Thadeus whistles, looking at the other magi with respect in his eyes. "That strong a force and they couldn't even get a message out? They must have fallen to some sort of ambush."
"Or they're doing well, and it's the redcap who fell into problems. But yes, chances are you're right. On the bright side, a hundred men is hard to hide, unless they're not in the mundane realm anymore. They could be easily seen from above. Alive or dead."
Cath'rinne seems to realize something. We're getting side tracked.
"And welcome, Thadeus... what House are you? If you don't mind, Caelha, before we discuss the logistics of the rescue mission, we were having an important conversation about starting a covenant. It's a conversation I'd like to finish."
"I'm from the lineage of Pralix. As I was telling Caelha, I am just arrived back to Stonehenge, after spending the last decade with my master in the eastern Rhine. I completed my apprenticeship just a few years ago, and wanted to help protect my sodales -- current and future -- from the Diedne. I might be of some help, for scouting mostly, but I am not a great combat magus."
"Starting a new covenant? That sound interesting as well. I might be able to help there as well. I'm good at identifying magical things -- like auras and sites."
"Welcome, welcome!" greets Thom with a broad smile. "Lineage of Pralix even. That's interesting!"
The Merinita grins again as he looks from Thadeus to Cath'rinne and then to others.
"We might be able to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. The Diedne are on the run it seems. Giants heading back north like the one we saw near the Wall. Could be that we can find a suitable spot with a strong aura and resources up past Dumfries. Thadeus could be just the thing we need in the hunt to find the right location. Might even be notes in the library here about such places. That region's still in Stonehenge's sanctioned area, isn't it?"
āThree mature combat capable magi, close to 120 mundane warriors six with invested items and no word for seasons!ā Janus looks around the room and asks āwhich of you would regard themselves as combat capable, say against an opponent like myself, as a ten year past gauntlet fire Mage?ā His gaze sweeping the group hope showing in his every feature.
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Thadeus snorts, "I wouldn't, for sure. But like I said, they probably fell to an ambush."
"Point is, we don't know. Without knowing, we can't plan a rescue. Do we have arcane connections to some of the missing? Not just the magi, could be grogs. Do we have a spell that would help locate them? Or know if they are alive? That would help."
"Information first. Plan after."
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āI agree, but peopleās capabilities is key information to understand before we make any planā replies Janus
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"If the question is do I think myself capable of defeating a group capable of defeating that group, and that survives relatively unharmed? The answer's no, quite frankly. But we don't know that this occured." with a nod to Thadeus. "We don't know that the group is defeated, nor that an enemy who succeeded in fighting them off is not gruesomly weakened. It's possible both sides are crucially weakened, and whoever's left from the original group is still onsite hoping he can come back with a victory. It's possible they're merely lost in Faerie land, who knows."
"And although I don't have your skill with Ignem, Flambeau, my Parma isn't weak, and my Mentem is strong enough to put most magi to sleep long enough for someone to chop their head off. And I can confidently fight off up to a group's worth of mundanes. Most importantly, I'm a bird. If we can't rely on spells, I'm confident I can locate a group of a hundred person, or the tracks thereof, from a mile up in the air within a few days' time, whether they're dead or alive. Assuming they're not in a regio, underground, or whatnot."
"Caelha, do we have an arcane connection? Preferably to mundanes, prohibition against scrying and all that."
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Janus visibly brightens as Cathārinne speaks āgood, goodā
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Betula looks aghast at Cath'rinne, speaking over Janus, "but finding a home..." and quickly shuts her mouth
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Thom listens to the discussion back and forth, his smile fade to match the serious tenor of the conversation.
"I'm not much help, I don't think. I've got my enchanted bow. It doesn't miss. And a couple of other enchanted tools that could be a help to a covenant but not sure they help on a rescue mission. And I've got a few spells that might help in a pinch. The Crystal Dart. Some illusion and invisibility."
He looks at Janus.
"Sorry, Master Janus. I'm green as green really. Hiding from war does that I guess."
"We will, sister."
Hamish stands against the wall not too far from Cath'rinne, trying to remain inconspicuous though largely failing at that given his size and military bearing.
When he hears Caehla's report, he runs fingers through his bear as he considers that part of Scotland and what he might know about what and who are in that area.
"Probably sardin' giantsā¦" mutters the big red-head quietly.
Janus swings round to the red head warrior āIf you have something to say, speak up so we can all hear you. Any information could be valuableā
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Ealhstan pipes up, a smile on his face, "Jack says killin' giants is easy, you just need to go for their heel and ankles. Get 'em off their feet."
"So, back to those arcane connections. Does any of you know a locating spell? Or have a casting tablet?"
āThis Covenant has a casting tablet for the Inexorable Search so anyone with the required arts should be able to use thatā replies Janus
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"That is good, but not excellent. I doubt I can cast the spell. One of you is probably better at this than I. But casting tablets are more risky, so we won't want to risk using it a lot of times. But it should at least tell us something."
"I believe I could cast that from here. Leap of Homecoming as well."
Me as well, perhaps, it would be difficult, but possible. As far as I'm aware inexorable Inexorable Search will only work if they are living. I suppose that it would tell us more than just their location, it will also tell us that it is not too late for a rescue