Heinrich returns to Ad Fons with notes of reported behavior of Boris with Ad Fons associated merchants and suppliers. He immediately reports Krispin's whereabouts and suggests a team to go and follow up Alberich's tracking of the caravan.
Krispin bobs his head and bows slightly. [color=red]I have some small skill, sir, although the boy's injury wasn't so bad as it looked. Still, I must admit that I’m intrigued, for I do think I have enough skill to serve a small village. What would my duties be here? And what manner of place is this? Why a new village so far out of the way?
And, well sir, I've still got a bit of wanderlust in my feet. You're telling me I couldn't leave at all?
Henrich can assemble a team of rather experienced guards to follow him leaving the covenant in hands of the village militia. How many men are taken? If a great party is taken then there will take some time to get ready.
Boris smiles. [color=red]You have many questions apothecary. And yet I don’t have too much to give as an answer, we run a kind of secret operation here. I am not to keen on information getting out of here. The other men here have worked for us for several years and you are our most recent arrival. I can’t promise you time of from this location but I can promise you a good pay. Answers come later when I know if I can trust you.
Heinrich asks of his sodales - [color=red]Anyone coming? He grins widely.
[color=blue]If the new guy is already here at this point, he introduces himself and asks him if he likes to get out in the field despite all his tools.
Max, what would the caravan have numbered - loosely-speaking?
Heinrich would organize a group of six lighter, more-likely-to-be-stealthier guards possibly a few more for a very large caravan.
Justus can't come. Four wagons left Kolberg with cargo and perhaps 8-12 men.
I am presuming Mariella and Ardeth are busy with their trip to the baltic. Siegfried the swordsmith is available and is probably more skilled than most of our grogs
What kind of man is Boris? What does he look like? Anything unique or interesting about him?
[color=red]Understandable, my lord. I must admit, I am quite low on funds. Perhaps it’s time for me to settle down, find a little wife, that sort of thing. Does the village already have space for me, or would I have to build my own home from scratch?
Krispin has no intention of staying on as the village apothecary, but he needs a little more time, and maybe more resources. I've got a plan, but I'll have to act quickly. Does it look like the caravan is turning around and heading back? If so, when, and does it look like Boris is going with them?
Henrich can with ease travel to Boris village in the forest with his men. The covenant grogs is chosen amongst those who have been around for a while, no hardened veterans but at least men who have seen their share of strange things.
[color=red]The village has a house that your shop can be fitted into. I will give you an assistant that will help you settle down your shop, start digging a garden an such. Make sure to get something to write upon if you wish to send for some supplies when the caravan returns. It will take some time for it to return but at least you will get the items. The caravan heads back to morrow.
Now let me show you your new home. Boris gestures towards one of the small houses and takes Krispin with him. In the really small house there are a few beds and a fire place and a table. [color=red]This will be you shop and as you can see there is a few things to do before you can start. Now we will go and show you your assistant. Boris takes Krispin for yet another walk.
Boris looks for a broad shouldered man with a broken nose and a face as beautiful as the wrong side of a dog. [color=red]This is Kurt and he will be you assistant here. Now take this wax tablet and write down what you need from Kolberg. Boris hand Krispin a wax tablet.
There is nothing strange about Boris, he looks human and have red hair.
Krispin greets Kurt kindly and formally, and then puts the young man to work tilling out the garden.
Regarding the tablet, Krispin begs off until tomorrow. [color=red]Alas, sir, I fear my writing is not so good, and I have only a smattering of Latin. I am an apothecary, after all, not a scholar. If there is a village priest or some such, or an errand boy who can remember, I could dictate to them. I’ll need seeds of course, and basic bandages, and a ready supply of salves - I’m sure there’s an apothecary in Kolberg…
Sorry, sir. Don‘t mean to be a bother, nor to bore you. I‘m happy to see to it myself.
Once Boris leaves, Krispin gets to work. First, he looks carefully for anything Boris might have left in his shop - specifically, a strand of red hair. He Deftly sponts the following spell to help him out.
[color=blue]Scent of Human Traces, InCo10
R: Personal D: Concentration T:Smell
You can detect human traces - dead skin, hair, sweat - with your nose. Traces from different people have a unique scent.
Base 3 +1 Concentration +2 Smell
(I invented the base, but figured it would be about right).
If he doesn’t find anything, well, he’ll have work to do tonight. Where does Boris sleep? His work here is almost complete, but this part will be the most dangerous and - he suspects - the most necessary.
Before nightfall, he takes a tour of the town, looking carefully at everything and surreptitiously taking seemingly mundane things - a brick, a shaving of wood from a table, a small branch from a tree. He gathers about six in total, making sure to get something from the buildings in the town that look most important.
Boris replies. [color=red]I will send a errand boy to you in the morning. I need you here so I can’t at the moment let you go, I can’t tell you more at the moment.
