7/15/18

dys: Mystical Greetings

johns (GM):  Ciao a tutti

Endrite: Ciao amici.

moe: Salve

I might be a little low power today

job interview tomorrow as well as a translation deadline

johns (GM): oh.. that's alright

moe: been up since 6 and it's 20 now

johns (GM) crumples up plans for travel through the magic realm

moe: haha

hell no

johns (GM): what language do you translate?

moe: eng/ger to slovak and back

johns (GM): that's sick as hell!

moe: this time it's manuals for home security equipment

also it really isn't

johns (GM): you get to read Slavoj Zizek's stroke ridden ramblings before the rest of us.

Endrite: I don't even speak one language, let alone 3.

moe: yeah, i bet you studied something gay and dumb and employable

here's what they don't tell you

johns (GM): i studied 2 languages in school but ive forgotten them both completely by now and it pisses me off

moe: nobody needs a translator who knows a little baout computers

nobody

what they want is an engineer who went to london once

that's who gets hired

johns (GM): You should translate the hottest Slovenian animes

moe: i did actually do a bit of fansubs for a slovak mafia socumentary

i probably still have them on a dropbox somewhere

90's in slovakia were all about rude dudes

Guy of Bonisagus: whos ready

im ready

lets go

johns (GM): we're missing shaun and cumthinker

dfd said he couldn't make it

Guy of Bonisagus: i see 4 players

Endrite: RIP.

Guy of Bonisagus: thats enough

johns (GM): alright

I have moved the important characters from last session to the top of your Journal so you may recall who they are

Should I recap as well?

Archibald of Guernicus: Shauncat missing

A quick recap never hurts

Guy of Bonisagus: lets see the recaop

Previously, on Ars Magica

moe: concur

c'thinker (GM): whats goin on.

moe: oh sweet

johns (GM): Your barkeep got his hands on some old artifacts and vis from a man named Sclavo.

c'thinker: what about the Plague.

johns (GM): You learned that Sclavo is working on a project to drain some of the Pontine Marsh to reclaim land for Subiaco Abbey.

A shitload of people are dead, cumthinker.

but things are better in rome than elsewhere.

Mortis ex Verditus: Yeah RIP.

moe: no doubt our beneficial presence

johns (GM): Unrelated to this story -- using magic and muscle, we extorted Benedetti the merchant to sell his house, and therefore reclaimed the Intelligo vis source there.

You visited Subiaco abbey, which is overrun with refugees from the plague.

c'thinker: lol.

johns (GM): Listening to peasant gossip, you learned that the marsh draining project has huge turnover from disease and fatality, and Subiaco recently gained a new Prior.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Suwako abbey

c'thinker: did my ring do anything

johns (GM): yes cumthinker I thought I posted specific details in the thread

thanks to your ring & the animo people in the city have an actual chance to survive after they are infected

everyone else has to make an absurd Exploding Dice roll to survive once they're hit

You visited the worker's camp in Subiaco and found several diseased workers. You investigated the shacks of the Foreman and the Engineer. The Engineer likes fine clothes and Roman architecture. The Foreman likes drinking.

c'thinker: oh sick

Mortis ex Verditus: Who doesn't like drinking and fine clothes?

johns (GM): You visited the work site itself. The Foreman mistook Guy as a Benedictine monk so you got information from him easily. He's mad that his people are dying and blames the Engineer, who recently changed the route the draining project is taking.

The foreman also identified one of the sick people as Sclavo, the one who found the ancient artifacts that you bought.

Mortis ex Verditus: Crucially, the sickies have malaria and not the Corpus Pestilence.

johns (GM): While in the swamp you were being pestered by infernal crows. While crossing waist high water, some of you were attacked by animated corpses that lurked underground. Celeste and Guy were pulled underwater and almost drowned until Fiorella lowered the water level and Archibald zapped the ghouls with PeVi.

Dusan went running back to the work site so the foreman and his crew have come rushing to help you out of the swamp. They have seen workers sucked into these "sinkholes" before so it is no surprise to them. Because of PeVi there's no trace of the ghouls anymore.

And that's where we left off, I think. You have Sclavo, weakened by malaria, and an inkling that something weird is going on.

