"Yes, but I meant to ask whether any of us ever cast any spells at the fountains or geysirs. From your answer, I assume not. Thank you for your help."
Lares then heads out to inspect the farming arrangements more carefully and discuss with the farmers. What exactly are the "garden stones" that Winitran mentioned?
"How has the farming been during the past year? Have you noticed any changes?"
"The covenant plants were fine through the last harvest, but the new seeds don't seem to be growing as well." They show you gardens, each set within a circle of stones 10 paces around (about 3 paces across). You see hundreds of these gardens in close proximity.
Lares scratches his head, dragging his gaze over the plots, swallowing audibly.
"There's... quite a few of them, isn't there."
He pauses.
"Let me try something - I hope this will help them grow."
Lares plans to walk to a central location amidst the plots, then lifelink spont the following spell and maintain it with his formulaic Moon-duration Maintaining spell. Does this seem right?
I am mainly worried about the sufficiency of the "group" target - would this require a size modifier? The base Individual of Herbam is "a plant roughly one pace in each direction". The group target "contains about as much mass as ten standard Individuals", which "can be split up in any way desired", so 10 cubic meters of sprouts, which seems like a lot to me. A size modifier would make that a 100 cubic meters, which I assume is enough in any case.
At any rate, the idea is to limp along by casting this once or a few times a month without casting hundreds of spont spells. In this way, Lares will try to gain a season to come up with a way to do this with less risk.
Shouted blessing of the field (CrHe 10)
Ensures crops grow well as far as the magus' voice carries.
Base:1, +2 range:voice, +2 target: group, +1 duration: concentration, total level:10. If size modifier is needed, the level becomes 15.
Lares' total before aura is 3 sta + 5 cr + 2 he + 2 loud & exaggerated + 4 ceremonial casting = 16.
You cast this with only one level of fatigue, which certainly covers the plants as sprouts, but might grow more difficult when you are casting on more fully matured plants.
Great. So Lares' plan is to cast this lifelink spont + Maintaining spell monthly during the Summer season such that the growth boost is always active.
Since the CrHe lab text he found in his lab is only a trivial 4 levels, and his CrHe lab total is well over 20, he will look in his lab, in the library and ask all of the other magi who are at the covenant (Argentius, Silas, Okeannetis), trying to find any legible CrHe lab texts that Lares could learn alongside the formulaic "Blessings" spell. Edit: Oh yeah, and what is the seedling to tree spell like? Is it CrHe?
At any rate, during Summer, Lares will learn at least the formulaic "Blessings of the encircled field" circle-ring spell from the lab note he found. He will then continue to perform this service of casting it hundreds of times every year to improve yields.
If that doesn't make them see our usefulness then I don't know what will.
After that, he asks if his sons could find out whether there have been any similar problems - if all of the automatons are working properly, if the water is flowing as it should, if the buildings are holding up, if the weapons and armor are fine, if hunting gear is in check, if books and scrolls are up to snuff, if food is staying fresh... the point is to find out if there are any other failing enchantments that could cause trouble.
Seedling to tree is cr he, and grows a single plant to maturity in a day: base 15, target ind, range:touch, duration:day Total level:30
Additionally most of the automata seem to have developed some form of malfunction or another in the past year. From the recollections of the covenfolk, Silas would be the one who normally repaired the automata, but seems to have gone missing from inside his lab, perhaps in twilight.
Lares tries to find out from Winitran whether he used the Seedling to tree spell at the oasis regularly - was it something he used to start production there, or something that needed to be recast yearly or similar.
"Did I travel there regularly to cast magic on the plants there?"
He meets the news of Silas' absence and deteriorating automata with a grave expression.
"Twilight? Poor Silas. To be given this opportunity, only to have it snatched away like that."
He pauses.
"The automata are going to be a problem. I don't know if Silas could have fixed them to begin with. With him gone, the automata are as good as gone, too. We will have to start performing those tasks by ourselves, again. Please catalogue all of the tasks that will need to be done and see what new resources we must acquire. You can request help as you deem necessary - perhaps some of the Arab administrators can be of use."
(The report will be finished in early summer)
As the evening cools one evening, Argentius walks out of his sanctum for his regular evening walk about the compound. This evening he pauses near the fountain. The dusky artificer runs his hand through the water of the fountain, feeling its cool moisture against his dry, dessicated hands. He cups his hand to scoop water and then slowly, with an almost sacred, ritualized gesture drips the water on the dry, parched sand near the fountain.
Argentius repeats the gesture a few times, dripping the water into what seems to be a random pattern on the sand. He watches the wet sand until it dries. He looks off toward the setting sun and then takes up his walking stick and continues his evening circuit of Al Kufra, nodding in greeting any covenfolk or sodales who may be out and about.
One day in the spring, Argentius seeks out Lares in the cool of an evening.
"Do you play mancala? Seems to be fairly popular among some of our people here."
Lares is enjoying a warm drink with his son Izri outside his sanctum, discussing some or other aspect of covenant management.
"'Mancala', hmm? Is it the one with the little beads? I have seen my sons shifting the things around, but haven't ever gotten around to learning it. I would like to try, though. Do you know the rules? Would Izri like to teach us?"
Izri is happy to teach you the rules of Mancalla, and after a couple of games suggests you play for silver coins to make the game more interesting.
Argentius smiles and nods to Lares, his dark dessicated skin wrinkling around his eyes and mouth.
"I would like to learn. If nothing else, it gives us a chance to get to know our people in a different setting."
The artificer expresses his appreciation to Izri for teaching the rules of Mancala.
"Do all our groups here at Al Kufra play?"
"The natives play, some of the Arabs. The Cathars do not, generally."
Lares furrows his brow and strokes his beard while pondering his moves, grunting happily or indignantly as the game unfolds. Lares and Argentius both grasp the rules quite quickly, and their first game is quite evenly-matched, even though Argentius wins in the end.
"Rod's bollocks! It's quite complicated, isn't it."
He massages his temples as if soothing his bruised ego.
"This is a good idea. I don't know whether they would dare play with you, though, given all this."
Lares gestures at Argentius' unearthly features.
"There's no harm in trying, though. Let's find someone to play with."
Lares gets up.
Argentius looks at Lares for a moment. "It's more complex than I first thought, that's clear."
The dessicated artificer stands and follows Lares.
"But perhaps this game can be a way to help our people be less troubled with me. As always, Lares, you are a unifier."
"Izri, do you know anyone, besides yourself and your brothers, who might dare play with Argentius?"
He thinks a second "Aziki, even as a child he was not bothered by the Gifted, he might be uncomfortable with Argentius new appearance, but at least he won't have to reacclimate to the Gift. He plays well, and I think would welcome the chance to win favors from a magus."
Argentius can't help but smile as he learns about Aziki's skill at mancala. "Why do I have the feeling that you're being so helpful, Lares, to avoid losing favors of your own to me?"
A smile brightens the Verditius's face.
"I would appreciate an introduction to Aziki when convenient."
"Certainly, I can introduce you this evening."