Chapter IIIB (V3) Vault of Valdarius!

You may eventually find out. Or maybe you will all die....
Muwahahahahahahaha!

Which provides an interesting segway to planning for the adventure Ryu wants to run. This Verditius magus needs to be investigated.

I don't think the timing works out. Vulc and Arachne are at the covenant while the others are killing ogres. Vulc plans to go kill drakes in a day or two, and folks were planning to go Mission Impossible next season. Carmen will return well before then, at which point he'd ask her to help him open the door.

You don't have to run it right away. But I reccomend planning it out and mayby doing some foreshadowing :slight_smile:

Okay. So...
While the others are away, we're doing this (which is not too long), then we'll wait a little, and vulcanus will go hunting.

I figure this leaves enough time for Arachné to craft something (she is quite naked without efficient spont magic), say, a Web of Lies, and for her and vulcanus to discuss plans.

That ennemy of yours. I heard a little before, but old age is setting in, so I may need a recap. Would you care to humor an old woman? What is your problem with him? What defenses do you know him to have? Where does he lives? Does he have allies or else? And what do you exactly want to do?

Vulcanus briefly summarizes his briefing from the day before.

A horn blows, heralding the return of a member magus. Carmen has returned, and immediately asked where to find you two and either meets you two as you head up to meet her or she walks all the way down where you guys are. You choose the scene. There has been a change in plan. The Dragon asked us for a favor, help his three Drake grandsons in dealing with this giant ogre messing with them. But there is much more than meets the eye, and I have a feeling we have been tricked. Tiana stayed at the dragon's library to peruse with his permission (I think). The rest of us followed the drakes towards Bone Hill, the old lair of Hagatha the Hag, where the creature lairs. Vocis, the Tremere magus, sent his familiar ahead, and encountered the creature after it killed three ogres and thereby rescued a small party of travelers. These vagabonds consist of refuges from up North in Occitan. Cathars I think. A Flambeau magus has taken it upon himself to be their guardian. Gardiatus, aptly named I suppose. Estaban is escorting his refuges here. I'll find jobs for them, and we certainly need employees. I want to send a dozen of the newly hired almogavars up the road to meet them. Some will split off and guide them here, the rest will go with Estaban to the base camp I set up.
As for the creature, it is called "The Brute", though from the description it reminds me of "Don Gulio Ghules el Ghoul", a fairy tale character from one of my father's stories. Literally, a nursery-rhyme character that he learned as a child from his mother in Castile. It is Spanish, not Catalan.
"Don Gulio Ghules,
Nacido el Lunes,
Bautizado el Martes,
Casado el Miércoles,
Enfermó el Jueves,
Empeorado el Viernes,
Murió el Sábado,
Enterrado el Domingo.
Y esto era finito,
Del ghoul Gulio."

That gruesome tale is just to teach the names of the Days of the Week! There are other stories about him, a hulking dimwitted friendly monster, a walking corpse with a corpse bride and a corpse manor, how he was sworn enemy of the boogyman so little children don't have to be afraid at night.
I am not so interested in hunting it or killing it. But I want to investigate it. We fufill our part of the bargain if we can fix the problem that the drakes are having with it. Still, I want to find out what this thing is.

Vulcanus rises as soon as Carmen enters the smithy, and kisses her wrists in greeting.

"There is a second pressing matter which requires your attention, Fraulein Carmina," he says. "The true Vault of Valdarius has been found. It is said that it requires a Pontifex and a Valdarian to open the door. I am, of course, completely at your disposal should you determine that the ogre takes precedence over the legacy of Valdarius."

Carmen squints at you with one eye, thinking silently for a few moments before she responds.
There are many varied vaults and chambers within this covenant. The catacombs spiral down and into the very mountain itself! I'll take you on the grand tour one day, but in the meantime my attention is required for immediate matters. We have magi in the field on the heels of a monster, and refugees on the way to the covenant in need of shelter.

Arachné listens to vulcanus carefully

Quite a bit of information you've got here. Let me think...
Do you know if it is protected by an Aegis? If so, what does it cover? If we can get into it, or if there is no Aegis, I can send one of my little friends as a scout, try to get a better layout of the place, and maybe grad an arcane connection to him or his tower. I doubt he installed wards against herbam.

Too bad this ward is in an item, or I might have been able to dispel it. But yes, if we can find it, sending a mundane in might be our best bet, unless my spider can grad an arcane connection which would allow us to translocate into the tower. I fear that a mundane might be oblivious to any magical defense Caduceus might have set up.

