In which Carmen, Ludwig, and three air-elemental cloud-sheep travel to Asgard, meet the Aesir, and find their way home to Ultima Thule then back to Andorra
Oh man. I didn't have anything planned for this 
I'd have to wing it...
(Also, it's "Asgard," no U in it.)
Those are the best adventures 
I know that. What makes you think any different?
:mrgreen:
Well, I'll take an opening when I see one.
As the five of you are flying upward, El Murcielago (currently Cuervo) grunts. "There's a regio boundary ahead, looks like it crosses into the same level as the one Caduceus' sanctum door leads to, just from another direction." Once the boundary is crossed, the scenery blinks and changes. Carmen can see that there is another building below her, in the same spot as the other, but this one is of black stone. That may just be the lab...
Carmen ignores it, just keeps following the sheep until we reach the Mystic Rainbow Bridge guarded by Hiemdall...
Perhaps I should now mention that Thor has been my favorite comic since I was a child. Thor & Conan comics lead me to an interest in mythology and magic and fantasy literature, which in turn lead to my starting to play D&D and AD&D, which in turn leads to Ars Magica.
My problem with the Thor comics is Thor's a total blowhard and Loki was all the awesome. You can only watch the awesome guy get the snot kicked out of him by the big dumb jock so many times before you eventually give up in total disgust. (At least in that regard, the movies were totally faithful to the comics. Hiddleston is AMAZING, and Hemsworth is... "a literarily accurate representation of Thor" which is to say Not Very Awesome.)
Also, I don't believe for a second that Carmen won't try to go back and get her stupid carpet
I say thee NAY!
This doesn't have to be a full on adventure in Asgard. Just some freeform roleplaying may suffice? Whatever it is, the nature of the experience could influence my choice of Minor Virtue.
Ideas I have had include...
Unaging (having obtained apples of Idun)
Great Intelligence (talking to Odin)
Improved Characteristics (Str & Sta each increased to +1)
Warrior (consorting with Valkyries)
Minor Potent Magic: Thunder and Lightning (hanging out with Thor)
Minor Essential Virtue: Good Flyer (applicable to whatever means she commands or controls)
Premonitions (learning from the Norns)
Though honestly, I am leaning towards Unaging. It fits her style.
Well, there's a whole lot of Alfheim to get through before you'd get to Asgard; there's probably more of Alfheim than there is of Asgard, which might influence your choice of virtue.
So... is Carmen really going to take off without heading down to try and snag her carpet?
You mistakenly think Carmen's desire for a new flying carpet is based on nostalgia. It is really based on a sense of utility and logistical necessity. That old carpet had flaws, acted wonky sometimes, and could not fly when wet. Fixer's "fluf" writing up the carpet has it as the strange material form of a jinni. None of us were ever really aware of that as characters, and most players never knew. It was Fixer's quirk on an idea I thought of as a logical necessity (even back then too).
I do want to get that pen back though, and might as well grab the carpet. I also plan to call for Quaesitorial investigation, claiming forfeiture immunity upon him and raiding his sanctum.
I also have this idea. Alfhiem to Asgard, Asgard to Sweeden (Upsalla?), then Herot, then back to d-munch's tower to grab the pen and arrest Gemma (maybe, maybe not), then home. Maybe I'll petition Baldur for help. Maybe Carmen is the Lumina after all, and maybe her minor Virtue will be Inspirational or Puissant Leadership. Or maybe she will run into Freyja size=30[/size] and learn Venus' Blessing.
Just set the scene and we can freestyle some narrative until you are struck with inspiration for and idea of an inkling of a possible story potentially applicable potential ... systemic... affable... underlying... ababbacacadda...
:mrgreen:
If Caduceus' operation truly came by the carpet and the pen in different manners, both would be needed as evidence.
This third layer of the regio does lead down to another level of tower, which might or might not contain evidence about who raided Andorra. So will Carmen take a look, or head up to the next layer?
The wrong decision is better than indecision. Carmen charted a course and shall keep to it. Alfhiem to Asgard to Sweden to Herot, maybe one more covenant to rally some support, then back here to get my stuff and lead an investigation. Bringing these three sheep in tow with her all along the way.
The sheep lead Carmen through a few more regio levels. She sees a corresponding building far below her on each level, but is surprised to see upon the third (if I'm counting right) crossing, that the building far below glints with gold, and seems to be some kind of palatial Byzantine structure. Above is an enormous cloud castle; the cloud-sheep (cleep?) stop here and begin to graze on some cirrus outside the gates.
Carmen casts a spontaneous spell to modify a small cloud so she can have a seat.
Base 10 (unnatural change), +1 Touch, +1 Diameter, equals 20
Stamina 0, Muto 5, Auram 18, Focus +5, Loud Words/Exaggerated Gestures +2, Talisman +3
equals 33, + aura ?
die roll = 1d10=9
which shall surly succeed
The aura here is 8.
The sheep graze for a long time. They want a few days; travelling across boundaries exhausts them. How long before Carmen gets bored?
Carmen will explore in and around clouds as they graze. She does get bored, but shows patience.
How far away are we from the golden city?
The clouds are just clouds, though if Carmen tastes them, they do have a flavor. No sustenance for her, though. She does get hungry. That cloud-castle has the scent of roast beast wafting out of it...