Chapter 2f (Spring 1228): Tasia Is Missing

[Salutor]

@MTKnife

Occasionally someone finds a semi-permanent encampment, but no one has any idea of the location of the Amazon homeland--they seem, literally, to come out of nowhere.

Hmmm. That sounds like it could be a regio. Which could be a right pain to find, if so.

He's ready to move on now. They say they haven't seen anyone matching Tasia's description - has anyone else at all come through here asking questions in the appropriate timeframe?

Failing that, he'll move on to the villages to the north and the south of this one, in case Tasia took a detour - whilst he is definitely interested in finding out more about these Amazons, finding Tasia is still his immediate priority (although they may be linked, he doesn't want to rely on it).

[MTKnife]

Sorry, didn't mean to let it slide this long....In good news, I now have a permanent job, which should reduce my stress level considerably.

@Salutor

@MTKnife

Occasionally someone finds a semi-permanent encampment, but no one has any idea of the location of the Amazon homeland--they seem, literally, to come out of nowhere.

Hmmm. That sounds like it could be a regio. Which could be a right pain to find, if so.

There are certainly other ways to stay hidden (a lot of them magical), but yes.

He's ready to move on now. They say they haven't seen anyone matching Tasia's description - has anyone else at all come through here asking questions in the appropriate timeframe?

Failing that, he'll move on to the villages to the north and the south of this one, in case Tasia took a detour - whilst he is definitely interested in finding out more about these Amazons, finding Tasia is still his immediate priority (although they may be linked, he doesn't want to rely on it).

No, nothing that might be Tasia. The villages to the north and south tell similar stories.

Scott

[Salutor]

[Congratulations on the new job!]

He'll open up another tunnel back to the covenant in a non-hostile environment.

[Intangible Tunnel casting: (Rego 8 + Vi 5 + Sta 1 + Aura? + die 0)/2 = 7 + Aura/2. No botch assuming only one botch die. He's casting the tunnel at duration diameter so he doesn't have to concentrate to cast other spells. This should produce a tunnel he can cast spells of up to level 7 down. (invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4750016/)

Speech: CrIm 4 (Base 1 (an image that affects a single sense) + 1 diameter + 1 Touch (down tunnel) + 1 intelligible speech). Casting Total (Cr 0 + Im 2 + Sta 1 + Aura ? + die 6)/2 = 4.5, so works. (invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4750017/)]

"Guards! Attention. Tell Viola. I will talk again in one hour. May be slightly later if spell does not work first time. Will listen too."

He'll rest and recover fatigue. An hour later he'll talk again, hoping that Viola isn't away from the covenant acquiring the casting tablet. If she is, hopefully the grogs have gone for the next best person available.

[Intangible Tunnel casting: (Rego 8 + Vi 5 + Sta 1 + Aura? + die 6)/2 = 10 + Aura/2. He's casting the tunnel at duration diameter so he doesn't have to concentrate to cast other spells. This should produce a tunnel he can cast spells of up to level 10 down. (invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4750018/)

Listening to what can be heard at the arcane connection: Base 1 (Use one sense at a distance) + 1 Touch (down tunnel) + 1 diameter: InIm3. (In 6 + Im 2 + Sta 1 + Aura ? + die 5)/2 = 7 + Aura/2, so works. (invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4750022/).

Speech: CrIm 4 (Base 1 (an image that affects a single sense) + 1 diameter + 1 Touch (down tunnel) + 1 intelligible speech). Casting Total (Cr 0 + Im 2 + Sta 1 + Aura ? + die 2x8)/2 = 9.5, so works. (invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4750023/)]

"Viola? It's me. I only have a diameter, but am listening to this location so I can hear a response."

(Wait for response, greet new person if necessary).

"I haven't found Tasia, and have lost her trail. I'm going to try to pick it up again, but there's some other information I've picked up that was worth passing back."

"I found a burnt out village . Was burnt out mundanely last autumn, so not directly related. However, the villagers at said that survivors insisted they were attacked by Amazons. Have been reports of Amazon raids for generations, but have become much more active in this area recently instead of more normal south-east. They take slaves and loot, but also the occasional young girl. Rumours of magic being used in attacks, although may not be reliable and aren't detailed. Coupled with the young girls I'm wondering if they're being taken for apprentices, though. Temporary camps but no known homeland - they seem to come out of nowhere."

He pauses to see if Viola has any comments or questions.

[MTKnife]

[OK, I admit this time I've procrastinated because I wasn't sure how Viola would respond. ]

@Salutor

[Congratulations on the new job!]

[Thanks. ]

He'll open up another tunnel back to the covenant in a non-hostile environment.

"Viola? It's me. I only have a diameter, but am listening to this location so I can hear a response."

(Wait for response, greet new person if necessary).

Viola is in fact there.

"I haven't found Tasia, and have lost her trail. I'm going to try to pick it up again, but there's some other information I've picked up that was worth passing back."

