6/3/18

johns (GM): i am sleepy.

moe: salve sleepy

johns (GM): latin dad jokes

moe: you're not my REAL parens!

devil's fav demon: lol

moe: (accusingly) if all your friends get excommunicated will you too?

johns (GM): seems like we're going to find out today

moe: hah

johns (GM): medieval excommunication was badass

they'd bring out the bell book and candle

nowadays you'd just get a sternly worded letter

devil's fav demon: the freemasons have cool excommunication rituals iirc

moe: sometimes i catch myself thinking it would be cool to believe in something to get into this kind of cool shit

but then i think i don't need to fairies, I could just do it without that with my friends

and hten i remember i have no friends

johns (GM): i like reading about the church from a historical standpoint but im not a catholic

you have friends, on badgame dot com

moe: well yeah, you are in an ars game

i was on a wikipedia heresy bender after i got in the game

devil's fav demon: i got into robert anton wilson and chaos magic and the idea of temporary belief, where you give yourself set limits of time to fully commit to believing things. it was fun and funny.

teen wiz

not after the game though, years ago

johns (GM): my name is mugglestomper58. byt he age of 12 i got really into anton wilson and chaos magic

devil's fav demon: i like playin ars and learning all the olde stuff

moe: i always enjoyed in a very whimsical way checking comparatively what was considered insanely important back in the day but today isn't a big deal

shit like doctrinal differences over exact numbers of angels etc

devil's fav demon: thats cool stuff

this guy thinks there aren't as many angels as we do! lets beat him up!

moe: time to start the bonfire

so we have one god, but really THREE gods. I posit the second one is exactly as improtant as the third.

HERESY TIME

johns (GM): the church in the ars era is nowhere near as coordinated as the modern church we understand it so you could easily have different beliefs either considered heretical or accepted depending what bishopric you wandered into

moe: oh yeah

i really want the ages out of print steve jackson game about the council of nicaea

spoiler: you do get to arrange bonfires for people accused of especially good heresy

also you can slip arianism into the bible

johns (GM): Despite holding for many years a view widely held to be heretical, Pope John XXII is not considered a heretic because the doctrine he had contradicted had not been formally defined by the Church until his successor, Benedict XII, addressed it by the encyclical Benedictus Deus, which formally defined this doctrine as contrary to Church teaching.

devil's fav demon: nice trick.

johns (GM): looking at this guy's wikipedia page apparently he hated wizards and tried to get an inquisition against them?

moe: (said from AGDQ couch)

johns (GM): but most people just ignored him anyway because he was doing a lot of stupid shit, and also was a french puppet

Endrite (GM): AFK a sec I have to call Jayson Nuclear a homo.

johns (GM): thank you

moe: go with god

johns (GM): anyway Dys said he'd be late so that's everyone

c'thinker: salvete

johns (GM): i think we left off sorta unresolved as to what you all were going to do. Rosario and Mortis have completely conflicting goals.

c'thinker: let's go on a quest to find a magic spirit of republican virtue and then have it fight the other spirit

Endrite: The spirit of Republican Virtue lives in Venice.

Rosario of Flambeau: I was going to bow out and have Rosario just bumble around in the background missing everything, since it seemed like everyone wanted to go with Mortis' plan.

c'thinker: hmm.

Mortis ex Verditus: I think Rosario needs to think a little more carefully about his plan.

c'thinker: any spirit living in venice is probably a demon.

Rosario of Flambeau: oh, wait, Rosario doesn't know Rienzi is being advised/manipulated by (probably) a demon

johns (GM): this is canon according to the  highly suspect  sourcebook about the Byzantine Empire region

Rosario of Flambeau: Desire to kill demons outweighs even trying to impress the papal legate, imo.

Mortis ex Verditus: Why do you think it's a demon?

johns (GM): I don't see a reason to keep that info from him since Celeste researched it at the Covenant's behalf

Rosario of Flambeau: It might be.

c'thinker: we dont know as we have only rolled faerie lore and magic lore

or did we roll hell lore too

Rosario of Flambeau: I mean, I get House Acclaim from killing any being with Might afaik. It doesn't have to be a demon.

Ah, it says "Supernatural beast".

c'thinker: dark flambeau teams up with dark jerbiton to kill god

Mortis ex Verditus: Yeah but you wouldn't kill Zita.

Father Hazm:

rolling d10+2+2 Infernal Lore

(

3

)

+2+2

=

7

johns (GM): :thinkingemoji:

Rosario of Flambeau: I might.

On a reread of the code of Garus I just have to "respect" the holy church.

(To Father Hazm): It didn't look particularly demonic

Rosario of Flambeau: I respect the heck out of them.

Mortis ex Verditus: The Church Respecter has arrived.

johns (GM): It's time to put Beardbeard on the spot and ask what Guy thinks.

Father Hazm: Hazm doesn't think the political martyr ghost is a demon

Rosario of Flambeau: If it's a faerie it's important to also kill it.

Father Hazm: Faerie seems good if he's always making martyrs out of people

Mortis ex Verditus: You should bust into the Colosseum regio and start killing people.

There's THUSANDS of faeries in there.

I think that might count as molesting the fae though.

c'thinker: let's ask our talking jar for advice

Father Hazm: Okay

Faustus Galerius: "You should let me out"

Father Hazm: That's sound advice

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmmmm.

We should not do that.

What DOES Guy think though?

Faustus Galerius: he's probably playing Dota 2

Guy of Bonisagus: we should help rienzi, imo

archibald isnt here so its the perfect time

Mortis ex Verditus: If we do do that, what would be the best way to do it?

Guy of Bonisagus: probably sending an army of ghosts upon the besieging army

Mortis ex Verditus: I think we should go all out, but Archibald wants us to be subtle.

Dušan of Criamon: For the record Dušan is undecided but will go along with any decent plan, from the looks of it I like Rienzi more than the nobles

c'thinker: obeying the law sucks.

does anyone have a plan for dealing with the faerie, though

Mortis ex Verditus: Who needs one?

Rosario of Flambeau: The nobles include the Pope, who is pretty cool.

I mean, I respect the guy.

Dušan of Criamon: Remind me who the current pope is

Mortis ex Verditus: It's probably a forgery, don't worry about it.

Rosario of Flambeau: It could be.

Dušan of Criamon: yeah that too

c'thinker: even if it's real the pope will probably change his mind given a month

Rosario of Flambeau: We could always attack the Papal Legate to find out how much MR they have.

johns (GM): Clement VI

Mortis ex Verditus: They could have magic resistance from any number of sources.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: actually

rolling 1d10!+5 can i use faerie lore to get a rough estimate of the spirit's might

(

5

)

+5

=

10

Father Hazm: They might have some, probably not neough to give wizards no reason to exist though

johns (GM): now i have to look up whether high cognizance means high might

Rosario of Flambeau: it doesn't necessarily.

Father Hazm: It means they've invested virtues in it

Rosario of Flambeau: very high might fae can be incognizant and vice versa

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: well, anything i can guess from what we've seen

Father Hazm: High cognizance means they might have sought out humans who can improve it over time though

johns (GM): shaun is right

Rosario of Flambeau: yea

Father Hazm: High cognizance does make it possible (but not more likely) that they can be rasoned with.

Mortis ex Verditus: I think the question is how any fairy was able to make a revolution lose.

johns (GM): ok to answer Derfel

Mortis ex Verditus: Does it use magic on the opposing armies to strengthen them?

johns (GM): if the faerie is capable of extending glamour to an entire structure, it is Might 15 - 25

Rosario of Flambeau: it could just give bad advice.

Mortis ex Verditus: Does it abandon its patron at a critical moment?

Rosario of Flambeau: and be really convincing and flattering

Mortis ex Verditus: Well then that's easily countered.

Rosario of Flambeau: and create that aura of

wow this is a really cool guy

that rienzi has

Father Hazm: I thik the faerie advises against pragmatism, that's how

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "It's about this mighty."

Derfel ap Cadwaladr holds his hands out.

Rosario of Flambeau: lol

Mortis ex Verditus: It knows about wizards, as I recall.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: probably mercurians, specifically

Mortis ex Verditus: Well, there's no way to know.

Father Hazm: Basically the nobles are going to spawn infinite waves of counterrevolutionaries and the ghost will advise him towards glory instead of a real plan.

Mortis ex Verditus: Here's another good question: why did it show up now and not at any time during the last thusand years?

When did Cola di Rienzi become Tribune?

Last year?

johns (GM): this very year

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

When was the Herbam plague?

Three years ago?

johns (GM): 2 years ago

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: is anyone here more convincing than a magic ghost that only gives good advice and has thus far led its mark to success and glory

Rosario of Flambeau: Nope.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: where's proclus when you need him

Mortis ex Verditus: Alright here's another pertinent issue: what happened to my stolen year?

johns (GM): also bear in mind your mercurian records are useless after the 4th century when the cult collapsed

Rosario of Flambeau: I'm just some schmuck.

Father Hazm: Our information source is a thousand yeras old, that's why

No one was tracking the faerie during the dark ages

Mortis ex Verditus: The what ages?

johns (GM): not an anachronism since the term was coined by Petrarch

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: what if we uhhhh.

lure cola into a magic circle warding against the fae

Father Hazm: It's a useful term as to why no one was writing texts about the faerie

Hard to write when you're a mud peasant

johns (GM): Writing of the past, he said: "Amidst the errors there shone forth men of genius; no less keen were their eyes, although they were surrounded by darkness and dense gloom"

Rosario of Flambeau: What if we lure the fae toga man and draw the circle around him.

Mortis ex Verditus: Uh, the Order of Hermes was writing a bunch of great texts about faeries.

Father Hazm: The OoH was founded 500 years ago, not a thousand

Mortis ex Verditus: He doesn't move around a lot from what I've seen.

Father Hazm: Name a martyr from after the OoH's founding an dmaybe we can look him up.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: let's whisper the secrets of sortition and democracy into the collective ears of the university

and then kill cola di rienzo.

Mortis ex Verditus: Damhan-Allaidh.

Guy of Bonisagus: lets send an army of ghosts on our enemies

Father Hazm: :weebey:

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: let's cast formulaic herbam spells

johns (GM): alright lets take a poll

Who, of the wizards, wants to actively help Rienzi

Mortis ex Verditus: Oh speaking of formulaic herbam spells can you spont Herbam spells using technique vis?

johns (GM): Yes

Father Hazm: What if we find Petrarch, apologize for the actions of the people we've since booted from VT, and try to get him to talk reason to his friend and show him that the ghost is leading him down the path of ill gain?

Guy of Bonisagus: i do

Mortis ex Verditus: AIDS the Republic

Rosario of Flambeau: Hazm has a really good idea.

Let's just kill the old man in the toga.

Can anyone cast, uh, any spells on me so I can see him?

Ha ha.

Guy of Bonisagus: or hit him

Rosario of Flambeau: I might be able to hit him. We should look him up more to try to see if we can get any ACs

Mortis ex Verditus: What did we do with Ighraq al-Siq?

johns (GM): let him go

Father Hazm: Give me a wand of Faerie's Eternal Oblivion

Mortis ex Verditus: Darn.

He'd be perfect for sinking the fleet blockading Ostia.

Rosario of Flambeau: I can cast Faerie's Eternal Oblivion at might 20 but my pen isnt great.

Mortis ex Verditus: You need 20 pen.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I can go start sending crows to rip up the rigging and sails on the blockade.

So they can't catch smugglers

Rosario of Flambeau: Hence why I suggested finding/acquiring ACs

Guy of Bonisagus: 7 of us can send an army of ghosts upon their camps

johns (GM): i dont think faes really have ACs, because they are made of incidental matter

Mortis ex Verditus: "Old Toga Ghost" counts as a sympathetic connection right???

Rosario of Flambeau: I could start kissing him.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: you can get different kinds of acs to them

Rosario of Flambeau: And then have an AC.

Mortis ex Verditus: Faeries probably have ACs but it's probably a real pain to get them.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Merinita can def. make charms that give sympathetic multipliers to faeries

Rosario of Flambeau: . All of a faerie’s

possessions, if generated from glamour,

are Arcane Connections to the faerie until it

changes its role.

johns (GM): neat

Mortis ex Verditus: Oh wait a minute we know the Empress of Rome, we could ask her who this is.

Guy of Bonisagus: does anyone here even know the empress

Rosario of Flambeau: Speaking to a faerie

creates an Arcane Connection to that faerie

with a Penetration multiplier of 2 that endures

until the conversation ends.

moe: I'll admit, I know none of these NPC's

Rosario of Flambeau: etc

Guy of Bonisagus: was gulielmus alive then

Rosario of Flambeau: there are weird rules for fae ACs

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: he didn't go

Dušan of Criamon: Ah, I understand.

johns (GM): the empress was not very cognizant

wait I take that back

Mortis ex Verditus: Still it seems like someone she'd know.

johns (GM): she was obviously cognizant

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: the silver lady was non cognizant

johns (GM): right.

Rosario of Flambeau: cognizant in the context of the fae is only in reference to if the faerie knows it is a faerie that lives in a parasitic relationship with human vitality.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Faeries get narrow cognizance for free IIRC

Mortis ex Verditus: Even if she wasn't a guy who foments revolutions against the Roman Empire would be familiar to her.

Rosario of Flambeau: they can be very intelligent in other contexts

johns (GM): the empress was smart enough to realize that becoming a Baroness would extend her aura across Franginpani lands

uhhh if you say so I guess Endrite

what information in particular are you looking for?

Mortis ex Verditus: It's an educated guess.

A name would be a good start if we want to up the penetration.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Anyway Fiorella is for helping Rienzi, mostly by means of aiding Zeno freighters to run the blockade

Rosario of Flambeau: my penetration skill is only 4 with my perdo specialization, it's a weakness on this build.

johns (GM): dfd where are the rules on fae A/C written

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Hazm doesn't take a side unless the papal edict is proven a forgery.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: rop:f

Rosario of Flambeau: realm of power fae and i was ctrl+fing through the doc with "arcane connection"

Mortis ex Verditus: Powerful arcane technique...

johns (GM): ah here are the ACs you should know about

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Oh, are faerie ghosts naturally invisible or do they need to activate a power for it?

johns (GM): Speaking to a faerie creates an Arcane Connection to that faerie with a Penetration multiplier of 2 that endures until the conversation ends.

naturally invisible

unless they use Eidolon power

Rosario of Flambeau: if i rape the toga man in the ass while grappling him thats a 4x multiplier.

my morality prevents it.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: That's how magic ghosts work I mean

johns (GM): A character whose blood is taken

or tasted by a faerie has an Arcane Connection to that Faerie with a Penetration multiplier

of 3 until the wound heals.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: amazing. even the greatest hermetic sages cannot create a device that is aware of words

Mortis ex Verditus: Also you'd have trouble casting a spell while raping.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I don't think faeries have a power like Eidolon or Coagulate

johns (GM): Intercourse with a faerie

creates an Arcane Connection to that faerie

with a Penetration multiplier of 4 during

the intercourse.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I'll look though

Guy of Bonisagus: hm

multiplier of 4 is pretty good

whos up for that

johns (GM): eidolon is on p 58

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: zita

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Oh okay

Guy of Bonisagus: zita wouldnt work idiot

this guys a roman

Mortis ex Verditus: Does anyone have invisibility spells?

