Jack tilts back his mug of ale, draining it in one go and wiping his mustache off with the back of his hand.
"Oh, aye, I saw it. Thought I was a big fella, but that sardin' giant was a man mountain. I bet it was near again as tall as two, maybe three of me stacked one on top of the other. Don't want nothin to do with 'em."
The big soldier reaches up to take a hunk of bread.
"But if you gotta fight 'em, the best bet is gonna be cuttin' their hamstrings. Anklebiters got the best chance against those big things. Swarm 'em low and run 'em in circles. Those long legs got a stride for miles, they don't be turnin' too fast. Or maybe stick 'em with arrows from more than one side. Can't be hard to hit but you gotta stick 'em where it stings."
"You can say that again. And that's just dealin' with one of 'em. A pack of 'em comes on you, you best just run," responds Jack after a rough swallow of bread. He gestures with a thumb down to the end of the table where the magi are sitting.
"Thems the ones that deal with the giants best. Them and their workings."
Ealhstan nods until noticing Caela staring daggers at them, to which he responds in Latin, âHave anything to add, young apprentice?â before tilting his mug sharply to his lips not quite hiding the smile on his face or his wink at Jack.
«Maybe you should go upstairs and compare battle strategies with Wilfred. He knows what he is talking about,» says Caelha drily. «Or first, maybe, if you would be so kind; fetch the tablets for healing spells for you friend here. They are in the library.» Then she quickly turns back to her sodales, «where were we?»
Ealhstan, having spent a few days here already, knows that on the second floor, there is the kitchen and a common room where the covenfolk usually eat. On the third floor there turb barracks and two small sanctums for the redcaps who are not currently present. You would expect to find Wilfred and the rest of the turb on one of these floors. On the fourth floor, there is a library, council room, and a cramped haphazard lab. The remaining three floors are sanctums for the Gifted, also absent, magi. (Others will learn this later.) The present, first floor, is already above ground; there is probably a basement underneath, but its entrance is not obvious.
Ealhstan tips his mug even further drinking the last and places it back on the table with a satisfied but small burp, "C'mon Jack. Let's see how lax the security of this library is." His wide grin still on his face and he stands and leaves, heading up towards the library.
"Library? Don't read so don't use a library. Well except when I need something to wipe my ...." The large grog shuts his mouth as he looks down the table toward Luciu.
Jack stands to follow after Ealhstan, snagging a hunk of cheese from the table to eat on the way.
âSo Caela, do you have accommodation available or do I need to sleep under canvas? How about use of your library, is it open for our use?â Asks Janus with his usual lack of tact.
We have room for everyone indoors, but no space for privacy. We use the rooms we have. When the rest of the reinforcements arrive, it will be quite cramped. Osgar and Mildburg will help you settle in.
She introduces you to the middle-aged couple who seems to be running the household.
The library is here to help us all prepare the war effort, so of course you can use it to study. No copying without express permission of course. I am sure you are tired after the journey so we can discuss the war effort tomorrow.
Osgar and Mildred show you around, and you see the floors that Ealhstan already knew. Spare beds are found both in the sick room and the barracks, and made up in the council room and smaller rooms adjoining the library.
Clarissa is still waiting to examine Luciu, but with the bind wound spell, he may not care until sunset, possibly. Does anyone use a casting tablet from the library? Caelha will offer to cast the purification if you are in doubt, but probably one of your own lot has better arts.
You will learn that there are the three senior covenfolk, Osgar the autocrat, Mildred the stewardess, and Clarissa the head chirurgeon. There is a turb of half a dozen, and half a dozen servants. There are also four rangers who are expected back in the evening, spending the day foraging, probably fishing.
The library at Ungulus
Tablets
The chirurgeonâs healing touch CrCo20
heal heavy wound CrCo30
heal incapacitating wound CrCo35
Purification of the festering wounds CrCo20 (+9 recovery bonus
Inexorable Search InCo20 +21 penetration
Leap of Homecoming ReCo35
Aegis of the Hearth L25 +26 penetration
Lab Texts for Lesser Enchanted Devices
Invisibility Cloak [canon spell]
Flaming Sword [canon spell]
Incendior Homine CrIg40 [Cov:53]
Weightless Chain [canon]
Flying Broomstick Cr(Re)Au39
(also explains how to get a +5 shape bonus to flight from the broom)
based on Wings of the Soaring Wind Cr(Re)Au30, maintains concentration and 12 uses/day
Tractatus
Area Lore: Highlands Q10 (10C) +Q8 (9C)
Area Lore: Scottish Lowlands Q11 (10C)
Area Lore: Scottish Lowlands (Q7) The March in Loch Leglean by Vera the Redcap, dated Ungulus 1012
Area Lore: Wales Q9 (10C)
Area Lore: Northumbria Q11 (10C)
Area Lore: Northumbria (Q7) Battles in Northumbria by Vera the Redcap, dated Ungulus 1012
Area Lore: Mercia (Q8): The Cleansing of Mercia by Tacitus of Tremere, dated Ungulus 1012
Diedne Lore: Know thy enemy by Tacitus of Tremere Q8, dated Blackthorn 1010
Finesse 2xQ10
Penetration 2xQ10
Magic Lore Q11 (10C)
Magic Lore Q10 Legacy of the Lochs by Ulma filia Pralix 889
Luciu greets Janus politely, and listens to his story with interest, but has little to say, only the encouraging listening noises a storyteller expects.
He only comments that he hasn't seen the battlefield Janus mentioned, but he will need to go inspect it when he is healthy.
"I've been tasked to check every battlefield, magical site, and covenant I can, if they might have Diedne influence or effects left behind." He says. "But with a hostile lord in control of most of the territory, we'll need to be careful."
Ignoring Caelha, except for his smile growing even wider as we walks out of the room, Ealhstan ascends to the library with or without Jack and asks for the casting tablet.
Ealhstan grabs the casting tablets for both the spells mentioned. âWe really should do something about you being able to read, Jack. We can be of much greater service to the magi if we have that skill⊠and it is much harder for them to keep things from us when we know it. How good is your Latin?â
Then, leading Jack he heads back to where he left the others still sitting in the room they were all eating in, but approaches them when he finds them along the way wherever they are on their tour of the tower.
"I get by. Grew up in Cad Gadu, ya know. My old sergeant said I better learn it if I was gonna make anything of myself watchin over them maguses. Understand Latin [4] better than I do Welsh [2] if I'm honest."
The big soldier chuckles.
"Besides. Covenant ladies like a little Latin when you take a tumble with 'em. Makes ya sound sophistificated."