "could not find arcane connection" only concerns Plasmatoris' request and not finding pebbles for the expeditions.
@silveroak when we recast the Aegis (we now have 4 Vigil casters - Zarkut spontaneously -, which should finally be enough), Lares uses Imbued with the Spirit of Vim to reduce the cost by 4 vis. That means he takes 4 long-term fatigue and needs to rest for 4 days. That means he has used up 9 days in Spring (assuming all of the investigations took place in Spring - not sure which it is). He gets his labwork done, in other words, but cannot make any further extended forays.
Zarkut has Muto 5, Vim 0, sta:2 and aura 5, rolls a 20 (1,0) to spntaneousy cast wizard's vigil at 25, which gives a total of 32/2=16, so he loses 3 fatigue.
The ritual itself is cast with a roll of 4, and a target of 8, with a casting score of 28, meaning the level 30 spell has a penetration of 24.
Could you spell out the components of Lares' casting total? I seem to get a different number and I'm not sure where my mistake lies - it's probably the aura.
Int:3, aura:5, Re:10, Vi:100 and I forgot to include (because I was relying on excel which calculated formulaic not ritual totals) Philosophae and Artes Liberales at 1 each, raising the total by 2 for penetration 26.- note that the aura is 5 in the covenant at large and 8 in the labs, but the aegis must be cast in the covenant aura.
"We have a plan. Although since there's no objection, I'll take advantage of that trip to start ordering the basic books for the covenant. We can look at what other needs we may have later."
Once the Aegis is cast, Aetherius will prepare to leave for Cairo, with the aforementionned pebble. "Plasmatoris, Zarkut, Tastheus, are you all coming along?"
Tastheus takes a time in his sanctum to order his papers and letters. He would need to have some proof of who he is and about some links in French territory. He takes all of this before return to Aetherius.
Argentius wishes the travelers well as they ready for their journeys.
"We'll do our best to keep the covenant in one piece while you are away. Please be safe on your travels! I know this isn't really true but it feels like we just got to know each other… I would hate to lose such great colleagues and, hopefully at least one day in the future, great friends."
The handsome artificer smiles and watches the travelers depart before returning to his own focus for the season of studying the Hungry Desert tractatus and his wanderings in the nearby desert to find a suitable familiar. He always takes a grog soldier and guide on his excursions out and is rarely gone for much time, possibly an overnighter here or there mostly in travel back and forth to the oasis.
Lares makes sure to agree a schedule of weekly reports with the others - he will be listening, so the others need to know about it or he will be scrying.
Lares also tells Zarkut:
"If you have something urgent, just make my side beep. It's not hard - having seen you handle the spirit, I am sure you'll have no trouble with this."
He also tells the whole expedition:
"I can cast most everything over the connection, so don't hesitate to ask if you need help."
Lares will wear his side of the connection - two pebbles, one for Zarkut and one for Aetherius? - as a pendant while the expedition is gone, and keep it at his bedside while he sleeps, so he is always available.
Other than that, Lares doesn't have days to waste, so he mostly focuses on labwork, beyond running the covenant. No adventure this season, unless something comes up.