Rosario of Flambeau: is this guy wearing like, a laurel on his head

or some sort of thing

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: gulielmus made an invisibility potion, once

Mortis ex Verditus: Also you need to be the one having the intercourse to gain the Arcane Connection.

Rosario of Flambeau: if he is and zita steals it, bam, thats part of his glamour and is an ac

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Flora was going to work on invisibility once I get around to doing our labwork this year

Mortis ex Verditus: That' my read of it, anyway.

Rosario of Flambeau: yeah, that's the correct interpretation endrite

Mortis ex Verditus: If he's a ghost wouldn't her hand pass right through him?

Rosario of Flambeau: you have an AC to the faerie that you're having sex with, while you're having sex

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Flora has Affinity with Imaginem so I figure she can invent it faster than me

Rosario of Flambeau: as soon as you stop, it ends

johns (GM): no laurel, that's an imperial thing

Rosario of Flambeau: I can turn invisible.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Can Flora borrow your lab text for invisibility?

Guy of Bonisagus: lets tell bolad that we have a job for him

Rosario of Flambeau: It's the covenant's lab text.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: You don't have to translate your shorthand, I'll make her do it

Oh I'll look for it

Mortis ex Verditus: One of my ideas for turning back the invading armies is to dump plague victims in their water supplies.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I didn't see it

Rosario of Flambeau: Prudenzio's old Discreet Veil, which is personal range.

there's a spell list in the book list that is different from the spell list section in the wiki

Mortis ex Verditus: This would be much more discreet if the corpses were invisible while they walk into camp.

Rosario of Flambeau: and the book list spell list seems more thoroughly updated

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: is anyone using the spell list

Fiorella of Jerbiton: https://puu.sh/Ayraj/37a1a17065.png

Rosario of Flambeau: I'm not, any spells i've added (like the bonisagus lab texts) I put in the library section

johns (GM): oh the main spell list section was a bad idea and i should've gotten rid of it

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: the book list includes spells that have been written up as readable lab texts

johns (GM): it was meant as like a master reference for when people mention their spells in combat but its just easier to ask what they mean

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Fiorella has a lot of custom spells, I should ifgure it out

Rosario of Flambeau: the personal range invisibility spell is only level 15 PeIm, so it's worth grabbing.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Including her only spell that does damage was invented as an upgrade to an obscure Magi of Hermes spell

johns (GM): whats the end goal of killing the toga guy btw

Rosario of Flambeau: to ensure that rienzi's revolution is a success.

also to make me, personally, slightly more famous, for killing a magical creature.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: to prevent him from turning on rienzi

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I don't think he's a Judas, or is he?

Guy of Bonisagus: he seems to be the reason rienzi is succeeding

but also he is a faerie

and vardians tomb has a reputation to maintain

Mortis ex Verditus: We should just keep it as an option in case things get bad.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: everyone he has been tentatively associated with was initially successful and then ended up murdered in the street

Fiorella of Jerbiton: The path he leads people on seems to succeed in the short term

Mortis ex Verditus: NOT true!

Fiorella of Jerbiton: But ultimately fail

Mortis ex Verditus: Spartacus was crucified.

Guy of Bonisagus: how do we know who else he was associated with

did i miss something

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: so either it's the faerie doing it, or it's God's natural order asserting itself

Mortis ex Verditus: And you crucify people NEXT TO the road.

johns (GM): celeste read records of the Cult of Mercury recovered from the temple, Guy

Guy of Bonisagus: ah

missed that

johns (GM): and the cult of mercury had a description of this guy involved with a list of failed rebellions

Mortis ex Verditus: The Cult of Mercury was an organ of imperial domination, though.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Basically the faerie probably gains vitality from tragic endings where a revolutionary gets owned by the statue quo

Mortis ex Verditus: So you have to take that bias into account.

Rosario of Flambeau: That seems like what a faerie would do.

Mortis ex Verditus: It could just be that these revolutions were suppressed thanks to outside forces and the faerie wasn't strong enough to win them on its own.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Mortis has a point, its possible the faerie isn't particularly sinister

Guy of Bonisagus: i wish mortis had the same opinion on faeries as proclus did

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Or at all sinister

Rosario of Flambeau: All faeries are sinister.

Dušan of Criamon: These are all good points

Mortis ex Verditus: I have a strong opinion on republicanism.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Some faeries are heroic

Dušan of Criamon: do we have any actual first-hand contact with the fairy?

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: derfel is of the opinion that faerie plots should be thwarted wherever possible

johns (GM): you've only seen him at Rienzi's side

Mortis ex Verditus: Do we know how rich the five families are outside of their holdings in Rome?

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: celeste or someone saw it whispering in the guy's ear

Rosario of Flambeau: Yeah.

johns (GM): the Orsini and Colonna are equivalent to Wealthy Dukes

Rosario of Flambeau: Giraldo did the first time iirc and Celeste saw him last week

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Hazm saw the ghost at the public ceremony, someone else saw the ghost when we met with Rienzi

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: ok i have a much better plan than teleporting to ponza when rome is sacked

Mortis ex Verditus: Lay it on me.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: squat in tethys's tower, instead

Mortis ex Verditus: Wait can you teleport?

Rosario of Flambeau: Teleporting is really useful.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: well no. but gulielmus can

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Some but not all of the magi can

Rosario of Flambeau: I desperately need some transportation spells.

I can run as fast as a horse. Big deal.

johns (GM): derfels suggestion is noted

what say Giraldo

Mortis ex Verditus: Giraldo isn't a wizard!

johns (GM): neither is derfel

Mortis ex Verditus: Who gave him a vote?

johns (GM): idk

Rosario of Flambeau: "It would be hubris to suggest my humble blade could affect the Pope's course in history in any way. The best I can do is slay this old man-beast fae and brag about it later."

johns (GM): Alright

Guy of Bonisagus: we should throw derfel in a pit for his hubris imo

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: derfel is a wizard.

he has faerie wizard abilities.

Dušan of Criamon: we should let hubris do the job

johns (GM): Derfel has been cast into the Tremere hole

Guy of Bonisagus: durrfail

Dušan of Criamon: the Lane Stayer has arrived

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: gah

Rosario of Flambeau: I don't really care about Rienzi, though, officially. I'm in this box but if Rienzi happens to die anyway, in happenstance, hey. no skin off my nose.

Mortis ex Verditus: Good.

johns (GM): Alright so it looks like the majority of wizards want to actively help Rienzi. Lets consider that debate closed

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Faerie wizardry is not recognized by teh OoH as conferring voting privilege as anyone can learn it

Rosario of Flambeau: I mostly want to remove toga.

johns (GM): Guy and Mortis both suggested using the Ghost Army

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: gulielmus could be convinced otherwise. but archibald is not present

Mortis ex Verditus: Wow harsh stance on Merinita.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I agree with using the ghost army to clear the blockades

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: how big a crime are we committing

johns (GM): Code of HErmes check

Mortis ex Verditus: I think my other plan to send diseased corpses into the enemy camps will be more discreet.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Faerie Magic is a meretic virtue, faerie wizard abilities are supernatural

Rosario of Flambeau: would my mundane relation spec count

Mortis ex Verditus: That was Archibald's request.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: i will remain principled and not roll code of hermes on this character

rolling 0

0

=

0

johns (GM): lol

Mortis ex Verditus: But I can only guarantee it will work if we can make the corpses invisible.

Rosario of Flambeau:

rolling 1d10+2+1 code + mundane relations spec

(

3

)

+2+1

=

6

excellent 3 rolls.

im going to spend a conf early and get to 9.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: hey that's

Rosario of Flambeau: to get any info at all.

johns (GM): im gonna skim the guernicus chapter real quick to see if theres a choiec quote

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: something that any wizard should succeed at, about 70% of the time

Fiorella of Jerbiton: If Derfel summons the ghosts its not a Code violation

Or Giraldo

Mortis ex Verditus: You need seven people to summon the ghosts.

They all need to speak Latin, as well.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: sadly his faerie power is limited to Enchantment/Beguile

Guy of Bonisagus:

rolling 1d10+3

(

5

)

+3

=

8

Fiorella of Jerbiton: They can be the ones to take responsibility then

johns (GM): In particular magi need to avoid supporting one faction

of mundanes against another. Such support is likely

to encourage the other side to seek similar aid. If such

requests are refused it may result in hostility, forcing magi

to defend themselves. Hermetic magic is not the only

type of magic in Mythic Europe and so even highly secretive

johns (GM): assistance may be discovered.

Conflict may arise directly between a magus and a

particular noble or clergyman. As long as the magus does

not form an alliance with his enemy’s rivals he will not be

in breach of this provision. However, he can still be

charged with endangering the Order if his actions bring

johns (GM): wrath down on other magi.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Well that also means no helping the Orsinis

Guy of Bonisagus: no

Rosario of Flambeau: Nice.

Guy of Bonisagus: what it means is dont get caught

Rosario of Flambeau: I relay all this and try to sound as smug and condescending as possible.

Mortis ex Verditus: Can't catch invisible corpses.

Guy of Bonisagus: cool trick for not getting Incredibly Marched: never get caught

johns (GM): I have mentioned before that in the Roman tribunal mundane meddling is much more commonplace and this rule is flauted, and even widescale political interference has occurred, but these projects are (officially) organized at tribunal to ensure no one's spheres of influence conflict

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I think it's easier to be subtle on Rienzi's side

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: look at mister flambeau quaesitor over here

Guy of Bonisagus: its easier to send a ghost army without telling anyone

Mortis ex Verditus: A ghost army is hardly subtle.

Guy of Bonisagus: than teleporting rienzi into orsinis tent

Mortis ex Verditus: Also they aren't quite an army.

Just 120 men.

Or ghosts.

Guy of Bonisagus: just deny it was us

this will be hard with the covenants reputation

but i feel with enough guile we can do it

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: 120 men, all displaying mortis's sigil in dramatic fashion

Rosario of Flambeau: rosario: MARK IT ZERO! THIS ISNT THE SCHISM WAR SMOKEY THERE ARE RULES

Guy of Bonisagus: 120 men who are ghosts

Mortis ex Verditus: Can we count on SOME PEOPLE to not inform on us?

Not NAMING ANY NAMES HERE.

Guy of Bonisagus: archibald isnt here so yes

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: also the covenant is full of spies

Mortis ex Verditus: I mean he's here he just isn't saying anything.

Guy of Bonisagus: as long as they are noble and church spies i dont care

Mortis ex Verditus: Speaking of, my sigil is oranges.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: nice sigil

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Here's an idea: the faerie, if cognizant, might be albe to realize all its heroes have had tragic endings before, and can be reasoned with to provide a happy ending for once.

Mortis ex Verditus: I think I've hinted at this in the past but well there you.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: that's a good idea.

Rosario of Flambeau: that is

Fiorella of Jerbiton: By realizing its just not powerful enough yet and can use some help.

Rosario of Flambeau: that seems like it fits with how faeries work.

but also, that means I don't get to kill it.

which is sad

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: we still have to figure out how to talk to the faerie

what if we send a letter to cola, and hope that him reading it influences the faerie.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Maybe invidia can see it

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: i feel like bringing in outside magi is a bad idea

johns (GM): what would you like the letter to read

Mortis ex Verditus: Especially since we plan on doing some crimes.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: hmm

i'm not sure.

Dušan of Criamon: I liked Fiorella's approach which was to actually communicate with the fairy

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: it could be a direct appeal, or a complicated allegory

Dušan of Criamon: I mean it doesn't have to be an end, just a recon if nothing else

Rosario of Flambeau: Yeah, it has seemed evasive, but there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to address it directly.

Guy of Bonisagus: vardians tomb does not communicate with people

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: we've only been able to meet with cola while he's surrounded by his advisers

Dušan of Criamon: there should be some way

Rosario of Flambeau: It was 100 percent aware that Celeste could see it and was probably aware that she was talking about it.

Mortis ex Verditus: Oh hey it's that beast.

Dušan of Criamon: luring it out, inviting it, long-distance calling

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: oh, the faerie is aware of everything in its glamour

Dušan of Criamon: i'm the hermit here, I could probably eavesdrop on it but not communicate

Mortis ex Verditus: If indeed it is a fairy.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: that's true

Mortis ex Verditus: Can you sink ships Dusan?

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: well that's easy to check though.

Dušan of Criamon: actually, can we send it a letter?

Rosario of Flambeau: Bold.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: just cast a faerie aura detection spell inside the mystery aura that boosts magic totals

seems like there are a lot of ways to get a message to the guy

Dušan of Criamon: Straight up, the mountain man hermit asks the simple zen solution question

Could we send out a redcap?

Mortis ex Verditus: We have one.

Dušan of Criamon: I mean is that sort of thing common/acceptable?

I know they communicate between wizards but I don't know about toga ghosts

Mortis ex Verditus: Redcaps just carry mail.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: We can send a messenger crow

Me

Mortis ex Verditus: They don't have any magic communication powers necessarily.

Zita might have an edge in this department, however.

Rosario of Flambeau: Well, it's more the interference with mundanes/code aspect, I think.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: asking a redcap to carry a letter to a mundane is probably not a crime

Rosario of Flambeau: Sending a redcap as a messenger from a wizard to a noble/fae seems natural, but I don't think we've ever done it.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I can also summon pigeons but I need an AC to the point of delivery

Mortis ex Verditus: I don't think we need to worry about Zita spilling the beans.

Dušan of Criamon: (loudly) Breaking new ground!

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Zita's no longer a magi and thus can't violate the code

* maga

johns (GM): redcaps handle communication with mundanes all the time

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: zita is also immediately recognizable as a revenant

Rosario of Flambeau: Vardian's Tomb, historically, has behaved in what you could describe as an erratic manner.

