Iohannes sighs. "I was asking a question. That's all."
Iohannes says quietly, "I don't see what that gained you."
"Perdo. I only get one shot at it. Destroying part of the ship is useless, but destroying all of it, except for ballast and such... The ship is still Herbam. Hopefully, everything else will sink, except for the corpses. If you have a better idea, I'd love to hear it."
Timothy--From what I recall, Iohannes will have rested about the time that the enemy enters extreme range. Please let me know when this happens.
Vispillius when you cast spells upon the ghost ship did you by any chance noticed if you had the need to penetrate the resistance or more precisely I wish to know does the ghost ship has any resistance towards magic? That is of essential knowledge if we are trying to target the foe with destructive magic.
To Titius-
"I found none that I could tell. Magical darts blew it apart with ease, consistently and repeatedly, and an Intellego effortlessly probed into its hold, and neither had any particularly impressive penetration attached to it."
to Iohannes -
"What it gained me, was, possibly, my ability to reboard your ship before sunset! Casually suggesting that 'we wait on that', when my health and safety are in doubt, and all I had asked for was a spare scrap of wood, did not strike me as an acceptable proposition, as convenient as it might have been for you from your position with two feet on the deck."
He turns back to Scipio -
"Now - I would be happier with an Intellego spell, but if all you have is a Perdo, and its a formulaic and reliably repeatable, let us first try it on the infected spar and observe the effect, then decide how to proceed."
Vispilius I don’t have any suitable spells that might work, I could throw a pillum of fire upon it with effortless casting. It has potential destructive casting and I wish not to fatigue myself by casting it. Perhaps I can manage some spontaneous spell as to cast a Intellego Herbam spell to detect if that is a piece of wood. Perhaps it is best if someone else cast a suitable spell with effortless casting. I need to conserve my powers to when our foe comes closer.
OOC: I'm assuming this was for Scipio, regarding the Perdo Vim vs. Infernal they were discussing.
IC:
Scipio nods at once, hands pulling his cloak back from covering his front to behind his elbows as he prepares to work. "A reasonable testing of the waters. I have reasonably mastered a formulaic Perdo vs. each Realm's Might. I have not however even begun my planned study of Intellego. Therefore, for now, I have only the tools to offer you... not the diagnosis. Yet, as you say, if both this bit of wood -and- the corpse proves so vulnerable... likely your ailment will be as well. And I would think that if it could remain on your hand it has already penetrated your Parma. Otherwise it would no be able to do so."
And Scipio begins to cast, his obvious target the likewise tainted spar that Vispilius is still Rego'ing. Again the same mannerism, voice firm yet not overloud, movements briskly drawing forth the lines of the spell. Hands cup on over the other before his chest and the ball of crackling white power forms there. Flicking his hands forth the ball unleashes into a white bolt. The bolt streams towards the spar, arcing into a distinctly claw-like shape before impact. On impact the energy courses along the surface of the wood.
With a thought Vispilius maneuvers the sacrificial stave over closer to Scipio, but behind and away from both the ship and himself where he holds it steady, so that, should it fall, it will land in its wake, with no chance of contact.
...and turns the wood to ash, which scatters into the wind.
[OOC, Ken, there are still have a couple of minutes to do other things, I believe, but extreme range is close. All of your men have completed the tasks asigned to them, except any tasks which, in advance, you knew would go right down to the wire in terms of timing.]
From his precarious perch well beyond the rail, Vispilius enjoys a more relaxed breath.
"Excellent! Superb! Then on me, or my hand, if you would, and are adequately refreshed to do so! And then, we may turn our attention to the ship..."
Scipio watches the ash scatter with an increasing wariness about him. Turning towards Vispilius he nods his assent, motioning the other Mage closer. "This is an unusual manifestation of the Infernal. I've not heard tell nor read of such before. Not that my knowledge of devilry is so very expansive." he says, well, darkly. "Though it is even more queer that we should run upon them at just this point in our journey. Do you have any knowledge of why such tidings might have come our way?"
As he speaks he examines Vispilius' hand without touching it. When finished he raises his hands to the same 'ready' casting position and waits for V's signal. When given he casts, much the same as before. The same firm tones, gesturings, and flicking of the ball of light towards the target. This time however the energy impacts the Magi's hand in the form of a crackling serpent of energy. Winding and coiling itself around the hand thrice it then strikes with ferocity...
OOC: Thanks!
Well, they've had four days.
I imagine everyone will try to do everything at once when the ship hits extreme weapon range...so...let's say it hits now. Who's doing what?
Titius stand a place on the boat where he can see the walking corpses aboard the ghost ship. When he has the chance he cast a Pilum of fire upon one of them to see if his magic’s take effect. He uses loud voice and exaggerated gestures when casting his spell.
OOC: Spell level 20, Cr 5 + Ig 5 + 2 for gestures and voice = 12, penetration 2 when using Ignem.
(OOC: There is no such place due to the fog :/)
OOC: Ops! Forgot the fog... 
Titius cast "True sight of the air before anyother spell. Lv 15 Casting total +7 with bold gestures and loud voice
Easy to forget. It seemed like a good idea at the time, to deny an opposing magus LOS to the SM.
Being without an Aegis, a rather good idea I would agree. Perhaps we just need to create a circle or something similar to allow magi on our own deck to see out in the future.
Iohannes smiles, as though this were a routine maneuver, as though the seas were clear of any menace, as though no zombie-laden ship was bearing down upon him. And the crew takes heart from his quiet confidence, the tension in the air every bit as palpable as the fog, but channelled into bravado and focus, in the way of men.
Iohannes hands the tiller to a helmsman, exchanges glances and nods with his senior crew, who have already reported readiness from all quarters. One of them, a weathered man in his thirties, calls out, "All right, lads, on my mark," as though he has command.
Iohannes laughs. "We've done this before."
"Aye," a voice calls out from the fog, "but I could do without the ."
He looks to the magi, and if there is no last bit of conversation, he turns to face the enemy ship, still far out of voice range, and just before the enemy enters extreme crossbow range--
He calls out a sentence in a foreign language (Hebrew, the blessing for doing something for the very first time) and then Perdo Herbam with Saruman-style loud voice and gestures. Perhaps the only thing ruining the image is Malik, standing nearby ready to catch Iohannes in case he keels over from casting.
Iohannes last PeHe worked nicely, so:
Obliterating the Enemy Vessel and anything Herbam upon It
Perdo Herbam lvl 30
(Base 4, +3 (either Group +2 size +1 (75 tons of wood) or Structure), Sight +3)
dice:1,5=10, casting total 13, Iohannes loses 3FL.
He catches his breath.
[OOC: Any feedback on the Perdo Vim cast on V's hand? And I urge anyone/everyone who wishes to post themselves in! With some fluff text! Show bravado! Quake in yer boots! Trip around the deck like the land lubber you are! We need RP people!]