SOlomon's immediate reaction is to see if Sophia is okay...he reaches out to her, communicating through their shared mental link, Sophia are you all right? Do you know what happened? He will then merge his senses with hers, looking out through her eyes to see if this darkness is also present in his guest quarters (where she is) and whether her magical sight can penetrate the darkness.
it is dark everywhere at Duresca. What is the nature of her magical sight?
(Oops, sorry, she has Second Sight)
Second Sight doesn't let you see in the dark, it just lets you see through illusions and regiones. Seeing in total darkness is particular to Strong Faerie Blood, and is in addition to the Second Sight, not because of it.
That said, isn't Sophia an owl? Owls see in the dark because they're owls.
Right, but my thought was that since it is magical darkness then Second Sight might work...For example, is the darkness considered an illusion because there is actually light in the room, it is just being "hidden" by the illusory darkness?
Yes, but it's magical darkness (that can't be overcome by a candle as noted) so the "normal" ability to see in darkness might not apply.
Every object emits a species. Owls see in the dark because they can receive the species even when darkness lies in between the owl and the species, so I think owl vision should work just as well in magical darkness as mundane... but I could see it either way.
I'm going to judge it like "Eyes of the Cat, in that she can see in near darkness (night time) but not total darkness (subterranean cavern).
Having said that, magic can be used to overcome total darkness, such as Faerie Eyes. Or Intellego Imaginem (wink-wink)
Someone in the hallway is yelling "Keep calm, put out any candles! Is there anyone who can see in darkness that can hear me?"
(yep, that was next in the plan...just trying to work through things sequentially)
Solomon replies, "Give me a moment..."
He's going to spontaneosuly cast an InIm effect to see in darkness. I think it should be:
InIm 5 (base 3, +2 Sun duration)
Casting total: 17(In) + 4(Im) + 2(Sta) + 3?(Aura) + 2 (Loud & Exaggerated) /5 (non-fatiguing) = 5.6 without die roll (at work so can't get to Invisible Castles)
If necessary his Penetration is 5 plus whatever comes up on the die roll /5.
Actually, you need 4 more magnitudes for a Vision Target. That is level 25, or 20 if you just use Diameter/Concentration
I will roll the die for you...
starting with 28...
1d10=5
that's 33 and that don't cut it.
Presuming he tries again (1d10=3)
I am being stubborn for you (1d10=6)
so close!!! (1d10=7)
no comment (1d10=2)
one more time, I swear (1d10=9)
BAM!
I was awfully presumptive and I apologize. I would not have enforced a botch result.
So you can succeed at InIm20 by spending a point of confidence.
Now that I think about it, this was stupid of me. You would have lost a fatigue level with each of those rolls and would have had to take a short rest between each one. Something like that would take you around ten minutes.
So maybe you would have wanted to do something else instead. It is up to you.
And this is what I get for trying to figure this out at work without the book. Okay, given that here's what I'd like to do.
First, he'd try to activate his Create Torchlight effect from his talisman.
- Create Torchlight, CrIg 14
R: Per, D: Item Maintains Concentration, T: Ind, 24 uses/day
Causes a light the equivalent of torchlight to radiate from the top of the staff.
(Base 3, +1 Conc; 5 levels for Item Maintaining Concentration, 5 levels for 24 uses/day)
Assuming that doesn't work he'd try the InIm effect, using a concentration duration (so InIm 20) and casting with fatigue. Using the first die roll you made, a 5, that gives him a 33.
Since that doesn't work he'll try something a little different. he's assuming this is a Perdo Ignem effect, so he'll try and spontaneously cast Unraveling the Fabric of Ignem (I think I can make the effect open-ended, but if not his target is a PeVi 15 level)
1d10=7 Which gives a casting total of 32/2= 16
Which should cancel an Ignem spell of a level up to 15+10+10 (stress die 1 and then 5) = 35
1d10=1
1d10=5
(hopefully that's all close to correct since I'm really still a noob)
!
That will do the trick. Wonder why no one thought of that 
Lights back on.
Solomon leans heavily on his staff as the fatigue starts to set in. Once the lights return, he immediately calls out to Sophia, Sophia, meet me in the dining hall. Do you see anything strange?
He then calls out, "Does anyone know what happened? Someone with a casting token or a lot of power must have done this..."
No one thought of your idea, which turned out to be the most effective. But in the hall already are a guy with Faerie Eyes, a magus who succeeded in that InIm idea, and a Flambeau magus who created a magical light bright enough to penetrate the darkness.
This Flambeau magus is none other than Trentus of Flambeau, the infamous hero. If you don't know who he is, ask and I shall tell.
