[color=red]They were here first. For them, we are intruders to be driven off their territory. Unless that witch is involved... We'll see.
[color=red]As soon as possible. But I'll need to find those werewolf-corpses first. Maybe the wear "colors" of some sort. Maybe the contain vis, which we can use for healing purposes. Maybe I can dissect one and study their strengths and weaknesses. Maybe they were some hot-headed blokes from Aldricks house. That is rather unlikely, but I need to consider that as well.
But first things first, the covenfolk is our most important matter now. I'll be offering condolences now. You will find me with the autocrat after that.
Justus, do you know who can tell me who was killed and who was wounded? [...] And who was cleaning around here?
Yannick will leave when his questions are answered.
He'll be sending the first available grog after the covenfolk that cleaned the rooms, in order to find out about the werewolves corpses. The grog is to report back to Yannick first thing after lunch.
Next, he will ask the autocrat how much support the covenant can give to the families of the dead. I was thinking about half of what the grogs earned for half a year or so. He'll get this arranged immediatly.
Next, he'll be expressing his condolences to the families he knows.
He will ask one of the forresters to see where there are guard- and wardogs to buy. Yannick will meet him again a couple of days later.
After that, Yannick will change into crow form and fly to Aldrick. He'll need to spont MuAn to gain speech.
[color=blue]The season is not wasted for studies. The magi needs just rearrange their time, perhaps work on a Sunday or so. Hope I answered a few questions. Shout if I missed anything as I haven’t read the posts in a few days.
The funeral service is preformed and the widows get their pensions.
Once Mariella talk to Ilse she replies: [color=red]I wish to work for you masters. I felt inspired by the speech Ardath held, it shows that you wish to make some much needed changes. I have seen to many and to stupid men hold positions of power and their woman held back just because she is a woman. I want a work that I can perform even when I get older. I want enough to support myself and my family. I have no husband for the moment but a child is on its way and I don’t know who the father is. I do not seek much power or wealth beyond measure but enough to live comfortably and a bright future for my unborn child even if I don’t marry.
Yannic get in touch with a man who breeds hunting dogs. The corpses of the werewolf’s have been feed to the pigs but some half eaten but still recoverable. The hogs eat almost anything and no one had the time to dig a pit and throw them into it. The servant responsible for cleaning the hall is a small boy named Bruno. He is summoned to Yannic and looks like he is really afraid of the magus.
Good. I want a dozen. Mariella will probably not like this... With a little luck , they'll teach Yannick to recognize a gifted person
Yannick recovers what there is to recover. As he thinks that the pigs that did eat werewolves are not suitable for human consumption, he orders them to be butchered. If there is enough dogs to feed them to, good. If there aren't, the pigs are to be disposed of in the woods. (A small sacrifice to the woods...)
Things to do with those bits and pieces:
See if there is any clues where they come from.
See if there is any vis to be harvested.
Put the heads on some pointed sticks at the covenants gates.
...is the person Yannick would have asked where the werewolves corpses have gone.
[color=red]You did WHAT!?!? A... Alright, that's not your fault, you couldn't know...
Show me where! NOW!
Yannick will be lecturing the boy (or however told him to...)--AFTER having recovered the werewolf bodies-- not to feed people/strange magical beasts/faeries/whatever-sentient-formerly-being to the pigs.
The corpses doesn’t contain any vis or clues to who they are. They boy seems lost to why he can’t feed the pigs with corpses. But seems to fear for his life as six hogs are left to the butcher’s knife. Justus summons everybody before Yannick has a chance to leave and reports that the captive are awake.
Before the messanger from Justus arrives . Mariella continues her conversation
[color=red]"You need not worry about a living for yourself or your child , your emplyment here is secure as is a pension when you eventually retire and we will see your child is raised , trained in a profession and employed here. You have my word on that. There is no need to rush to a decision but I think we can find a better job than that of a servant for you, Loyalty and courage are important to us and I have no doubt we will find a job which suits your skills. As you can see Myself and Ardeth do not care what sex you are as long as you can do the job and you have proven yourself to us.
