That's pretty large 
You will need it 
The vis is concentrated in the bones, as suspected. About 2 pawns per ogre corpse.
[color=red]"Thank you Alberto. That could have been worse." She mumbles, "too eager Kalli too eager".
Smoke wisps upward from his nostrils like a sigh of anticipation, and the drake rustles his wings.
"There's this cruel and ancient hag and her sons, they gather bones from wherever they can. Human bones. They'll dig up graveyards, though they like fresh best, with the meat still on them. They'll pay for fresh too, or make their own. Less villages around here than there might be, if you get what I mean.
"They use these bones all kind of ways, ground for bread, soup stock, even bone beer and bone salt. When there's bone dust in the air, or bone smoke going up their chimney, it doesn't take much to smell a hint of the power they have brewing. Lots of power.
"Me and my friends don't like them. What's to like? We do want what they have, though, and I think you'd like that too.
"They're far too powerful for me, even with my friends, but together, I think we can take them! First there's the sons. Big, big and bigger. Even the big ones can crush these little ogres," he gestures with an extended wing. "The bigger one is.... bigger.
"But it's the hag that's really dangerous."
[color=red]"They kidnap people to eat them? Tell us more." Kallista has her curiosity and, worse yet, her imagination peaked.
Ludovico smirks before bursting aloud in laughter full of gusto as Carmen leaves in the wake of Cornelius and his offerings to the gods. Shaking his head he indicates the map before him. [color=red]"Girl, Cornelius would die all over again to protect your little finger from a pin prick. Have no fear of him. Now. I would like to try for a similar prize as you describe, yet instead to up the ante slightly. A drake-ess on a clutch of such eggs. There are many things we could do with such a prize. Do you have any suggestions on where you may have seen nests hunting here before? I can begin by sending some scouts there. And Ordobos can prove more useful than you might think. He can manipulate fire in many ways. That and he is physically powerful. He could probably fight a drake by himself I would wager. Though where would the sport in that be?"
Sniffing to himself he returns to the map, still gesturing for Carmen to return and indicate where she thinks they ought to begin their search.
As they speak Grimald and Arash go about the work of molding a small stone depression into the earth within the small 'fort' and making a temporary spring there for the supply of the camp. Arash is patient and steadfast as ever however Grimald is complaining and darkly muttering all the while... even audibly being heard to say something about 'drowning', in a heated invective though the context is lost. If there is one resentful being in Ludo's retinue, it is this one.
[color=red]"Sounds like a job worth doing both for honor and for riches. How do the rest of you feel?" says Valentino.
[color=red]"I agree, it is a noble endeavor."
[color=red]"What should we call you, Child of Pyrene?"
"Yes... introductions all around.
"I'm Maurice."
[color=green]Carmen: [color=red]There is no fear involved and your pet ghost does not disturb me. It is all these heathen trappings which bother me, and the fact that you encourage it disturbs me. There is only one God. If there were two or more gods, then none would be worthy of the title "Diety", for none are infinite. If any one of them is infinite, then that one is god and the others just finite beings such as you and I. There cannot be two infinite beings, for if one were to limit the other, that one is no longer infinite.
And Drakes don't lay eggs. They are all boys. Ony Wyverns are female, and all of them are female. They are not natural creatures you know.
Ludovico quirks a brow archly, turning his head aside to look at Carmen as he speaks. One hand comes up from the table to gesture for emphasis, pointing towards her. [color=red]"You are mistaken. Infinity can be found in any of the four realms. This can be philosophically demonstrated even if none of them can be practically proven. And indeed, -none- of them can any more than none of them can be disproven via a practical means. But I digress. You recall to me the discussion that took place not so long ago about this very matter in the common hall of Andorra. Can you deny the infinite evil of the infernal realm? The limitless capacity of the magic realm? What you choose to believe is your own affair, yet standing there speaking emphatically of 'facts' of existence... you don't have those. Least not in a way that supports what you posit. They don't concretely exist. What we know, we know. The rest... not so much. As for myself I don't so much 'worship' anything or anyone so much as I honor a given set of powers ... for they are affiliated with my tradition and lineage, and I honor both that and recognize that they are not without might and power that could be both useful and baneful to me. Do you have anything well reasoned to put forth about your own decision to follow a 'diety'?
And note... that a god must be infinite to be considered a god is... purely a posit of yours. I don't think any of them are."
[color=green]Carmen: [color=red]If it is not Infinite, then it cannot be God. For you to bow down and "honor" anything less makes you a mendicant and a voluntary slave. And the division of four realms, it is an artificial construct of Hermetic philosophy. Everything and all eminates from the Divine Realm. There is no infinite evil of the Infernal, for all demons are fallen angels created by God. Even Satan, who was Lucifer the Morning Star, he was the most beloved of God's angels before the fall. There is no infinite faerie, no infinite magic. Just the divine. Now I am not even a holy roller or anything. I do my thing, I am a sinner, I go to confession. Lately I have taken an interest in my Jewish heritage. But it is still the same God.
Look, I respect your individuality, and if you want to debase yourself the way that heathens do, that is yur business. But I find it odious and distasteful, even slightly offensive. Keep it to yourself and don't bring it around me. I have my own tent, I shall bbe there when you are ready to head out.
