Ardath is clearly uncomfortable. Summer or winter, she doesn't like faeries, doesn't trust them. Of course, it's best to gather intelligence, and to strike when in a position of force, but she wouldn't mind if the creatures all perished. Best to let Tatiana handle the negociations.
She doesn't trust the faeries either, so she'll be ready to strike, be it with magic or cold steel, and have the men stay close to her.
The Primitive mobile vis sources don't speak any civilised language so Mariella is going to have to leave the talking to someone else. She is trying to think of a way of killing all the faeries without destroying their vis.
Tatania find out why they attacked our man and are lurking on our lands.
Turning to Ardeth and speaking quietly so as not to intefere in Tatania's conversation
Do yot think Corpus will work on the goblins? I am afraid my knowledge of the fay is weaker than it should be, if it does I can take all of them and keep their vis. If not I will have to kill them without getting their vis. If we have to fight concentrate on the giant I can kill all the goblins with my first spell
The giant speaks again. Tell your master that the host of the midnight rose has come and we are coming for one of their kind to bring back to our master. We are a small fraction of the horde and our task is to cut of any supplies to the village. Other forces are as we speak approaching from all directions. If they don’t surrender the woman to us then this will be a bloody affair and the streets of your village will run red with the blood from you kin. The rules will know who is we speak of … She is the most beautiful of them all and her name is Ardath. If you help our lord with his task then you families will be spared and my lord will give you a grand reward. Go now and tell your masters.
The huntsmen seem uncomfortable as they hear the words spoken…
If you wish to turn things violent then initiative rolls are in order. The distance to the goblins are about 10-15 paces, the are about a pace apart.
Agreed. But about Corpus spells, I'm not sure. Some faeries are tied to a specific element, such as a tree or pond, so this may not work.
As memories of her childhood flood her mind, as she recalls her mother's death, Ardath feels the cold grip of fear clench her guts.
Muttering No. Not here. Not her...
But she has grown now, and won't be bullied by her. Fear turns to anger and resolve. She almost slips, almost lashes out at the giant, but now is not the time. The magi aren't ready, the faeries are numerous, and, although they'd surely triumph, one of her sodales could get wounded. Better to use that warning at its fullest.
She clenches her fists, and readies her spells nonetheless.
Tatiana needs to keep them talking a few more moments until she is rested so she speak latin first to her companions. "They have declared war upon us, they demand that Ardath be turned over to them or they will seige us, destroying our supplies. I do not like hurting those and I would prefer to send them away rather than fight them but we need to be prepared. I need a few more moments to let my fatigue pass. So do not act yet. I will put three to sleep when time comes. The warriors will have to deal with some of the others, but the giant is yours, Mariella."
She is almost rested from her spont spell so she keeps talking in Slavic as she turns back to the large one. "The winter court has no claim on the woman. She has joined with the Summer court and this covenant. There is no claim upon her any more. I am one of the Masters of the covenant and thus I know what I speak. Would you seek war with the summer court by trying to seize one that is mine? I do not speak for all though so your words will be conveyed. Know this too, No matter what you do, you can not come within the area of the Manor, it is protected against you as is the village which means we have safe place to sally forth against you should it come to violence. I would not see you slaughtered so fully for so little harm to us."
OOC What are the odds in numbers as in how many goblins in addition to the giant and how many hunters do we have with us and why aren't there shield grogs with us? do the goblins seem armored?
Let's add in an etiquette roll: 0 communication + 2 (1 etiquette, 1 among faeries speciality) + roll:
Stress: Roll of 1, 4 for total of 10
Simple: roll of 1 for total of 3.
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Just assumed that you took a group of a few hunters (five) so that you could track with ease. I don’t think anyone mentioned that you took shield grogs with you (if I am wrong then a few guards will magically apper…). There are 12 goblins armed with short bows and without any armour.
The giant speaks. We of the winter are always at war with summer. We know about your ward but we also do know that humans don’t last long without food so I don’t think that that will be a problem… We will starve you out and also as you are one of the lords then you will make a good hostage. Humans, don’t do anything foolish if you wish to see your families again… The giant call out to his goblins and they start raising their bows.
OOC: No, we would not leave without a few guards, we would not go out where there are hostile creatures attacking with bows without warning with hunters that are not sworn to us and dedicated to protecting us. Until you said these were hunters that wouldn't act as shield grogs and aren't pledged to us, I thought we had some.
OOC I assumed no shield grogs, I consider them largely worthless against magical opponents and even actively dangerous
Tatiana speaks quickly, "If you want to start the bloodshed you can but I can be back at the castle in an instant and it will take my word to convince them of your message." She turns to her companions and starts speaking the latin that the faeries don't understand and gesturing. Little do they know, it is a spell. If corpus works on them, it will just be the giant. If it doesn't, she is good enough that this spell will totally bypass their magic resistance and do nothing that can't tell she was doing anything other than talking to her companions.
OOC: The hunters already proved they can kill the goblins by killing one and bringing it to us. this means they use mundane weapons and mundane attacks and can be killed by mundane means so yeah, shield grogs make a lot of sense.
initiative: 5 for this fast cast/multicast
Try my disarm the attacking squad: ReCo 15 (it might work if it doesn't, they won't know I did anything) if it does work: Each one will have two arms shaking and spasming for two minutes (mastered for 3 extra copies) since spell 1 disables 10 on one arm, spell 2, 10 on the other arm, spell 3 the last 2 on one arm and spell 4 the last 2 on the other arm.