She looks up as the servant arrives, and grimaces .
[color=red]"Now I go to a less pleasent interview to find out why we where attacked , and who will pay for this crime
She gets to her feet and stalks out of the room obviously still in discomfort.
Arriving with the other magi she glares at the werewolf with a cold and vicous stare.
[color=red]"As I recall none of us can read minds, can any of you determine if a many is lieing. If you can we can procede with a more conventional interrogation."
She looks at the translator and says
[color=red]"Tell him that it will go better for him if he answers our questions truthfully we will know if he lies . He will regret lieing , and I will have to do penance for his suffering so it would be better for both of us if he talks freely"
The prisoner looks as he have lost anything that is worth of anything in his life. Justus Felix asks the prisoner something in Pomeranian. He gets a short reply and then turns to the rest of the magi and speaks. [color=red]The werewolf states that he has nothing left to live for and that he wishes that we slay him, as swift as possible. I asked him why they came and that was the reply I received.
[color=red]"Tell him that there are worse things than death, and I am one of them. If he does not answer he will soon be begging for death. I can do a lot with magic without ever inflicting any actual damage ."
Justus translates Mariella’s threats, though they don’t seem to have any effect, and asks a few questions. The replies are short and spoken in a sombre tone. He then turns to the magi and speaks. [color=red]The werewolves where forced to attack us, their women and children held captive. By some reason they where give the order to attack much earlier then anticipated. Their objective was to strike during the night, but the hostage taker suddenly changed her mind. They where supposed to steal books first and kill anyone who stood in their way. They had no choice it was either a near suicidal attack or watch their loved ones loose their lives in front of their eyes. I fear that if we hadn’t discovered the unlocked door that we all would have been murdered in our sleep. Justus looks quite disturbed by his conclusion.
OOC: ilse... I love this girl Maybe we could introduce her to Hans?
[color=red]I like this one. Maybe this will teach future visitors to be polite.
After the man's confession...
[color=red]Hum... Just as I thought. Their behavior was far from normal. Of course, we'll need to ascertain the veracity of his claims, but I trust him. It seems that there are multiple parties involved here, and we must learn as much as we can about this man. Could this be the same person who attacked us before?
We were lucky, however. I suspect Kalesh's hand in this: We needed a warning, but he would never abandon his children.
To the man:
[color=red]I understand you plight, but you should have tried to contact us. However, in your stead, I may have done a similar error. One is seldom rationnal when trying to save his loved ones. Whatever you choice, I knew you could have done far more damage, and restrained from killing some servants, and, for this, you have my gratitude.
Tell me, if we save your wives and children, and bring them under our protection, will you and your people pledge your loyalty to me and my sodales? As you probably already know, we can be as gentle a masters as we can be fierce ennemies, and I would be proud for your people to also become my people.
Yannick just nods. He is looking very intently at the man as Ardath speaks. He turns away, so the man cannot see his face. Then he starts rubbing his face, pushing his nose left and right while the man answers.
[color=blue]Yannick casts disguise of the new visage in order to look just like the man.
Then he waits for the perfect moment to turn round again.
Mariella looks sceptical
[color=red]Can any of us use magic to ascertain the truth of this story as he beleives it? Otherwise without verification it is an interesting story but not necessarily true. If it is true the obvious candidate for the women leading the attack is the same women who infiltrated our covenant before. I still have an arcane connection to her we should check to see if we can locate her using it.
OOC That would be I think a level 15 InCo spell I don't think we can spont that (base 3 +4 magnitudes arcane connection range)
[color=red]Otherwise failing the availability of truth spells we can only verify this story by travelling to investigate . Which risks an ambush either by the supposed evil doer or a trap laid to kill us by this mans kin. In either case we would fight a battle on the enemies territory where we would not have the protection of the Aegis . Which woudl potentially mean our grogs could be turned agaisnt us
[color=red]Stealth and surprise, huh? , Yannick says, as he turns around, looking (more or less?) like the werewolf.
He aproaches the man and talks to him in polish:
[color=red]Look, I can understand that you think death would be the easy way out of all this. But if there is the slightest chance that your wife is still alive, then you need to work for us. There is nothing you can loose by trying.
Tell me what you know. I'll find the person responsible, and you get your wife back. If I can't bring her back, you will still have enough time to die.
The only way you could loose would be to die now, your wife probably still being alive. I will need to borrow what's left of your clothes, though...
[color=red]It seems we cannot confirm the veracity of the story . So if my Sodali's wish to travel to investigate this story I will accompany you but there is a risk of ambush and we have not had time to increase our preperedness for battle. However the possibilty we may eliminate a threat menas there may be virtue in pursuing that course of action.
[color=red]Great idea, yannick. It could be a great idea for you to carry some false books.
We just need something solid enough, on which we can cast a simple illusion.
(Create the Illusion of Knowledge, CrIm 10: Base 3, +1 touch, +2 sun, +1 moving image: This spell gives a suitable object (size matters) the aspect and "touch" of a book. With a little luck, I could cast this as a ceremonial casting: total (16+die)/2)
[color=red]Mariella, I understand your concerns, and must say you're right in this. But, if this is true, we can't wait, we have a chance, both to strike at our foe and to make allies, and must seize it now, lest we lose it forever.
The magi assemble at the yard of the covenant. From the prisoner a description of the way have been presented to the magi. The illusory book is in the hands of Yannick and you all can see the dark canopy of the Pomeranian looking more grim than ever, who knows what horrors the forest holds? Justus Felix looks at the other magi and speaks. [color=red]I’ll guard the covenant while you three set out in to the forest. I think it is for he best that some one of us remain here to guard and perhaps organise the defence if something supernatural appears. I would have liked to accompany you as I can comprehend any active magic’s that you encounter. Thus we would learn a fair bit about our opponent. Unless someone objects the three magi leaves the covenant with Justus remaining to control the situation back home.
As the dark and brooding trees of the Pomeranian closes above your heads you can feel once again the almost suffocating depressive mood that the forest send out causing each and everyone of you to think again if this really where a good idea. The road goes through the forest and out on the other side to a group of three houses. The houses are of a simple peasant style and are surrounded by a few outbuildings and fences. There is a unnatural silence covering the scene, one can only hear a few hogs in the distance. From one of the buildings the door stands open.
I guess we have a few grogs with us. As he is impersonificating the werewolf, I guess yannick should go first, while we remain concealed behind, ready to act at yannick's signal or if he needs help.
Hans could act as shield grog for me, and alberich to mariella.
We should also have 1-2 foresters acting as vanguards between yannick and us, so we won't be easily seen or heard (being more distant), but will be warnable easily in case of a problem. Same goes for a rearguard.
Given its sun duration, I assume my wizard's sidestep is still in function. I will also have my sword, and a Partial Metal Reinforced Leather Armor.
If yannick could cast a Doublet of Impenetrable Silk on the 3 magi, it'd be great.
He could also cast Intuition on the Forest on our group. This'd probably help us a lot in being stealthy.
Before leaving, I'll also try to ceremoniously cast a [color=blue]Deflect the Vicious Sword ReTe10 spont spell on myself:
Base 4 (Keep metal or gemstone away from you, under your conscious control), range per +0, +2 sun. Ceremonious casting total = (21+die)/2.
Mariella could probably try to cast a similar spell on herself.
As recovery takes relatively litle time, I assume we'll wait until we are fully recovered to go.
ACK. Though Yannick will cast the"Doublet" on everyone, no fatigue suffered
Indeed.
One thing missing: Gift of the bears fortitude on Yannick himself and the shield grogs. (This is fatiguing and would take to much time to cast on everybody)
Noble's parma, but isn't it a Personnal spell? If this is so, yannick can only cast it on himself Which he should surely do.
You could also spont a [color=blue]Ward against Animal attacks (ReAn 04) on yourself: Base 2 (Protect the target from animal attacks), +2 Sun duration, range personnal, target ind
Maybe we could introduce her to Hans? 
, Yannick says, as he turns around, looking (more or less?) like the werewolf.
Which he should surely do.