Int +2, Magic Lore 2, die roll 1d10=8, equals 12
not bad...
You remember your old teacher, Gary Google, talking about the tales one day. And you read some of this book (in Greek) many-many years ago. The semi-mythical King Kush was a general in Alexander the Great's army when he conquered Egypt and was made regional governor. After the death of Alexander, he became a king and served under Ptolomey. His city was swallowed by the Sahara desert, which (it is a known fact in that day) has been slowly growing and expanding like a glacier and has swallowed all the civilization that was originally there. The Saracens call the Sahara "the Garden of Allah". Who knows what treasures and lost civilizations lie buried beneath the sands? One of these is said to be the mythical City of Brass, deserted yet pristine and full of riches. And therein may be found many of the fabled Brass Bottles of Solomon, in which he used his holy magic to imprison genies and demons and spirits of the wild and evil sorcerers.
Oh, and in addition to the script, there are several glyphs and runes that most likely have some arcane meaning. Perhaps part of some ward or something? Whatever it was, it certainly expired centuries ago. Or was broken. Along the edge, the tablet is rough and even, as if it was once affixed to something. Some glyphs are broken right down the middle (the other half probably on the object this tablet was attached to). You step back and take a look at the tablet, and you realize what it is. This was the lid to a crypt, and was magically intended to either protect the occupant or keep him sealed away.
Solomon looks over his shoulder to Vulcanus, "Sodalis, do you have any idea where this came from? I may be able to find out more information, but it will require me to research a new spell, and will take some time. If possible, I would also like this moved to my lab for further study."
(The only Lore skill Vulcanus has is Valdarius Cult Lore... but just in case it is anything our order has knowledge of, his Int + Cult Lore check is 18.)
Assuming Valdarius Cult Lore reveals nothing about it, Vulc will shrug, and reply, "I can't read Greek, and nothing comes to mind. Sorry I can't be more help. I can get it to your sanctum, though." If +3 Strength is not sufficient to carry it, he'll spontaneously cast a spell to move stone: Spell is base 3 + 1 stone + 1 Size + 1 Touch + 2 Sun = 20. CT is Sta 1 + Re 14 + Te 17 + Aura 5 + 2 loud words and bold gestures + roll of 18=57, halved is 28, plenty to cast it. (What a waste of a great roll!)
Because it's a Touch range spell, he casts the spell and then guides the stone tablet along so that he's carrying the giant slab of stone with one hand, occasionally hefting it up onto one shoulder (as space permits). He makes a point to walk right past Vibria's sanctum along the way, being sure to call out loudly, "This way, Solomon? Okay. I can't see around this huge thing, am I clear?" and make artificial grunting noises to get her attention, so she sees what a beefy burly manly-man he is.
Well, as this is the Vault of Valdarius, the Cult Lore of the Valdarians will give you some insight as to how it got here.
Dimir Taar of Verditius, a previous member magus, had received it as a gift from his mater Kyra. She had meant for him to investigate, but he never got around to it. But before that, who knows?
While walking along to Solomon's sanctum with the giant tablet, Vulc will say, "You might want to dig up any information you can find on Kyra of Verditius, see if it gives you any clues. Might have been here before her, though, so who knows."
The apparition manifests again, and it seems clear that doing so causes it great exertion. And I now realize that Solomon can somewhat understand it, it moans Help us, our prince begs you..., and dissipates once again.
Well, at this point there’s not a whole lot more Solomon can do with the slab. He needs to invent a spell to communicate with the tablet (as I assume it is considered ‘artificial stone’ since it’s been worked and Stone Tell of the Mind that Sits won’t work on it). I don’t have my books on me here at work, but that should be an InTe 35 spell, and be close enough to Stone Tell of the Mind That Sits that I’ll get the ‘similar spell’ discount for inventing it.
He’ll also want invent a spell to somehow ‘summon’ and/or keep the ghost that keeps appearing around so that he can talk with. Since I don’t have my books, I have no idea what that might be, but I’m guessing a ReMe spell of some sort.
