keep in mind that to invent a spell you have to exceed the level, and the more you exceed it results in it being learned faster- to learn level 50 aegis in 4 seasons would require a lab total of 63. To do it in one requires a lab total of 100.
The number of assistants you can have is also limited by your leadership ability.
Lab text.
right, never mind
"I think we can figure out the date by looking at the constellations in the sky tonight."
Plasmatoris idly rubs his forehead, smearing charcoal across his features carelessly. "I want to see things here running smoothly as well," he says with a sigh. "I do not want to shirk my duties, but if appearances are to be believed, I am not the more experienced magus who came to Afrika to join this covenant. My Parens did not prepare me for adventure, and did not prepare me for delving into unknown magical secrets. Actually, whatever he had prepared me for, I steadfastedly resisted it with the cocky precognizance of youth. In the last few hours I have been realizing that few of my interests line up with the needs of a covenant in dire straits."
The Jerbiton sits up and straightens his robes a bit, smearing more of his sketching charcoal on the fine fabric. "I am no adventurer, and cannot help rescue your wife - as romantic as that sounds, I wish I could. I am no laboratory specialist, and will likely not aid much in your labwork, Magus Lares. And I am no devious master of intrigue, so likely will not be able to discover what plots in the Tribunal are coming for us." Plasmatoris leans forward in his chair steepling his fingers before him. Somehow, in managing to smear charcoal across his arms, face, hands, and clothing, he's kept the fine wood of the chair and table perfectly clean. "I am a practiced observer, and I enjoy following patterns, howerver. I would offer to look into the safekeeping of our covenant." He emphasizes the word 'our', as if dedicating himself to the task, binding himself to this trouble. In his mind, at least. "I would like to try and organize the covenfolk. To figure out who everyone is, what their jobs are, and what they know. We can figure out what language barriers we must surmount. I can also look into finding who would work as a steward, a librarian, or other key aspects of our covenant's function. I would delight to have a full list of our covenant's books, art, vis, food supplies, and everything we can."
Okeannetis looks around the assembled Magi "While I appreciate secrecy, and subterfuge, as much as any Magi, or, should I say, as much as the next Tytalus Magi, let's be honest with one another for a bit. I have rummaged around in my lab, and I know that a certain Bjornaer has delivered a Wizard's War to the older version of me. None of us will be able to face an established Bjornaer Magus, even if we work together, and even if we manage to recast the Aegis, and I have no skill in what's needed to cast it, or even to learn Wizard's Vigil, he will likely be able to kill me easily if he gets inside, and it's not gonna be enough to hold him off. And once he finds out how easy it is, we can be sure that others will as well."
And she stands up before continuing "You may well decide to go with this charade, and maybe you will manage to pull it off for a while, but if we're one of the first Covenants in this new Tribunal, it won't be long before something comes up that will need the attention of our former older versions, and we won't be able to deal with it, and our entire charade will be over. And WHEN that happens, the others will definitely swoop in for the kill. I will not attempt this charade. If you decide against my recommendation, I will go tpo my lab, grab what I can, and leave. And I will vow to not reveal your secrets to the best of my ability, but i will not be a part of this."
After the Jerbiton stops talking Silas nods and adds a bit quietly.
"The covenant has my commitment. We need to figure out what has happened and better to work together against that goal."
Silas tactfully avoids the subject of assistance in the lab. After all he wasnt asked for. Though in fact he quite sure that he could offer vital insight in the laboratory (even if this isnt exactly his expertise) but his Verditius' pride dont allow him to work under another magi. Especially one that didnt even ask for him in particular. Silas looks over at his house member with some interest. As he does he leans back and thinks to himself. It will be amusing no matter how he reacts to this.
As Okeannetis finishes Silas attention shift. He stop thumbing his finger and turn himself to get a better look at her. He says nothing but his thoughts begin to race. This is certainly concerning. Perhaps we ought to have her leave but then again that will show our hand as well... What have i gotten myself dragged into...
Aetherius gazes at Okeannetis: "And you believe you stand better chances of outliving this bjornaer foe if you reveal our predicament than if we try this charade? If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't spit on a few years to prepare for a possible war. On another note... your enemy may or may not exist anymore. Clearly, you were declared war on, and you're alive. You could have won it for all we know. Or maybe you bartered a truce."
Although I wouldn't expect that of a Tytalus he thinks.
