OK, we've got to adjust the effective level for Range, which would be Touch (assuming Duration Conc. and Target Circle), which is one magnitude downwards, making the ward effective against Might less than 5. I'm going to give you the whole roll, though (17), and say the ward is level 9 instead.
In any event, the ghosts prove unable to enter the circle. They look almost confused (they don't really express emotions, as far as you can tell to this point), but eventually walk around the circle and continue on the original path.
"Well, if you insist. Let's start getting an idea of their Might."
He begins casting what is clearly a Rego Mentem spell.
[(Rego 7 + Mentem 6 + Sta 1 + Aura 4 + die 18 (invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3135090/))/2 = 18. Target level 5 for a level 5 Ring of Warding Against Spirits (affects spirits of Might 5 or less).]
He observes the results for a minute, then follows it up with another spell:
[(Rego 7 + Mentem 6 + Sta 1 + Aura 4 + die 6 (invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3135095/))/2 = 11. Target level either 3 or 7, depending on whether the ghosts were blocked by the first ward or not.]
Tasia will check the two endpoints, wondering if there is Vis there. She'll start with the one where they are depositing things. She'll use InVi to try to sense the presence, amount, and Art of Vis by the best sense she can using concentration to examine the spots, resting a couple minutes between the two castings.
(Sta 1 + In 11 + Vi 10 + Talisman 2 + Aura 4 + Roll 7)/2 = 18
(Sta 1 + In 11 + Vi 10 + Talisman 2 + Aura 4 + Roll 3)/2 = 16
So level 15 at each spot is fine. The Base should be 5, making it 10 with Concentration. Touch would make that 15, which can be handled, while she doesn't have enough for Smell.
Tasia will run her hands over the points with which she is concerned to see if she can find anything there.
The ghosts appear, after two castings, to have Might 5.
As for vis, nothing...but remember that the ghosts have only been at it for a few minutes. On reflection, it occurs to Tasia that, if the ghosts were depositing vis, the vis from earlier months would still be there, and it obviously isn't--either there's no vis source, or someone else is harvesting it, or it doesn't become vis unless some ritual is performed.
"Does anyone have any thoughts about these ghosts? For our purposes, they seem to be insignificant. I suppose that could change if we block their route."
"Certainly so far, they appear to be largely "decorative". Theodoric did speak of them occasionally moving solid objects, and possibly affecting people's minds, though. I'd like to wait the rest of the night before coming to any firm conclusions. I'm also going to try something else - I think I can get the necessary penetration...Don't talk to me whilst I'm doing it, or I'll almost certainly drop it."
He walks over to the pile of goods next to the tree line, pokes at a ghostly bundle and begins loudly to cast another Rego Mentem spell.
[(Re 7 + Me 6 + Sta 1 + Aura 4(?) + W&G 2 + die 5) /2 = 12.5. Aiming to cast a Rego Mentem spont to move one of the bundles of goods. Base 2/3 by analogy with Rego Terram Guidelines (if you're happy with this), range touch +1, target individual +0, duration concentration +1 = level 4/5. Leaves more than 5 levels for penetration.]
Assuming the spell works, he begins to move the bundle along the path the ghosts are using, towards the fountain.
In reply and before Gregorius walks to the pile of goods Tasia says, "I concur. I wouldn't want something, especially possession, to happen while we're not on our guard. Please, cast your spell and let us know what you find."
This actually seems to confuse the ghost who was carrying the bundle before Gregorius "stole" it. He appears to become angry, chasing after the bundle and trying to grab it back.
[I'd actually been intending to go for one of the deposited bundles that weren't being carried, but I'll run with this.]
Gregorius was concentrating deeply on walking and moving the bundle; the sudden chill of the ghost passing through him and grabbing at his ghostly load with equally ghostly hands disrupts this, and he loses the spell. [Sta 1+ Con 0 + die 3 invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3144751/ = 4, not nearly enough.]
He pauses and remarks to anyone in earshot,
"Well, it's definitely possible to get their attention. I won't suggest putting a ward around their drop-off points, slightly curious as I am to see the result. Let's try to redo the experiment with fewer angry laborers."
He returns to the pile at the woods, and recasts his Rego Mentem spell, this time focussing on one of the bundles on the floor that haven't been claimed by a ghost yet.
[(Re 7 + Me 6 + Sta 1 + Aura 4(?) + W&G 2 + die 8 (invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3144755/)) /2 = 14. Aiming to cast a Rego Mentem spont to move one of the bundles of goods. Base 2/3 by analogy with Rego Terram Guidelines (if you're happy with this), range touch +1, target individual +0, duration concentration +1 = level 4/5. Leaves more than 5 levels for penetration.]
He begins trying to move the goods towards the fountain again.
My miscommunication--there aren't any. It's difficult to tell exactly what happens to them, given their apparitional forms and the darkness, but nothing is piling up at either end: either the deposited bundles are being picked up, or they're simply disappearing.
The result is essentially the same as before--a befuddled, "angry" ghost chasing after his burden.
He's looking noticably annoyed by now, as he tries again. And again. [Assuming he waits two minutes between each to recover fatigue, so there's time for other magi to make brief comments.]
[OOC: I think actually the ease factor should be 6, assuming "jostled" at 9, less 3 for a continuing sitation. However, he hasn't even made an ease factor of 6 previously, and has now made an ease factor of 10.]
He finally manages to ignore the ghostly interruptions, and "carries" his bundle over to the fountain where the ghosts are depositing their bundles.
Gregorius sighs, sponts a spell to detect vis without much actual hope, and then returns to Tasia.
"I can't think of much else to do now."
He seats himself on a convenient bit of rubble, and settles down to watch the ghosts for the night.
[Base 1 + 1 concentration + maximum sense magnitude possible from spont spell. Casting total (In 6 + Vi 5 + Sta 1 + Aura 4 + die 2 (invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3150779/))/ = 9, so sense is smell.]
After some time of this waiting, a ghostly figure, standing straighter than the rest, detaches himself from the stream somewhere around the central plaza, and strides confidently towards the watching magi.
"I say, should we try communicating with the directly?" asks a slightly loopy Patrick, a few minutes before the ghost approaches us.
He casts a few more spells (ooc: provided someone else will roll the dice for me, or accept that they care cast without a hitch):
The Significance of The Ghostly Flock (InMe, base 3, +2 voice, +2 group, to count the number of Mentem Might creatures in the group, divided into apparent categories -- using his Magic Lore 2 (critters) as the basis for apparent groups. In 9 + Me 8 + Sta 2 + Aura 4 + Numerology book 4 + Talisman 4 + Voice/Gesture 2 = 33+die/2, Addiction roll 5+die vs 5.)
(I'd also want to cast Sight of Transparent Motive, InMe 10, but that is CT 23+die/2, and I can't roll dice from my phone).
Having collected this info (or not), Patrick finds himself looking through the crowds for the sight of his beloved wife, his children, or any of the stalwart companions he has lost along the way. Could he be so fortunate as to have discovered where his kith and kin have wandered to after crossing the pale? He knows it is folly, but he strains to look all the same.
The spells go off without a hitch (as do the addiction rolls). For the first one, it has to be higher magnitude since this is a bigger-than-normal group, but the roll is easily high enough. Assuming everything has been done correctly, there are 323 ghosts in the group, all spectres--but the group doesn't include the lone figure striding forward. As for the second spell, the result depends on whom you're casting it on.