The most recent crew actually wanting to work together has been wild.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: someone take over zita and see if we can get her killed off before dys returns

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Our reputation has probably improved since the PvP battle

Rosario of Flambeau: Yeah, it all built to that big PvP and then since then everyone's been pretty chill.

Mortis ex Verditus: Anyway, what kind of letter are we going to send?

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Yeah, getting the letter to him is easy

Mortis ex Verditus: I mean frankly we could just make Napolino take the letter.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: What it says is more important

People send messages via runners all the time, yes

Rosario of Flambeau: yeah

johns (GM): indeed so don't fret the logistics of sending a letter

tell me what its gonna say

Rosario of Flambeau: sending a redcap feels more professional and show-offy

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Napoliono isn't much of a runner but I'm sure he'd get there eventually

Dušan of Criamon: Let's list options: a) redcap b) a crow

am I missing any

johns (GM): He's a woodler

Rosario of Flambeau: we need to immediately cop to the fact that we know he's got a secret advisor. if we can be subtle about this, better, but it's important that we let him know we know.

a redcap would be better to let no one but Rienzi read the letter.

Mortis ex Verditus: Sounds fair.

Dušan of Criamon: oh hell yes, letting someone know we know is a power move

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: should we just warn him about the spirit, and then say that it will really have to go all out if it wants to succeed this time

Dušan of Criamon: also for the record I support the redcap idea

I think they're resourceful

Having 0 in OoH lore

Guy of Bonisagus: whatevers decided on, ill write the letter because my numbers are the biggest

Rosario of Flambeau: smart

Dušan of Criamon: concur

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I agree with Guy

Mortis ex Verditus: Oh, genius brained archamgus idea: we should write the letter in Italian so the ghost can't read it.

Rosario of Flambeau: that's also a great idea.

johns (GM): i dont think that works, faeries can understand any language?

Rosario of Flambeau: Oh, word?

Dušan of Criamon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reply_of_the_Zaporozhian_Cossacks

Rosario of Flambeau: True, yeah.

I forgot about that.

Mortis ex Verditus: I stand by my idea.

Rosario of Flambeau: lmao hell yes moe

johns (GM): lol that pic is perfect

Dušan of Criamon: tag yourself

i'm the scrawny bowlcut dipshit writing

"This is why I got into literacy"

Rosario of Flambeau: lmao

ukrainians only learning how to write and read so they can curse and talk shit

johns (GM): im the guy blowing smoke out his nose (primitive vape)

Dušan of Criamon: Anyway I approve of this whole letter operation and I approve of Guy writing it, now we need to agree on content

I'm inclined to go with something tone neutral inviting to parlay

johns (GM): content so far: -- we know you have a secret advisor -- ?

Dušan of Criamon: also are we writing to Rienzi or the toga ghost directly

Father Hazm: I will give Guy all of my buffs that improve disputation if he lowers his parma to receive them

Rosario of Flambeau: i don't think we should reveal our feelings on said advisor yet.

Dušan of Criamon: I mean we have none yet

we literally know nothing

Rosario of Flambeau: I think we should try to arrange a meeting with Rienzi in private, without his friend to color the atmosphere.

Mortis ex Verditus: He likely will be advised to not do that.

Rosario of Flambeau: And then I will kill the toga man.

Shit!

Father Hazm: I can grant Luck, Clear Thinker, Good Teacher, and +1 to all rolls using Communication

Mortis ex Verditus: Even a mundane adviser would advise against that because it would leave him vulnerable to all kinds of hexes.

Rosario of Flambeau: Fair.

Mortis ex Verditus: I think just letting him know that we know is a good enough idea.

AFK a sec.

Rosario of Flambeau: Well, the advisor can be there, but be aware that we're going to bring someone who can see and hear him. yeah.

That's fine.

Father Hazm: I think that we should dispute that his advisor has a clear history of leading people into unwinnable fights against society's monopoly on force, and he needs a more reasoned course for the future.

Dušan of Criamon: Here's some ideas: if we direct it at the ghost, we can be clear but cordial: we know you're here, we'd like to talk. Your move.

Rosario of Flambeau: I don't know if that should be in the letter.

Maybe.

Dušan of Criamon: If we direct it at Rienzi we hint at knowing his buddy, and we ask to parlay with both of them on the pending issue of the city getting starved.

I don't think we'll get them alone

let's let them set the conditions

Guy of Bonisagus: i think directing it at rienzi will be better

and it should be written in italian

Dušan of Criamon: will make delivery easier for sure

Father Hazm: I'm just trying to put things in a context where Guy's big numbers matter

Dušan of Criamon: hah

Guy of Bonisagus: i dont think disputation bonuses will help me write the letter

Father Hazm: How about Charm?

johns (GM): someone make a faerie lore roll to learn the rules about changing a fairy's glamour

Mortis ex Verditus: Ok I'm back.

Father Hazm: Sounds like Derfel's wheelhouse

Rosario of Flambeau:

rolling 1d10+2 fae lore

(

3

)

+2

=

5

lol

The 3 Roller

Father Hazm: You also need Faerie Lore to actually pull it off so.

Mortis ex Verditus: Classic rolls.

Ol' 0 INT.

Rosario of Flambeau: I have fae lore, but unfortunately, 0 int

yep

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: i have 0 int as well.

johns (GM): Charm is fine for letters

Derfel ap Cadwaladr:

rolling 1d10!+5

(

5

)

+5

=

10

(To Derfel ap Cadwaladr): im looking at rop:f now and it says faeries need a creative human to make some sort of artistic offering to change their glamour, the bigger the change the more epic the art

Rosario of Flambeau: nice

(To Derfel ap Cadwaladr): p 65

Guy of Bonisagus: can hazm do anything to improve charm

johns (GM) passes a note to a player

Father Hazm: Yes

+1 Charm and +1 to Communication rolls for +2 altogether

Guy of Bonisagus: do that

Father Hazm: I cast the things

Guy of Bonisagus: now figure out what to put in it

Father Hazm: Tongue of Orpheus and Charm of Communication, respectively

moe: internet all breaking down all evening

Rosario of Flambeau: rip

Mortis ex Verditus: Yeah, rip.

Rosario of Flambeau: well, we're saying we know hes got an advisor, we have some explosive information about said advisor, and then what

Derfel ap Cadwaladr reads the note

Rosario of Flambeau: we cant openly say we want to help him, really.

Mortis ex Verditus: Why not?

I think we need to in order to make the letter not threatening.

Well, less threatening.

Rosario of Flambeau: it's sort of hazy in terms of code.

threatening but polite is as good as we can manage iirc.

Dušan of Criamon: I'm for a more reserved formulation, invite to parlay in perosn

Mortis ex Verditus: We can just say that we're going to lift the siege.

I think we have cover there, since the siege is interfering with our activities as a covenant.

Rosario of Flambeau: the bar is more profitable than ever.

Mortis ex Verditus: Yeah but we can't get to Ponza.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "Faerie glamours can be altered by people, you know."

Rosario of Flambeau: Good point.

"Oh?"

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "Oh yeah, they love it."

"If our guy is cognizant, it could be something to negotiate over."

Derfel ap Cadwaladr finishes reading from the GM note.

johns (GM): hm

ok

now what

Mortis ex Verditus: Who can turn corpses invisible?

Guy of Bonisagus: archibald can make them disappear

Mortis ex Verditus: That doesn't help.

Dušan of Criamon: I go get whatever we use for sealing scrolls and some nicer wax

Rosario of Flambeau: I can only turn myself invisible.

Guy of Bonisagus: it seems like hte letter is just going to be a request to meet in private, with hints that we know about the faerie advisor, and suggesting that wed like to end the siege on rome

that sounds like enough

Dušan of Criamon: agree

Mortis ex Verditus: I can't imagine a private meeting is going to be on the table.

Dušan of Criamon: let them set the conditions

Mortis ex Verditus: We already had a meeting with him anyway!

Rosario of Flambeau: well, a private meeting with us, the fae willing to talk, and some guards, we might be able to pull that off.

Dušan of Criamon: yeah but not hte advisor

Guy of Bonisagus: yeah

Rosario of Flambeau: we had a meeting with him where everyone was ignoring a crazy tranny yelling about an invisible man.

Guy of Bonisagus: obviously im not saying without guards

just somewhere where well have his ear and he wont have other jackoffs

Mortis ex Verditus: AFK a minute.

Sorry about this.

Guy of Bonisagus: can i finalize the letter and roll the numbers now

johns (GM): fine by me

Dušan of Criamon: gold

Guy of Bonisagus:

rolling 1d10+9

(

8

)

+9

=

17

ill conf it

johns (GM): its a hell of a letter

johns (GM) rolls some dice

johns (GM) rolls some dice

johns (GM) rolls some dice

moe: a real Ray Smuckles of a communique

johns (GM): The response letter, with Rienzi's seal! "The freedom of the city is the responsibility of all citizens. Meet us at Basilica Papale di San Lorenzo fuori le Mura."

Dušan of Criamon: Excellent! (I have no idea what happens now)

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: johns disconnects

johns (GM): The basilica in question is a 4th century church near one of the eastern gates of the city.

im still here

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: welcome

Dušan of Criamon: I'm the connection jinx tonight

johns (GM): Who wants to go to the meeting

Rosario of Flambeau: Me!

Also someone with Second Sight who isn't my other character.

Hopefully.

Dušan of Criamon: I will, though I have no idea what to expect and nothing to contribute but second sight and good old fashioned common sense

johns (GM): Drop them tokens

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: i will be present with second sight.

if anyone wants to deal with the faerie's glamour we will need someone who is really good at an ability

Rosario of Flambeau: yeah, like Great Weapon.

Guy of Bonisagus: im pretty good at magic teory

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: this is a valid ability.

johns (GM): The faerie

opens its glamour to the human, who

uses his Abilities to develop it by creating

a symbolically related object or performance.

The process can be as brief as

the impromptu performance of a song, or

johns (GM): as extended as the design and carving of

a sculpture.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: you can perform with a weapon skill

its one of the canon examples

johns (GM): Ok i assume its you 4. dusan and rosario are regular gift right?

Dušan of Criamon: I am regular yeah

Rosario of Flambeau: Yep.

johns (GM): The area around the church is abuzz with activity -- militia and soldiers stocking weapons, sharpening swords, checking their armor, gearing up for something big.

Dušan of Criamon: "Oh, our mistake, we're looking for the Basilica"

johns (GM): With no difficulty you are able to enter the church, where Rienzi himself is observing the proceedings from a 2nd story window, accompanied by Mario and one guard. There are people milling about the ground level of the church though who will react if something strange happens.

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

Guy of Bonisagus: mario

hoo hoo wha hah

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: does mario currently have the A button held down

moe: hah

Father Hazm: Halfway pressed A button

johns (GM): Who's got Second Sight

Dušan of Criamon: here

rolling?

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: i do

johns (GM): Yes. If it's magical it's -12 penalty

Rosario of Flambeau: lol.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr looks up the realm interaction table

Father Hazm: I should've come, oh well

johns (GM): If it's fae it is -16.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: jesus

Dušan of Criamon: nice

Rosario of Flambeau: rofl.

Mortis ex Verditus: I bet you can do it.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: ok. here i go

rolling 1d10!+0+3+3

(

6

)

+0+3+3

=

12

Dušan of Criamon: per + SS + anything?

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: negative four

johns (GM): Just Per + SS

Dušan of Criamon: oh BOY

Mortis ex Verditus: You did it!

Dušan of Criamon:

rolling 1d10+2+2

(

4

)

+2+2

=

8

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: you might have a virtue that applies.

thats where my second +3 is from

but, you know.

Cola di Rienzo: Insight available with Int + Faerie Lore

Derfel ap Cadwaladr:

rolling 1d10!+5

(

2

)

+5

=

7

yikes

Rosario of Flambeau:

rolling 1d10!+2

(

10

+

7

)

+2

=

19

Mortis ex Verditus: Nice.

Rosario of Flambeau: holy shit.

Mortis ex Verditus: But is it stressed?

Fiorella the Raven: I will hang out on the roof and keep an eye out for trouble

Rosario of Flambeau: Well, if not, it's still pretty good.

Cola di Rienzo: Either way, it occurs to Rosario that if the aura is this stifling, a Fairy wouldn't want to hang out here anyway

moe: this is all thoroughly awesome

Cola di Rienzo: The Tribune of Rome nods to you all. "I have read your letter. If you wish to talk let us talk, but we must be quick -- soon the time for talk is over and the time for action is upon us."

Rosario of Flambeau: "His advisor might not even be here." I whisper to my boys.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "Right. Good point."

Mortis ex Verditus: "It is my belief that the siege will not be able to last much longer.

Certainly, they won't last the winter."

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: did we decide on an angle

Guy of Bonisagus: no

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: or are we just winging it

Fiorella the Raven: Winging it is the VT way

Guy of Bonisagus: i am going to let mortis talk until it sounds like he might get us killed

Mortis ex Verditus: If you have anything you'd like to say, feel free to say it.

Fiorella the Raven: When we plan we spend all session doing it instead of getting something done

Mortis ex Verditus: You know, within certain limits.

Cola di Rienzo: lol

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: guy is the one who arranged the meeting!

Mortis ex Verditus: Hey now, we spent a lot of time planning how to send him the letter.

Cola di Rienzo: i would have tried to hasten you but im pretty beat today so it was nice to let you guys run the show

moe: I mean ideally we want the fairy

"Salve, toga man"

that sort of thing

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "Salaam."

the fairy is absent, probably

moe: then we threw a gutterball

Cola di Rienzo: "A decisive victory is nigh -- once we've crushed the opposition these aristocrats will have no choice but to slunk away in shame."

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: we got cola di rienzo though!

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmmm.

Well this is worrying.

moe: Derfel is right, we need to use what we got

Guy of Bonisagus: Derfel ap Cadwaladr: guy is the one who arranged the meeting!

Mortis ex Verditus: Contributing to a decisive victory is going to be pretty tough to do without drawing a lot of attention.

Guy of Bonisagus: yes and now i want to let my friend and ally mortis have his spot

moe: I'm out of ideas but perhaps confront him directly about the advisor?

devil's fav demon: lets take this opportunity and kidnap hi

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "Does this guy speak Latin?"

Rosario of Flambeau: m

Cola di Rienzo: who are you asking derf

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: my sodales

Mortis ex Verditus: "An excellent plan, just tell us when we need to be in place. After all, it would be a shame if your other adviser prevented us from helping."