Sadly nothing useful can be detected from Boris at this moment. Krispin can with ease gather six items while looking as he is gathering material for his shop. There seems not to be any special buildings in the small village except for the one that Boris sleeps in. The other building serves as either storehouses or sleeping quarters there seems that there is a house could hold five men but they and Boris are at some other location. Krispin can find a woman who serves in the village as some form of servant she is at the moment washing and repairing clothes for the men. There are also a number of men from the caravan and others that wait or work in the village.
So Boris is sleeping in the village tonight? If so, let the preparations begin. After sunset, Krispin sponts a Personal version of Eyes of the Cat (MuCo4), as well as Intuition of the Forest should a hasty escape be necessary. Hopefully not, but one never knows.
Then, he waits. When the dead of night is upon the village, Krispin slips nonchalantly out of the house and off to where Boris sleeps, his mottled brown worker's clothes dark against the night sky. He looks carefully for guards, watching the house in silence for a while until he's sure that everyone is asleep.
[color=blue]Any guards?
Yes a few but they seem to not be too worried that something might happened, though they seem but well equipped and professional. One of them always keeps Boris house and the one of the other houses with lots of bed under guard. There are four guards in total.
Hmmm. Other house with a lot of beds? A barracks?
In any case, to the task at hand. There's only one guard on the house where Boris sleeps? Does the house have windows such that Krispin get a glimpse inside without alerting the guard? If so, Krispin will Deftly Wizard's Leap into the house.
If not, he'll Leap into a stealthy position near the guard and, when the guard's attention is distracted, hit him with a Quiet Call to Slumber.
Barrack that the word, yes the house next to Boris does hold quite a few men. Krispin is forced to leap a head and put the guard to sleep. There are some windows but they are small and there where little room for Krispin to manoeuvre with out the guard spotting him. Krispin now stands in front of Boris house and all is quiet. You could leap inside if you wish.
[color=blue]Great Siegfried is along, too, then. I am averting my eyes 8) so as to not know what exactly is happening with Krispin yet.
We will attempt to rendezvous with our scout and we will loiter if possible within suitable visual range. Heinrich would send a scout only as befits a wayfarer travelling between villages and undercover of the night, but nothing horribly cloak-and-dagger as we are only a backup team for Krispin.
I will do so, being careful to first lean the guard against the side of the building, as if he fell asleep on duty. Once inside, I'll check to make sure Boris is asleep, and then I'll look carefully for strands of his red hair, taking care to be very quiet.
If all goes well, I'll collect the hair, Leap out, and head back to my shop with no one the wiser. That's a big if...
Krispin leap into Boris house and move very stealthy and approaches Boris bed he seems to be snoozing quite good. There seems to be no loose hair but with a sharp knife Krispin could cut of some but then where is there a knife and will Boris wake up?
Henrich observes the entire seen from the forest and have seen Krispin take out the guard. There seems to be another guard heading for the sleeping one.
I think it's reasonable to assume Krispin has a knife on him, for eating and common uses. It’s probably dulled from wear, but it’s all he has available. We’ll just have to hope Boris doesn’t wake up. He casts the following precautionary spell, casting it quietly but with exaggerated gestures. Hopefully he's quiet enough...
[color=blue]Incomprehensible Words of the Newly Awoken, MuIm4
R: Touch D: Diameter T: Part
Any vocal sounds the target makes come out sounding like snoring.
(Base 1, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter, +1 Part)
(Muto 6 + Imaginem 2 + Stamina 2 - 5 Quiet +1 Exaggerated Gestures = 6+stress.) So it should go off unless I roll a 0 or botch.
Then, he uses his eating knife, trying to keep it clean and to use the sharpest part, to cut a small lock of hair from Boris’ head without awakening him. If Boris does awaken, Krispin casts Call to Slumber on him ASAP.
For tracking purposes, I believe I’m down one short-term fatigue from the spell I just sponted, unless I rolled quite badly on one of the Leaps or Call to Slumber.
Krispin begins casting his first spell but is unable to penetrate Boris magical resistance, a firm resistance can be felt. It is not the gesturing that awakes Boris but the magic who tries to affect him. Boris wakes up but Krispin is able to pick a lock of hair before Boris knows what hit him.
As Boris emerges from the bed Krispin takes a step back and cast his spell but he can’t penetrate the magical resistance this time either. Boris looks at Krispin and shouts; [color=red]Traitor! And begins to chance form, Boris skin crackle and flames begin to leap up from beneath and in a moment Boris look like a horrible burning abomination with fire leaping out of his mouth with every breath. Boris looks at Krispin and seems like he is summoning some power.
Any evidence of Hermetic gestures and the like? In any case, I have no intention of sticking around. Krispin uses a Deft Wizard’s Leap to teleport out of the house, as far away as possible. If it looks like he has time, he’ll teleport home and grab his sack of Arcane connections to the village. If not, he heads straight off into the forest, using regular Leaps to put some distance between himself and Boris, and confuse pursuit. It’ll be painful and grimy, but if he can avoid getting caught he should be able to make his way back to Ad Fons on foot.