Sophia is as "in the dark" as you. Everything was suddenly smothered in darkness, then the darkness was dispelled by you and receded just as suddenly.
Oh! One clue. The swathe of darkness was such that moonlight did not penetrate through the window. But when Sophia flew over to the window and looked outside, the moon still shined down upon Duresca. The darkness only permeated as far as the structure of the main covenant building.
Other wizards and covenfolk come out into the halls to investigate what happened, and the word quickly travels.
Metron has gone missing, as has Karandos of Flambeau.
(So, here's what I think I know about the relevant players, anything else you can give me that Solomon would know would be helpful:
Trentus of Flambeau - I know nothing at all 
Metron - Bad Guy. Member of the Cult of Flaming Shadows who was being held captive but wouldn't give up his fellow members so was being sentenced
Karandos of Flambeau - Fought in the Shadow Wars against infernalists. Had a bad twilight experience. Retired to the Cave of Twisting Shadows to study the Enigma in hopes of understanding it.)
Solomon listens intently as the information begins to flow. He turns to the nearest master of Duresca, "Where was Metron being held, has anyone talked to his guards? Does anyone have an arcane connection to him or Karandos? We must not delay, time is of the essence."
[tab][/tab]I didn't figure you would know anything about Trentus, so I am prepared to present known information
[tab][/tab]You mat have noticed by now that I like using characters from old cannon. Metron, Karandos, and Carles are all described in ToH-Iberia (ArM3). Erat Caecus is from Houses of Hermes (ArM3.5) and Covenants (ArM2). Trentus is mentioned in several Code rulings detained in WGRE (ArM4). I do not know if he is in the original WG, but this is irrelevant.
[tab][/tab]Paraphased events noted below...
AD 1172 Iberia, Apprentice Law
[tab][/tab]For his Gauntlet, the apprentice known then as Vembar (now Trentus of Flambeau) was abandoned in Barcelona without clothing, provisions, or funds; and was told to make it to Sicily within a month. (This was the typical Flambeau Gauntlet in previous editions, I interpret what is listed in HoH-Societas as the "new way" of doing things)
[tab][/tab]in his efforts, Vembar slew several mundanes, torched multiple city guardsmen, and burned a couple ships in the harbor. Now a young magus, the Quaesitors wanted to hold Trentus and/or his parens accountable for these actions. But the Tribunal rules that the Gauntlet is a special situation wherein the parens cannot be required to guide or supervise the actions of their filius, nor is the apprentice yet sworn to the code or bound by the Oath.
[tab][/tab]So not even a slap on the wrist for either one. To this day, the Covenant of Barcelona holds a grudge against Trentus, and this was the impetus for granting that covenant more concessions as far as security and regulation. Thus leading to the meeting Solomon came here for to begin with.
AD 1186 Iberia, Interfering with Mundanes
[tab][/tab]Trentus of Flambeau was brought before the Tribunal and accused of killing no less than 100 mundanes in various fights and skirmishes. Though it was noted that his use of magic was blatant and occasionally spectacular, he left not a single survivor that could identify him as a magus of the Order of Hermes, so Trentus was acquitted on a loophole, since there was no danger of bringing ruin upon his sodales.
[tab][/tab]Adding to that story, he was severely verbally reprimanded by several senior magi who did not like the ruling. Trentus also had the help of some influential allies during that tribunal, who supported his activities because it was suspected that these mundanes had supernatural allies (Trentus crusaded against Almoravids and their Marabout holymen whom some suspected of being necromancers)
AD 1194 Iberia, Sanctum Law
[tab][/tab]This time Trentus was charged with the murder of another magus just outside his sanctum. Trentus argued that the other magus was approaching the sanctum with the intent of stealing magical artifacts. In accordance with precedence set with a similar case (997 Val-Negra), Trentus was foung guilty of using poor but excusable judgment and punished with the loss of his Familiar
[tab][/tab]Though some may see this as a minor punishment, this affected him deeply and he carries this pain with him decades later. He has never again taken a familiar. Some say this event marks the turning point in his life.
[tab][/tab]In the years since then, Trentus has (barely) managed to stay out of trouble with the law. He participated in the Shadow Wars and had exposed Metron's cabal in Barcelona. However, in a hot headed battle with Metron, Trentus caused a fire in the west wing of the Silver Rooster Inn (Barcelona Covenant's central headquarters).
(Thanks for the info...I'm reposting this since you didn't respond to it 
)
Solomon listens intently as the information begins to flow. He turns to the nearest master of Duresca, "Where was Metron being held, has anyone talked to his guards? Does anyone have an arcane connection to him or Karandos? We must not delay, time is of the essence."
[tab][/tab]It is Trentus of Flambeau himself who steps forward to speak. He is still holding a torch radiating with magic light as bright as the sun.
