Chapter 6a A time of Wolves

Following Justus plan the mages move to the edge of the Aegis , and Justus steps outside the boundary . There is no immediate effect until he touches the blood stain when he feels an attack upon his parma magica and senses the spirit trying to penetrate his parma.

Justus ties to comprehend the spirits powers and then shouts to his soldaes. The spirit is attacking me! If Justus can comprehend the spirit and manage to not have his parma penetrated he will continue comprehending the spirit. If his parma does not hold then… But if he feels that his parma does risk to be breached even though he has comprehended the spirit he will attempt to use the wizards leap back into the Aegis.

There seems to be no risk of the spirit breaking through Justus Parma, it seems to be very weak (2nd Magnitude ) and is not generating any great penetration.
Justus cannot sense any great complexity in the spirit it seems to be a single minded spirit of hatred and rage , but there is a sense that it is connected to something else further away

Justus tries to damage the spirit with daemons eternal oblivion and if that does not work he moves on to sap the griffins might. Once he found a spell that works he uses that to blast the spell into oblivion. Once the spirit is dispatched of he walks back to his soldaes and brief them on the situation.

[color=red]There is a spirit fragment in our wounded guard that we could use as a conduit to the larger spirit. So now my soldaes we have to come up with a plan.

[color=blue]I await the realm of the spirit before the next plan.

[color=blue]The spirit is defeinetly magical, Justus would not have got as much information on an infernal spirit. You actually have 3 grogs and 2 wood cutters who seem to have been affected by the spirit. To Justus it seems that the spirit infecting Wilhelm is more powerful than the others probably of the 3rd Magnitude

The spirit is quickly despatched.
[color=green]Mariella
[color=red]"It seems likly that the spirits are connected to the wolf attack, if they effected the wolves behaviour it would explain their unnusually aggressive attack.

Ardath emerges from her lab, visibly exhausted by her research.
[color=red]
I heard there was trouble with spirits. What happened exactly? Maybe I can be of assistance
[color=blue]
(Did a season pass between this and the "a favor is called for" thread?)

[color=blue]No season
[color=green]Mariella

[color=red]It would seem that when a party of our grogs where out wood cutting they where attacked by a pack of wolves. Somehow while fighting them a spirit possessed several of them . The spirit does not seem to have done anything as yet. It seems to spread in blood so presumably the wolves they wounded are also affected with the spirits and thats how our men where infected it seems likely that the spirits are spirits of hatred or anger and that may explain the wolf attack, I beleive that Justus beleives the spirits to have a connection to something. At the same time a body drained of it's Blood and Choler was found killed during the attack.

Ardeth can see the spirits effecting the three grogs and the two woodcutters , within the Aegis they seem totally suppressed and unable to do anything. While she has never encountered such spirits before she has heard of similar spirits they seem to originate from the far north over the baltic usually

[color=red]Strange, if not unheard of. Could I see some blood?

If the blood is usable as an AC (and, if I understand correctly, it should), I will try to use summoning on it.

Ardeth is able to use the blood as an arcane connection and attempts to summon a spirit. She fails but is aware that she failed becasue the spirit she attempted to summon was too powerful for her to summon. However she is certain that she would have summoned one of the weak spirits possessing the Grogs.
It seems that the blood is an arcane connection to a more powerful (probably 6th magnitude or greater) spirit and when it is touched that triggers an effect which creates or summons a weaker spirit which then possesses the creature touching the blood.

[color=blue]Also it appears that I may have made a mistake earlier Justus casting of intangible tunnel failed because his target was inside a regio. This may well have been a mistake it would have opened a tunnel to the wolf except for the regio boundary

Justus ponders for a moment then speaks while holding his hand against his chin. [color=red]Now how do we strike against this spirit? If it stronger than the fifth magnitude then I have real trouble harming the thing. Now if we could use the minor spirits as arcane connections then we can harm the thing but a first magnitude spell won’t make more than a small dent. Any ideas? For the moment I am at a loss here…

Justus frowns his forehead and look Ardath in her eyes.

[color=red]If I remember correctly, we are 2 magi able to use Wizard's Communion.
Using the blood as an arcane connection, this could help us penetrate this spirit's magical resistance.

However, we should learn first what it is, and what it wants with us.

[color=green]Mariella
[color=red]There is also the matter of the wolves , who seem to be carrying this spirit. I believe that your spell determined that they where located in a regio Justus . This may be how they came across the spirit.

[color=blue]The weaker spirits possessing the Grogs are of the 2nd magnitude and probably are not fully sentient , you certainly could deal with them.
Also on further consideration of her sumoning(or after I correctly remember the summoning rules and apply the penetration modifier) it is Ardeth's opinion that the summoning failed because the master spirit was bound and unnable to answer any summoning although it still seemed to be of about the 6th magnitude.

Krispin immediately sheds his robe and goes to assume a new one.

[color=red]Most strange, sodales. I am ill-suited for combat, but it may be that I can help those who have had their humors drained in this way. Just as Creo magic can help the body to heal itself, it may be that it can restore humors that are not entirely drained. I would like to investigate this further and help survivors if I can

[color=red]Soldaes, Justus hesitate for a moment, [color=red]I could try to fight this thing but we need some men to follow us and then we must find it. Ardath do you or Krispin have any means to attack this spirit?

Krispin beleives it is possible that by adjusting the humours of the body he may be able to force the spirit to leave a body . It would make the person sick of course.

Justus thinks some more. [color=red]We must try to hunt it. We gather up a party and go look for this thing where it where last seen. We each take an arcane connection. I have the sword here with some blood, just take some on a rag with you when we go on the hunt my soldaes. Krispin you could either stay here or follow us, depending if you think that you are more needed here exorcising the spirits or if you follow me in care someone need emergency healing.
Justus then gathers a party of some experienced hunters and skilled grogs and go out searching for the wolf, any magi joining him are welcome.

[color=red]Yes, although it will be difficult to affect such a powerfull spirit without Kalesh's blessing, even with an Arcane Connection.
We'll probably have to find another way to beat it.

However, my investigations determined that it is currently bound. Maybe we should concentrate on that, and try to communicate with it?

On the other hand, I have a good news: The weaker spirits are well within my grasp, and I'll easily deal with them if needed.

[color=red]Now where is the real question. I just this arcane connection and tries to establish a first magnitude like to in once again. That is our hope. Otherwise we must hunt, this wolf can bleed so we can kill it. Destroy the spirits so that our guards are free of them.

Justus make another attempt on the intangible tunnel towards the spirit, using ceremonial magic.

[color=blue]Re 6 Vi 14 Artes 1, Philospohiae 2, Aura 3, Props +?, Voice and gestures +2, 28+props and dice. Divided by two for expenditure of fatigue. Level 5 for the spell and penetration 4 and an arcane connection upon that.

Ok, I'll just blast the spirits with "Sap the Griffin Strength" spells. 2 per spirits should suffice.

[color=blue]Sorry for the delay in replying I had a busy weekend. Before I do much more I am going to write down stats for several things which means I will probably progress this thread late today or tommorrow. Particualy as it may effect the opening of the intangible tunnel

Ardeth is easily able to remove the spirits possessing all the covenant folk.