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: but, you know, if he speaks latin and wishes to be offended

Fiorella the Raven: The farie might not be able to speak all languages here if Faerie Speech is supernatural

Cola di Rienzo: "And what do you know of that? You must know a lot if you would cast aspersions so."

Mortis ex Verditus: "I'll let my colleague explain further, as he has taken a particular interest in these matters."

Go for it, Guy.

Or not, I guess.

Are you there?

Cola di Rienzo: i got all the time in the world

Mortis ex Verditus: Sheesh.

Guy of Bonisagus: i am

Cola di Rienzo: im not the one who has to go to work tomorrow. haha

Mortis ex Verditus: Bwahaha.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr sobs

Guy of Bonisagus: the matters of the advisor??

i dont know a damn thing about that. someone teach derfel italian real quick

Mortis ex Verditus: Geez.

moe: I mean if we're all shooting ropes let's ask directly

we're worried about Rienzi, as his friends

we'd like to talk with this toga person

Mortis ex Verditus: Did we really go through all that to have a meeting with no point?

Guy of Bonisagus: vardians tomb baby

Mortis ex Verditus: The Aura of Rationality expands...

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: his advisor is a damn ghost!

Guy of Bonisagus: fine

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: what's up with that!?

i say this, in latin, to guy

Guy of Bonisagus: "I believe your advisor is setting you up for failure. Specifically, mortal failure."

Cola di Rienzo: "He is the spirit of Liberty, my foreign friend," replies Cola.

Rosario of Flambeau: brb. afk. sorry folks

Guy of Bonisagus: who else was he with besides spartacus

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: the gracchis

Guy of Bonisagus: now tell me who those are

Cola di Rienzo: i lost my notes but uhh the Gracchi Brothers, one of the barracks emperors, one of the emperors from the eyar of four emperors, another slave revolter

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: what about Julius Caesar.

Cola di Rienzo: populist reformers who got murdered in the street

Mortis ex Verditus: Spartacus.

moe: good catch-all

Mortis ex Verditus: Obviously he was a Greek and therefore a friend of liberty.

Guy of Bonisagus: "He is a faerie spirit who has been active since the time of Rome. Are you familiar with the story of Spartacus?"

Cola di Rienzo: "He is the spirit of Brutus who opposed Tarquinus; Cassius who opposed Caesar; Sulla who opposed Marius... Wherever a tyrant has reared his head, he has been there to lead the people to freedom."

"Naturally."

Dušan of Criamon: good, direct to the point

"I've only one question truthfully, are you prepared to face the music like all those mentioned?"

Cola di Rienzo holds his head up high and thumps his chest

Cola di Rienzo: "Liberty or death!"

(per + folk ken available)

Guy of Bonisagus: "He was Spartacus's advisor. Also the advisor of the Gracchi. And many other attempted revolutionaries who found themselves killed in the street."

rolling 1d10+2

(

10

)

+2

=

12

Mortis ex Verditus: Heck I love liberty.

And death.

(To Guy of Bonisagus): gentle gift right?

(From Guy of Bonisagus): ye

(To Guy of Bonisagus): You're not buying it

Mortis ex Verditus:

rolling 1d10 + 1 -3

(

4

)

+1-3

=

2

Dušan of Criamon: "Ah, well then go with God. Please direct battles away from our domain as much as possible." (to party) "I think our work here is done."

man wants to go out in a blaze of glory? That's his prerogative and who am I to stop him

just keep the blood off the carpet

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: sulla who opposed marius

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

Well I think we need to side with Liberty here.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: lets fucking kill this guy

welcome dys

Dušan of Criamon: My dude was always on the side of letting mundanes duke it out themselves, this changes nothing. All we can and should protect is the hermetic

Guy of Bonisagus: I place my hand on his shoulder. "Look, my friend, you are at the climax of your revolution. The coming days will decide the fate of Rome. Continue to follow your advisor like the slave you claim to not be, and you will find yourself returning to the mud."

Cola di Rienzo reels back, offended

Guy of Bonisagus: "But take your fate into your own hands, and who knows what heights you could reach?"

dys: Salve, gamers

How have things been going

moe: we wrote a good letter and now we're talking with a pathological case of toxic masculinity

Mortis ex Verditus: Great.

We revolted against the Order of Hermes.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: we hemmed and hawed for several hours

Cola di Rienzo: "I have followed the footsteps of the great liberators and met with success at every step. You all alone, who admit to being in confidence with the aristocrats, seek to tell me I will fail. I see no reason to believe your sedition."

Mortis ex Verditus: We're starting a new order of wizards.

Cola di Rienzo: twas good hemming and hawing

Guy of Bonisagus: "You follow not of your own will, but by the rope some malicious ghost has cast about your neck."

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: we sealed archibald inside a box made of crystal

Mortis ex Verditus: "You should judge us by our actions. After the city is saved you will see that we can be trusted."

Cola di Rienzo: more folk ken available

Guy of Bonisagus:

rolling 1d10+2

(

10

)

+2

=

12

got them

Mortis ex Verditus:

rolling 1d10 + 1 -3

(

10

)

+1-3

=

8

Cola di Rienzo: rolling hot today.

moe: jesus

Mortis ex Verditus: Good rolls today, Good Rolls Crew.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr:

rolling 1d10!+1

(

5

)

+1

=

6

Cola di Rienzo: The Tribune believes he is acting under his own free will.

Mortis ex Verditus: Just FYI I'm subtracting 3 because of my Gift penalty, Moe.

So he doesn't know about the ghost?

Well, all the better.

Cola di Rienzo: He does

He has acknowledged it

Rosario of Flambeau: I'm back and I'm rollin' folk ken.

rolling 1d10+3-3 folk ken - gift

(

5

)

+3-3

=

5

oh yeah.

mm,.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: ooh.

Cola di Rienzo: "Me? A puppet?"

Fiorella the Raven: It's a good concept for a faerie friend

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "You want I should give this guy the eye, boss?"

Guy of Bonisagus: "Be blind and follow the whip of the taskmaster if you wish, Rienzi, but know that not only yourself, but the people who believe in you will die for some spirit even crueler than the aristocracy you oppose."

Cola di Rienzo: "Slander and sedition. Bother me no more with such nonsense. I have a battle to plan."

moe: proof would be good right about now

(To Derfel ap Cadwaladr): what's the interaction between great presence and a supernatural poewr

Mortis ex Verditus: We have none.

Guy of Bonisagus: i already told him about spartacus and such

Mortis ex Verditus: I think our best option is to win the battle for him.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: i will give this guy the eye.

(From Derfel ap Cadwaladr): i don't know what you mean

(To Derfel ap Cadwaladr): What's the description of the effect you're using

moe: OK, one final option: do we have any way to detect the toga ghost

(From Derfel ap Cadwaladr): i'm just talking about piercing gaze though

Guy of Bonisagus: hes not here

so

Fiorella the Raven: Maybe advise him to write to Petrarch and see if his advice conflicts with the ghost's

moe: i mean triangulate him in the city

Cola di Rienzo: you know where his glamour is

Fiorella the Raven: I can get a letter to Petrarch if he wants.

Guy of Bonisagus: lets go get archibald to pevi the advisor

Mortis ex Verditus: Why would Petrarch have any special insight?

Why should we do that, Guy?

So far the advice has been sound.

Cola di Rienzo: Petrarch is in Northern Italy at the moment so it would be at least a couple weeks for him to come here if he wants to

Fiorella the Raven: Petrarch doesn't want him to die

Mortis ex Verditus: Abandoning your principles is worse than dying.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: derfel gives the tribune the old welshman stare, forcing him to roll a personality trait to remain calm if he is being dishonest.

Fiorella the Raven: Don't hate the player hate the game

Cola di Rienzo:

rolling 1d10 vs piercing gaze

(

1

)

=

1

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: if he isn't then derfel just looks like a weirdo, no die roll

Rosario of Flambeau: lo.l.

hell y es.

moe: POWERFU;L

Cola di Rienzo: hmm

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: specifically it says "ulterior motives, uneasy consciences, or lying tongues"

but like i said if that is not the case derfel is just a freak.

Cola di Rienzo: Truthfully, that doesn't apply here then. The man truly believes he is doing the right thing and making his own decisions.

Mortis ex Verditus: I think we need to speak to the ghost before we destroy it.

We should also recall our ghost army at some point.

I mean, if there is going to be a big battle then you could hardly do worse than a bunch of Republican ghosts.

Guy of Bonisagus: "If such is your wish, but know this: If you don't take your revolution into your own hands, come 200 years from now, it will be but another story, not a turning point in history."

Cola di Rienzo: He nods. "Yes, yes, very good."

Guy of Bonisagus: ok lets go back to the covenant and wait for him to get killed

then use necromancy to mock him

moe: pretty much

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: fair but fair

johns (GM): lol

moe: Actually, since we're discussing the ghost army

Mortis ex Verditus: We can win easily.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: unless we can deal with the ghost

moe: can't they sleuth toga boy up

Fiorella the Raven: Another obstinate muggle yet again no-sells the Gentle Gift

Mortis ex Verditus: You'd need to ask them.

(From Mortis ex Verditus): No.

moe: I still don't know what the ghost army is, even wether it's an in-joke

Fiorella the Raven: Time to take this into our own hands

It's not an in-joke, it's an altar we have that commands a ghost army

Mortis ex Verditus: We have a magical army that has a bunch of Roman soldiers' ghosts in it.

Well they're all trying to kill a woodpecker right now.

moe: this seems like a task we could divest them of

Fiorella the Raven: Thaddeus Jollybottoms

johns (GM): welcome Archibald

Archibald of Guernicus: Welcome

moe: salve

johns (GM): everyone voted in favor of magically aiding rienzi

also Rosario wants to kill the Toga Man

Guy of Bonisagus: we have not yet magically aided him

moe: gross misinterpretation

Guy of Bonisagus: just called him a stupid faggot thats gonna die

moe: that is accurate

Guy of Bonisagus: to set us up to magically grab his ghost and say we told you so

Archibald of Guernicus: What's his plan. Is his plan running in and fighting everyone single-handed.

moe: No, he plans to die with a lot of other people as well

Fiorella the Raven: I'm going to flood the ramparts of some barricades with ravenous crows

Guy of Bonisagus: his plan is fighting an army of professional soldiers with some zealous peasants

Mortis ex Verditus: It's a good plan honestly.

Also a bunch of mercenaries.

johns (GM): at the moment Cola and his close followers are at the Basicilia Papale di San Lorenzo, which is near the Porta Tiburtina (east gate), prepping for battle. toga man's domain was the Senator's Palazzo in the middle of the city.

endrite, where is the ghost altar located

Mortis ex Verditus: We moved it, as I recall.

To Vardian's Tomb.

Archibald of Guernicus: I think we moved it out, yeah

johns (GM): ok.

Mortis ex Verditus: The ghosts are probably somewhere near Severin's covenant so we should recall them with haste.

Archibald of Guernicus: Setting the ghost legionnaires on the attacking army would be a good start, though before we proceed I want to roll code of hermes to figure out how much we can get away with and such. Things to avoid doing.

rolling 1d10+2+3

(

9

)

+2+3

=

14

Dušan of Criamon: I'd again like to state for the record I'd like the ghosts to locate/bring us the toga ghost

as opposed to striking at either army

(To Archibald of Guernicus): To avoid violating the code, you'd need to show that your intervention was necessary for the sake of the covenant, OR show that you did so in a way that does not endanger other wizards or wizards' interests (important in Roman tribunal) or drag other wizards into mundane entanglements

johns (GM): the Roman Ghosts are magical, I believe, and thus only capable of seeing the fellow dead

Toga Man as a Fae is not really a dead person, merely a fairy playing at being dead

Mortis ex Verditus: I don't know if they have any special ability to do that.

(From Mortis ex Verditus): They don't.

Dušan of Criamon: ah, tragic

Fiorella the Raven: We learned earlier that the Rome Tribunal doesn't care much about the rule, except when you fuck with another magus' business.

johns (GM) passes a note to a player

Mortis ex Verditus: As magi we have a superior ability to locate and contact the fairy ghost.

In fact, the battle is the perfect time to do it.

Everyone who is good at dealing with ghosts in our covenant is terrible at actually fighting.

Archibald of Guernicus: I'll pass along the details to everyone else: we need to make sure whatever actions we take are distant from us, and therefore the Order of Hermes. If we want to be more overt, we have to be able to prove that the covenant depended on it - this is much harder as the Orsinis offered us a deal.

Mortis ex Verditus: It wasn't a sincere offer.

Boom, plausible deniability.

johns (GM): okay, you want to wait for the battle? do you raise the ghosts or not

Archibald you are, in theory, in charge

Mortis ex Verditus: We should contact them immediately no matter what, in my opinion.

Even if we just have them protect our covenant they'd still need to be here to do it.

Fiorella the Raven: Hazm can join the team looking for the ghosts, Fiorella joins team siegebreaker

* ghost, singular

Dušan of Criamon: Dušan sets up some wooden crosses around the inn

Archibald of Guernicus: I think we should destroy this fae before he gets our revolutionary killed, yeah

I have PeVi spells for killing fae, and second sight.

Rosario of Flambeau: Hell yeah.

Mortis ex Verditus: We should talk to him.

Rosario of Flambeau: Second sight is important. shame I can't like, learn it.

Guy of Bonisagus: kill the faerie

Mortis ex Verditus: We haven't done it at all and we don't know what he actually wants.

Fiorella the Raven: Mortis can talk to him before Archibald kills it

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: ideally, talking to the faerie will establish whether or not it is actually betraying people

Fiorella the Raven: And see if he can be reasoned with

Archibald of Guernicus: We should find out the truth first, I assumed you'd uh, done that.

And this was the conclusion of the investigation

johns (GM): lol

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: lol

Rosario of Flambeau:  in elmer fudd voice  kill da fawie, kill da fawie, kill da fawie

Archibald of Guernicus: classic vardians tomb

Mortis ex Verditus: It is my considered opinion that the Mercurian cult, as a part of the Roman Imperial state, misunderstood or misrepresented what this fairy was actually all about.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: this is vardians tomb baby

Mortis ex Verditus: Since they would have an abiding interest in crushing rebellions.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "I never thought about it like that!"

"But it makes sense."

"This being is simply misunderstood."

Mortis ex Verditus: In any case we should talk to it first.

Fiorella the Raven: The Cult of Mercury was a collection of gifties though, right, an internal bureau not a propaganda arm

?