[tab][/tab]We were all in the same chamber. Metron was imprisoned in the crystal sphere that suppresses magic coming from within, and he was loaded with chains. I was there, Erat Caecus, Karandos, Crinos of Gurnicus. Others. We pressed the ultimatum upon him, offering him mercy and life in prison if he would but divulge the final secrets of the shadows.
[tab][/tab]We were talking about different horrific ways we could execute him and threatened to bring in the English! I suggested we just torture the information out of him, burn off one body part at a time. But Crinos rejected the notion as being against the principles of House Gurnicus. I sneered at him, having known some pretty shady Quaesitors in my day. Erat Caecus mentioned that, since he was already an outcast, any one of us could just kill him at any time without repercussion. No law or mandate protected him. That's when he went into his ranting about how he can never die and daring us to kill him. He does that sometimes.
[tab][/tab]But this time it worked.
[tab][/tab]Karandos could stand no more, and in fiery rage he unleashed a massive blast of, I don't know, pure destructive energy. Not like any fire or lightning I have seen before, a spectacular display of heat and light. And he was literally in a fiery rage. Something went pop in his head and he just lost it. His eyes spewed flame, his hair and beard crackled with lightning, and his voice grew to gigantic timber. Never in my life have I seen a rage so powerful! It was magnificent!
[tab][/tab]We never saw what actually happened when the blast struck the prison sphere. I was told it suppressed magic coming from inside, not outside, so it can be used to keep subjects tame while they are magically interrogated from without.
[tab][/tab]Gurnicus principles 
[tab][/tab]The reason we didn't see is because it was at that instant everything went dark and we were all blind because of it. I was the only one that could muster a spell to permit sight. Crinos tried to spontaneously cast an Intellego Imaginem spell and failed six timed before he succeeded. I am surprised he did not go into twilight. By that time I had created light with a spell of sufficient magnitude to penetrate the darkness. It was a standard spell, fifth magnitude Perdo Ignem, the Well without Light. Only magical light of the fifth magnitude could penetrate it.
[tab][/tab]Whence we were able to see again, both Metron and Karandos had vanished. The crystal sphere was shattered and the chains turned to slag, and there were blast marks all around. Obviously the work of Karandos' spell. But no signs of Metron. No remains, no corpse, nothing. Karandos too had disappeared.
[tab][/tab]And here are now.
(as a side note, the last time Metron appeared in this game was at the start of this leg of the saga, and he was laughing hysterically.
Solomon listens intently to Trentus, ignoring the various jabs against his House as he attempts to separate the useful information from biased commentary. Once he was finished, Solomon looks around briefly then decides he's the quaesitor here most qualified to deal with this (due to his "Infernalist Hunter" reputation, and that he's the only PC here 8) ) and motions to Trentus, "Then let's go see what we can learn at the chamber."
Once at the chamber, Solomon takes a moment to study what is left of the crystal sphere that had held Metron. Once he's finished a cursory observation he takes a deep breath and leans heavily on his staff as he closes his eyes and begins chanting heavily and waving his free hand in wide movements; exaggerating the movements necessary to complete a very complex Intellego spell.
Casting Sight of the Sigil, InVi 50
Casting Total: 17(In) +14(Vi) +2(Sta) +3(aura) +2 (loud & exaggerated) +4(die roll) = 42 (success with 1 fatigue)
(Specifically he's looking for the spell that Karandos cast, which I think should still be a positive magnitude based on the time. Looking for the Technique, Form and effect of the spell as well as if the casting sigil is actually Karandos' and not someone who has masquerading as him. While it seems obvious, he's wondering if the spell actually did something different or more than what was visibly obvious. He sould also be able to pick up any other magic cast in the area recently as well if it's pertinent)
It was a Creo-Auram/Ignem/Vim effect. A unique spell Karados developed during his time at the Cave of Twisting Shadows. And the sigil definitely matches Karandos: Kirby Dots.
You also catch a whiff of a trace of a Perdo-Corpus effect. Very weak, throwing you a bone 
Sigil is cold and dark, Metron.
Oh, and the Perdo Ignem effect that knocked the lights out. Again, cold & dark.
(I assume Karandos' spell was a pure damage spell? Sight of the Sigil gives me the "rough details of the effect". Also, same question in regards to the Perdo Corpus, or is it just too weak now to know)
"Do we have any arcane connections to Metron, or Karandos?" Solomon asks before he quickly casts a spell and begins looking around.
Casting Sight of the Molting Magus, InCo 25 (HoH:TL pg 72)
(He's hoping Karandos' spell may have hurt Metron and maybe made him bleed or singed some hair or something and left behind an Arcane Connection...)