You can check the Character Journal to see the important people who have come up last session and some information, they are at the top of the list.

Guy of Bonisagus: you forgot the most important npc of all, johns

Archibald of Guernicus: Rotted corpse, my man

Guy of Bonisagus: god

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: the english guy seems suspicious.

Mortis ex Verditus: God came up way before last session.

Guy of Bonisagus: yes but he is still present in all sessions

moe: "Well I'm glad you're all out and safe!"

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "An infernal aura doesn't come about of its own. Something wicked happened her, or is buried here."

johns (GM): Fiorella paid a visit to the covenant before returning to see her sodales sucked in the swamp so that's Gulielmus or Derfel's easy way to enter the scene

Dušan of Criamon: I cast Comfort of the Drenched Traveler	on my sodales

Mortis ex Verditus: "It's a swamp, what could be more wicked than that?"

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "As uninquisitive as ever I see."

Claudio Rendino: "Not advisable for tourists to walk around the marshes at night"

Guy of Bonisagus: lets tap this swamp for black mana

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "Swamps are swamps. infernalism takes more than being a bit gross."

Dušan of Criamon: lol

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: also the ring was designed with unlimited uses so it could be used on the population at large, if we're sharing anything

Guy of Bonisagus: sharing? with mundanes?

bwuh?

Fiorella of Jerbiton adjusts her witch hat knowingly

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: Gulielmus, of Unlimited Reason/Day

Archibald of Guernicus: "Regardless, we should be careful in proceeding, sodales."

Mortis ex Verditus: Wait what ring are you talking about?

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: the ring of +6 wound/disease recovery

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea enters.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "Salvete omnes."

Guy of Bonisagus: the ring of fire

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I brought Gulielmus with me when I rode here on horseback

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: nice

Mortis ex Verditus: Does the ring work on the disease caused by the Corpus Pestilence?

Archibald of Guernicus: I have +27 to InAq, so I have an idea. I'll teleport out to a nicer aura, spont a level 15 InAq effect for sun duration vision unobstructed by water, then return, and that'll let us avoid future sinkholes.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: it does!

johns (GM): the ease factor to improve the black death from "Critical" to "Major" is 12, so assuming 0 sta people touched by gulielmus' ring and getting no other help have a 40% chance to survive

Archibald of Guernicus: "I will return in a moment, sodales, to prepare a way to deal with these sinkholes."

Dušan of Criamon: what they call in the business a "fighting chance"

Archibald of Guernicus disappears

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: that's a lot of vis man.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I'll also summon horses for everyone so you can just use them to move through the muck and if the horse starts to sink you just dismount

Archibald of Guernicus:

rolling (1d10!+30)/2

(

(

1

)

+30)/2

=

15.5

Well, thats in our covenant aura

So 1 botch die

Actually, can you reduce that to 0 with a familiar bond

johns (GM):

rolling 1d10

(

7

)

=

7

ya

Archibald of Guernicus: or is it 1 minimum

johns (GM): I think

Archibald of Guernicus: okay

its 0 botch dice then

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: who is this guy. teleporting around under a blight

Archibald of Guernicus: A guy who spent 2 seasons putting leap of homecoming in his talisman

johns (GM): you have a teleport effect in your talisman right

Archibald of Guernicus: with 24 uses a day

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I'm not sure you can go below 1 with gold cords

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: nice.

Guy of Bonisagus: mold cords

Archibald of Guernicus: Can you not? Well, I didnt botch anyway

I return with the ability to see through water

"Salvete."

johns (GM): the average person who is not blessed by gulielmus or a doctor and gets the disease has a 92% chance of dying

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "Ave, Archibald."

Archibald of Guernicus: "I have made my senses unimpeded by the water, as per the arts of intellego and aquam. We should be safer proceeding now we can see these traps in advance."

johns (GM): celeste is right there dude

Mortis ex Verditus: Wow.

Comm -3 in the house.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: mods?

Dušan of Criamon: assuming we're talking among ourselves, away from mundane ears

"Sodales I have a feeling about this area. At the very least we should somehow scour this area for other archeological finds."