Archibald of Guernicus: "Destroying it should be on the table, if it truly does gain vitality by leading its victims to their death."

Rosario of Flambeau: "I mean, it's a faerie, so it does that."

Archibald of Guernicus: "However, we have tae find the truth for ourselves."

"Many fae are beneficial."

johns (GM): the cult was lead by gifted priests shaun

Mortis ex Verditus: They would have had the same opinion of the glories of empire as well as anyone else in service to Caesar.

Fiorella the Raven: Sure

Rosario of Flambeau: If only Fabius were still around.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: the cult of mercury, the organization of gifted murderers, is the same entity as the cult of mercury, part of the roman civic religion

Fiorella the Raven: But I don't think CIA agents care a lot about football players kneeling for the anthem or w/e, or at least, not on a heartfelt level rather than pragmatic

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: i think.

Fiorella the Raven: I mean they don't write internal memos that are sincerely mad about the anthem kneelers

Mortis ex Verditus: I mean, most of the Roman priests at least said they had magical power.

johns (GM): dr pavel im cia

c'thinker: this is more like the black panthers than the nfl

Mortis ex Verditus: A People's History of the Roman Empire

johns (GM): if someone wishes to take an action I need to respond to put some Asterisks in your text otherwise ill assume you're still debating

Mortis ex Verditus:  I continue debating

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: I put forward a motion that the Tomb visit the faerie.

The motion is now open for debate.

Mortis ex Verditus: I think we should ask it what it wants.

That seems reasonable.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: That's a good idea.

Mortis ex Verditus: I think we could strike a deal with it.

Fiorella the Raven: I think Archibald murdering the ghost is a fallback plan

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: we get the faerie to start talking. and then derfel rolls faerie lore to make the gm tell us what the faerie wants

Dušan of Criamon: Parley is good either way

Mortis ex Verditus: But to be ABSOLUTELY TRANSPARENT, I also think we can strike a deal with Damhan-Allaidh.

Dušan of Criamon: and then the Derfel detector, yeah

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: then archibald murders it if we don't like it.

Archibald of Guernicus: Ghost murder is when negotation fails

johns (GM): if you seriously wanted to make a deal with damhan-allaidh that would be a fun saga seed

Rosario of Flambeau: This covenant is the best at deals.

johns (GM): alright in the interest of keeping us in track I'm going to rein in debate here and say you want to go see the fairy

Rosario of Flambeau: Yeah.

Mortis ex Verditus: I'll post about it in the THREAD.

johns (GM): You know the drill, drop tokens

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "Good luck, everyone."

Archibald of Guernicus: I will never, ever relent on wanting Damhan-Allaidh dead

Mortis ex Verditus: Ok done.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: Siwmae.

Rosario of Flambeau: Same. It's a fair path to take.

Fiorella the Raven: Fiorella can run messages between the revolutionary officers and the front, she can attack camps with crows, any number of things that may or may not require in-game resoultion

Mortis ex Verditus: Good news.

Rosario of Flambeau: That guy should bite it.

Mortis ex Verditus: He is dead!

Rosario of Flambeau: Again.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: do faeries like vis

Mortis ex Verditus: Maybe.

johns (GM): they need it to change glamour

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: let's bring some vis.

Mortis ex Verditus: We should bring some vis to help Archibald penetrate it.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: that, too.

Fiorella the Raven: Lewd

johns (GM): archibald will have to penetrate it to get that AC penetration bonus.

Mortis ex Verditus: It can't be helped.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: you must penetrate to penetrate

johns (GM): The Palazzo is less busy than usual, the able bodied men are off to battle. Cripples, women, and children still hang around but getting inside is no obstacle to a crew of Wizards.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: i will take a couple pawns of faerie mentem vis.

or, i'll ask a wizard for permission.

Rosario of Flambeau: Hey, go for it.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "You have to spend vis to make vis."

Archibald of Guernicus: The biggest threat to penetration is the aura probably, its a level 10 spell and my casting total for PeVi is about 30, plus my penetration score (specced in vim)

Mortis ex Verditus: "Ciao spettro."

Archibald of Guernicus: Though I can't destroy it with just PeVi if its over 15 might

Mortis ex Verditus: Let's banish him by beating him with bricks.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "Siwmae, ysbryd."

johns (GM): Toga Man is in the room you last saw him, just standing there statuelike. No one else around at the moment.

Mortis ex Verditus: Maybe you should talk to him, Derfel.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "Hey, ghost."

"Come out and talk to us."

Dušan of Criamon: The asshole

and we wasted a good bit of wax on that letter

Mortis ex Verditus: "We want to talk about what we can do to further the cause of liberty."

Rosario of Flambeau: Good opener.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr waves a pawn of Mentem vis around.

Lucius: "Why aren't you playing the game?"

Lucius looks confused at you

Mortis ex Verditus: "I'm not a gamer."

Archibald of Guernicus: I knew it

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: is he visible to everyone

Guy of Bonisagus: this ghost is a gamer

Lucius: Sure he fades into view once he realizes he's been spotted

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "Off to a good start."

Rosario of Flambeau: Ooh.

Mortis ex Verditus: "I'm a wizard and I want to know how we can come to an agreement."

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "What are the rules of the game?"

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "Come on, Mortis, it's not a real person."

Fiorella the Raven: It's better

Mortis ex Verditus: "That's a little rude, don't you think?"

Lucius: "The game is the game," he says, as if its' the most obvious thing in the world. "The pieces don't question the game."

Guy of Bonisagus: kill this thing

Archibald of Guernicus: "Talk about it a little. What's your role in it all?"

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "I am not a game piece!"

Lucius: "When the game has begun, I play it until the game is done. That's how it works."

Dušan of Criamon: "So you're no piece?"

Archibald of Guernicus: I rub my temples and mutter "Can someone trick this thing into making some fucking sense."

Rosario of Flambeau: "This guy is coming across like a real goofball."

Mortis ex Verditus: "What is your plan to win? Because I can tell you that we have a plan."

This is what we call a HALF-TRUTH.

Lucius: "I'll win, and I'll lose, that's the game I play."

Fiorella the Raven: Faeries Rise: Faerifall

Derfel ap Cadwaladr regains his composure.

Dušan of Criamon: "Are there any other players besides you?"

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: handsomely, natch.

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmmmm.

Lucius: "Other players? Just me, and me."

Mortis ex Verditus: "I'm afraid to say that you won't lose this time. Victory is assured."

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "So you play against yourself?"

Dušan of Criamon: well, this seems it for this war

Rosario of Flambeau: "Sounds like a real boring guy."

Lucius: "Yes? Of course?"

"That's how the game works."

Mortis ex Verditus: Idiot? Fucker? Noob?

Dušan of Criamon: hah

Mortis ex Verditus: "When did you start this game?"

Lucius: "The game has always been the game as long as the Wolf has roamed and the Eagle has flown."

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

Makes sense.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "It must be great fun."

Mortis ex Verditus: "How do you anticipate that you will lose this time, given that the rules have changed so drastically?"

"Why, the Pope isn't even in Rome anymore!"

Father Hazm: I propose that after we kill this faerie, I work on purging the faerie aura from it by raising the Dominion level

Lucius: "The Pope... The Pontifex? The names change but the pieces are always the same. Here --"

An unfamiliar board game appears on the conference table.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: V. The Hierophant.

Mortis ex Verditus: Board Game Boys always got a stash.

(L)ook Board

Lucius: Toga Man points to one of the pieces. "Pontifex, Augustus, Nobilis.. All one piece. See?"

Mortis ex Verditus: Is it?

Oh shit.

Dušan of Criamon: What other pieces are there?

Mortis ex Verditus: I'm gaining a deep metaphorical understanding of Roman and Italian politics!

Rosario of Flambeau: lol

Archibald of Guernicus: It's simple. Somoene needs to first figure out what skill he uses, then beat him at a game.

Mortis ex Verditus: Gwaargh!

Dušan of Criamon: Guerra di Informazioni

Lucius: He points to a piece on the opposite side. "Slave, philosopher, dreamer." To another. "Follower, hoper." To another, "Elder, Priest, Magus."

Father Hazm: This board game could be a useful scrying tool against mundanes if we keep the ghost alive

Mortis ex Verditus: We're playing the game right now.

Unfortunately we're the pieces.

Rosario of Flambeau moves one of the pieces arbitrarily

Father Hazm: Seeing yourself on the board is still useful

Dušan of Criamon: Classic Derfel move

Father Hazm: You're pieces but not all the pieces

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: gah

Father Hazm: And when you know the rules of the game, you can break them

Lucius: "No, no. See, that piece goes here --" he slides one of the white pieces against one of the black pieces and removes the white piece from the board.

Mortis ex Verditus: Heh.

Board game night.

Dušan of Criamon: "Who just left the board?"

Lucius: "Foe. Enemy. Colonna."

Dušan of Criamon: I've no idea who that is

Mortis ex Verditus: Nice.

Lucius: A powerful noble family in the city.

Mortis ex Verditus: The Colonna family.

Dušan of Criamon: Oh

Mortis ex Verditus: I think they had the pleasure of crowning the current Holy Roman Emperor.

Father Hazm: Ah damn

Fiorella has Carouse (parlor games)

Mortis ex Verditus: That's all they've been doing.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "So it plays out the same way, every time?"

Mortis ex Verditus: Parlor games are like, charades.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "Boring!"

Mortis ex Verditus: Anyway...

Lucius: "Boring?" He looks confused again.

Father Hazm: Well then I change it to something that's a real game

Mortis ex Verditus: "But don't you see? The game has changed."

Father Hazm: It's not like itwas meant to be something lame like Charades

Lucius: also Perception + Awareness check (spec hearing) available

Mortis ex Verditus: Parlor games are games you can play in the parlor, as apart from board games where you need a board.

Father Hazm: A parlor is a good place to keep your board games

Mortis ex Verditus: I think magic tricks are also covered under parlor games.

Dušan of Criamon:

rolling 1d10+2+2

(

2

)

+2+2

=

6

Mortis ex Verditus: I have a book about it.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: the tremere play a lot of chess but it doesn't say which ability they use for it.

Dušan of Criamon: not spec hearing though

Mortis ex Verditus: Anyway.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: i would assume it's like int + leadership

Mortis ex Verditus: I point at the pontifex piece.

Lucius: Artes Liberales, but this game is not chess, it is an obsolete roman game whose rules are lost to antiquity

Mortis ex Verditus: "See, he shouldn't even be on the board anymore."

Father Hazm: Lords of Men has descriptions of this stuff but what it lacks is actual statblocks for nobles who might have specialties regarding board or parlor games

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: ah.

Mortis ex Verditus: "He's in France."

"So you'd need to at least demote him."

Father Hazm: Anyway I'll change it to "games of strategy" for less confusion

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: parlor games are like dumping out a bag of flour on top of a rock and then trying to dig out the rock with your teeth

which is an excellent theme for a faerie probably

Lucius: "I can't move that piece."

Archibald of Guernicus: I'll roll per+awareness, missed that at first

Father Hazm: These are some weird ass parlors you guys are visiting

Archibald of Guernicus:

rolling 1d10!+3+2

(

9

)

+3+2

=

14

Derfel ap Cadwaladr:

rolling 1d10!+2

(

6

)

+2

=

8

Mortis ex Verditus: "Well, allow me to help you with that."

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "The same side wins in the same way, every time."

(To Archibald of Guernicus): You hear war horns tooted off to the distant east.

Father Hazm: Even Carouse(gaming) is probably appropirate as its a fairly limited use of Carouse

(To Derfel ap Cadwaladr): You hear war horns tooted off to the distant east.

Mortis ex Verditus: I swap the Elder piece with the Pontifex piece.

Father Hazm: And Carouse is mostly used to resist intoxication

Mortis ex Verditus: "Frankly he's practically a duke these days."

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "Don't you think it'd be more fun if things were different this time?"

Lucius: He looks at the board, then to you. "You're out of place."

Archibald of Guernicus: "Sodales, not tae press the matter, but I think battles are beginning."

Mortis ex Verditus: "Yeah there's one right here." I point to the board.

Lucius: "Different?" he asks Derfel.

Mortis ex Verditus: "Of course we are, we aren't pieces."

Lucius: "You're right there," he says, pointing to the Elder piece, "but you're out of place."

He moves the pieces back into the right position.

Rosario of Flambeau: "I don't understand a word of this."

Mortis ex Verditus: "But now you don't have any place for the Pope. in his newly diminished capacity."

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "We can all agree, I'm sure,"

Lucius: "Then I'll have to put him.. here." He plops the Pope in another square.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: Derfel looks at his assembled sodales.

"that the game would be far more interesting if things were just a little bit different."

Mortis ex Verditus: "It's fairly simple, he's playing a game in which all the pieces are represented by the forces arrayed in the tumult of society."

"Ah, do you have a plague piece?"

Fiorella of Jerbiton flies in through the window and turns human. "Oooh, a game."

Mortis ex Verditus: "You definitely need at least 3 of those these days."

Dušan of Criamon: "So what happens now, who lives and who leaves the board?"

Lucius: "We will know soon. I can feel it..." He moves the Slave pieces back a few tiles. "The game is almost finished. It was short but a good game nonetheless."

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

Dušan of Criamon: I kind of want to just directly invite him to hang

this is the classic lads amity situation

Lucius: lets continue this in Tabletop Simulator

Mortis ex Verditus: Let's.

Dušan of Criamon: i want to pull this virgin into our chad drinking inn

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I opened up Lords of Men and it says Carouse is used for Board Games so that'll be the spec

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: ok im going to throw a die roll at this.

Rosario of Flambeau: What's the current aura?

Lucius: Fae 4

Rosario of Flambeau: Ah, I see.

Hm.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr:

rolling 1d10!+0+5+2 int + faerie lore + familiarity with the fae

(

3

)

+0+5+2

=

10

Rosario of Flambeau: Hm.

(To Derfel ap Cadwaladr): What seekest thou

Mortis ex Verditus: "Do you have a turn timer? You need to account for the upcoming end of the world."

(From Derfel ap Cadwaladr): substituting faerie lore for folk ken

Mortis ex Verditus: "It's the magic blight, you see."

Rosario of Flambeau: I pick up and hold one of the board pieces.

Lucius: "I don't think you and I are playing the same game..?" he says to Mortis.

Mortis ex Verditus: "It started with plants but at some point it will spread to other form, killing everyone."

