[OOC: I think we're in Autumn 1230 now - does that still hold true?]
Looking at her advancement log, I think that's around the time she'll be finishing the lab quest...and that means a few seasons tinkering with the lab after that, though that's not a complete bar to lab activities.
Scott
[OOC: I thought she was doing the lab quest in 1229?]
Gregorius will ask Viola to draft a couple of proposals for what she can do easily and less easily (but with a more powerful result) to create scrying devices. Ideally they would be fairly portable and usable over long periods of time by grogs.
He'll then move on to the question of capturing an Amazonian magic user.
"We've got two main difficulties - identifying one, and then capturing them. Hopefully the scrying device will help us find someone who appears to be exhibiting magical abilities, but does anyone know a variant of The Numbness of the Gift in order to confirm that they're Gifted? If not, I can cast Posing the Silent Question, but that will require them to have an understanding of the Gift in order to get a useful answer."
"For capturing them...I believe Fray can cast a spell to turn them into a sheep? Fray, can you extend that to Moon duration? Does anyone else have any other spells that would work to restrict their ability to cast or to move without risking killing them?
Once captured I can use Posing the Silent Question to gain information from their mind, although that will be slow work. Unfortunately I don't have any more powerful spells or spells to compel loyalty.
@I have no spells of help in this area.' comes Wishbones reply
While I'm tragically unable to quiz myself of two months ago for an adequate explanation, it looks like things got pushed back because of the need to open Chryse's arts as soon as possible. The advancement log says Winter, 1230.
Scott
Rereading the thread, I think we've probably ended up with two seasons for people to prepare. In that time:
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Viola might be doing things to her lab / Chryse. If those don't take up (all) her time, she might be working on a scrying enchanted item that we can use to have grogs monitor the amazons once we've acquired a suitable arcane connection.
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Gregorius has a number of outstanding questions with Asena - MTKnife, are you okay to pick these up?
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Wishbone was probably going to work on some combat spells or masteries over the period, although I don't think we confirmed which ones.
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I'm not sure if Jesse settled on anything for Timaios?
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Right now Gregorius is thinking about trying to invent some sort of Perdo Mentem anti-trained groups spell.
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I don't think we every solved the "being peppered by arrows" problem - does anyone have any bright ideas there?
The “being peppered by arrows” problem has existing canon spells to draw from in Rego Herbam - Ward Against Wood (ReHe20), with a base 15. Invent or buy a version, then invest it for grogs.
I can’t recall which magus might be stronger at each step, however warding seems the way to go. A longer approach is a complex item that detects and deals with arrows but that’s probably more time and a lot more vis for a complex item.
If we're trying to use it on multiple grogs, that's going to mean Sun duration - diameter would mean we'd have to try and put it up when under (threat of imminent) attack, which would take too long.
At Touch range, that's Base 15 + 2 Sun + 1 Touch = 30, which is going to cause warping.
I suppose it might be possible to do it via concentration duration and then have the item maintain concentration - that should only be level 25 for warping purposes (and then the Item Maintains Concentration and usage per day levels are added on top of that). What are people's thoughts on the item maintaining multiple effects at once from a single enchantment? I know it's something up on the boards before.
I like the choice we need to make - either protect the grogs all the time with warping, or have the item use Diameter and be a little safer. I'd say go for Diameter,
Salutor - I'm supportive of the item maintaining multiple effects castings concurrently.
Any other thoughts on the maintaining concentration? (MTKnife in particular?)
I haven't had a chance to look at the problem in any detail--frankly, aside from the whole issue of getting back up to speed, trying to puzzle out how to open Chryse's arts, deal with the lab situation, and possibly enchant an item all within a limited time frame is making my head hurt.
That being said, I'm fairly sure that no one in the covenant could come close to Viola in ReHe, especially when enchanting a device. The practical problem is trying to do that with an unfinished lab and the apprentice situation.
Scott
Is there seriously not a quote function on here?
It seems counterintuitive to me that the same enchantment could maintain concentration for multiple effects, but I'm curious what the arguments on the boards have been.
Scott
So, as I just found out on the OOC thread, apparently posting the address of a particular post on a line of its own quotes it?
I agree Viola's the best of the covenant magi (at least know that Stephen's gone - his Rego specialisation might have given him the edge). The alternative plan is to get a Verditius involved, especially as there was already some discussion of getting Viola building a spyng device - although the latter is technically less urgent, as it could be done after the mission at a pinch.
There's some discussion of the concentration question here: Magic item maintaining concentration
I'm kinda at a loss for what to do with Timaios' two seasons (partly because it's been so long since updating) - I don't know whether to use one of the covenant's books, practice a skill, or try to study/develop/master new spells. Any recommendations? Is it worthwhile to master Wielding the Invisible Sling or to develop a rudimentary healing spell?
Which two seasons are we talking about? Summer 1230 and Autumn 1230?
The two seasons referenced in this post:
I was thinking of the two seasons after the Autumn meeting (so, Autumn 1230 and Winter 1231). There may also be Spring 1230 and Summer 1230 if you haven't already filled those (I have for Gregorius, but I'm not sure if everyone else has), but obviously those would be without the knowledge of the discussions.
As far as recommendations go...
I'd probably spend the Spring and Summer on improving his Arts, as that enables him to do more later. Post meeting...basic self defense is useful, but as a (presumed, on the basis of being a Guernicus) Intellego specialist, the other thing that Gregorius would be looking to him for is information gathering spells. I'm not sure exactly what to suggest there, though - the only useful lab texts the covenant library has are Frosty Breath and Spoken Lie, both of which Gregorius has and at least one of which Timaios already has. Spells like The Inexorable Search (InCo 20, pg 131), Summoning the Distant Image (InIm 25, pg 145) or any of the various "talking to things" spells could be useful, but I'm not sure if he can learn them?
Unfortunately the formatting of Timaios' character sheet broke when the forum software changed, which isn't making it any easier to work out exactly what he can do.
Edit to add: One thing the covenant does have a lab text for is Enchantment of the Scrying Pool. That's a level 30 InAq(Im) ritual, so relatively expensive to cast and not trivial to learn, but it could potentially be useful given we know the Amazons have their homeland "in" a sea.
Timaios' primary Art is Mentem (8). He cannot reach Inexorable Search or Summoning the Distant Image yet. Really he needs to get some improvements on his Arts before he can reliably hit 20s with anything other than InMe and ReMe.
I'll edit the post of the character sheet to reformat it.
I guess the question is, should he master spells he already has, use covenant books to try to study Arts, or try to learn a new low-level spell or two that might help? Or just spend his seasons getting a little bit of skill in fighting and riding since presumably we'll wind up having to do that?
Thanks Salutor, if the two seasons are Autumn 1230 and Winter 1231 then Fray has another season of activity he can do something, as his first was inventing a sight based Intangible Tunnel,so his (and others) voice/touch/etc spells can now be targeted from much further away.
Fray will need some Vis if the covenant wants some items to strengthen the grogs.
A trinket which casts Doublet of Silk multiple times ballpark level 20, and an Eyes of the Cat trinket ballpark level 10, both simple devices.
If not that then Fray will likely advance his spells or arts for direct confrontation.