For all those continuing investigations in their lab or otherwise, please post your approach here
As his covenant members starts leave the meeting hall Silas slowly gets up as well. He makes a few nods to those left in the room and begins walking back towards his laboratory. He looks deep in thought as he begin backtracking.
Well everyone seems about as ill informed as me. If someone were to know more and didnt wish to share their discoveries, that is reveling in itself. Patience and vigilance is how I must proceed. Gather information, determine where everyone stands, conceal whatever I wish kept a secret and learn whatever other want to keep secret. I suppose to begin I will try to find any clues from myself.
Silas open the door to his building and enters. As he closes the door behind him he looks around and raises his voice somewhat and speaks.
"Are you still here muse? Now what was the idea with getting dressed when you didnt even bother following me? And you still havent given me your name..."
Silas actually sounds more irritated than he intended to. He presumes that there has been just a few too many unanswered questions today and that that has begun to affected his mood.
"I'm back here!" Your muse calls "looking for your tools" she is in the bedroom. "My name is Jessica."
Silas follows her voice into the bedroom. Standing in the doorstep he looks around trying to spot if anything has been rearranged or altered. Silas try to sound a bit warmer as he answers.
"Looking for my tools? Indeed it would be relaxing to do some work while I think... Jessica has anyone been here in my absence? Anyone at the door?"
"No, not that I saw at least, why do you ask?"
Argentius watches his colleagues briefly before standing. He smiles toward Plasmatoris, offering a nod of gratitude. As he pushes back from his chair, he studies Silas, eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to remember something about his fellow Verditius. Argentius shrugs, still not remembering. He gives Zarkut and Tastheus a particularly long look, considering them thoughtfully before heading out. He stops before the door.
"Lares, all the best to you in your hunt. If I uncover some means of helping you in the search, I'll send word."
He then returns to his quarters. When he arrives there, Argentius seeks out Nicole.
"Nicole, I have a few questions for you. Do you recall if I had any forge-companions working with me here? Anyone who assisted me in my work? What about a familiar? An animal or spirit companion who I was close to? What of any other people I may have worked with? Perhaps a selling agent or venditore?"
Silas looks at Jessica. He leans his head a little to the right and begins talking. Silas appreciates having someone he can share his thoughts with. He needs an ally he can be open with and someone allowed inside his sanctum should be a good start. However he must not forget that he didnt allow her to sleep in the same room as him. There must be a reason behind that.
"Such things are always revealing. If people came knocking asking for my aid, that would say the covenfolk relied on me. If someone performed some elaborate knocking pattern or entered through a unkown door it would imply I had some informants here. If nobody dares approach this building and they run away at the sight of me, I must have done something to earn that reputation as well.
I must act out my role and to do that I must learn as much as I can about this past-future myself. Otherwise I wont get anywhere.
For a starter, it seems that none of the magi knows about my own affliction. Thanks to this amulet you provide me with. Though my fellow House member might have an idea if he starts to really ponder our past encounter. Does this run true for the covenfolk as well? Knowing that would be very beneficial. Keeping it a secret will allow me to act more freely..."
Zarkut will wander the covenant, inspecting covenfolk, to see if any have any magic effects on them, and taking the opportunity to study the people made of wood, as well.
Nicole looks around, "Do you mean Fingers? I haven't seen that little rodent around, I thought maybe you had finally convinced him to stay out of the kitchen. I remember my mom telling me about Phillip, she called him your agent, You haven't really used him much for the last decade though. Most stuff you make is for your own use, looking for those rings, which I don't get, since you make rings."
Jessica thinks, "I don't recall anything of this covenant, and nobody came by this morning, so I wouldn't know what they think of you. I do remember you using the leper wand on one art critic once, but whether you have done that recently I couldn't say."
There are people made of wood, as well as metal and stone. The wooden people tend to be helping out with carpentry, the metal with blacksmithing and the stone ones with masonry, though you find a few made from various materials helping in other roles as well- a jeweler, a glass blower, leather worker, tinker, candlemaker, brewer, cook, ink maker, bowyer, and a few simply helping to haul materials around, usually following covenfolk. Zarkut does not notice any magical effects on people, aside from teh obvious fact that the pnes made of construction materials are clearly enchanted.
