"Finally." Cath'rinne says to Thom @Bartomeus while flying, when she sees Wulfric show up. "That was quick." she says, as he heads indoor. "I'm unsure how to proceed. Entering that keep unless I know exactly where he lodges is a no go. Using magic on him from here would be hard, maybe locating a lacuna would help. Any idea on next step now that we know for sure those men are his?"
Thom doesn’t have speech down, yet, in his bird form, but he listens and nods slowly. It’s a nod that agrees in principle but nod a nod of ‘I have an idea.’ The tilt of his wings shows that he may want to go somewhere to talk.
She follows.
Thom takes them to a secluded place that he has scouted out nearby, an area high up where no one could see them. Once there, they land and he transforms back to his human form.
“I don’t know. Patience may be our best ally here. Enough time and we could catch his routine and maybe use that against him. If he has a routine, that is.”
“The key is getting our hands on something for an arcane connection. I could get us invisible and we could try to sneak in and get something: hair or feces or something.”
“If we scouted for a few more days to try to see the routines and the people around him. Or if we started taking out his soldiery one by one… It might spook him and draw him out.”
“All with risks, but risks may be what we need to take.”
When Thom shifts back in to human form he realises how bitterly cold it is.
Thom shivers and then casts a simple spontaneous spell (CrIg 4, Base 2 +2 sun to keep himself warm: Roll 11 / 2 = 5. Success.)
“Could you take him out if you had an arcane connection?”
"Good question. Here is not where I would want to fight him. There are a few things I can do... mess with his staff perhaps, but typing him off to our presence could lead to problems too. But yes, I think you're right, let's start by observing some more. We may get an opening. I think I'll try and locate a lacuna... might be none but it's worth looking for. Is scrying through the eyes of a mundane at a distance, or into a room from the outside something you can do? It could speed our investigation. We may have opportunities outside too, if he makes a mistake."
“I can look for a lacuna. If there is a faerie fold in the world here, I may see where it creases,” says Thom.
“But scrying through a mundane’s eyes at distance? No, not usefully. Seeing into a room from outside, perhaps, but I would not trust it for fine work.”
“I am better at being unseen, making distractions, and slipping close enough to use my own eyes. So let me search for the lacuna and watch for an opening. If we need true scrying, I am not the right tool.”
Can Thom give me a 3D6 luck roll, 6’s lucky, 1’s unlucky.
(( 3 4 1 ))
Thom spends a full day searching for a lacuna but has no luck at all. As Cath‘rinne remains on watch at the castle the scene repeats itself the next day with Wulfric inspecting the troops and delivering a lack lustre speech, poorly received before returning to the keep. The melee troops again train under the four knights while the missile troops train under the two sergeants.
Thom rests for the night before giving it another go the next day.
Give me another luck roll please.
On the third day of searching Thom locates a level 4 faerie lacuna against the castle wall.
Thom wings back to Cath’rinne, tilting his head up and down to indicate he has found something. He wings over the location and then guides her back to the hideaway where he can change so that they can talk.
”There’s a faerie aura over there. About fourth magnititude. Helpful?”
Cath'rinne nods. She will test something discreet to ensure to ensure she can cast while flying.
Angus goes with Sionag and Nauvi, following on their feet the couple of birds. The road will be certainly hard and they need to have some food and perhaps fur with their. Tents could be cool, but very, very too heavy.
(survival 10 for Angus, 8 for Sionag)
Survival roll for Nauvi please. (I rolled a 5 for him to keep things moving)
The going is very hard as the three magi head north, Angus copes best but Sionag and Nauvi’s each take a long term fatigue level by the time you reach Cockermouth in around five hours. You see an inn, the Trout, in Cockermouth. Do you stop for the night of push on and likely sleep outdoors (remember you have only blankets and no tents)
Nauvi looks at Cockermouth and says “Let me arrange accommodation at the Trout. We will be much better off by a fire, and may get enough sleep we can get a full day’s travel tomorrow.”