"I said I wouldn't reveal your predicament if you decide to go with the Charade. The letter declaring it was dated 1288, which is supposed to be this year, and if my older self had dispatched him, I would have expected it to be adorned with signs of her victory, but I've found none."
"That said, I do think if we approach the Tribunal stating that this calamity has befallen us, and our entire covenant, it would behoove them to investigate this, because if someone could do it to a covenant full of Magi and Maga past their century mark, it means one, or more very fearsome foes, and who's to say that they won't strike again on other covenants. If we keep silent, and it happens again, and we're discovered to have known and kept silent, it could well be a Wizard's march on the entire covenant. And we all KNOW that the ruse will be discovered, whether tomorrow, or a couple of years from now, when the next Tribunal is held. Assuming it's not held here."
"Let me put it this way... What if its a lab accident by one of us? What if its a deliberate project endorsed by the covenant gone wrong? Do we march one of our own? I think it's too early to call in the quaesitores."
Lares seems unconcerned by Okeannetis' declaration.
"More to the point, which violation of the Code would they charge us with? I am not much of a iurista, but this wouldn't be the first time a magus has kept secrets. Endangering the Order? Hardly - we do not even now what this is. Letting knowledge of this get to the Order's enemies would arguably be a much greater danger."
He taps the table with his forefinger.
"The Bjornaer is a problem, of course. But why would he stop from slaying you if he knew you were weak? Do you think the Tribunal could act so fast?"
"I'm not much of a jurist either, but I remember the oath as if I swore it yesterday. I will not deprive nor attempt to deprive any member of the Order of his magical power, I believe. Arguably, we've lost close to a century's worth of experience in the arts. If a magi did this to us, I think he could be charged, yes."
"Just to be clear on something. Whatever happened to us... broke one or more hermetic limit. Either the limit of time... or the limit of aging and warping. Whatever effect occured... had a boundary target to affect the entire covenant, which normally implies a ritual. And it collectively affected eight magi and several magical animals and covenfolk with might. None of us resisted, and we were a hundred years more or less our gauntlet... behind a powerful aegis. To affect an entire covenant behind an aegis of tenth magnitude, through the parma of magi close to a century beyond their gauntlet, some of whom are bound to be specialised in the arts used, without being spotted while doing the ritual, with a powerful non-hermetic effect... that's not trivial. I think it's more likely we did a wizard's vigil on a ritual one of us thought would make us younger. I don't have any evidence to back it up at this point but... unless our aegis is gone, it seems more plausible that we conducted a ritual and then went to sleep on it, than speculating on forces unknown powerful enough to pull this off from outside deciding its more appropriate to make us younger rather than smite us to oblivion."
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Silas nods his head.
"I agree. The idea of some Heremtic enemy being capable of this is rather absurd. In many ways being the target of such a spell would be a blessing. Before it I should have been around 100 years but now I am back to my youth, the warping even seems to have been stripped from me. A complete renewal."
Silas smiles a little but quickly realizes it and returns to a more formal and serious frown.
"But this legal discussion and theorizing is rather pointless and merely a distraction. The looming wizard war needs some way to be delt with. I suppose we arent so lucky to know the reason nor anything about this Bjornaer? I am not sure what a tribunal could or would do either. This bjornaer might not even be under its jurisdiction. What is your plan? Admitt you have no defense loudly to the world and hope some unkown miracle will protect you?"
"As Aetherius said so eloquently, this effect, whoever did this, broke several Limits, and is therefore very likely non-Hermetic. And it affected 8 of us, through our Aegis, and all the covenfolk and our Familiars. Either we, or someone else has made a powerful enemy of someone capable of reducing very accomplished Magi to mere newly-Gauntleted Magi. And I remember our Oath as well, and the Code clearly states that to bring calamity on one's sodales is a crime. Whether it was our actions, or those of another, the perpetrator has done a lot to strip us of magical power, and the Tribunal needs to know that such a foe is out there."
"You know that House Tytalus isn't keen on showing weakness, but you want me to cower and hope that whoever did this won't come back and do it again, to us or another Covenant? or maybe whoever set them up for it will come and use our weakened condition to take whatever it is they're after? You see this as a second chance, and perhaps it is, but we're weaker than we've been, and we have no knowledge of this enemy, and who might be behind it, and it's a huge risk to the Order."
Argentius listens as the discussion moves back and forth among the magi. He frowns at Okeannetis's declaration but listens, clearly considering her words and the counter points from others.
