[color=green]Mageara
[color=red]In any event we cannot linger here, and we cannot change our destination while on the road. However we have nearly reached our destination
After what seems like another couple of hours Mageara stops at theside of the road and looks around carefully until she locates a track leading off the road. She leads the group down the trail , as you procede along the trail the brush becaomes sparser and more typical of mountainous regions until at last it emerges on the side of tall mountain from a grove of pine trees.
It seems to be early afternoon
Mageara looks around at the land marks and then turns to speak to you.
[color=red]We want to be up on the side of that hill by tommorrow night which should be a full moon
She points up at a mountain to the north it looks like a farily long walk but not too bad.
Mageara leads the magi along a path which winds up the hill. judging by the way the marks and droppings along the trail is a trail for the sheep which are herded on these hills. Good progress is made before the sun starts to set behind the mountains.
Mageara leads the group to what is almost certianly a shepherds hut sheltered from the wind . She recomends staying there over night before continuing in the morning, she also says that it would be wise to have someone on guard at all times over the night as there are occasionally problems in this area. She will take the middle watch and suggests Wirth take the 1st watch and Roberto the last .
[color=red]There are occasional bandits and raiders but those are of little concern. There are Centaurs living in some of these valleys but our greatest danger although unlikely is one of the witches of Thessaly this is their territory and some of them who have not joined the order resent the order of Hermes. They are often active in the nights leading up to the full moon as they hold their ceremonies at that time.
Settling down for the night Wirth spends several boring hours watching sheep, he wakes Mageara who later wakes Roberto and tells him that she has seen nothing.
Roberto can initially see nothing but rocks and sheep, the sheep look in the moonlight quite like rocks. Really it is one of the more boring things he can remember watching.
About an hour before dawn he thinks he see's alight moving around in the stand of tree's higher up the valley which the group was heading towards
[color=green]Roberto: [color=red]Sodale, what say you we make some sport out of hunting witches? Bandits are of little concern, and I admire & respect centaurs. Witches have vis, they are evil and infernal, and it would help us earn some acclaim within our house
[color=green]Wirth
[color=red]
Maybe another time. I won't lose time over these. Not when I should be with my wife and soon-to-be-child.
[color=green]Wirth
[color=red]Let's find out. If I may confer upon you the gift of nightsight?
I'm talking about the [color=blue]Eyes of the Cat spell.
I also renders myself invisible with a boosted Sun duration of [color=blue]Hide from the Prying Eyes
Then, being as stealthy as I can, I go sideways, then towards the light.
Markoko is not Roberto. But I suppose we are both Overconfident
He happens to be Reckless, which means he does not recognize or realize danger that redilly
Mageara peers up the hill towards where the light was seen, she then looks up at the sky [color=red]Probably one of the Witches moving around, it could be a problem as that is where we want to be tommorow night
Wirth sneaks up the hillside but soon realises that the night has made the distances deceptive and that the grove where he saw the lights is several hours away and it will be daylight in less than an hour.
As he will not be able to get close before dawn he returns to the others and they procede up the hill until by about 2 hours after noon they have got to within about half a mile of the grove where lights where seen
[color=red]They are the old magicians of the area, they control and summon spirits mainly. The local peasents blame them for everything which goes wrong and some are rumoured to be diabolists. However many of them joined the order and they support those who choose to stay outside. Your house is not popular here and those who come hunting the witches in these hills usually don't come back,
They don't bother mages outside of their ancestral hills but they do defend their terrriory fiercely. Before you came we sent a letter to the nearest hermetic covenant of witches and got their permission to enter their territory so there should be no problem unless we come across a renagade
[color=red]What do you mean my house is not popular here? I am Flambeau! Everyone tinks we are great
I seek to start no trouble. I do think it is wrong for the Hermetic witches to protect those who choose to stay outside. "Join or Die" y'know. But this is not my tribunal, and none of my business. I shall respect the peace.
Still, you should pity the poor renegade that crosses my path if they seek to obstruct us or bring us harm.
The group continues towards the grove arriving by late afternoon, the grove of pine tree's is more impressive than most of the scraggly pine tree's growing on the slopes standing taller and looking much healthier , the grove seems to have a magical aura . Moving into the grove confirms the presence of a magical aura.
The grove is about 200 yards across its longest diamater and rougthly ovoid in shape. Located about 30 yards north of the centre of the grove is a flat stone alter made of 3 slabs of natural rock, the alter is stained with blood, the stains looking fairly fresh as they are still attracting flies
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