(From Derfel ap Cadwaladr): for any details on his role besides what weve deduced. rop f page 65

Rosario of Flambeau: "You need to account for an unexpected move, I think."

Mortis ex Verditus: "Oh no it's the same game."

"You just have all your pieces in the wrong place."

(To Derfel ap Cadwaladr): He controls only one of the pieces -- everything else he is only moving in reaction to outside events.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "Trick with board games is to imagine a feasible win state, and then working backwards from there to your current situation."

Lucius passes a note to a player

Rosario of Flambeau: A piece of his glamour counts as a part of his body. +3 AC multiplier. Continuing an active conversation is +2. Total of +5 as it stands right now.

Archibald of Guernicus: "You should try and get your creeps into the opposing sides ancient."

Lucius: "What?"

Mortis ex Verditus: "See, we need to demote the Pontifex, promote the Elder, move the Supplicants and allow the Slave to move freely."

(From Derfel ap Cadwaladr): and that piece is cola

(To Derfel ap Cadwaladr): The "Slave" piece he indicated.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "This is the faerie that always ends up martyring his ward right? Easy, you can predict his moves based on that."

Rosario of Flambeau: I'm going to cast Faerie's Eternal Oblivion.

Mortis ex Verditus: "That way you can properly account for the increased number of Plague pieces."

Lucius: "No, no, no." He stands, angrily. "The pieces do not change the rules!"

Roll it, Rosario.

Mortis ex Verditus: "It's like I said, I'm not a gamer. I make the game."

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: yikes

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "He's an opponent rigidly set in heuristics."

Rosario of Flambeau:

rolling 1d10!+17+2 spell total + aura bonus

(

8

)

+17+2

=

27

Archibald of Guernicus: What's the spell level on your eternal oblivion

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "Use that against him. Just upending the board when you don't like the rules is the layman's reply."

Rosario of Flambeau: 20

Archibald of Guernicus: Ooh

Rosario of Flambeau: penetration is

Lucius: Penetration?

Fiorella of Jerbiton sees Rosario casting.

Archibald of Guernicus: I have a 5 and 10 one to seal the deal if this doesnt make it, I can grab a piece too for enough pen to trivialise this

Rosario of Flambeau: 27

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "Well that devolved quickly."

Rosario of Flambeau: with the ACs

Archibald of Guernicus: lmao

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: well uhhh.

well.

Lucius: Toga Man, the chess board, and the aura disappear.

Mortis ex Verditus: "Nice job, idiot."

Lucius: You feel the familiar crushing sensation of Dominion.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr sighs.

Mortis ex Verditus: "You couldn't keep it together for five seconds?"

Rosario of Flambeau: Toga Man and the chessboard flatten as if they were closed between the pages of a book, and then crumble into dust.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "Poor form. But I guess that's the problem solved."

Dušan of Criamon: (yelling into the thin air) "SO WHO WINS"

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "I was just starting to have fun."

Guy of Bonisagus: "Thank God it's over."

Archibald of Guernicus: "We backed the wrong horse in this revolution. The fairy only had it work until now so he could lose at the end."

Rosario of Flambeau: "I thought this was the goal."

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "All right, let's scram."

Archibald of Guernicus: "There was never any chance of this succeeding."

Dušan of Criamon: Actually, since we're in a church, I'd like to use the tower to see how the battle is going before heading home

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "I think Mortis was on his way to wiping out the Republic, anyway."

Mortis ex Verditus: "How much control do you think it really had over the situation if you were able to obliterate it with that apprentice's incantation?"

Lucius: This is not a church Dusan, but an a 3-story palace.

Rosario of Flambeau: "Well, Rienzi should be fine, in that case."

Dušan of Criamon: oh right

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "Who cares who wins? The important thign is that the Zenos seize as much land as they can in the chaos. The Tribune's beef isn't with them anyway."

Archibald of Guernicus: "A fairly high magnitude fairy's eternal oblivion, carrying multiple arcane connections to it?"

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: it's just the normal dominion aura of a city, i think

Lucius: You are atop the Capitoline Hill and can see lots of dust kicked up by the Porta Tiburtina.

Mortis ex Verditus: "Jumping to conclusions yet again."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "Rienzi may no longer be a pawn of fate but he still has to win."

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: tally up all of the deaths in the sack of rome and split them evenly between mortis and rosario on the kill tracker

Mortis ex Verditus: Have our ghosts gotten back yet?

johns (GM): no clue. I don't know their mechanics nor why they were out of place in the first place

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "One less faerie plotter in the world can only be a good thing, I suppose."

Mortis ex Verditus: They were sent to kill Thaddeus back during the adventure they were introduced and then never recalled.

Rosario of Flambeau: Hah

Guy of Bonisagus: when is johns gonna tell us that this time, the faerie would make the revolution win

Dušan of Criamon: Well, the important thing is the battle is taking place on a line far from VT. Time for a cup of herbal tea and to go back to work.

Mortis ex Verditus: It isn't far from Vardian's Tomb at all.

That's like a quarter of a mile.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: it's on the other side of the wall!

Dušan of Criamon: yeah but no need to come our direction

Rosario of Flambeau:  unfurls giant Mission Accomplished banner over the bar at the inn

Archibald of Guernicus: Kill Thaddeus

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: an entire other world.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Hmm, yes, mysterious how no one particularly discussed the ramifications of that adventure aside from entertaining the idea of killing Severin while Herbam spells are hard to cast

johns (GM): the faerie wasn't going to do anything really. it was just going to abandon rienzi and take away the Guide and Grant Greater Communication powers it was using on him

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: you cross that line, your ways of the town stops working. you step back over the line, your ways of the town still doesnt work

Archibald of Guernicus: We have no Cash, no Hope, and no Jobs. For the love of god, let Thaddeus die.

Dušan of Criamon: behind-the-scenes insight here?

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: we should at least call them back to guard the tomb

johns (GM): its more like 1.5 - 2 miles, endrite

Dušan of Criamon: Sure, I'm in favor

spooky ghosts should dissuade would be looters

johns (GM): endrite has told me the ghost have to march home. that may take a few days.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: We do the thing with the ghosts

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: is there anyone we want to shelter

Mortis ex Verditus: Anyway we need to fight and win here.

Dušan of Criamon: Dušan's heart goes out to all the victims of the war, but mostly the hermetically useful ones

Mortis ex Verditus: We did promise that we would help.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I summon up a thusand crows and have them back up the thusand animated dead that are not zombies

Rosario of Flambeau: lol

Mortis ex Verditus: And now that we've successfully molested a fae I think it behooves us to make things right.

Rosario of Flambeau: this is self defense! while casting eternal oblivion spells in a calm drawing room

Fiorella of Jerbiton: That faerie was a lot less cognizant than we thought he'd be.

Mortis ex Verditus: This kind of situation is EXACTLY why there are rules against it!

Rosario of Flambeau: Yeah.

Archibald of Guernicus: He was a Fucktard

Mortis ex Verditus: We had such an amazing resource and you just destroyed it without a single thought!

Dušan of Criamon: I mean there was a thought

"i'm going to destroy it"

Rosario of Flambeau: House Flambeau ftw.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: i was going to use the vis and my faerie virtues to try and bargain with him.

but then beardbeards magus, rosario of flambeau, stepped in

Dušan of Criamon: Spilled milk, people

Rosario of Flambeau: lol

Archibald of Guernicus: We should defend the covenant and not interfere beyond that, worst thing we could do is antagonise the future rulers of the city by attacking their forces.

Dušan of Criamon: it would have been nice to go for the gamer maximum of befriending everyone

Rosario of Flambeau: i said this was my plan the entire time!

johns (GM): Friendship ftw

Fiorella of Jerbiton: What if Rienzi gets the Orsini duke or whatever delivered to him as a hostage?

Dušan of Criamon: but neutralizing the issue is a close second

Archibald of Guernicus: The idea that we can personally sway the entire war without massively overt action is ridiculous, and since we aren't taking action like that, we should focus on self-defence.

Mortis ex Verditus: You need to think about what you've done.

Guy of Bonisagus: rosario was right and if i had combat investment or had assigned xp for my last 6 years worth of seasons i would have done the same thing

Fiorella of Jerbiton: And forces the pope to un-excommunicate him?

Dušan of Criamon: Archibald speaks the truth

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "Hey, the boss is right."

Mortis ex Verditus: We have to tip the battle back in the correct direction now that we've already interfered in the natural course of events.

Dušan of Criamon: I am but a newcomer to this town, but tell me whom to bring here for shelter and I'll go out and collect them

it's the only apt thing to do

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: "When things get hot, you lay low. That's the Italian way, I've gathered."

johns (GM): Is Archibald debating this or ordering it

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Archibald is our only consul here at the moment

Mortis ex Verditus: The Code of Hermes can't just exist to defend impulsive actions that bring calamity on people.

Derfel ap Cadwaladr: they send one of yours to hell, you send all of yours to tribunal. that's the vardians tomb way!

johns (GM): lol

Archibald of Guernicus: We could pick a side and have them win, sure. Send out a billion birds, launch the tiber on an army, raise the dead en masse to fight. But for what? A slightly better deal with the local rulers, maybe? If they can be trusted that is.

Rosario of Flambeau: lol

Archibald of Guernicus: I'm ordering people to not take any overt action to win the war. If people can be subtle and want to influence it, well I can't stop that, but the last thing we need is an army storming us. That said, if any opportunistic little shit tries anything with us during the battle, we slaughter them on the spot.

Dušan of Criamon: "you give a beggar your meal, he only loves you while it's on his lips"

johns (GM): the house smuckles motto

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: lol

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Let's say Archibald is right: GM, what threats to covenant asset are we facing if we focus on defense?

Dušan of Criamon: "if who we support wins, we gain nothing. If we support nobody, we're still a shunned hermetic covenant"

Archibald of Guernicus: The 'stand your ground' law is the founding principle of the code of hermes

johns (GM): If the aristocracy can't breach the gate, none at all Shaun

Mortis ex Verditus: "We stand to gain everything from aiding the Republic."

johns (GM): If they can, you have to speculate.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Uh

Archibald of Guernicus: "Stand to gain? Their leader told us he didn't give a damn whether we helped or not! He said this to our face!"

johns (GM): the city is huge though.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: We need to have some information here to actually form a plan

Mortis ex Verditus: "Friends in high places, official recognition of our authority on magical matters, and, as a bonus, we don't have to worry about the citizens of this city being butchered."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: We need some interaction that we can take that makes the Zelda puzzle solved noise and we moved

* and we move forward

Guy of Bonisagus: "I think the best plan for the future of our covenant is getting a nice heavy bar for our door."

Rosario of Flambeau: "Amen."

Guy of Bonisagus: "And some sturdy shutters on the window."

Dušan of Criamon: "We either control them and ask the OoH to murder us in our sleep, or we 'influence them' like anyone else ever has and have nothing to show for our effort"

johns (GM): Worst case scenario is the nobles decide to sack their own city and you have to deal with a bunch of soldiers and foreign mercenaries trying to steal and/or rape everything in sight.

Mortis ex Verditus: "We can't be timid about acting here, especially after we already took matters into our own hands by killing the fairy involved with this entire affair."

Dušan of Criamon: "Let us act aptly and let the mundanes duke it out among themselves"

Archibald of Guernicus: "So what? The fairy was going to abandon him anyway, it was rash but it changes nothing about the outcome here."

Dušan of Criamon: "The fairy was right about one thing: one thing after another, no changes. This time the fairy was the peace that left the board. I say let him stay away, and the game continue without his meddling, or ours."

Archibald of Guernicus: "If he wins on his power, he wins. If he loses, he loses. We got stopped it preying on others."

Mortis ex Verditus: "You can't say that with any certainty, you didn't even listen to his explanation about the game!"

"We have no idea when he planned to abandon Cola di Rienzi, since you killed him!"

Rosario of Flambeau: "The future of Rome is no game."

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "Why, I would bet that if we just sit tight, everything will be just fine."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "He's dead now. arguing about it won't solve anything unless one of you broke the Hermetic limit of time."

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "For us, at least. We should save as many of the wounded as possible."

Archibald of Guernicus: "Rienzo stated firmly that he owes us nothing, even if we win this war for him. Why do ye expect him to suddenly raise us up? If we fight battles for him, he'll treat us as court wizards, a weapon tae be deployed against his enemies."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "Archibald is our only consul here, unless someone wishes to challenge his authority let's listen to him."

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: cer

ta

men

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Yeah

Rosario of Flambeau: lol

johns (GM): dis

Rosario of Flambeau: awwww yeah

johns (GM): pu

Mortis ex Verditus: "You're leading us to ruin with your inaction."

johns (GM): tatio

Archibald of Guernicus: "Neutrality, even in the face of revolution, will keep us safe."

Dušan of Criamon: I do wonder about Rienzi

I mean I think he'll eat it out there

but if he doesn't

Archibald of Guernicus: "Can you win this war, then, without overt action?"

Dušan of Criamon: it doesn't matter

for all he knows, the ghost just left

like it did with the other would be revolutionaries

Archibald of Guernicus: "We could launch the tiber upon the camped armies, send ghosts and the walking dead at them, fill the sky with birds."

"And everyone will know that the Order of Hermes, the wizards of Rome, won this war. What do you think the church will do then?"

Mortis ex Verditus: "We have to be willing to stand up for our city."

Archibald of Guernicus: "Maybe we're safe, but what about those outside of here?"

Dušan of Criamon: "We are, we protect the valuable parts. The rest burns down, grows anew. No problems."

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: cer... ta... men https://i.imgur.com/4ZyCgw6.png

Archibald of Guernicus: "We are not Rome's guardians or its stewards. We can make it a better city, but we can't decide who rules it. We have no right."

Rosario of Flambeau: "We've done our best. No evil fae influencing the course of history. Whatever happens, it's meant to be.

"

Mortis ex Verditus: "We live here, we have a responsibility to keep it safe."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "Let Rome burn again. The merchants of Venice have the capital to pick up the pieces."

Guy of Bonisagus: "Archibald is right. Nice though it might be to have a city of free men, Rienzi is incompetent, and now even moreso."

heresy detected

Mortis ex Verditus: "If the enemy breaches the gates we can't guarantee anything stays safe."

Archibald of Guernicus: "If you wish to influence it, you know the code. Whatever you can do without getting caught is acceptable."

johns (GM): Rosario the Calvinist

Rosario of Flambeau: lol

Dušan of Criamon: "This is going nowhere. I will not participate in any swaying." Dušan leaves for a nice viewing spot to look at the good things happening on the walls

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea gives Rosario a strange look.