CT: 32+roll
Rolls are 1(8) = 16, 1(4)=8, 3, 1(10) =20
so casting: 48 (penetration 37), 40 (penetration 29), 35 (penetration 24), 52(penetration 41)
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As ordinary hunters would be as dangerous to the magi as shieldgrogs I now change so that the party you brought where four bow armed shieldgrogs and one hunter to make the tracking possible. Instead of nervous huntsmen you had our grizzled and trusted shieldgrogs at your side (after all they have seen a lot of strange thing and stood by your side since they began their work at Ad Fons).
Tatianas spell is so skilfully casted that within instants the goblins can’t hold onto their bows but the giant is unaffected by the spell (He is larger than a +1size human). Your guards pull up their bows and targets the giant while the goblins turn tail and starts making their way into the forest.
They giant speaks again. As we speak the host is beginning to assault your village. You have won this battle but our lord will have his way. Surrender this woman and you will live.
"Turn from this path and acccept this place is barred to the winter court or your whole host will go the way of your minions. I do not wish to harm the lords of the courts or gods but I will defend my companions from piddly annoyances like you. leave while you still can for Ardath is more powerful and vicious than I am." Tatiana isn't sure but it doesn't hurt to make her fellow maga seem stronger.
Mariella reacting very slowly finally get around to blasting the giant.
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casting her spell for stripping faeries of might penetration 35
strips 10 might away
if she can she repeats the spell casting to finish her target
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two more spells penetration 34 for both
OCC
Sorry been very slow to post
Mariella’s blasts turns the giant into a cloud of dust, by the times she is done the goblins are quite a distance from you. Now do you do anything else here or just return with haste?
OOC: No problem, life happens sometimes.
Mariella will quickly try to ruin the Goblins day before heading back to the covenant.
(No books or dice here}
She sponts a sight range group targer version of the level 5 might stripping spell I make that level 20 (but could be wrong)
Her casting total is 37 +dice roll and she has a penetration score of 6 , if 5th ed still has the modifiers for loud voice and exagerated gestures she will use those for 39+ dice roll
Tatiana starts chanting again trying to bring down the goblins. Four rocks lift off the ground and fly forward with incredible speed after the fleeing creatures in an attempt to hit them and bring them down. She doesn't like might stripping since it destroys the vis. "we do need to get back to the covenant to check on it. I can do so almost instantly but would the rest of you be okay with just the four guards and hunter. The covenant has Aegis and walls after all."
OOC: I am assuming that by now, I am on the aegis, I have arcane connection to my lab and we are within 7 leagues of the covenant.
Casting impact of the boulder (4 copies) to try to bring down 2 of the goblins. CT: 26+roll, mastered level 3 so no botch dice
Cast 1: Roll 4 = 30 to cast, aiming 7+ roll (8) -1 for 2 targets =14 to hit, Attack advantage +10 damage
Cast 2:Roll 0 (no botch dice)=26 to cast, aiming 7+ roll (7) -1 for 2 targets =13 to hit, Attack advantage +10 damage
Cast 3:Roll 7=33 to cast, aiming 7+ roll (8) -1 for 2 targets =14 to hit, Attack advantage +10 damage
cast 4:Roll 8=34 to cast, aiming 7+ roll (0,7 no botch) -1 for 2 targets =6 to hit, Attack advantage +10 damage
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There is no problem is slaying a few extra goblins as they run off (you also have some help from your guards). And as I assume that you look into the remains for vis there is some disappointment. The goblins slain by might strip don’t give of vis and not all of goblins slain by arrows or stones give vis (to weak creatures for vis to form) but you secure one pawn of corpus vis. Only one goblin disappears from sight and you think it is wounded.
"I will leave you to head back to the covenant and take care with the guards. They might need my help there against the goblin attackers. We are lucky that they don't know what you look like." Tatiana says. She then begins the words of her seven league stride to take her back to her sanctum. She can disarm hordes of these beasts at need and slay them with the stones that just lay around the village.
OOC Casting total 30+roll (simple or stress) for level 30 spell with 0 botch dice, I am not even going to roll. It goes off.
Wow, things sure were fast!!!
Agreed, you need to warn the covenant. We'll follow. And we should have a council meeting, in order to decide what to do, and how to protect ourselves.
When Tatiana returns it is apparent that something is wrong. Covenfolk are moving back and forth in the yard outside the main hall. Justus is using magic to heal a few injured men and the wailing and moaning can be heard from different directions. At places the covenants guards are trying to organise a defence by pressing the town militia into service.
Tatiana speaks softly to Justus, "I am not very good at it but I have a spell that will insure the injured should recover. I know of the attack and I need to know what you need me to do. They are here to kidnap Ardath but don't really know what she looks like. Twelve of them are disarmed with most slain as is a large giant type that was leading them. I came probably disarm most of those that come in range of my voice but that won't necessarily insure anything. If you have someone to guard me with a large shield, I can try to stop them." She knows her spell will insure wounds stablize and stay stablized for a month but she needs to know how things are going otherwise.