Since both of those will take at least a season each (perhaps more when I figure out the lab total math), I think he’ll want to return to the vault to look at the other things there. Since he doesn’t know anything about the bottle (just that big anvil over there in the corner) he’ll check out the closed chest. Before touching it, he’ll again cast Odor of Lingering Magic on the chest and also check to see if there are any runes or anything carved into chest.
It is crafted metal, "Iron of China". That bumps it up a magnitude for "Speak with Artificial Rock". However, I do not think it matters if it is metal or not. That's Level 35, and by my account you have a LT of.. wait, 49. Not accounting for the particulars of your lab set up. That's 3 seasons, maybe you can cut it down to 2.
Or...
You can created a Charged Item in a single season, and give it the power to maintain concentration. Eh?
Summoning a ghost you have an Arcane Connection to is ReMe40 (base 15, +4 Arcane, +1 Conc). Speaking to a ghost that you can perceive is InMe45 (base 15, +2 Voice, +1 Conc, +3 Hearing). Or other permutations of those parameters, but yes, it is Mentem and either one is base 15.
Another thing to consider is thinking about how this ghost is able to appear in the first place. Did it get trapped inside the Aegis at some point in the past? Does it have a Might score that high? Is it somehow able to exert enough force to Penetrate the Aegis with some sort of Apparition type power? Are there ways to test for this?
Actually, HoH:TL lists speaking with a metal object as base level 30, so it's even higher. The good news is that House Guernicus has a spell, "Tell of The Forged" from HoH:TL that does just that...so maybe Duresca would have a copy of that that I can negotiate for. The problem is that while I can learn it (it's InTe 45) from a lab book, casting it will be quite difficult. I may have to study my Terram a bit.
So, knowing that's going to take a while, what do I note about the chest in the vault?
Odor of Lingering Magic:
17+13+2+5+8 = 45 (21 penetration of it matters)
Yes, you can obtain a copy from Duresca. As a Quaesitor, I think it is plausible that they would allow you to spend a season copying investigation spells. And casting it would be easy actually. Sta +2, Intellego 14+3, Terram 5, Aura 5, Loud Words & Exaggerated Gestures +2, that's 31 just to start, so you need to roll 4 or better (and spend a Fatigue). Master the spell with Ceremonial Casting and you have it in the bag.
As for the chest, this is tricky to adjudicate. Looking at the spell description, referencing the InVi guidelines and the words as defined, I suppose it can be simply said that you do catch the scent of something magical emanating from within.
Solomon turns back to Vulcanus, "There is definitely active magic emanating from the box...do you have any idea as to what it might be? I feel confident I can determine it's use in a season or two, but having a general idea to work from would be helpful."
Vulc shrugs. "There's a Queen of vis in there. It's an emergency stock, so it should remain out of the main treasury. I have no reason to think the chest is trapped, as I opened it and closed it and my Parma did not deflect anything."
"You speak German, by any chance?" Vulc asks, and grins widely when Solomon can understand him.
He closes the vault door, and then replies softly to Solomon's question, in German.
"There was a djinn that harassed this covenant for years, Khyron. He is supposed to be sealed in a brass bottle. That brass bottle." He points at the anvil. "Well, you can't see it, but I encased the brass bottle inside that anvil. Previously it had been inside this clear steel, so it could be targeted with Sight range magics. This way, it has to be magically sensed through the steel, or targetted with an Arcane Connection. I'd like to hide the anvil in my smithy, where it won't look out of place, and where there will pretty much always be a magus around it. But first I want to put some protections on my sanctum."
(I believe Vulcanus was going to keep that to himself since it's Valdarian...)
"A brass bottle?" Solomon asks. "I wonder if that might relate to King Solomon's binding magic." He seems more...intrigued, and interested than Vulcanus has ever seen him before. "Do you know how he was sealed in the bottle?"
Yep, Vulc's plan is to bring the sword to Andres for investigation.
Vulc shrugs. "Not really. I mean, if our old tales can be believed, Khyron was actually trapped in the Phoenix Sword. But Taar's book says the djinn is in the bottle. I don't mind you investigating the bottle but it would have to be done in the strictest secrecy. If word gets out we have this bottle, or at least, what's in it... we're all dead." Vulc thinks about the stories he's heard about Metron, and shudders.
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