#2 was originally being scheduled for Fall because Andros thought he was doing another adventure that season, which he is not. As such we are not certain that 1) if Andros is involved or 2) that it will be in the fall. Taurus and Evan have both volunteered to help with this quest, I don't know however if Taurus is fine with it being in the fall or if Evan and company's assistance is conditional upon it being in the fall.
Thus far nobody has stepped forward for adventure 1- grogs may be assigned to the adventure, in this case since it is a form of attack on the covenant (albeit not by an army) I will assign grogs from patrol to deal with this story if no other suggestion is forthcoming.
Whoops, I've gotten confused somehow. Aegis, Evan and Clawball will take the Summer Adventure.
Andros is fine with proceeding with this adventure, in the Fall, and as before, will also volunteer to go to #1. Will look at covenant staff for possible "volunteers", tonight.
Taurus would be happy to help with either adventure, but not both. I am a little confused about who is going on what at the moment, so whichever does not already have two magi going would be the one to send Taurus on. He is looking forward to stomping and goring any intruders.
Andros is going to #2 in the Fall, the one with the wrecked ship. Taurus offered to help with that. Evandrus and co. are taking care of #1.
silveroak: We should have the usual 2 shield grogs (Paco and Bonaro) + Fausto (who can swim!), and I'd request the Autocrat, Julien, to deal with the social side, and Phillipe the Huntsman, because he's got decent Perception, can fight, and hell, I want to use Animal Ken. 
Both adventures are single cycle, intensity 9.
"A storm drives a ship into the shore near your covenant, which has supplies and messages regarding plans for an attack on your mundane allies- this may be dealt with in any season, first activity is combat." Fall, 1 cycle, combat, intensity 9.
Archimedes, how do you want to deal with this?
Here's my take: Storm hits, next day Phillipe is as usual hunting, when he spots the wrecked vessel in the shallows and an armed camp on the beach. They are busy getting all the cargo off the ship, still have a few too many guards, and strangely have sent no one asking for help to the nearby fortress. P. sneaks close enough to overhear and learns they are taking supplies to say William, Count of Monte Sant'Angelo, (Wikipedia says he was besieged by Borsa that year and died not much later). He sends back some random hound or bird with a note, using his Animal Ken, this animal goes and finds the guards on patrol, they warn the fortress, and Andros and Taurus rush out to witness this and decide what to do, tagged along by Fausto, Paco, Bonaro, and the much put upon Autocrat. Upon arriving, they get tactical from Phillipe.
Andros who has already cast a number of spells on himself, recklessly decides to confront them (perhaps it's just that he is compassionate also, as there are some wounded men); the men on the beach are edgy, and react badly to an armed man with the Gift, heated words are spoken, weapons pointed, Andros declares the fortress's alliance with Borsa, one or three arrows are loosed by mistake, bouncing off of Andros, and it's on! The much larger party soon finds itself falling into large pits, being walled off by enormous piles of sand, and utterly unable to bypass a gigantic, fearsome and unharmable bull. The group of men that confront Andros find him equally difficult to harm; as soon as he disables their vanguard, and another bunch of men fall into another pit, morale breaks, and they surrender on the condition of keeping their lives and the promise of aid for the injured.
Fausto takes command of the situation and, together with Julien, put the prisoners under guard, treat the injured, and interrogates them further. They are handed over to Borsa's authority a few days later. The Magi take control of the ship's cargo, etc...
Rolls would be:
•Taurus's spell Pit of the Gaping Earth +32 (plus lots of random goring and spontaneous spell casting)
•Andros's Martial Great Weapon (Great sword) 5 + 2 Str.
•Fausto's Leadership (command) 7 + 1 Comm.
Depending on our successes, I'd say spend 1 reward as opportunity to get Hidden Resources boon/Contested Resources hook. Further adventures would yield those 250 juicy BPs, with the added proviso that perhaps we find things that the former owners come to reclaim, whether legally, or by theft/violence.
I await Archimedes's input.
This sounds like a good story, and a good plan. Taurus is all in. If they decide to keep fighting after the pits and sundry, then they deserve much random goring and stomping.
Feel free to make the rolls.
Adventure #2, "A storm drives a ship into the shore near your covenant, which has supplies and messages regarding plans for an attack on your mundane allies- this may be dealt with in any season, first activity is combat." Fall, 1 cycle, combat, intensity 9.
