Midnight in Duresca (Winter 1231)

Sorry, I assumed others would be running to the scream so should could follow them through doors as necessary.. The reason Solomon isn't going is because he is Lame and thus walks very slowly. If there is danger, I was expecting you would tell me and then I could decide. If there is no immediate obvious danger once she gets there, he'd Leap of Homecoming there (I just threw this in to speed things up if there was no danger).

There are others headed that way, but Sophia is close by and faster. But luckily, Greg the grog is at hand and kicks the door down! Kesara is backed up against the wall shaking, but calming down. On the opposite wall are blast marks of sorts, outlining a shape that looks sorta like Metron with his cape all aflutter

Seeing that everything is basically okay, Solomon slowly limps his way down to where Kesara is and then asks, "What happened? What did you see?"

Is the wall with blast marks an exterior wall, or is there another room on the other side?

Exterior wall

Everything went dark, so I used my innate ability to create light to see. Even the burning torches shed no light of their own and could only be seen by my illumination! Then the light returned. I had gone looking around to see what happened when it was dark, so when the light came back I returned to my room.
Then I saw him. It. Metron, the Flaming Shadow Incarnate. Seriously, like, that is what he was! A flickering, flaming shadow that grew against the wall and loomed over me as if to snatch me. I panicked and let loose a scream, but kept my wits about me. Reasoning that light dispels shadows, I blasted it, and, I guess, I destroyed it. I dunno. Do you think it could return?

Solomon makes his way over to the marks on the wall as he calls over his shoulder, "Do you have a map of the covenant and the surrounding area?"

He then takes out the arcane connection to Metron and quickly casts The Whole From the Part (HoH:TL pg 72). Specifically he's interested in knowing Metron's essential nature (corporeal human or Flaming shadow being).

The map will be to try and find Metron with The Inexorable Search if I can penetrate his MR.

Metron's essential nature is a being of fire and darkness, inhuman.
For that spell and Inexorable Search, I should call for a roll. But I will save you some time and frustration. Either you are unable to Penetrate or Metron is no longer within range of the area covered by the map.

Solomon sighs, he had assumed that Metron's penetration would be too difficult to overcome, but he had to try. He says out loud, to himself as well as anyone else in the room, "We need to find Karandos. It's odd, there was no magical effect in the crystal room that would account for his disappearance. Did anyone speak to Karandos before the interrogation? Did he seem...off...at all?"

Kesara looks inquisitively and considers your musing. Then her face lights up with insight.

I bet he was overcome by Warping and was taken by Twilight. The surge of energy, random and chaotic (botched up the @$$) recharged Metron with magical power. That or Metron was nursing it back and was hiding the whole time. Or perhaps he knew that someone attempting or actually killing him would have a transformative effect, and the magical backlash overwhelmed Karandos and sent him into Twilight. But in any case, Twilight is the simplest and most probable answer.

Solomon nods, "That does make the most sense. Well, Metron has fled the area for the moment, and it will likely take a hefty dose of vis for me to penetrate his magical resistance in order to find him, so we should probably ensure the covenant and its inhabitants are okay for now."

Marko, this thread seems to have died. Do you not plan on anything else happening here? Also, what about the negotiations with Barcelona?

Not much really. I had intended it to be a two part story, one part for Solomon and another for Guillaume. But he dropped out and you took on both parts. Metron got away, take that as foreshadowing for a potential future story.
Also, between you and the Redcap resolution, I am thinking that things will move along in the direction you intend. How and what should be implemented? Just let me know.

I'm certain I'm missing some things, but here's where he is looking for the negotiations to go:

  1. Every covenant within the Tribunal has the right to purchase a home/manor/building of some sort outside of the boundary of the city of Barcelona, but within one day’s journey by foot of the city (to be known as a Covenant House). This house will be considered the property of the owning covenant, and have protection as such (kind of like an embassy). Within this building, the owning covenant will have the right to place a Mercere Portal, at their own expense, and control the traffic through the portal. The owning covenant must staff the building with at least one mundane employee (grog) that is from the city of Barcelona or the surrounding area (a native) and trained and approved by the Covenant of Barcelona to act as a guide while within the city. The City of Barcelona may permit other Covenants to purchase a Covenant House if they so desire.

  2. Any magi visiting the City of Barcelona must provide notice of intent to do so 24 hours prior to the date of entry to the limits of the City proper. This may be done once they have traveled through a Mercere portal, as these are outside the city limits. This is not a request but a notification and may be made through the aforementioned grog working at a Covenant House.

  3. The Covenant of Barcelona may set a reasonable limit (I’m thinking 5?) on the number of visiting magi who are within the City limits at one time, in order to minimize impact upon the mundane population. Magi possessing the Gentle Gift or no Gift (Redcaps) will be exempted from this total.

  4. A magi with the Gentle Gift or no Gift (Redcaps), who speaks Catalan, and has been escorted within the city at least once, is permitted to visit the city alone. All other magi visiting Barcelona must be escorted by a member of a Covenant House staff, or an escort provided by the Covenant of Barcelona. Visiting magi possessing the Blatant Gift must be escorted by a magi of the Covenant of Barcelona, and will be severly limited in the activities within the city. The Covenant of Barcelona has the right to charge a fee for providing escorts.

  5. Barcelona is strongly encouraged to consider recruiting a quaesitor of House Guernicus to join their covenant. Solomon will recommend a member of the House with the Gentle Gift if he knows of any. He would then be expected to arbitrate disputes among visiting magi and the Covenant.

I like it. I like all of it. It also fits well with what the Redcaps did, link Barcelona and Doisettep and Harco together with Andorra as a hub. That means any magus from Iberia can theoretically travel anywhere else in Iberia as well as to Provencal and Rome. A Hermetic Superhighway :mrgreen:

The Barcelona magi may want more discretion over point number 4. And they may want to make some counterpoints or tweeks. Do you want to set this up as a thread and roleplay it out? I haven't played the Barcelona magi in a while (other than that short cameo by Carles).

I'd definitely be up for roleplaying it out. It's always more fun that way.

I will set it up :slight_smile:

For further development of these issues, see Christmas in Barcelona, which takes place two years later at the end of 1233.

Any XP for this, is was it too short to count as an adventure? Also, will they let me spend a season here learning a spell from their library? Specifically,Tell of the Forged from HoH:TL (we discussed it in the Vault of Valdarius thread).

Yes, you may spend a season here copying material.
You also gain 4 confidence points for the adventure.
For an advancement source quality, you can either take exposure from scribing (a measl 2xp), or
:slight_smile:
10xp for the adventure and season. Spend it on any skills and/or abilities used in this tale. Or bank them for later. I am going to start that as a policy. I really don't care what you spend your adventure xp on. Bank them to trim up danglers or whatever.

Cool, can the season spent copying be the same season that the adventure took place?

that is what I was figuring, yes :slight_smile: