As I have concluded. Terror tactics are employed. I will write more to morrow if nothing else is said.
Iolar will be taking no part in the action although she will continue to deliver reports to Aelinius about the actions of the mundane forces in the area gather by flying overhead.
Then terror tactics are employd, I must push the story along.
The village near sea is not difficult to find even in the dead of night. Sentries are patrolling the perimeter in pairs. There are six sentries in total. There is a soft wind and little else in the sky, the moon shines clear. Now what do you do?
I'm a little lost. Is Wirth here or there?
I think Wirth is doing the commando thing with Havlard. Roerto is meeting wth the noble with Marcello, Carlos, and Clara with him.
[color=green]Wirth
[color=red]Fine.
With a few men, we could do something like this:
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I shapeshift into a soldier, cast my spell on the leader, cast my other spells on their food reserves
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Wait until the night. Cast "eyes of the cat" on our men. Engulf the camp in further darkness. This'll appear less surnatural than if done in daylight.
Attack them, but don't kill them, we need them to be burdened by their wounded
((I think they are in their village, not a camp. I could be wrong))
They have set up their camp in a village and are "loaning" the food from the villagers.
The plan is executed without trouble. The shape shifting is without trouble and spells are cast without trouble. Then darkness is summoned and the attack commences. With the aid of the pirates the attack goes without trouble. The solders are caught off guard and they receive a sound beating. When the soldiers recover from the initial blow the pirates retreat before the can mount a resistance that would fend off the pirates.
Back to Novus Mane for celebrations…
The party who travels to the minor nobleman estates who harbour the wounded commander and his host could either approach directly and ask for the commander or do something sneakier. If you approach directly and are allowed to speak to the commander then state what you propose.
I suppose we shall address the Commander first. He is the one that earned Roberto’s respect. Now he hopes he can earn his. Roberto sends Carlos and Clara in as emissaries to request an audience. Tell him that the crusader and the monk have come to offer him healing and prayers. Whatever you need to say to get us an audience.
While we wait, I hang back outside with my buddy Marcello, and chat about old days
[color=green]Roberto: [color=red]You know, I always wondered why you became a friar. I mean, there was that explosion and all, and you barely survived. When you awoke you were all addled, changed your name and took monastic vows. Some thought it was just a temporary delusion, others said your spirit was transformed or some metaphysical mumbo jumbo. You claimed you were a totally different person, but after all these years I still see you are the same. You were always the rough and ready sort, even now as a friar. The way you handled yourself in that free-for-all in the tribunal tournament! You are still the exact same guy, you just call yourself Marcello. I don’t even think of the name Alvaro any more. Let’s see, when did we meet? Santiago became my mentor and teacher after my parens was killed at Las Navas. I think we met just before or after that. 8 years gone by now. The explosion was just a year after that I think. I have always suspected that after that, you decided that being a magus was not the life for you and just made up your whole story to get out of apprenticeship. But don’t you ever miss being a wizard? You used to cast Doublet of Impenetrable Silk on your robes all the time because there wasn’t any armour that would fit you. Haha! You looked like a monk even before the explosion! Ah, those were the days. Remember that renegade Santiago was hunting? That Infernalist Lapho from Jafariya? Those two grogs of his, they took one look at you and fell to their knees and surrendered begging for forgiveness. Haha!
Say, did you bring that guitar with you?
The commander will see you and seems interested in learning what you wish to speak with him about. The men around him are on their edge and keeps a close look on their visitors.
Cool. I was out sick yesterday. Give me some time and I will post a response 
[color=red]I'm not sure what you are talking about. I am Marcello. I have never been a mage. I do not have the gift. I must admit that my memory is not good for my childhood but Padrino Santiago has told me of an accident that happened to me that might have addled my head.
Of course I have the guitar.
[color=red]Then play us a song mi amigo! Aha!
Then when we are informed we will be granted an audience...
[color=red]You do the talking at first. Exprss regret for the events as they transpired, and suggest that he accepts my offer of a Crudader's Blessing to aid in healing (CrCo20 Purification of the festering wounds), then convince him to allow me to cover him with my Parma. Call it a blessing of peaceful discourse. Which it is indeed. My Parma is tied to my rosary prayers.
The commander seems hesitant to the spells at first but he speaks. [color=red]I trust you as you have been a man of honour. Perhaps his confidence is strengthened by the close proximity of his men, they are after all in superior numbers. The commander speaks again. [color=red]Now I presume that you different agenda than to heal my wounds. The commander is covered with parma.
Hey Max! 
Sorry for the long soliloquy. I say the post today, and I thought long and hard about what I wanted to say. That day that was today will now be yesterday by the time I post this (I am a time traveler, but only in one direction 
). You can fit the commander’s responses intersperse in-between with your awesome edit powers or with fancy quote formatting.
BTW, since you have not yet given the commander a name, I decided to name him Maxamillian.
[color=green]Roberto: [color=red]Honor and Wisdom are the only true wealth a man has, the only things he can truly call his, and they are the only things you can bring with you into heaven. You yourself demonstrated that you were a man of honor in our duel, and your wisdom is evident in that you know that we are here for more than one reason. But know that it was important to me that I be the one to come and visit and to help you heal.