Last night's storm had spent itself before dawn. Phillipe, gaunt and silent, moves like a shadow through the brush near shore. Birds are circling spooked and excited, perhaps a whale has washed on shore. He stops and listens intently. A gull shouts "no-whale with men"? A ship...
There are many men, though they look worse for the wear. Armed. And organized enough to set sentries (a little bird told him...). Lombards. One is giving orders. They are retrieving boxes of cargo from the hulk lying on its side in the shallows. Half-a-dozen lie under the shade of some trees, their occasional moans betraying their injuries. Still a score of fighting men, no colors. But Phillipe can hear them, no love for Borsa, and collusion with Monte Sant' Angelo! He looks back, but this section of the shore is a blind spot for Locri. No one will come, so he must go warn the damned wizards.
Andros and Taurus are the only magi present in the Council chamber who heed the Autocrat's urgent summons, and they set out after his report, dragging the protesting Julien along. "This concerns the fortress, so it is in your purview. There are injured men to consider. Gird yourself man, you are shaking like last night's pudding! Perhaps you'll get your chance to see something exciting!" Andros's eyes gleam with laughter. Julien looks to the skies above, Is this a grown man or an overexcited teenager, he wonders, not for the first time. But...magic! The mighty Taurus, one of the Covenant's founders has come along! The earth shakes in his footsteps. Or maybe it's just Julien's bowels.
Taurus keeps his own counsel. But it's been so long since he gored someone! He snorts, laughs, and sets out, Andros and the lumbering Autocrat follow, Fausto barking orders to Paco and Bonaro to stay glued to their assigned magi.
Phillipe guides them back. His wood lore and uncanny rapport with animals get them past the sentries, who are half asleep with exhaustion in any case.
Andros gestures and speaks words of power for a few minutes, pauses over each man, to no visible effect. But he seems quite satisfied. Taurus is a man no longer, but a great beast. What a day, what a lovely day thinks Julien, that I have seen and will witness wonders. The turb are all business, and don't appear to find anything too surprising, though they all, even Bonaro, Taurus's shadow, keep their distance from the bull.
Andros strides into the open without warning, shouting "Ho the ship, what news?" in Italian, as curses and shouts of surprise greet him. None louder than Paco, who hurries to keep up with the reckless and seldom shy magus.
It's not going well, remarks Julien. Fausto snorts. The tension in the rocky beach had risen palpably. Magi!
Phillipe was nowhere to be seen, most probably with an arrow ready in some hidey hole. The bull had lumbered into the trees outside his view. Negotiations are not his forte, thinks Julien, though Andros can be charming. "We are allies of the Duke of Apulia, Roger Borsa. Stop dissembling! We will treat your wounded, lay down your weapons, and surrender." The mood is ugly. And somebody has a bow. Make that 3 somebodies, one takes his chance, and the others follow his lead. Andros just laughs as the arrows break when they strike him. "Right, you lot are in need of better leadership, but you may yet learn." His great sword glitters with the sun and the waves, as men with spears rush him.
He is crazy, realizes Julien. They are too many. Fausto is shouting in front of him, his great voice giving orders. "The ones in the back need to go!"
Taurus's spell Pit of the Gaping Earth +32 (plus lots of random goring and spontaneous spell casting) _: 1D10 = [1] = 1 + _: 1D10 = [7] = 7, = 46, success
And a great pit opens and swallows the archers. "Wall! Wall those 4 flankers" And a great wall of earth rises, like a mountain being born. Curses are frequent, and the fear is palpable.
Impossibly, Andros is driving six men back into the sea.
Andros's Martial Great Weapon (Great sword) 5 + 2 Str _: 1D10 = [1] = 1 Another exploding die! _: 1D10 = [1] = 1 
_: 1D10 = [3] = 3 = 19, success. After piercing him with spears to no effect, several drop their weapons and flee.
A great whirlwind of sand descends on them, and they fall on their knees, exhausted with fright and sleep deprivation.
Fausto takes command, and the men just docilely follow his great voice. _: 1D10 = [3] = 3 + Fausto's Leadership (command) 7 + 1 Comm = 11, success. The few that slink into the forest quickly return ashen faced with fear "A monster in the woods! I dinna sign to fight no monster".
It takes a few days to sort it all out, the wounded are treated, the dead are buried, and word is sent to the Duke, who eventually sends a large patrol to drag the unhappy shipwrecked soldiers to Reggio Calabria.
And Julien sighs. Well, I survived!