You have the Pagan Flaw dude, this harshness was simmering and waiting for you 
Fact of the matter is that, if you have hopes of getting with Carmen, you are going to have to convert or put on a good show 
Ludovico does not at first react, besides a slight darkening of his expression and eyes. His hands raise up from the table to hang by his sides, unobstructed, as his he begins to walk around the table toward Carmen. When he speaks it is not his usual cool self, but rather charged with emotion. Anger. Wrath. Pure and undiluted. [OOC: Another flaw of Ludo's... ]
[color=red]"You would -dare- call /me/ a slave? You who fawn over and blindly follow your father so? Are you so totally mindless you can not discern for yourself? You may believe any of that religous prattle that you wish. I don't give a damn. You come here into 'my' hearth, before my table and my court, and insult me and mine? That I will not bear.
=You=, you silly mawping girl, are the slave. To your father and to your god. You serve. Willingly. I do not. Get out. I have no need nor want for you. I have more useful and easily palatable companions at hand already."
(excellent rollpaying! I can feel Ludos emotional state.
Carmen, however, is not as empathic as I.
[color=green]Carmen: [color=red] 
Pffft, whatever. "Honor thy Mother and Father". At least I respect what is real, not the lies and deceptions of spirits.
You are on your own then. See how well you do without a native guide. Good Luck.
OOC - It was hard to gague what Carmen's reaction should be. So I went with my strongest Personality Flaw, Overconfident. She knows she is right, and figures you do also, which is why you got angry. She also thinks she is just fine on her own (with her entourage of Alexandro, Carlos, and Oscar).
So Ludo, you are on your own, without having need to cooperate or deal with another magus as a partner. Your plan is entirely up to you, and you suspect Carmen may be overgeneralizing concerning Drake gender
I'll cast an imaginem spell, to create the illusion of a freshly-dead cow, then rest
Base 2 (sight and smell), +1 touch, +1 size, +2 sun = 10.
Creo 14, Im 2, St 1 = (17 + aura + die)/2
Then, as said before, lots of fatigueless spontaneous meat scent spells here and there, to draw out the beasts.
Me, invisible, flying, using enhanced sight (hey! Come to think of it, this boosts my second sight range, too!). I'll enjoy the flight, while I'm at it.
The grogs, hidden.
Once the drake comes to the "cow", we'll strike. The grogs from afar with ranged weapons, Xalbator, I dunno. Carmen, if she join us, will probably use her spells. And I? I'll see what suits my mood 
I don't care much. This is a fine day, and a good company. Even if we don't find what we seek, the day won't be wasted.
No plan survive the first contact with the ennemy, anyway
[color=blue]
As usual, little time, but it seems my companions have even less 
Alright. Ludo will divide the valley into a system of regions on his map, based on relative complexity of the geography in each area, and scour/summon a like number of random spirits for scouts and send them to each region to try and get 'intel' on each area. Their orders are simply to find and briefly observe any drake/wyvern/dragon type creatures and report back on their findings so he can further investigate. If possible spirits of sensation/perception of a sight variety would be used for this. This way they could show him their findings, literally.
Any 'hits' will be followed up by a more detailed round of investigation by the squad of ghostly thieves, looking for more genuine detail on the area and the creatures/magic there.
Meanwhile while he is waiting on results of his 'intel' gathering he will be 'managing' things from his strategy table and confering with his retinue about anything useful they might know or suggest. For example asking Yasmine if she knows of any faerie courts in the region they should be concerned with etc.
If any of the spirits don't report back as ordered those areas are marked on his map for personal investigation.
Valentino will introduce everyone to the dragon, including Graziella and the grogs.
Valentino suggests to Kallista and Txatxu that we give one body to the drake and remove the bones from the other two to be split between us later. [OOC - I don't think any of us is good enough at Vim to move the vis easily here.]
Hi,
Maurice says, "I also have some introductions." Twin thin columns of smoke jet upward from his nostrils, like steam from a kettle, and with an accompanying whistling sound, only much louder.
From a small distance away, from a good vantage to ambush the ogres--or you--two more drakes emerge.
One of them is significantly larger than Maurice; indicating this drake Maurice says loudly and slowly, "This is Simon. Not only is he strong, but he is very smart and clever, so don't try to trick him."
Simon says in an excited basso profundo, "Ogres! Ogres! Yum, yum!" He ambles over to the nearest ogre and starts munching, giving the people nary a glance.
"And this," Maurice indicates the second new drake, "is our leader, Venkath."
Maurice's tone is not quite fawning, not quite nervous. (If anyone wants to give me a Folk Ken total of 18, or a more appropriate total pertaining to drakes of 15, I'll tell you something else.)
This second drake is about the same size as Maurice, but the similarity ends there. His body is sleeker, and you don't need to have experience with drakes to notice Venkath's whipcord musculature, and a sense of focused power held in check.
With an air of command he looks at Maurice and says, "You were supposed to flush the ogres toward us. Instead, you get messed up with wizards." He gives the magi a look. "Hermes wizards. You better have a good reason for this."
"They were already here," Maurice says placatingly and nervously. "Besides, this will work out even better than the original plan! I'll let the wizards explain."
Venkath looks at the magi and waits.
Meanwhile the Ezio is removing the bones from one ogre - to him this is very similar to his usual work. Hopefully the grogs are removing bones from the other, as asked.
[color=red]"Greetings, Venkath. I am Valentino," says Valentino. He follows by introducing the others. Then he moves toward the point. [color=red]"Maurice has told us about a hag and her three sons that you are interested in taking care of. We have agreed that this would interest us. As the leader of the drakes here, what do you think?"
Hi,
Most people by this time are not focused on Maurice--alert, perhaps, but the focus is elsewhere. Most people therefore do not notice that he glances hungrily, maybe wistfully at the ogres being eaten and disassembled. But if your primary focus remains Maurice.... you notice.
[/quote]
Venkath also comes to the point. "And the split?"