Guy of Bonisagus: I cast Chamber of Spring Breezes to give us all some fresh air.

Mortis ex Verditus: "All of our grogs live in the city, their homes and families will be destroyed. There's no telling what the invading armies will do to any of our vis sites."

Archibald of Guernicus: "Thank you Guy, that's much nicer."

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: rosariio ww

Guy of Bonisagus: And lean back on my nice [piece of furniture] that a wealthy magus could own and relax in

Mortis ex Verditus: "Once they're in the city it will be much more difficult to protect what is ours."

Dušan of Criamon: I'm looking forward to the end of the battle, and I guess I'll go help the wounded once the action is over.

johns (GM): a sofa

Dušan of Criamon: (compassionate flaw)

Archibald of Guernicus: How many vis sites are actually in the city. We lost the intellego on, we can secure the vim vis site.

Guy of Bonisagus: "That's where strong steel and sturdy wood come in, Mortis."

johns (GM): leme check

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: i too am tragically compassionate.

Mortis ex Verditus: "If we can turn them back we'll have the acclaim of the city and our magical power will be secure."

Guy of Bonisagus: i am also compassionate but rienzis a fucking retard

Dušan of Criamon: hey he dug his own grave

if he comes back bawling, i'll show compassion, sure

Mortis ex Verditus: "Not to mention the valuable Magical regio in the Torre di Conti."

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: when the orsinis butcher everyone we can tell them we stripped away his faerie powers

johns (GM): there's a vis site atop trajan's column, and in the tiber island hospital

Mortis ex Verditus: "That will be lost to us forever if we don't fight back today."

johns (GM): everything else is either outside the walls or underground

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: the wizards guild is sure to be recognized

Archibald of Guernicus: "Then secure it."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Let's go build the Wizard's Guild in Venice with our friends the Zenos

Mortis ex Verditus: "We can't without fighting whatever army the Contis brought to take it back."

Archibald of Guernicus: "The Torre di Conti, anyone here who wishes to, secure it. The rest of us protect the covenant, and shelter grogs and their families."

Mortis ex Verditus: "I'm not demanding that you fight, but at least turn a blind eye to those of us who will."

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: i could draw a bunch of corpus wards on the tower to keep people out, except i have not invested the season to invent that spell.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "The nobles aren't visigoths. What wanton slaughter are you expecting out of them anyway?"

Mortis ex Verditus: "They need to pay their mercenaries like anyone else and there's no better way to pay than with plunder."

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "Worse, they're Italians."

Archibald of Guernicus: "You can do as ye please, so long as it's subtle. The only thing I'm forbidding is overt action."

Dušan of Criamon: (no longer in the room) I think they'll contend themselves with the battle at the walls, one of the leaders will die and their faction will call it a day

Mortis ex Verditus: That doesn't seem likely.

Since they're fighting over control of the city.

johns (GM): Archibald has given his orders

Archibald of Guernicus: "If ye have a problem with it, there's a perfectly legal way tae settle things. Certamen. Anyone wish to?"

johns (GM): Who wants to go to the Tower di Conti?

and who wants to play Certamen, or even better, disputatio

Dušan of Criamon: I'll remain on some hill and overlook the battle

Mortis ex Verditus: Unfortunately I'm not good at Certamen, so I can't contest this.

Rosario of Flambeau: I'm just going to stay at the covenant and guard it.

Mortis ex Verditus: But I'll try anyway.

Rosario of Flambeau: Since I did what I wanted to do.

Guy of Bonisagus: ill go to the tower

because mortis raises a point

Archibald of Guernicus: boy it bout happen

Guy of Bonisagus: i wanna investigate the regio

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I'll send crows out to scout for people advancing on the Eastern Ear

johns (GM): lol at the last players on this board

Archibald of Guernicus: nice the last battle was the npc one

that i ran

Mortis ex Verditus: R I P

Rosario of Flambeau: lol

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: lol

Archibald of Guernicus: What's the current year?

Rosario of Flambeau: rip aristide

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: we must not speak of aristide.

johns (GM): 1347

Mortis ex Verditus: Yeah, rip.

Archibald of Guernicus: Oh nice, I'm only 2 years out of date then

Dušan of Criamon: What in gods name

johns (GM): welcome to Rope Kid style certamen, moe

https://badgame.net/index.php?topic=26550.msg7556328#msg7556328

I will try to walk everyone through it rapidly

Dušan of Criamon: This looks like the shit kids that went on to study at MatFyz enjoyed

johns (GM): Mortis is the Challenger and Archibald the Challenged

Dušan of Criamon: I will humor the host

Guy of Bonisagus: ill watch the fight before going to the tower

Archibald of Guernicus: What are the terms, then?

Rosario of Flambeau: lol

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Fiorella will follow the guidance of the winner, unless she can find a Jerbiton league in Rome that has a different idea

Mortis ex Verditus: I think we need to come to the aid of the Republic, like we promised.

Archibald of Guernicus: If Mortis wins, we defend the city. If I win, Mortis helps protect the tower, covenant and other assets we own.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: is this actually happening.

Archibald of Guernicus: That about right for what you want?

Mortis ex Verditus: Woah wait a second.

I never agreed to protect the tower, I said it would be suicide.

Or at the very least would require overt magical actions.

Archibald of Guernicus: You didn't, no, that's why it's part of Certamen. I get to make my own demand. That's how it works. You can pick something else to protect.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: if archibald wins, the republic is annihilated and europe is cast into darkness. if mortis wins, all of the player characters are killed by aurora

Archibald of Guernicus: The tower was one you brought up personally

Mortis ex Verditus: Fine.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: these are the stakes

Archibald of Guernicus: Good stakes. Let Darkness reign

Rosario of Flambeau: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8MeIsjxC94

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Fiorella is going to Venice at the first hint of this going sour

Archibald of Guernicus: Initiative to see who goes first then

thats just 1d10!+qik right

johns (GM): Before initative, the challenger proposes an art

that the challenged must use in the first round.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: isn't archibald like twice mortis's hermetic age

Mortis ex Verditus: Yes.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: classic.

johns (GM): Mortis, pick an art you want Archibald to use

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "Does anyone have any extra mercury in their lab?"

Mortis ex Verditus: Wait.

Can you still use Herbam?

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "I'm running low, with the blockade."

johns (GM): Yes -- these are merely simluations of magic

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I think Herbam should still work

Mortis ex Verditus: It seems like you wouldn't be able to manifest Herbam power without vis, since you can't do it with spontaneous magic either.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: yeah,

johns (GM): sadly Dies Irae gave no guidelines for this.

what say you all?

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Herbam still exists in the world of forms

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: however, mortis should gain the Certamen Cheater reputation if he demands herbam from archibald

Fiorella of Jerbiton: And Certamen doesn't take place IRL

Mortis ex Verditus: I mean I wouldn't if it can't be used.

Archibald of Guernicus: It's not actual magic, just theoretical usages of it, also the game might break completely without it. It works, imo

johns (GM): Dies Irae merely says "formulaic and spontaneous Herbam spells stop working."

Mortis ex Verditus: It seems like we'd need to use vis.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Certamen is neither

Mortis ex Verditus: That's my take.

Guy of Bonisagus: i agree with mortis

johns (GM): I say you don't

gah!

Mortis ex Verditus: Gah!

Guy of Bonisagus: i challenge johns to certamen

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: lets put it before the troupe

Mortis ex Verditus: That is your right.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: actually lets not, to save half an hour

johns (GM): well 3 people have said Herbam should be gone

and 3 people have said it should not.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: it doesn't matter much anyway

Rosario of Flambeau: it should be gone.

johns (GM): what do DFD and Moe think

if it comes down to a tie I'll just flip a coin

Dušan of Criamon: tiebreaker; if DFD says nothing it's in

Fiorella of Jerbiton: The only reason to suggest Herbam shouldn't work is because Archibald has had more reason to put XP in it

johns (GM): Very well.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: dfd said to remove it

Dušan of Criamon: then it's out

johns (GM): The very FATE of Certamen now up to blind chance.

oh

RIP!

Mortis ex Verditus: Yeah, rip.

johns (GM): Please note that this does NOT mean that Animal form now gets a bonus against Imaginem

Mortis ex Verditus: Right.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: It's a virtual game that only looks at art scores, not what those art scores can do

Archibald of Guernicus: Imaginem is now overpowered

Mortis ex Verditus: It's a real game.

johns (GM): Moving right along. Mortis, pick an art.

Mortis ex Verditus: You shoot phantoms at each other.

Ok.

Intelligo.

johns (GM): Veto or accept, Archibald

Archibald of Guernicus: Accept

johns (GM): Archibald, pick an art

Archibald of Guernicus: I pick Ignem

johns (GM): Mortis, veto or accept

Mortis ex Verditus: I accept.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: hey it's that song.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: The phantoms are likely made of VIm and Imaginem

not Herbam

johns (GM): Both, roll Initiative -- Quickness + Stres

+ Finesse

Archibald of Guernicus:

rolling 1d10!+1+1

(

2

)

+1+1

=

4

johns (GM): also I forget what terms you actually decided on here, if any. haha.

Archibald of Guernicus: They were stated earlier

Mortis ex Verditus:

rolling 1d10! + 4 + 0 + 2

(

1

)

+4+0+2

=

7

Gah!

johns (GM):

rolling 2d10

(

10

+

7

)

=

17

nobtoch

Archibald of Guernicus: If Mortis wins, we help the republic. If I win, Mortis aids in defending the covenant and its resources.

Mortis ex Verditus: The plus 2 is from Puissant Finesse.

johns (GM): Mortis, choose an art card from the deck. Remember if you do not attack with Ignem now, you will have to defend with it when ARchibald attacks.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: your terms dont forbid mortis from aiding the republic if he loses

Mortis ex Verditus: Right.

johns (GM): Archibald, choose defense

Also I fucked up already lol. hope you don't mind.

Archibald of Guernicus: I defend with Animal

johns (GM): archibald was upposed to get a chance to declare early defense.

Mortis ex Verditus: Gah!

Archibald of Guernicus: It's fine

johns (GM): Mortis, roll attack. Formulae are on the top right.

Mortis ex Verditus:

rolling 1d10! + 1

(

5

)

+1

=

6

Archibald of Guernicus:

rolling 1d10!+3+5

(

2

)

+3+5

=

10

Plink

johns (GM): Archibald, you must attack with Intelligo.

Archibald of Guernicus: oh, +1 to that actually, as its a superior cycle

Yes

johns (GM): Mortis can declare early defense.

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm, I shall.

johns (GM): Chose your art

Mortis ex Verditus: Perdo.

johns (GM): dys roll attack

Archibald of Guernicus:

rolling 1d10!-2+13

(

1

)

-2+13

=

12

Rosario of Flambeau: rip

johns (GM):

rolling 2d10

(

1

+

4

)

=

5

Botch, 0 attack

Rosario of Flambeau: rip

Mortis ex Verditus:

rolling 1d10! + 4 + 5 + 3

(

2

)

+4+5+3

=

14

Archibald of Guernicus: It's only 1 botch dice, I have a gold cord from my familiar, still botches though

Mortis ex Verditus: Bullshit, ultra failed attack!

Archibald of Guernicus: botch die, rather

johns (GM): ah, apologies.

Round 1 concluded

Round 2, Mortis begins. Archibald can declare early defense

Archibald of Guernicus: I do

Early defence, Aurum

johns (GM): Mortis, choose attack art

Mortis ex Verditus: Corpus.

johns (GM): Roll attack please

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

Archibald of Guernicus:

rolling 1d10!+3+5+3

(

8

)

+3+5+3

=

19

er, well. he still rolls here anyhow

Mortis ex Verditus: I'd like to spend some Confidence Points here.

Archibald of Guernicus: oops

johns (GM): that's his right

Mortis ex Verditus: What is it, +3 per point?

johns (GM): Unless you have Self-Confident virtue you are capped at 1 point

yes.

Mortis ex Verditus: I am Self-Confident.

johns (GM): then you can spend 2.

noted

Mortis ex Verditus:

rolling 1d10 + 1 + 10 + 1 + 6

(

8

)

+1+10+1+6

=

26

johns (GM): A hit. Weakening total is Intelligence + Penetration + 7

(To Archibald of Guernicus): do you wish to conf defense?

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: you may spend confidence points after the roll is resolved

Mortis ex Verditus: 9.

Penetration 0.

Archibald of Guernicus: A question: does the bronze cords bonus to soak apply to certamen?

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: you dont have to declare them early

johns (GM): No -- the soak is fatigue, not injury

Archibald of Guernicus: Ah, I see

johns (GM): err I mean anything that benefits injury doesn't matter in Certamen, only things that benefit fatigue.

Archibald of Guernicus: I conf, 3 stamina and 4 parma, no damage at all

johns (GM): Also who let mortis out of wiz school with 0 pen. lol.

Mortis ex Verditus: Verditus magus here.

johns (GM): Archibald is now attacking, does Mortis declare early defense?

Mortis ex Verditus: No.

johns (GM): Choose art, Dys

Archibald of Guernicus: I attack with Vim

Mortis ex Verditus: Alright, I'll defend with Terram.

johns (GM): As you've both used up your conf and I assume neither of you are using vis, roll at your leisure

Archibald of Guernicus:

rolling 1d10!-2+16

(

8

)

-2+16

=

22

Mortis ex Verditus:

rolling 1d10! + 4 + 5

(

10

+

5

)

+4+5

=

24

What're all these -2s you have?

Rosario of Flambeau: Wow.

Archibald of Guernicus: I knew it

I have -2 Presence

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: it's not like we're using the vis for anything else.

johns (GM): lol

Mortis ex Verditus: Ah.

johns (GM): Round 3, Mortis attacking, early defense by Archibald?

Archibald of Guernicus: Which is annoying because this happened last time. Constantly getting owned by exploding rolls on defence.

No early defence

johns (GM): Mortis choose art

Mortis ex Verditus: I'll go with Creo.

johns (GM): archibald, choose art

Archibald of Guernicus: Ignem

Mortis ex Verditus:

rolling 1d10! + 1 + 4

(

10

+

6

)

+1+4

=

21

Archibald of Guernicus:

rolling 1d10!+3+7+1

(

7

)

+3+7+1

=

18

Rosario of Flambeau: what the hell

Archibald of Guernicus: Still 7 defence total, so no damage I believe

johns (GM): wait

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: can you conf a flat total

johns (GM): no

only rolls

Archibald of Guernicus: He has no conf points anyway

Mortis ex Verditus: Yeah.

johns (GM): okay

no damage

Archibald attacking, early defense by Mortis?

