Cath'rinne succeeds in her concentration check. Thanks, cat...
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Cath'rinne can see into the lab as expected. At the far end, she can see a pair of eyes staring at her. It seems that the eyes provide the scarce light that is in the room, and it is hard to see much else. The head, belonging to the eyes, looks like that of a lion. The lab itself is a mess; it is probably broken glassware on the floor.
While waiting for Cath'rinne to complete her ceremonial casting, Betula bends down to pet the cat for a moment when it approaches then, looking as if she realizes something, stands up and begins casting.
[Betula attempts to spontaneously cast a R: Personal, D: Concentration, T: Touch version of Pierce the Magical Veil (Base 3, +1 Conc., +1 Touch)]
Once her spell is complete she approaches the area where they entered and feels around for the entrance she knows and whether there is another level and entrance there, not that she will be able to traverse any regio entrance beside the one she already knows how to traverse.
Betula can feel the old door, presumably leading from the ante-chamber into the sanctum proper, but as she knew, she cannot open or pass through it.
After feeling the door Betula rests for a couple minutes.
Cath'rinne will lead the group into the regio entrance to the lab.
The lion's head roars, its eyes sparkling, and it starts moving towards you with the sliding motion of a serpent, crashing a table on its way. The light is very dim, and you cannot make out the body belonging to the head.
«Meow,» you hear behind you.
Betula, seemingly unconcerned with the large cat approaching from the other end of the lab bends down to pet the housecat, "There, there, little one. Were you her familiar?" Betula watches and listens closely for her response.
The cat meows and grabs Betula's skirt with its claws. It turns towards the exit and pulls. Betula may or may not follow it out.
The lion's head roars again. Did you bring a shield grog? I forgot to ask ...
Most likely we have our non-shield grogs close to the chariot, one shield grog by the open tomb, the rest with us.
I think you left the chariot to move more swiftly off road, didn't you? There are two shield grogs, followers of Obstetrix, so let's assume one came into the regio.
The one shield grogs pulls his shield up in front of him and steps forward to protect Obstetrix, if she is there. «That's a big one,» he says. «It may be prudent to withdraw.»
And yes, the creature is horse sized or bigger, and it does not have a lion's body. It does move like a serpent. It has reached the middle of the room, and studies you carefully, baring its teeth.
"Come with us," Betula says to the rest of the group and then follows the cat out of this level of the regio. She does not move quickly and seems surprisingly calm. Once through and not blocking the entrance she bends down and pets the cat again. "Thank you, friend. I wish I could understand you as you understand me." and she begins thinking of spells that she might invent once they have a place to live and she has a lab while absently petting the cat.
Cath'rinne, seeing the grog doesn't seem confident to handle the thing, will help lead the others out of the regio lab again.
The grog sighs with relief when you are back in the ante-chamber. The creature you faced was massive, and it showed no sign of any desire to cuddle like the black cat.
"How much of the room were you able to make out? The light was somewhat dim."
«Me?» asks the grog. «It must have been at least seven paces across. Looked like shelving on the right hand wall, but the rest of the furniture was trashed as far as I could see.»
"If she was your companion I can understand that great feeling of loss," Betula says to the cat while continuing to pet it, "my father died here... long ago. I would take great comfort if you would join me in visiting his grave over where they buried their dead. Would you do that for me, little one?" One last pet then she stands, looks at the cat for a moment before heading out of the Regio and towards the area the covenfolk buried their dead before the attack this place must have suffered despite most signs now being hidden from the eyes of men, beneath the earth and under glamours or, maybe, left to rot in that regio.
«Meow,» says the cat. It watches Betula leave, and remains to watch those staying in the regio.
Betula remembers roughly were the graveyard was, but it is not very easy to find. Most of the covenfolk and magi being Christian, they put it well away of the magic aura, with a little chapel. Once upon a time, they had a sympathetic priest who consecrated the ground, and even when he parted they tried to keep the rites up. She cannot remember how far it is; at least a quarter mile and maybe a full mile. Just past the White Horse, she can find a path which looks right.
Remembering just how far it might be and not really wanting to wander alone into the forest she stops near the statue of the white horse. Betula falls to her knees, lightly sobbing, thinking of her father weak for the last two years, thinking of Vineus' kindness in giving her that time together by making a place here for him, by insisting he didn't leave. She leans back against the foot of the statue and sighs, puts her butt on the ground and her legs in front of her, she begins taking off her shoes and then her long wool socks to examine her stigmata. The covenfolk left with the baggage and horses are looking at her strangely, perhaps more for this display of sadness than for what they have seen before, lifting her skirt and removing her leg coverings.
[Loke, feel free to describe a change to her Predictive Stigmata (story flaw). The last time that I remember it was described was near the beginning in Calais. I don't believe it has changed since then.]
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[Right there was a story flaw. Yes, you described some to predict what I had already narrated back in Calais. Thanks for the reminder. I need it.]
You do have a new one, on your foot, looking like two men facing each other, both robed or cloaked. One has an outstreched arm in front of him, sort of pushing a big ball of flame towards the other. It takes some time to make out these details though, so others have plenty of time to find and disrupt you.
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