So this is what, 5 or 6 xp (4.5 or 5?), 2 rewards, 2 Confidence for Andros and Taurus, 10 days on the nose. For my reward, I'll pick Opportunity: Minor Boon (Hidden Resources) with minor Hook (Contested Resources). Maybe some Hermetic goodies in that ship (those darn Sylvanians, backing losers! 
) or a clue to where they can be found, or something else. Anyway silveroak has to approve, and further stories have to be pursued to unlock these resources.
Taurus can choose his reward.
*edited to say Andros will choose to get experience from the book he was reading, appropriately enough, Terram! Well impressed by Taurus.
it is a final of 6 xp.
Siderno is an unchartered town which lies 2 miles from the covenant, up the coast to the east. In exchange for their men and your discretion regarding this misadventure, one of the principles in this intrigue agrees to cede the land to your control. Exactly what resources it might be able to offer up is unclear at this time. What is clear is that there will be other nobles who will wish to claim it for themselves in the future.
Evan and Aegis still need to roll for their adventure right?
All right, blowing up some thugs.
First we roll to spot the thugs before our heroes get spotted. Alertness! Evan* has Awareness Alertness(3)+Per(0)Stress(8)=11 Success!
Since the heroes spotted the baddies first, Evan opens up with an Incantation of Lightning! A 7th magnitude spell and total overkill. 38+Stress 6 means he gets it. Success!
This causes the thugs to scatter! One heads directly towards our heroes in a spot of bad luck for everyone involved. Single Weapon (Short Sword)(5)+ stress(3). Aegis lunges at the man. Since neither our heroes nor the unlucky thug really want a confrontation they both flee in opposite directions.
In the end, the thugs are scared off, but our heroes hasty flight prevents them from looting anything or delving deeper into the issue.
Rewards: Reduced Time
Time: Ten days. Base Difficulty(9)+sets of challenges(1)+Failures(1)-reduced time rewards(1)=10
Experience: 6(?), not that anyone involved will take it.
*I'm ignoring Clawball due to his incomplete nature at time of posting
Ignes -- Nicely done story! Thank you.
This came from the Road hook, correct? I think the reward here should be a notch against that hook, as others will be less likely to try our mettle in the future. (If we buy this one off, I'm all for taking it again and a boon to match.)
we don't have a road hook, this came from faerie regio (which is actually 2 minor hooks combined)
Think Archimedes refers to his reward from adventure #2, Mundane [strike]Allies[/strike] Politics Hook, the one in which Taurus participated.
*edited to correct Mundane Politics Hook. Andros is fine with the notch, though that's 19 notches to go, right? It will be a while.
I didn't make a note on the wiki of the notch on Mercer House from 1104. Is silveroak keeping a tally of notches on Hooks, or is there a particular format we should update the wiki with so we keep it straight?
I have a private tally, I have not updated the wiki.
for 1106:
- The Augustinian brotherhood sends notice to Gabrielle that someone is being sent to review the books and reassess the rents and taxes on the covenant (from indebted- spring, legal/diplomatic)
- The mercer house is reporting unusual phenomina, and are requesting that you send someone to investigate (from Mercere house, summer, choice of methods)
- Evandrus' fairy friend has been caught in a summer gale which has led to him being trapped in an unusual regio (from faerie friend, summer, magic)
Andros has a Quest adventure in the Fall, to investigate the Hidden Resources Boon in the town of Siderno (not much in Wikipedia). Unsure how many Quest points are needed to unlock. I'd hoped to get Hermetic resources out of it, perhaps there was an eremite magus nearby who died some time ago? Otherwise we can get experts and resources. Andros requests Pazzino's company, as there will likely be legal complications, Paco and Bonaro, as usual, Julien the Autocrat (to best evaluate resources), and Phillipe the Huntsman, who anyways loves to travel. I solemnly vow to use Animal Ken in a challenge!
Andros will not participate in other adventures this year unless absolutely necessary.
There I go tripping over my own feet again. It isn't really a proper quest, just a PC initiated adventure. We'll call it adventure 4), with the first challenge being inherently social. Are there any specific experts you would like to recruit? Juliene of course has ideas of his own, but the magi's perspectives come first.
1 cycle, complexity 6
Gabriele and Julien should probably handle #1, The Augustinian Audit, with grog support should there be physical trouble, and magus help should there be magic afoot. (Any volunteers?)
Taurus will handle #2, Mercere Mayhem, with a grog for support. (How are we handling shield grogs?) First cycle will be Magic.
Aegis, Evan and hadrian will do the Faerie friend. They'll join adventure #2 if not stopped.