"I'm as terrified as you are, but also intrigued. We need to intelligo this place thoroughly"

Guy of Bonisagus: archaeology? tugs collar and checks the date

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "Finding more vim vis would at least secure us with enchanted items for a time."

Mortis ex Verditus: "We need to talk to Sclavo. It wouldn't do us much good to just wander through the swamp aimlessly."

Dušan of Criamon: I forget, is he in speaking condition?

johns (GM): *antiquarianism

Dušan of Criamon: *nostalgia-digging

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: we can speak to his corpse

Archibald of Guernicus: Actually, Comm +0, not -3 any longer.

Thanks, mentem!

Mortis ex Verditus: I think Sclavo is neither dead nor in speaking condition.

He's sick.

johns (GM): for fuck's sake

Dušan of Criamon: So we have two avenues of progress here

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I spont Cloak of the Duck's Feather on my clothes

johns (GM): no one wrote up the stats for malaria

johns (GM) waves hands

Mortis ex Verditus: Gu hu hu hu.

johns (GM): He can speak at -5 penalty to all actions

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: its within the power of hermetic magic to push him to either side

Fiorella of Jerbiton:

rolling (15+d10!)/2

(15+

(

7

)

)/2

=

11

Mortis ex Verditus: Let's trade a miracle cure for his information.

johns (GM): wait here it is

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: if he's dead he no longer has malaria!

johns (GM): Serious Sanguine Disease

Fiorella of Jerbiton: It goes off depsite actually being 5.5

johns (GM): -3 to all actions

Mortis ex Verditus: What does?

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Cloak of the Duck's Feathers

Dušan of Criamon: Good, well, as as -3 com I don't volunteer for the job, but someone could try talking to the man

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "Sounds reasonable. Where is he?"

johns (GM): Here he is.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Gulielmus can create a herb-soaked rag that works as a charged item to ward disease

Mortis ex Verditus: I have Carina throw the door open so I can enter.

johns (GM): You enter the small dark disease smelling shack.

Sclavo, as described by the foreman, is among the living.

Fiorella of Jerbiton:

rolling (14+d10!)/2 Chamber of Spring Breeze on the shack

(14+

(

6

)

)/2

=

10

Dušan of Criamon: I cover my mouth and nose with a cloth, to prevent inhalation of ill air

Guy of Bonisagus: smart

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I put my scarf over my mouth

Dušan of Criamon: "Volunteers?"

Mortis ex Verditus: Is Sclavo the only person in the shack?

johns (GM): No, there's one other living person, and 4 dead people.

Mortis ex Verditus: Alright.

Guy of Bonisagus: i make celeste carry sclavo and have uhhh hazm help me with the other sick guy

Mortis ex Verditus: I march up to Sclavo and produce the tablet.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: ive got a cat demanding my attention

Guy of Bonisagus: kill it

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: no!

Mortis ex Verditus: "Salve, laborer, tell me where you found this and we will save you from this sickness."

Archibald of Guernicus: Gulielmus got a familiar? Congratulations.

Dušan of Criamon: Does it have good stats

Sclavo groans

Sclavo: "Water.."

Mortis ex Verditus: "Don't just stand there, fetch this man some water."

Sclavo: "... who are you?"

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "Wizards, my good man."

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "Some clean water, of course."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Is water available in this shack?

Sclavo: nay

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I'll go get a skin from the mule then

Dušan of Criamon: I would go out to fetch some from a mundane source, but frankly, I don't trust these waters

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: Gulielmus gives his sodales a look and forms his hands into a bizarre hedge mage sign.

Sclavo: Sclavo groans again and weakly begs God to save him.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Is there a tankard or anything nearby?

Small keg, empty potion bottle

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: i think there's a roll you can make to recognize the exotic gesture but it's the one for aquam.

Sclavo: You can get basic stuff from the worker's barracks

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "Gulielmus, do you have an empty glass container?"

Dušan of Criamon: I go fetch a clean vessel

Ideally something leftover from alcohol

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "Oh, of course!"

Mortis ex Verditus: I take no effort whatsoever to fetch water.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea rummages around in his satchel and produces an empty vial.