Argentius listens to Nicole's description of the rodent. "Fingers, you say?" He chuckles softly and adds, "I'll keep my eyes out for him. Somehow a rodent named Fingers doesn’t surprise me at all." He takes a breath.
"Phillip. Curious. I'll keep an eye out for references to him in the notes here." The magus takes a few steps in the direction of the lab before turning back.
"So no one I allowed into the lab to help me with my work? No jeweler or smith? What about an apprentice? Do you recall if I had an apprentice? Recently or at some point in the past?"
Argentius smiles with a playful light in his eye.
"One more thing before I go to the lab: what did Fingers like to take the most from your kitchen? And do you have any more of it I can take with me?"
"He liked figs" she says as she tosses you one. I don't remember you letting anyone into your lab, you seemed worried someone might steal your discoveries more than you looked to be training anyone."
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So they are constructed, not creatures of might? He will try talking to one, are they intelligent?
Argentius smiles as he catches the fig. "Thank you, Nicole. Seriously. If you can think of anything else I might want to know, please come tell me. I am grateful you are here. Truly."
The handsome magus turns away and heads into the lab proper. When he arrives there, Argentius pauses in the doorway to survey the lab, studying it's layout, its fixtures, the palatial nature of the space. He soaks it in, thoughtful about what decisions may have been made by his future-past self.
When he is done considering the layout and structure of the lab, he moves into the space, walking to the forge. When he gets there, the magus takes sets the fig down in a slightly shaded area to the side of the forge, a place visible to him from where his desk or study area are situated.
"Fingers? This is for you. I hope you'll enjoy it. Come visit me. I'm still me."
Argentius then walks over to the area that serves as his desk or study area and begins to carefully look around, seeking anything of note, journals, notes, texts, images, etc. He is careful and methodical in his approach, sectioning off the lab in his mind to look through that area, under things, atop things, etc.
Plasmatoris packs up his notes and art supplies, since nobody else was excited to step into the role organizing the covenant. Well, he thinks, I knew what I was getting into when I offered. He bows his head to the other magi politely, adding specifically to Lares, "I wish you luck with your rescue hunt, Magus."
He leaves the meeting room as everyone else does, seeking out any Latin-speaking scholars or clerks. "I need you to find the chamberlain. Steward. Castellan. You," he says, to the next, "Get me a full list of everyone in the covenant. I want an official document, and I want a fresh, newly scribed document as well. I also need someone to transcribe my notes..."
His first point is his studio, to drop off his sketching supplies, and his sketches, then his lab. As he heads that way, Plasmatoris is going to haphazardly try and lasso people into useful tasks, most importantly finding the people who should be in charge. Once things have begun to move towards a useful direction, he'll take a break in his laboratory to look for useful experimental notes or correspondence that would shed light on the current situation. But, knowing his own habits, he doesn't have much hope.
Silas gives a dry little laugh.
"No I didnt figure you would remember anything. You have lost some 20 years of memories yourself Jessica. If you will continue to let me talk at you I shall tell you my current theory.
My memory – and that of my colleagues, I guess you wouldnt know them either – have been wiped upon the point on where we became a true magus. Your memory has been wiped from the point I accepted you. Conjecture: Both are starting points on a new life. A person remembers everything up till the point they started the "life" which has tied them to this covenant. I am unsure how this theory works with the covenfolk, especially those born here. Will have to investigate it further on..."
Silas shakes his head and walks up to Jessica to inspect how her search is going. The idea of interrogation covenfolk is far from appealing but it would be very effective. Silas suddenly regret not being taught more mentem.
"Did you have any luck with finding my tools Jessica? I must go through my own notes and correspondence as well, so maybe working will have to wait somewhat."