Mortis ex Verditus: I wouldn't here anyway.

No.

Archibald of Guernicus: I attack with Corpus

Mortis ex Verditus: I'll defend with Mentem.

johns (GM): roll dem bones

Archibald of Guernicus:

rolling 1d10!-2+11

(

4

)

-2+11

=

13

Mortis ex Verditus:

rolling 1d10! + 5 + 5

(

1

)

+5+5

=

11

Gah!

johns (GM): i cant help notice how perfect the Perversity Point system would work for certamen.

rolling 2d10

(

9

+

3

)

=

12

Archibald of Guernicus: Hoo hoo hoo

johns (GM): nobotc

Archibald of Guernicus: Penetration is...

johns (GM): Weakening is your Int + Your Pen + 2

Mortis ex Verditus: It would work perfectly for every game, when you think about it.

Archibald of Guernicus: 2+4+2

johns (GM): Mortis, your resistance is Stamina + Parma, which is?

Mortis ex Verditus: Stamina is 2 and Parma is 2.

johns (GM): You take 1 fatigue.

Archibald of Guernicus: 4, so 1 fatigue landed

Mortis ex Verditus: Ouch!

johns (GM): It has been 3 rounds. Do you wish to continue?

Rosario of Flambeau: The tables turn!

Mortis ex Verditus: Huh?

johns (GM): just seeing if anyone wants to surrender.

Mortis ex Verditus: Ah.

johns (GM): guess not

Round 4, Mortis attacking, early def by ARch?

Mortis ex Verditus: Yeah, I don't.

Archibald of Guernicus: His plan is to pick whatever art has a +5 bonus every single time anyhow and hope for a miracle. Early defence with... hell, Aquam

johns (GM): Choose an art, Mortis

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmmm.

I'll attack with Auram.

Seems safe.

Archibald of Guernicus: Shocking pick

Mortis ex Verditus:

rolling 1d10! + 1 + 0 + 5

(

6

)

+1+0+5

=

12

It is because I have 0 Auram.

Archibald of Guernicus:

rolling 1d10!+3+6+3

(

2

)

+3+6+3

=

14

johns (GM): Remember -1 from 1 fatigue

Mortis ex Verditus: Ah right.

Archibald of Guernicus: Plink

johns (GM): Archibald attacking, early def by Mortis?

Mortis ex Verditus: No.

Archibald of Guernicus: early defence wouldnt let you game it by picking the better art, true.

However

i attack with Imaginem

johns (GM): Mortis?

Mortis ex Verditus: I'll defend with Animal.

Archibald of Guernicus:

rolling 1d10!-2+5

(

2

)

-2+5

=

5

Mortis ex Verditus:

rolling 1d10! + 5 -1

(

2

)

+5-1

=

6

johns (GM): Round 5

Mortis attacks, early def by Arch?

Archibald of Guernicus: 5 animal?

Mortis ex Verditus: Yeah I want a horse.

Archibald of Guernicus: ah

No early defence this time, no

johns (GM): Mortis, select thine art

Mortis ex Verditus: I'll attack with Aquam.

johns (GM): archibald?

Archibald of Guernicus: I'll defend with Mentem

Mortis ex Verditus:

rolling 1d10! + 1 -1

(

5

)

+1-1

=

5

Archibald of Guernicus:

rolling 1d10!+3+11+1

(

1

)

+3+11+1

=

16

johns (GM):

rolling 1d10

(

5

)

=

5

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: whos winning

johns (GM): Archibald by 1 fatigue

Mortis ex Verditus: Archibald.

johns (GM): Archibald attacking, early def by Mortis?

Mortis ex Verditus: No.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: wheres the narration of how this epic contest of wills is playing out

johns (GM): It's waiting on you

Rosario of Flambeau: i think im going to sleep as soon as this ends

johns (GM): I'm too busy moving the cards and dots and such

Archibald of Guernicus: I attack with Rego

Mortis ex Verditus: Ok.

Dušan of Criamon: same on the sleep thing

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

I'll defend with Vim.

Archibald of Guernicus:

rolling 1d10!-2+11

(

10

+

4

)

-2+11

=

23

Mortis ex Verditus:

rolling 1d10! + 5 + 1

(

8

)

+5+1

=

14

Rosario of Flambeau: ouch.

Archibald of Guernicus: 9+2+4

15 - his defence of 4

11 is 3 fatigue iirc

Mortis ex Verditus: That's a big hit.

johns (GM): Correct

Mortis ex Verditus: I'll have to surrender here.

johns (GM): he was already at -1 so that takes him to -4

Ok

Mortis ex Verditus: Otherwise my fatigue will be too low to do anything.

Or rather, the penalty will be too high.

Archibald of Guernicus: Something to work on: fixing my presence so I can fight for us with certamen in future

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: you should instead invest all your lab time into raising derfels stats

Archibald of Guernicus: Kind of unfortunate that I'm ridiculous on defence but have that constant attack penalty, lends itself to stalemates

johns (GM): People are getting tired and it's been a long year. If you like, I can wrap things up with the Magi choosing to remain neutral.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: so he can drive the english out of britain

Archibald of Guernicus: thinking emoji

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: what spell do you cast on mortis

johns (GM): You can cast an Intelligo spell, but his Parma is still up

Archibald of Guernicus: None, he surrendered.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: gah

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Neutrality is what the Zenos advised in my correspondence with them anyway

Mortis ex Verditus: Fair play ahoy.

johns (GM): Or wait, Mortis chose intelligo-- so Archibald could cast an Ignem spell.

Rosario of Flambeau: lol

Dušan of Criamon: First game I actually landed the ending of

go me

johns (GM): the black bishop will have to rear his fateful head some other day.

Rosario of Flambeau: Love that guy.

Mortis ex Verditus: IMO in the future, if other forms and techniques are rendered unusable, I think we should settle Certamen with games of Magicka.

Archibald of Guernicus: Actually, I can do one thing. I cast Archibald's Unveiling the Sigil and find out what sort of spells he runs around with on him in his daily life.

Mortis ex Verditus: None.

Archibald of Guernicus: What a discovery!

johns (GM): well, Archibald has to roll it first and see if it penetrates

Archibald of Guernicus: True

Mortis ex Verditus: You could just ask me.

Archibald of Guernicus:

rolling 1d10+32 vs spell level 30

(

7

)

+32

=

39

+3, aura

Mortis ex Verditus: I mean, I also add the aura to my Parma.

Archibald of Guernicus: wait, aura adds to parma anyway. oh wait, shouting and screaming, 41

Do you have more than 1 vim?

johns (GM): Shouting and screaming "WHAT SPELLS DO YOU HAVE ON YOU IN YOUR DAILY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I propose that we have a Certamen score that's the average of your best and worst Art, and that if competitors are tied, they play Rock Paper Scissors

Mortis ex Verditus: Yes.

Archibald of Guernicus: It fails to penetrate, then.

johns (GM): I propose we settle matters by Disputatio.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Okay

Rosario of Flambeau: Sounds good.

Mortis ex Verditus: You know how much Vim I have!

I just rolled it!

Archibald of Guernicus: The only one that shocked me was 5 animal

Skeletal horses are pretty stylish though

johns (GM): animal necromancy is underrated

Mortis ex Verditus: Raising animals from the dead is a classic use of necromancy.

johns (GM): how often do you have to worry about your animal corpses receiving a christian burial?

Rosario of Flambeau: Almost never.

johns (GM): Now then

Mortis ex Verditus: Literally never, because they can't.

johns (GM): Moving along rapidly

The battle goes on without your interference. No one rampages through the street so it would seem the rebels are victorious.

You learn that Stefano Colonna himself fell in battle, much to the citizens' joy.

Mortis ex Verditus: Huzzah!

Rosario of Flambeau: Ayyy

Archibald of Guernicus: Now we simply go, if need be

Guy of Bonisagus: what the

johns (GM): Go where

Archibald of Guernicus: Oh, help? We did help.

Guy of Bonisagus: so we didnt even need to kill the fairy

Archibald of Guernicus: We won, after all

johns (GM): Ah.

Archibald of Guernicus: So we helped

johns (GM): Anyway there's no speech by Rienzi after that

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: if cola lives hes going to notice his ghost is gone.

Archibald of Guernicus: My work here is done [teleports home]

Mortis ex Verditus: We should help him with magic.

By boosting his communication score.

johns (GM): actually the last he is seen is running to his home base away from the battle

and then he is gone.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: farewell

Fiorella of Jerbiton: He's come up with an excuse to go to Prague even though he won

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: what if someone with 5 presence and high leadership took his place

ha ha.

Rosario of Flambeau: Huh.

johns (GM): this is True to the Historical Timeline.

Rosario of Flambeau: See you later, Rienzi!

johns (GM): The magi stay in their lair ?

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Time to go to Venice for a Feast of Saint Nicholas with the family

Rosario of Flambeau: I love my lair.

Mortis ex Verditus: I think this is a great opportunity to take Cola di Rienzi under our protection.

johns (GM): Last chance to declare an action before the next event

Mortis ex Verditus: We'd need to find him, though.

Rosario of Flambeau: If I do anything it's report that I killed a historically dangerous fae to the house flambeau leadership

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I'll have my birds look around for him

Dušan of Criamon: I'll go tend to the wounded, it's the apt thing to do

johns (GM): Add to your House Acclaim XP that you killed a Might 20 creature

Archibald of Guernicus: I make sure all of our vis sites and so on are undisturbed, just in case

Rosario of Flambeau: Nice.

I now have a House Acclaim score of 2.

johns (GM): No luck on bird search, Fiorella

Fiorella of Jerbiton: If my birds find no dangers or signs of danger in Rome, I'll move on to the next event

johns (GM): Very well.

The details of the following are hazy to you as you remain uninvolved, but with the leadership gone, the movement falters.

Guy of Bonisagus: i have nothing to do, as we won

johns (GM): Within a few days, one of the gates surrenders and the nobility march into the city.

Guy of Bonisagus: oh

Mortis ex Verditus: Another missed opportunity.

Rosario of Flambeau: open the gates a little!

johns (GM): There is no wonton looting.

Mortis ex Verditus: What about gyoza?

johns (GM): However, various people identified as key members of the rebellion are arrested and summarily executed by the victorious nobles..

Rosario of Flambeau: RIP.

Archibald of Guernicus: Boy, good thing we didnt join up with this movement, huh

Mortis ex Verditus: You mean the one we cruelly and selfishly betrayed?

Archibald of Guernicus: Oh yeah we really stabbed them in the back by not doing everything for them

Mortis ex Verditus: I realize that would compromise our reputation for never doing anything.

Archibald of Guernicus: if we teleported rienzo to the orsini camp you'd have a point, they were fucked anyway - which was what i said, and why we shouldnt join up with them

johns (GM): Among the dead hanging from nooses in the square outside the former Parthenon are Mario and Flavio Bonaccorso.

and that's that.

Archibald of Guernicus: rip those niggas

Fiorella of Jerbiton: RIP

Rosario of Flambeau: rip.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6KOEMJKdEI

Rosario of Flambeau: lol

johns (GM): 9xp for a long and hearty round of debates in Winter 1347.

Rosario of Flambeau: bless you.

Dušan of Criamon: rip

Rosario of Flambeau: im going to sleep

johns (GM): good night.

Mortis ex Verditus: Farewell.

johns (GM): wait

Fiorella of Jerbiton: GG

Guy of Bonisagus: we did it everyone

johns (GM): before you go

Dušan of Criamon: night fellas

Rosario of Flambeau: ok

Dušan of Criamon: good fight good night

johns (GM): Do any of the other gms want to run in 1348? if not, we should skip ip

skip it

to make up for the long time spent in this year.

Rosario of Flambeau: we can skip it

Guy of Bonisagus: endrite raises his hand endritishly

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

Well it depends on what people want to do independently.

johns (GM): I have 1 adventure in mind for 1349, so the other adventure for that year is free -- player's choice or skip

Archibald of Guernicus: 1349 is the next tribunal right

Endrite: If no one has any projects they want to pursue then there's no problem.

johns (GM): Oh you're right

Rosario of Flambeau: hey before i go heres news

johns (GM): the 1349 adventure involves Zita btw

Rosario of Flambeau: its big news

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/beanbandit/kenichi-sonodas-bean-bandit-new-anime-project?ref=project_tweet

bean bandit

Fiorella of Jerbiton: My projects are training my apprentice and enchanting my familiar

johns (GM): bean bandit

Endrite: I don't care about this news.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: So nothing that needsa GM

johns (GM): oh!

Summer 1347 -- lavinia wants to teach ITalian for a season

who needs to learn italian

Dušan of Criamon: i'll pick up some more

okay really going to bed now

thanks for a great game

johns (GM): night!

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Hazm has 4 but he could do expert vernacular translations with 5

johns (GM): 14xp to anyone who learns Italian that season

Endrite: Wait when are we doing the Troy adventure?

johns (GM): I think we need the whale first

also dys said he might change things around about how lavinia finds it? make it a trail of clues instead of the sortes leading her directly to it?

Endrite: When is that going to happen?

johns (GM): Probably never.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Is there anything important in Italian vernacular worth translating to Latin anywya?

Endrite: We can't make the whale anymore since Proclus is dead.

The whole idea was predicated on Hermetic Architecture.

Archibald of Guernicus: It's not so much about clues as much as following the path Aeneas took.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Right

Could Mortis enchant the corpse of a Roc?

Archibald of Guernicus: The sortes is reading the Aeneid, and you want to do his journey backwards, it seems logical that they would lead you on that journey backwards

Endrite: To do what?

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Carry around a bunch of people

johns (GM): initiate a mystery or something

Endrite: Yeah, but it'd be difficult.

Do corpses have Might?

johns (GM): the whale never needed hermetic architecture

no

Endrite: Still it'd be like +4 or +5 Size.

Maybe even more, I'm not sure how big rocs are.

Aren't they like the size of a mountain?

Fiorella of Jerbiton: They have stats in the Levant book IIRC

We don't need a large bird for anything at the moment anyway so it's not a big deal

You can always use touch if there's too much size mods, like the item that controlled the MM skull

johns (GM): instead of a large bird, get several small birds with string tied to them

Endrite: Genius.

That's why your the boss.

Well to do it I'd use a magic item with touch range.

Hmm.

The Ruq is size +6.

So that's gonna be around level 60.