Arachné takes it all in.

From what I remember your father saying, the Dragon is a crafty beast. You're saying this Brute killed some ogres, and rescued a party of travellers. This doesn't seem like a menace to me, rather an ally. More than that, I seem to remember that the ogres are not well-liked by the dragons.She pauses a moment to think
As I see it, there are 2 options. Either the Dragon wants to to kill a competitor in the hunt for the Ogres or, more probably, he wants to see of what we are made. For us to be his allies, we need to be able to see beyond appearances and an ugly exterior. To be true judges of character. If we kill be Brute, he'll know that we are brutes ourselves, not to be trusted. And we'll have ripped what we sowed, having lost a potential ally.
Of course, this may be the ramblings of an old woman, mind you :wink:
(OOC: LOVE the spanish version of the grundy song, awesome that you put it here :smiley:)

If you need me, I can come, but I am ill-suited to fighting magical beasts, not without a few days of preparation.
That, and, just as I won’t hunt dragons, I won’t enter needless fights. Truthfully, you’re better of having me here creating items than out in the field.

Still traumatized by what happened to her sodales, Arachné just wants to craft as much items and defenses as possible, so as to be ready when the day comes. She lost Isabelle first, Dorika and Clarisse later, and then Dimir and Antonio. Not again, never again, not if she can do anything about it.

Vulcanus' handsome face darkens. "Fraulein, I know the work of my forefathers when I see it; I told you we'd found THE Vault-- not A vault. Regardless, if chasing ogres takes precedence over the history and legacy of the Knights of Seneca, my sword arm is yours."

He puts on his armour and takes up arms to follow Carmen, though it's clear that he is furious.

Carmen smiles. I understand. But realize that I grew up here. I have seen this before. SAnd you know, I am sure it really is THE Vault. I am also sure that there are more than one THE Vaults. Valdarius was eccentric and paranoid and believ4ed in multiple redundant security.
I promise you we will check it out. Soon. And it is not a competition of precedence or which is more important. Certainly the legacy of one of the founders of our covenant and societas is of utmost importantce! But there is the issue of priority, which is the more immedeate concern? The vault is not going anywhere. I have refuges wandering in the snow and magi facing off against a monster right now at thi9s very momebt. Lives are at stake. Please understand me. This mantle I inherited, my role as Pontifex, it is a bit overwhelming sometimes. I am no more experienced or qualified than any of the rest of you, but I am suddenly responsible for the welfare and safety of you all. As much as I desire to investigate this vault right now, I am obligated to deal with a situation at hand.
Believe you me, I liked it much better when I could just be a saucy brat and my father took care of everything. He made it seem so easy!

Arachné sighs...

Don't worry, Vulcanus. Carmen is right in that the vault ain't going anywhere. I will stay here, as I have many items to enchant, many traps to consider. Should a problem arise, I will deal with it.

Of course, she doubts it. She doesn't think there will be a problem, and agrees with Carmen, but given that her stock of spiders is depleted, she feels defenseless against all but minor threats. But she's trying to cool things of, though, so...

and mind you, I am just playing Carmen as Carmen should be played. If you are really insistant on checking the vault right now and throw a tantrum....
But honestly, Carmen feels that the situation at hand should be resolved before opening a new door :slight_smile:

Vulcanus is ready to go. He just thinks Carmen is flighty and irresponsible. And is pissed off about it. :slight_smile:

Good to know :slight_smile:

That means I'm playing her right :wink:

Carmen stops.Don't be all pouty. Look, we can open this vault really quick first if you want. After that, I am heading back to the base camp. You can stay here or you can close the door and come with. Choice is yours. :smiley:

"I've offered you my sword arm already, Madam Pontifex. I can offer you that still. I cannot and will not offer approval of your disdain for Valdarius and his legacy. Now, I am both armed and armored. Are we going to go tend to this matter of utmost importance or do you wish to critique my demeanor further?"

yipe!
Um, allright then. Are you able to fly or teleport? I broght a rock. Or I can just lead you there.
smile
:smiley:

"Nay, lady. We ride." He steps outside the forge and whistles sheilly. A thundering of hooves approaches, and an enormous black destrier shakes his glossy mane. Vulcanus mounts, and then pulls Carmen up behind him as though she weighs nothing. "This is Egon, my familiar. Lead us where you'd have us, Carmen."