"I recognize the thought in your words, Okeannetis, but I agree with our sodales: we know too little. The insights we can make with the knowledge we have argues for a studied series of steps forward. Turning to the Tribunal before we've done our own investigations, before we've shored up our defenses as best we can… That path hands control over this situation to others. I'm not willing to do that just yet. That may be the path we end up taking, but why start down it so quickly?" The handsome Verditius looks over at Silas and nods before looking to Aetherius.
"Silas and Aetherius make wise points. It seems to me that our collective work is greater than the sum of our parts. Might I suggest that we divide the most pressing tasks among small groups of us based on our strengths and knowledge. The aegis, the Bjornaer, the Bouda, and the day to day stability of Al Kufra seem the most pressing concerns. I suggest we gather here for a meal each night and share what we have learned. At least for the next week or two until we agree on a more fully developed plan."
Argentius opens his palms to the group. "No intent here to stop discussion. I am simply offering a possible plan for the immediate future." He looks at Lares.
"I am happy to assist you with the Aegis, though I am not sure how I could help with finding your… the Bouda. My understanding of magic theory is reasonably strong for a new member of the Order. Though admittedly I have little experience with the Aegis."
Plasmatoris listens to the words of his apparent allies, back and forth. back and forth. He has already begun to doodle a sketch of Okeannetis risen to her ultimatum. And a number of half-finished sketches of Argentius - he does make a fabulous subject. Plasmatoris sits up suddenly, realizing he fell out of the discussion in his distraction. He pushes away his charcoal stick again and clears his throat.
"Priorities between us will differ between us," he declares. "Damnation, my own priorities apparently changed heavily in the last few days, yes?" He leans forward and taps his fingers onto his partial sketch of Okeannetis as he addresses her. "If this Wizard War of yours is coming to us, dear maga, then you may run or stand as you feel safest. I do believe deception is our best bet, though. Tell me, Tytalian Maiden, if you were an elder maga who learned of an entire covenant who all became children again, would you declare a war to claim their property? Would you declare on many of them at once, in an attempt to get even more, before our other greedy kin decided to slice a bit of the meat off the vulnerable sow?"
He does give a sigh. "There is nothing to say you cannot flee if you feel safest that way, but I believe admitting to the entire order that they can freely raid our riches with no retaliation to be the wrong decision... as much as I would like to assume the best in our Order." He taps his chin thoughtfully. "You could, possibly, pretend to be someone else until the war is done. Also, do you know the war is coming this next moon, or did it perhaps end earlier this month? Perhaps that war is what caused our current chaos. " He looks around at the others there. "Does anyone actually know the current date?"
Without waiting for an answer, Plasmatoris of Jerbiton stumbles up to his feet and goes to the door, calling out to any convenient Latin-speaking covenfolk he sees. "Someone take a poll of the people. I want to know what day of the year everyone thinks it is."
"Magus Lares, I will not insult your own skill by offering my aid in the lab. I would likely get in your way," he says, with a shrug. "I understand you want to push your limits and give us the best protection you can, but can you safely cast that strength of Aegis to any effect? I believe it is safe to assume that we had that Aegis active if we have texts for it - and it hadn't saved us from this last travesty. We may be better served with an easier one if we cannot safely cast the former. A Wizard's Vigil spell would be useful, but how strong a Vigil is it? Do I need to make one up, or do you have lab texts for everyone to finish as soon as possible?"
Okeannetis listens carefully to her Sodales' words. "I would like to point out that by the time we find out who or what is responsible, it might be too late to alert authorities, but it seems you've all made up your minds. As for this War, we should have to see about it, and we need everyone to check their own labs, to see maybe we have other such issues standing that we need to address."
She smiles at Plasmatoris "If you're asking me in earnest, then I will tell you that if I ever find myself with such a covenant, I would do my best to extend my protection over them." And before the others voice anything "Not for free. But I would, because they could be potential allies, and if not, i still get paid for my help."
Silas leans back a little in his chair.
"I am glad we have come to a consensus for the moment regarding the Wizard War issue. Perhaps we ought to put a pin in these discussion and send out a group to cap... rescue this Barshako? Time does seem to be of the essence in that concern at least. Could be a good opportunity for some of us to see the geography around the site as well."
Silas places a hand on his chest and continues.
"Personally I am afraid I wouldnt be very useful on such a mission. I suppose you dont have any Arcane Connection to her?"