Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence , three times is energy action, and I don't beleive in coincidence. It is not credible that two seperate families accidentally unleashed a spirit. While I still think it most likely a spirit the smell reminds me of the smell of Lightning in the morning , a familiar smell in my house, I love it. So we are most likely dealing with some sort of storm spirit of lighting or possibly a trap spell. As for climbing the building that is really something for mundanes , a mage uses magic for such a task
Mariella sponts a personal range version of rise of the feathery body with diameter duration (ReCo 5 , casting total 13 - aura + dice roll/2) rises up to the roof and looks for signs of someone having been on the roof
(Checking the wood for lingering magical signatures pretty much requires InVi spells of lvl 30 , not a chance of Mariella sponting such a spell)
"I can not see anything unsual using second sight. If it is a spirit, I don't have much of magic to counter such as of yet. A few seasons in the lab, I can probably develop something but not with my current abilities." Tatiana is not getting anywhere fast. "I might manage a 2nd madnitude war but no penetration. I could manage a first magnitude ward spontaneously but that doesn't keep out much. That this is in the dominion really limits me though perhaps it limits the creatures too."
I thought as much, this is too difficult here, the power of the divine is hindering my magics too much. Maybe I'll be able to try it ouside of the town, if we ever go there.
I'll just take some of the wood with me, although I doubt I'll ever use it.
This would be more of (13 - Aura (usually 3*3) + die )2 = 4 + die/2. Meaning you need at least a 6. Dominion is bad for your magic
Tatiana considers the attempt to rise to the roof, "would you like me to check the roof. that is something I can do easily." Tatiana studies the roof and speaks some words and gestures she is up on the roof and starts to look around.
OOC Wizard's leap (ReCo 15, formulaic, using AN requisite for clothes): CT 25 - 9 = 16 + die. Die was 1 (didn't bother to see how high roll was) invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2238696/
Tatiana shows impressive skill with her telporation, one mistake and she could have either landed on a piece of the roof that could not support her weight or just lost footing and tubled of the roof. Tatiana does not discover anything of intrest on the roof other than a grand view of the city. I am not sure if I am clear but the scorch marks are only in the house that Mariella is in.
Mariella cast her spell and examines the roof. There are some scorch marks near the chimney but other than that there is nothing of interest.
The use of magic outside of the house begin to draw attention from Kolberg’s citizens and some people stops by near the houses and begin to look, point and talk to each other.
Her investigation complete Mariella returns to the ground and contemplates what she has learned.
OCC So in the house Mariella investigated there where burns and the smell of lightning but not in the other house? Was there some other sign of the cause of death that the magi at that house saw
Yes in the house that Mariella is in there is a smell of lightning that is very faint and scorch marks in the other house there are no signs. In both houses it looks as if someone unleashed a strong wind. The only rumour you have heard regarding the cause of death is that they where found with blue faces. That could if it is true mean either poison or strangulation or perhaps something even more strange… In both houses there are signs of people hurting themselves when they where trying to flee from something unknown.
Will you investigate more or meet at some location and compare notes?
Mariella, congratulations for your kken senses and good instinct. So now we know definitely that someone or something supernatural was involved, probably connected to the form of auram - so we should investigate further. But unless any of you has got an a good idea, where else to search in this house, I'd say we go back to the magistrate's house, compare our results with those of Ardath and Tatiana, make plans for tomorrow and continue our investigations after a good night's sleep.
The groups of magi return to the magistrate’s townhouse. When the doorman announces the magi’s arrival and in the entrance hall the magi are greeting by the household staff. Other than the doorman there are a manservant and two maids.
The manservant speaks. Welcome to the household of our most honoured magistrate. Our master is at his country home. We have prepared the guestrooms on the second floor for you. There are two guestrooms and the master bedroom on the second floor ready. On the first floor we have arranged that the servant’s room is available to one of you. Helga and Hilda here have made it polished enough to care for your needs. We have made arrangements for your guards to stay at a nearby tavern. In the dinner we are about to serve something for you to eat. I am afraid that it is a quite simple meal for such honoured guests but I hope that it will at least satisfactory. My master informed me that there would be two magister’s and three ladies. Where shall we put you luggage?
Thank you. It seems you've been most effective. You may but the luggages in the rooms.
Once he's out, I guess we put things in common
So. These were probably supernatural murders. But this gives us little clue. Once we've slept, we should interrogate the families, and the neighboors. Maybe one of them saw something? There may also be some beggars in the street that could give us information: With all the devastation in the house, I doubt very much there was no witness.
We should also stay on our guards: It may be possible, if we make enough disturbances, that we ourselves become targets. This should provide us for an opportunity to find the perpetrator, if we act swiftly enough.
I am sorry my lady but my master has not informed me on how you wish to sleep? Who amongst the magister’s are you husband? I would not wish to put your belongings in the wrong room. The manservant seems to be ill at ease with the presence of the magi but he tries to seem as professional as he can.
"I believe our guards can camp on the floor here. I do not like the idea of seperating us from the warriors that are charged with protecting us. I am almost offended by the arrangements designed to seperate us from those that guard us. We are wizards of the order of hermes, they should be asking us what we want, not making decisions for us." Tatiana scowls as she speaks in latin.
