Once Vispilius has flown of Titius looks around for some fallen trees that could be flung at an opponent if the need arises. He makes sure that the pouch of stones is ready at hand. Are you ready soldaes when the fight comes if it comes? Titius ask the last question as he looks towards the pavilion.
Theodora shakes her head at owara "It was a weak spirit and would not be of much aid in battle and I would have had to force it to my will I don't have the time for that here"
She looks at Titius as the others fly off,"I am afraid I will not be of much use in a fight my arts would require overcoming his resistance and I know not which form would be best for him my wards are for use against other creatures"
"If your wards are long lasting, Theordora, set them up nonetheless. One less thing to worry about, and there is no cost to the preparation. As we do not know the full range of this knight's tricks or powers, perhaps binding a small spirit for the day, one that can see the invisible or through illusions, or into the fae realm, if not the infernal, to act as your eyes and ears? If you have the time.
"Further, and I almost hate to mention this, but if this is the guardian spirit of the bridge, then killing it might do more long-term harm than good. If we can dissuade it, halt its attacks to a draw, rather than destroying it outright, we may be doing a service to a greater cause."
"Worst comes to worst, we convince someone religious to handle it. They do better with the Infernal than we do."
"For me all magic has a price and I fear wards againts Ghosts and Demons will avail us little here.
I also think that destroying this faerie would be unwise as it may play an important role in the local faerie weave, also it may be impossible to destroy it without destroying the bridge if it is truly bound to that place.
I will go to see what local spirits I can find which could aid us in conflict if it comes to that."
Theodora again withdraws to summon spirits
Theodora will see if she can call up some spirits of the local earth which will hopefully be able to raise the earth as a barrier if the night attacks . She will use Command to bind any spirit she is able to rise to service so it does not run off if the knight does attack
THe earth spirits here are weak: perhaps because the land is part of the flooding zone of the river, or because the powerful faerie aura scares them off. Still, you manage to get some small elementals to pile up the silty soil here into a rampart that's about four feet high, and hang around afterwards.
As you hover above the site, the crows from the nearby tree take wing. Several are coming swiftly toward you, while four, precisely, flee at spee. One heads for each direction of the compass.
You have perhaps two rounds before the crows reach you.
Over on the shore, the little frogman looks sorrowfully at Theodora. He whimpers pathetically and says. "I am sorry lady, but if my master engages your allies, then as his servant I shall be required by his commands to kill you." As he speaks a green substance, which after a moment's thought you realise is blood, is leaking from the corners of his mouth, and soaking through the tips of his glove.
Titus fails an Awareness roll, but Theodroa succeeds, so she can see that sharp, sharklike teeth are forcing themselves through the gums of the little frog man. His hands are also developing claws, which are tearing themselves up through the flesh of the suckerish tips of his fingers.
You see a stirring at the entrance of the pavillion and a knight, clad in black armour and riding a horse improbably large for the tent he is now riding from, charges toward the shadow of the bridge. His horse sprints lightly across the surface of the river, leaving dark footprints that eddy away.
Vispilius shows no surprise or fear at the approach of the mounted knight, tho' in his mind the added weight of crows is not comforting.
"Do your business, and quickly, Iohannes, for I feel we shall not be tarrying here long nor at our leisure. If you have time, tell me if those crows are fae or infernal, for I would remove them from the equation more eagerly if the latter."
He spins the branch they ride in place, hovering low enough to reach down and touch the water in the shadow but now pointed away from the menacing knight. With the flick of a finger and a word he casts a MuCo spell, and his own limbs wrap impossibly around the branch, grasping it tightly.
Iohannes takes one round to look at the shadowed place. He has both Second Sight to see what cannot normally be seen and Faerie Eyes to perhaps pierce the darkness. Per+SS of 14 (regiones).
Iohannes laughs. "Infernal, unless I miss my mark! And my business here is postponed, unless you have magics that can penetrate the Might of these creatures."
edit:
Iohannes grips the stick tightly, in anticipation of some abrupt maneuvering.
"If we can outfly the crows, we might want to follow one of the four rather than try to fight the murder of them."
OOC: I haven't seen a response to this
OOC: I haven't seen a response to this
[/quote]
[I apologise. Somehow I have never seen this before. The frogman would have indicated that yes, he had.]
Vispilius responds by shaking back his free hand from his sleeve, and commencing a spell as the birds are about to come within shouting distance.
"As to the first, we're about to find out... as to the second, not with two aboard, and questionably even flying solo. You have time for one spell, perhaps, while I see if I can deter the approaching ones..."
A grimace of determination creases his brow as he shouts the arcane syllables, and from his palm a flurry of wooden darts erupts, slowly diverging as they speed away into two rough groups, each group targeted towards an approaching bird.
[color=olive](OOC- Swarm of Wooden Shafts (10 missiles, damage = d+10/missile.)
w/ loud voice and bold gestures, Spell roll = 15+Aura+misc + stress douse, vs Level 15 spell. (-3 if target is Fae)
Mastery: Penetration, & Penetration Skill 1.
Finesse + Int to split into 2 groups, stress douse +4
And likewise, with the area, crows, knight, horse, etc etc;
Faerie Eyes & Second Sight*, Per+SS roll = 5 (illusory disguises) + Aura + stress douse.
(* thought Iohann' had something more up his sleeve!)
You literally shred some of the approaching birds. This does not seem to deter the others.
The knight is a faerie, but a weak one. His horse is created of his own mystical substance, like his armor and weapons, as a symbol of his role as knight. There is something mystically wrong with the knight.
The crows are not faeries.
They are possessed animals.
Theodora will shout a warning to the assembled shield grogs and Titius while ducking behind them.
She will then command the spirits to drag the fishamsn feet beneath the earth and then concnetrate on keeping a man between her and the fishman
You are really unlucky (botch) and the fishman's tiny magic resistance allows him to avoid having his feet caught by the spirits. (Although its the spirit attack that botches, so you don't get personally harmed by the botch.)
The faerie has begun to swell rapidly to larger size, and horned, chitnous armor has begun to burst from under his skin. This seems to cause him a great deal of pain, and he keep begging you to run away.
Did Iohannes see anything?
Although I'm a "shoot first and then ask questions" kind of guy, Iohannes is a bit more judicious. He crossed the river to see what's going on.... and that's what he's gonna do.... if he can.
The infernal area is quite small, perhaps seven feet by four wide. Its grassy is sickly looking, but other than that, no. Nothing leaps out.
Titus walks to the guards, it is healthy to keep a guard between Titius and the enemy. He with exaggerated gestures and a loud voice he tries to cast a spell that will entangle the fish man in a long thick vine coming from the ground.
OOC: (Cr(Re)He Base 1, +2 voice, +1 diameter, +1 requisite, total 5) (Casting total: Cr 5 Re 5 He 11 +2 exaggerated gestures and loud voice)/2 = +9 Penetration 1
Iohannes says to Vispilius, "I think someone is buried there. Or some thing. I'm going to save my one spell for when it's needed, because unless it's Mentem, I won't get a second."