"I found a burnt out village . Was burnt out mundanely last autumn, so not directly related. However, the villagers at said that survivors insisted they were attacked by Amazons. Have been reports of Amazon raids for generations, but have become much more active in this area recently instead of more normal south-east. They take slaves and loot, but also the occasional young girl. Rumours of magic being used in attacks, although may not be reliable and aren't detailed. Coupled with the young girls I'm wondering if they're being taken for apprentices, though. Temporary camps but no known homeland - they seem to come out of nowhere."

He pauses to see if Viola has any comments or questions.

Viola appears uncharacteristically concerned. "I really don't know anything about Amazons. I'll see if there's anything in our library, and perhaps, when we go to trade for a casting tablet, another covenant might have information."

Assuming you open the tunnel again, Viola reports that there's nothing in the library covering lands that far east.

Scott

[Salutor]

Gregorius searches the burnt out village more throughly, looking to see if there's any sign of Tasia (or anyone else). If he doesn't find anything there, he'll backtrack to where he knows she was last seen, and explore out in different directions, trying to pick up the trail again. If that fails, he'll just start heading east again.

[MTKnife]

Unfortunately, there's no trail to be found--or at least no trail that he finds.

Once Gregorius presses eastward, he discovers more intact villages--including one that managed to fend off a substantial Amazon attack. The villagers there are understandably wary of strangers.

Scott

[Salutor]

Gregorius will allow himself to look impressed (although not overwhelmedly so). Did they kill many of them in the process?

He'll also pay attention to whether the villagers seem to be followers of a divine religion.

(What he really wants here is access to amazonian body parts that haven't been given a proper buriel and can therefore be used to summon up their ghosts. He's not about to start saying that to the villagers, though.)

[MTKnife]

@Salutor

Gregorius will allow himself to look impressed (although not overwhelmedly so). Did they kill many of them in the process?

They killed a couple, but forced the rest to retreat.

He'll also pay attention to whether the villagers seem to be followers of a divine religion.

They're Muslims, like most of the natives in this region

(What he really wants here is access to amazonian body parts that haven't been given a proper buriel and can therefore be used to summon up their ghosts. He's not about to start saying that to the villagers, though.)

The Amazons apparently made an effort to recover their handful of dead, leaving nothing for Gregorius to work with.

[BTW, yes, we need to do something ASAP about waking up the other players, or recruiting some new ones. Starting a new job was enough of a source of stress that I didn't want to bother with it before, but I think now is the time.]

Scott

[ironboundtome]

@MTKnife

BTW, yes, we need to do something ASAP about waking up the other players,

Still awake here. Hound seems to have left the boards and no idea of the others.

[Salutor]

@MTKnife

The Amazons apparently made an effort to recover their handful of dead, leaving nothing for Gregorius to work with.

He tries not to look obviously annoyed. Whilst wondering whether it's specifically a precaution, or just stems from some other motivation such as wanting to make sure the bodies of their dead aren't mistreated/are buried properly.

Were there any tactics that were particularly effective against the attackers. Come to that, what were their tactics? Just stand nomadic stuff?

[Ironboundtome: Do you want in to this story line? If so, Gregorius' next call home can easily include a "I'm running into a dead end; some help from someone who can turn into a bird to cover much more ground whilst looking inconspicuous would be useful" request.]

[ironboundtome]

@Salutor

[Ironboundtome: Do you want in to this story line? If so, Gregorius' next call home can easily include a "I'm running into a dead end; some help from someone who can turn into a bird to cover much more ground whilst looking inconspicuous would be useful" request.]

I'd love to be involved. Gregorius will find Fray keeping to his routine and easily to interrupt.

[MTKnife]

The Amazons attacked quickly on horseback. What defeated them--as often happens to light mounted raiders--was that the villagers, having heard reports of recent attacks, were reasonably well prepared, and put up an organized defense.

@ironboundtome

@Salutor

[Ironboundtome: Do you want in to this story line? If so, Gregorius' next call home can easily include a "I'm running into a dead end; some help from someone who can turn into a bird to cover much more ground whilst looking inconspicuous would be useful" request.]

I'd love to be involved. Gregorius will find Fray keeping to his routine and easily to interrupt.

Why don't we do that right now, then?

Scott

[Salutor]

Nothing very specific - just a straight forward fight, then? Can he get an idea of the numbers in the raiding party?

Once he's finished in the village, he'll find another place with a non-hostile aura, and start casting his communication spells again (all the while thinking that he really needs to learn to do something like this formulaicly).

[Intangible Tunnel casting: (Rego 8 + Vi 5 + Sta 1 + Aura? + die 6)/2 = 10 + Aura/2. He's casting the tunnel at duration diameter so he doesn't have to concentrate to cast other spells. This should produce a tunnel he can cast spells of up to level 10 down. (invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4800969/)

Speech: CrIm 4 (Base 1 (an image that affects a single sense) + 1 diameter + 1 Touch (down tunnel) + 1 intelligible speech). Casting Total (Cr 0 + Im 2 + Sta 1 + Aura ? + die 8)/2 = 5.5, so works. (invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4800970/)]

"Guards! Attention. Tell Viola. And Fray if possible. I will talk again in one hour. May be slightly later if spell does not work first time. Will listen too."