Okeannetis and Elephant-Slayer head back to her Lab. She starts to catalogue her notes, meanwhile talking to Elephant-Slayer "I'm sorry but it seems like event he others have lost all memories of the intervening years, or they hide it very well. Right now, we need to figure out what happened, and what can we do to prevent it from happening again, and who's behind it. The thing I hate the most about this situation, is the fact that you and I don't know one another, and yet I have a strong sense of loyalty towards you, and wish to keep you safe, which means that we had an emotional bond before I bound you as my Familiar, and that you agreed to it. But, I do promise that I will do what I can to earn that level of trust again."
Going over her notes, she makes a few piles, one for recent events, one for research, and one for past events/projects, and the last one of lab notes. Knowing what she worked on could well be a key to what obstacles and events shaped her former life.
The constructs have verditius runes inscribed on them, indicating they are, indeed, constructs. They apparently have no capacity for conversation either.
Argentius finds lab notes for a variety of devices, including the rings he had found in his room upon waking, which should, glancing through the notes 1), enable him to communicate with any group of people, cast at a group target, an unlimited number of times per day with a sun duration at voice range. 2) interrogate soeone's mind for whatever information he is thinking about while he touches them with the ring while wearing it, 3) be able to detect the realm allignment of any aura he is in by the sensations produced, 4) see the entrances to all regios, 5) speak with statues, and 6) learn the history of any book you touch with the ring while wearing it.
There is no sign of fingers.
The clerks inform you that the covenant does not have a chamberlain, steward, or castellan. They aren't even certain who the current faction representatives would be for the Cathars, The Arabs, or the Berbers. They can't even agree if the Muslim Berbers would be under the Arabic or Berber representative's authority.
Jessica has had no luck finding Silas' tools. She leaves you alone as you enter your lab to work, whee you find your tools in plain sight,
It seems that most of Okeannetis' notes are regarding research, with collection of notices of wizard wars. It would seem that she is being challenged about 3 times a year, though most of them are categorized as ties according to her notes jotted onto the declarations. Looking back it turns out the latest declaration that she had found earlier ha a quick notation marking it a a tie as well. Nearly all the wizard war declarations are from Bjorner magi, and it would seem that many of the notices come from outside the tribunal. An interesting additional note is the way in which the vellum has perished for most of the notices, making them difficult to read as the vellum has shrunk, it appears that whatever has transpired prior to her coming here resulted in her fleeing to this tribunal and leaving most of her prior notes behind. You are able to identify 50 different bjorner magi who have challenged you to wizard wars, some of whom must have passed their gauntlet after you arrived here. It seems that most of her research has been into the mythical beasts of Africa and trying to fnd new versions of a familiar bond which might coexist with the bond.
Plasmatoris grumbles as he finds the clerks most unhelpful. Probably because of the Gift, he thinks. They don't know me anymore, do they? He has to delay searching through his own lab notes, because he needs to handle the covenfolk instead. So Plasmatoris gathers up those who seem most competent and willing to assist him, and begins sending them to gather lists of the covenfolk, as many as he can get together.
"We've had a disruption of our functionality, and while it's nothing we can't recover from, I still want to see it fixed efficiently and effectively."
A tie?! Interesting. Did these Wizard's Wars happen because of her shape changing? Her research into Mythic Beasts? Or her research into the Familiar bond?
She files it for later.
She then starts looking into her Lab setup, to determine what and how it was set up, and what benefits it gave.
Silas sort through his various tools. Some he can identify as his Casting Tools, other are for now unkown spells. These werent hard that hard to find... Did she rummage through my bedroom for another reason? I will indulge myself and do a little work after all... I need to clear my mind. Silas takes a few items he needs and makes his way over to lathe. He eyes the alter somewhat suspiciously. It must be deeply connected with that cross and the project he read about earlier he determines.
Silas starts pumping the lathe and with his tools he carves a wooden wand out of the block of wood. Feeling relaxed after letting his hand work, Silas rises and starts searching though the room for his own writings. He ignores the altar and the lab text laying on it since he already peaked at those. He looks especially for correspondence and orders. Silas also looks in the basket he recognizes from the library.