Slowly in Flemish to the servant:Ah, good man, it seems that you have been informed incorrectly, as none of the ladies is married to any of us. So, it would actually be most inappropriate if you put our luggage with one of them. I think Magister Riccardo and me, we will be polite and share a room so that the ladies can each have one of their own, unless they disagree on this. Wait a moment.
in Latin to the magi:I offerd for Riccardo and me to share a room so that the three of you each have one of their own, or would you prefer another arrangement? This would also have the advantage that there is going to be somebody with martial as well as arcane skills in every room. I'd also prefer to have the grogs here with us, but I wouldn't consider the arrangements made as an insult to us. These people certainly meant well, but they simply know very little about magi - a fact that has been fostered by the order for some centuries now. But I can think we will be able to keep our guards here with us if we want. Shall I ask them? The local dialect is close enough to the one at Brugges that I think I can make myself understandable.
Oh I see… The manservant pause for a moment. I will make the necessary arrangements. I am most sorry for any inconvenience that I may have caused. The man servants turns around.Helga and Hilda bring forth supper for our guests. He turns back to the magi. I will take care of your belongings. Anything else I can do for you? Otherwise I hope that you will enjoy your meal.
I agree the killings where supernatural but I suspect the motive was not so a mundane investigation may well lead us to the magician . Riccardo should probably handle that as he does not have a gift to intefere. I also agree we should be on ou guards in case an attack occures on us however the killer is most probably unfamilia with the order and our Parma's should be good security, I am not particularly concerned about the sleeping arrangements a magical attack will eliminate the grogs rapidly so it may be best to keep them elsewhere and no mundane attack is likely to succeed if we are alarmed so we should have one mage stay on guard on a rotation so that we are able to respond to any attack rapidly
at a time, when there is nobody around who is not from the covenant:Hm, considering the course of action for tomorrow, I think that we should also have a look into the correspondance and books the watch master secured from the murder sites. That is probably something we can do where the Gift isn't a hindrance. Of course, as long as it comes to talking to people who have a personal interest in cooperating with us, we can avoid the usual problem by extending the Parma - just saying something about a charm to protect the conversation from scrying sorcerors should get their cooperation. If we don't want to let down our guard in this way, I also know a charm that will have the same effect on their mind. So I think I could help in this work as well.
Then, of course we should keep watch, even though a creature that is able to appear in a room might still be able to circumvene this precaution. The alternative would be to camp in the great hall - but this would mean no privacy and no comfortable beds, and our hosts might consider this as a bit inappropriate for the women. But we should decide fast, where our grogs are going to sleep.
In latin
Alexios is right, they did what they thought was best, and are not accustomed to dealing with magi. I concurr, however, that it might be best to keep some grogs with us.
That is the grogs duty, not ours. And don't underestimate mundane attacks. A well-placed blow can subdue a magus as well as any mundane.
Anyway, as the attacker needed to use the chimney, we should probably be safe enough in a closed room. At least long enough to prepare for it, especially if the grogs keeo watch for anything coming and warn us beforehand
If they aren't too wary about it. I remember my pater trying that, only to be rebuncked for wanting to exert his magic on the people, so I'd be wary in trying this. It'd be better if you could prepare a charm that you'd cast on the target before we accost them, especially so as it woulnd't leave us vulnerable to further magical attacks
OOC: Not only is, IMO, the objection for parma reasonnable (I don't think that mundanes would be very eager to have these suspicious types cast unknown and probably magics on them), but I think this lessens greatly the role of both gentle gifted magi and companions (like Katja, Krispin and Ricardo), the usefulness of your charm (something hermetic magic should envy!!) as well as the weigth of the Blatant Gift (Mariella), if any magi can bypass his gift's effects easily. Thus, while this is certainly possible, it shouldn't be that easy IMO, and require at least preliminary roleplay and gain of trust (like Roberto did in Novus Mane). Max may decide otherwise, of course, I'm just voicing my concerns in seeing a major virtue/flaw so easily negated.
Ardath, actually I'd hate to put any magic on people who are basically on the same side as we are and don't consent to it, unless the situation forces me to act quickly. Anyway, the charm I know isn't really subtle in itself, and I am certainly not good enough at it yet to cast it without gestures and vocal components within the dominion. So, this is really only an option for those who want to cooperate and already show some trust. Otherwise, Tatiana, Mariella and me, we might check the written material, while Riccardo starts the interviews, and Ardath, you might perhaps be able to summon some spirits of this town and find out whether they know anything?
Considering the grogs, we now have three votes in favour of keeping them with us and one against this. Riccardo, you haven't stated a preference yet, but this seems like a majority for this option in any case. Still, I council that we don't bolt the rooms' doors so that we can react to emergency cases. So shall we tell the man to change the arrangements?
Too bad . This is an impressive power, you know? Maybe you could invest it in some device, probably with a group target? It would be great in future endeavours and could greatly ease our lives and, in fact, the live of most magi of the order.
As per summoning spirits, sadly, this is a difficult endeavour, even more so under the power of the dominion It almost negates my abilities. I could maybe do something, but not while we're in Kolberg.