He'll rest and recover fatigue. An hour later he'll talk again.

[Intangible Tunnel casting: (Rego 8 + Vi 5 + Sta 1 + Aura? + die 3)/2 = 8.5 + Aura/2. He's casting the tunnel at duration diameter so he doesn't have to concentrate to cast other spells. This should produce a tunnel he can cast spells of up to level 8 down. (invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4800973/)

Listening to what can be heard at the arcane connection: Base 1 (Use one sense at a distance) + 1 Touch (down tunnel) + 1 diameter: InIm3. (In 6 + Im 2 + Sta 1 + Aura ? + die 8)/2 = 8.5 + Aura/2, so works. (invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4800975/).

Speech: CrIm 4 (Base 1 (an image that affects a single sense) + 1 diameter + 1 Touch (down tunnel) + 1 intelligible speech). Casting Total (Cr 0 + Im 2 + Sta 1 + Aura ? + die 8)/2 = 9.5, so works. (invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4800979/]

"Viola. Fray? I only have a diameter. Search is not going well - cannot pick up Tasia's trail again. I think my best approach now is to follow the same rumours she'd likely have been interested in - that of amazons in the area. But I don't have the ability either to infiltrate or fight a group of them without a significant amount of luck, even once I've found them. Fray, would you be willing and able to come out here and help me?"

[MTKnife]

The villagers were ready for them, and were able to deploy in a coherent formation at the edge of the village. The Amazons apparently weren't expecting this, attacked head-on, and were routed. It's always hard to gauge numbers in the dark, but the villagers think there were perhaps 30 or 40 of them.

Viola shows up at the appointed time, and waits to hear what Gregorius has to say.

Scott

[ironboundtome]

Fray arrives as well. "I am here Gregorius, how can I help?".

[Salutor]

@MTKnife

The villagers were ready for them, and were able to deploy in a coherent formation at the edge of the village. The Amazons apparently weren't expecting this, attacked head-on, and were router. It's always hard to gauge numbers in the dark, but the villagers think there were perhaps 30 or 40 of them.

A decent sized force, then (and not one he's confident the covenant could beat in a pitched battle, even assuming they didn't bring more people to hit the covenant, although he's not sure of Fray's exact capabilities to affect groups of people at once).

How were they armed? Just horses and bows and swords/maces?

@Salutor

Viola. Fray? I only have a diameter. Search is not going well - cannot pick up Tasia's trail again. I think my best approach now is to follow the same rumours she'd likely have been interested in - that of amazons in the area. But I don't have the ability either to infiltrate or fight a group of them without a significant amount of luck, even once I've found them. Fray, would you be willing and able to come out here and help me?"

@MTKnife

Viola shows up at the appointed time, and waits to hear what Gregorius has to say.

@ironboundtome

Fray arrives as well. "I am here Gregorius, how can I help?".

"I am at [location, giving useful details for finding from the air]. Would you be willing to fly out and meet-up with me? Then help me with scouting and possibly combat if it comes to that?

[ironboundtome]

@Salutor

"I am at [location, giving useful details for finding from the air]. Would you be willing to fly out and meet-up with me? Then help me with scouting and possibly combat if it comes to that?

"Of course, I will leave immediately."

After the discussion concludes Fray will return to his sancta, set his notes into a neat order, gather some traveling essentials, and then leave to meet Gregorius.
Fray will cast Cloak of the Black Feathers - MuCo/An 30, CT +46 + aura. Then Return of the Master's Voice- MuAn20, CT+35, -15 for no voice/gesture, +5 aura. In the aura all these should be fine.

[Salutor]

"Thank-you. Is it possible for you to carry a very small twig or something which Viola has an arcane connection to, to give to a grog? Then Viola can contact us if she needs to. I didn't think of it when I left."

[ironboundtome]

@Salutor

"Thank-you. Is it possible for you to carry a very small twig or something which Viola has an arcane connection to, to give to a grog? Then Viola can contact us if she needs to. I didn't think of it when I left."

"Yes, certainly", as he nods to Viola confirming her acceptance.
Edit: and Fray will also take a stone or twig from the area just outside the covenant for himself.

[MTKnife]

@Salutor

@MTKnife

The villagers were ready for them, and were able to deploy in a coherent formation at the edge of the village. The Amazons apparently weren't expecting this, attacked head-on, and were router. It's always hard to gauge numbers in the dark, but the villagers think there were perhaps 30 or 40 of them.

A decent sized force, then (and not one he's confident the covenant could beat in a pitched battle, even assuming they didn't bring more people to hit the covenant, although he's not sure of Fray's exact capabilities to affect groups of people at once).

How were they armed? Just horses and bows and swords/maces?

Right--nothing unusual.

@Salutor

Viola. Fray? I only have a diameter. Search is not going well - cannot pick up Tasia's trail again. I think my best approach now is to follow the same rumours she'd likely have been interested in - that of amazons in the area. But I don't have the ability either to infiltrate or fight a group of them without a significant amount of luck, even once I've found them. Fray, would you be willing and able to come out here and help me?"

Viola is fine with that, and with Fray's going to join Gregorius.

Scott