Rhodri will look where indicated. "I agree. Let's check it out."
(OOC: Apologies for not posting sooner - forum thread was being pulled from cache despite commands otherwise)
Attravere will call out to Sanno "Wait a moment my friend. Sinmore meant it as a request, kindly uttered." He will glance at Sinmore to make sure the point is made.
"It does seem there is something strange out there. Did you and Maribus ever go to that isle?" Attravere will ask, pointing in the appropriate direction.
Turning to Sinmore, "And did you mention a strange aura?" Attravere will fatspont a quick Intellego Vim to determine whether it is a fae aura. ((CT 8 + stress + Aura)/2, LF CT>2, so spell should succeed barring powerful negative aura.)
(For stress castings like this, should I continue doing re-rolls on '1's?)
(Yes, fatiguing sponts are always stressed, and you should resolve your rolls.)
The aura is not Faerie.
Attravere frowns. "It isn't a Fae aura."
"Can we wait here a few minutes? If we're in a magical aura, something that seems to indicate," pointing at the shrouded island, "then I'd like to get some general idea what we might be dealing with... especially since it isn't Fae."
He'll proceed to wait a minute or two, if there aren't any objections, to recuperate and then cast a InVi for an Infernal aura. His logic is that Fae was most likely. Since it wasn't that he's going to review the more potentially dangerous auras.
(CT8 + stress (5) + Aura)
(Just to get them out of the way - IF a particular aura type isn't detected he'll keep trying (with appropriate breaks). If no, he'll stop)
(Divine Aura check - CT8 + stress (4) + Aura)
And IF none of those show up Attravere will look wryly at Sinmore then do a Magic Aura check. (And he'll have something pithy to say if that is what it shows as!)
(Magic Aura check - CT8 + stress (7) + Aura)
Attravere's spells reveal that the aura here is both Divine and Magic.
Certainly relieved that it's not an Infernal aura, Iapetus crouches next to the shore, one hand dipping down to caress the waves against the muddy bank with his fingertips. "Ahh. If you desire to investigate the island, we can. With the realization of the auras, we may wish to be careful, but I am all for progressing further..." Iapetus looks back over his shoulder to Attravere, before speaking again. "I could likely manage a boat, if Sanno would be kind enough to give us some aquamotion. He's more than proven his capability in that regard." Should everyone agree to investigate, Iapetus will carve a boat of ice from the lake's water with a fatiguing spontaneous MuAq(Te) casting.
Sinmore waits quietly as the boat is conjured and Sanno spoke to. Better to keep silent than offend the little river otter again.
"Two auras, not layered but intermixed - still detectable - very interesting... I wonder if they're burred together like the way a pricklepear will catch the threads of your cloak and never let go... damn pricklepear..." Aequi mutters. "Excuse me everyone, I don't think this'll work, but I want to try."
Stepping a little off while Iapetus does his thing, Aequi will wildly gesture and yell as he tries to spont-peer an InVi into the edges of the aura see if he can see a door.
((My only chance is exploding to get high enough to get Sight (30, Level 15) and then, only for a brief glimpse unless i hit stupid high (40, Level 20). Casting Total 18 + Aura + Die, I will spend a Confidence Point if I actually get close enough, but I doubt it.)
"I wish Aurelius was here. I bet he'd love investigating this."
Aequi does, in fact, explode, rolling a 20 (sorry for the extraneous "botch confirmation" on the second roll to resolve the stress 1), and successfully casts a level 20 regio-piercing spell (without even needing to spend confidence!). There is a regio entrance off in the distance, in the same general direction as where Iapetus was pointing.
Question: Aequi's casting total and the aura here is sufficient that, if Aequi used loud words and exaggerated gestures AND spends a Confidence, he can pull off a lv 25 version of this spell to make the duration Sun. Do you want to do this?
Iapetus successfully crafts a small boat out of ice. Once asked politely by Attravere, Sanno agrees to tow the boat (though he complains that the ice hurts his paws).
Getting closer, Iapetus sees that the fire is actually a huge bonfire, partially hidden inside a cavernous earthen embankment, rising directly out of the lake's surface a few yards away from a small island with a tiny wooden hut. Within the bonfire sits an old-looking woman, legs crossed and eyes closed, untouched by the flames. She does not seem to notice you.
Aequi sees the regio entrance is directly beneath the bonfire.
Attravere would ask Iapetus to hook a bit of rope to the vessel so that Sanno need not drag it by the ice itself.
Upon seeing Aequi cast some spell which was likely to fail, "Did it work?" and "What was it?"
And before they set out in the skiff: "Sanno, do you know that island?"
Sanno whispers, "Yeah. We deliver mail there, Maga Stellaluna of Bjornaer lives there."
"Aha. We had better announce ourselves as we approach, then."
"Without recasting the spell, Sodales, I cannot easily attach a rope.. I am not that good yet," Iapetus replies to Attravere. He claims a central space of the ice-carved raft, his eyes half-closed as he studies the space ahead, watching the twisting mix of elements. "Sanno," he says, a little louder, making sure the familiar can hear him. "I apologize for the discomfort, and my lack of forethought." He gives a nod to himself, feeling the matter well-settled.
"For those who didn't hear what Sanno whispered to me..."Looking squarely at Rhodri, "That isle is home to one of our order. Specifically one of our order who values her privacy. A lot.
Attravere takes a deep breath, rubs his temples and sighs. "It would actually be a bad idea to disturb her. And if we must do so, to minimize it as much as possible - preferably to just me."
Sinmore is balancing carefully in the boat, both to her great bulk and also the very uncomfortable icy seat. "I've noticed that the magi in these lands are a particularly surly bunch. If you have a means of speaking with this one, feel free. But we are searching for someone who murdered one of our own. We must get answers."
((ooc: umm... Yes! I spend the confidence!! 
))
"it worked!! It worked! I didn't expect that! It makes so much sense! The fire that burns without burning, fueled by the powers of so many yet completely not! It's not dependent on the wood, yet it takes so much wood to burn!" Aequi shakes himself. "Sorry sodales, I let myself be distracted. There is a regio at the point of the fire. It probably explains why the maga made her home here, and I would bet it's part of her sanctum."
Sanno agrees to take the boat across, cold paws and all, "...But if 'Trav wants to go alone, then I'm not carrying this boat-sculpture-thing until the rest of you get out."
Aequi can see and navigate regio boundaries until sundown. As a reminder it is currently midmorning, a few hours past dawn.