Listen, we are not so different, you an I. We are both men of the world. We have seen both the good and the bad in the world, the horrors of war and the joys of peace. I am not going to bullshit you. I know what you are, a soldier with a job to do. You know what we are, pirates and wizards. We both know what is going on around us; the land has no king and so petty nobles fight amongst themselves for power. There is no ideology involved, no political or religious divide, no difference between one side or the other. It is simply a matter of where you live or who you work for.
There was another force besides yours. They harries and plundered a nearby town, thus proving themselves to be the least honorable of the two opponents. Our townsfolk managed to assist our friends in the other town and drove the marauders away, God bless. Now, if we were to align ourselves with the service of either army, it would be yours as you are the more honorable. But alas, as we both know, it is not you we would serve but the one whose service that you yourself are bound. Which amongst these betty nobles is the most honorable one? One may be gentle and enlightened but those that serve her are immoral opportunists, and the other may be a tyrant yet her soldiers just and honest. Another may be a just ruler with righteous followers, yet too weak to defend against the others, and yet another may be altogether wicked and despotic and is a common threat to all the rest.
Thus, with all of these factors unknown, we have chosen the route of the commune. Pirates and Wizards, yes. I pull no punches and tell you the straight and honest truth, for Honor is all that I have that is mine. Wisdom is a blessing that can come from only God (crosses self)[color=red]. They are brigands of the sea, preying exclusively upon the English ships that are themselves pirates. They are few in number and most have given up the trade for honest work. We have had a housing boom, and made ourselves over into a thriving town of fishermen. And wizards, yes, but more like scholars. I have learned that wizards are not exactly what one may think. They are just like anyone else, as normal and as strange as the spectrum of humanity allows. The fact that they are magicians is merely incidental.
And I know you are no fool, and I know that you recognize that I am a wizard as well. I learned my magic while on holy crusade in Iberia, others learn in schools or even monasteries. It is just a trade like any other. Yet unlike any other. The aura of unease some people feel, it is Gods way of reminding us to be humble in our trade. And you can clearly feel the difference when I place the protection of my rosary upon you.
There are many advantages to being a wizard, yet many disadvantages. Having a wizard as an ally however, this has many of the benefits and few of the drawbacks. And as I mentioned, if I had my choice of allies, it would be you specifically. Though a wizard and a crusader, I am still but a man, a humble servant of God thankful for the blessings he has given me (crosses self again, it’s a habit )[color=red]. As a man, I must make a choice as to what actions I take in the world, where I make my stand, and where I must yield. I stood not against the idea of your rule or the legitimate lordship of any other. I stood against an outrageous demand for a tax payment many times the sum of our collected wealth, and against allowing the involuntary conscription of unwilling men. These were your orders, not your true desires. If I were to yield at that moment, what would have been left of us to resist the demands of the more rapacious force that followed? How would we have repelled them? What more wealth could they then take from us? Would they press our elders and children into military service? A lawful and reasonable rate of taxation, this we would gladly pay. A legitimate notice of a required levy of troops is perfectly reasonable. Allow us time to recruit willing and able men, dress them in uniform and train them, send them out to earn glory and honor for our humble village!
I want to ally myself with you, but I cannot yield to the demands of your liege. No more than a good father could willingly yield up his sons and daughters for slaver and prostitution. My father was a good father, and he died fighting to protect his family. I can do no less. If you can negotiate for us something more fair and reasonable with your liege, we may yet come to compromise. We still wish to rule ourselves as a commune and tend to our own civic affairs. But we are willing to pay just and reasonable dues. And furthermore, I would like to invite you (and specifically only you) to preside over our village council as Burgher. The noble lady may take comfort in knowing we are not allied with any other, and that she receives a benefit from our prosperity.
Commander Maxamilian seems to think for a while then speaks. [color=red]I will bring your proposition to my lady so she can decide. If she thinks that your suggestion is a sound one then I will return to hood a council with you. Otherwise I will have to return with a sword in my hand. If I where chosen to reside at your castle as a Burger then it would be an honour but that is for my lady to decide. I will bring a word to my lady that you helped me vanquish our foe, that will be in favour of your. Now is there anything else I can assist you with?
[color=red]Got anything to eat?
Commander Maxamilian replies. [color=red]I can’t offer much as such an unannounced visit but ale and bread could be arranged and what ever the kitchen can provide. As Roberto and those who follow him are let in further into the manor house the get a good look at the commanders men. They are experienced soldiers, at least by their looks. Not many of them are young recruits and their camp seems to be in good order. A table is set and foodstuff are presented. Merriment will commence. Now is there something that will be done other that some good hearted fraternisation and then a return to Novus Mane.
Nope. Just good hearted fraternization. I unkowingly invent the sandwich when I take slices of leftover meat and shove it in some read (:lol:, historical evidence shows that the sandwich was around for centuries before it was so named). Drink some ale (though in moderation), sing some songs (Marcello has his guitar), meriment and fellowship, then we head home.
Later once back at Novus Mane. Aelianus have everyone meet him in the council chamber. Diodorus sits at his side. Aelianus speaks. [color=red]Soldaes I must thank you for averting the immediate threat to our covenant. Now we must think of the future. I am planning on devoting a season to craft some for of weapon, a few charged items that would enable us to fend of a few mundane assaults or at least stop them from bothering us. Now tell us on how the two operations went.