Fiorella of Jerbiton:

rolling (d10!+14-1)/2 Creo Aquam check

(

(

10

+

4

)

+14-1)/2

=

13.5

Sweet

moe: tiny little sunglasses descend upon mortis

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I can fill a vessel for Moon then

or add a size mod for Sun if its a big container

Archibald of Guernicus: Big Container.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: lol.

Archibald of Guernicus: Do a normal-sized one for moon imo so he doesnt die of dehydration from all the water we gave him vanishing at sundown

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Okay

Level 2 fill a container with water, +1 touch, +3 Moon for 10 overall

moe: all this for a lil' sippy

Sclavo: he thirsty.

Dušan of Criamon: truth

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: ars magica ftw.

Guy of Bonisagus: a big water

Sclavo: "Acqua.. ?"

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I'll pour Sclavo a cup

Archibald of Guernicus: The art magical

Sclavo: He drinks it greedily.

"Molte grazie amici.."

Archibald of Guernicus: I whisper aside to Dusan "He's saying thank you."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "Prego."

Dušan of Criamon nods a little too eagerly.

Guy of Bonisagus: preggo

Mortis ex Verditus: Nice.

"Now that we have proved our power, tell us where you found this tablet."

Sclavo: Sclavo tries to sit up, but fails, and falls back into his cot clutching his stomach. "Map.. map.."

"Bring the map.."

Guy of Bonisagus: I grab the map for him.

Sclavo: The engineer's map?

Dušan of Criamon: good point actually, we probably have at least one map of our own

Mortis ex Verditus: I'll hand him a simple dagger.

Dušan of Criamon: this nice overview maps GM's prepare

Guy of Bonisagus: yes

the engineers map

Sclavo: Aight

The map has several branching paths in various directions. Sclavo points to one of the nexus points: "Here.." He traces his finger up to the point you met the foreman. "We were there.." then traces further along the project path another half kilometer. "I found things there.."

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

Sounds good.

Guy of Bonisagus: hm. this peasant is pretty good at reading a map

lets test him for infernalism

Archibald of Guernicus: You're right. He's clearly a demon in disguise, and gains power from water.

Dušan of Criamon: well there's no letters or symbols, just squiggly lines

i don't put it past peasants to be able to navigate that

Guy of Bonisagus: lets spend the next 2 hours exhausting all possible options to check if he is ademon

Dušan of Criamon: i stand corrected

Sclavo: (gm voice) nooooooo

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

Well, we could try to dunk him in water and see if he floats.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: We had enough trouble filling a tiny barrel with water

Dušan of Criamon: *clean water

Guy of Bonisagus: anyway

celeste carries sclavo and hazm helps me carry the other guy and we go back to the abbey

Dušan of Criamon: one sec

Sclavo: Ok.

Holding up for one sec.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I see it like this: if he's a demon, it's probably a trap. If he's not a demon, it could still be a trap, but also the main way forward.

So scrutinizing the guy won't help a ton

Mortis ex Verditus: We could try Mentem Magic on him.

johns (GM): the peasant's map literacy is not a clue of anything.

Mortis ex Verditus: Oh, don't forget to touch him with your ring, Gulielmus.

johns (GM): Okay I'll move ahead and if Moe was thinking of something he can interject later

Mortis ex Verditus: Gasp!

The tablet was found at the abbey all along!

johns (GM): Guy said he was heading here.

Guy of Bonisagus: we gotta kill the engineer and the Bad Monk

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I'll load the rest of the creo'd water onto Hazm's mule

johns (GM): You are stopped at the gates by the Hostillar.

Mortis ex Verditus: What bad monk?

Guy of Bonisagus: the one thats not taking care of the sick people

like hes supposed to

well. maybe hes just missing

Brother Basilio: "H-hey, please wait there -- Is that man sick?"

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Who's he looking at?

Guy of Bonisagus: "Yes."

Brother Basilio: Sclavo and the other.

Guy of Bonisagus: what was the name of the monk again

that was meant to be the infirmarian

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Oh I see we brought him with us

Brother Basilio: You haven't met or heard of him yet

Guy of Bonisagus: yeah we brought both sick guys

Mortis ex Verditus: All the more reason to suspect he's a malevolent fairy.

Guy of Bonisagus: thought we asked his name

maybe it was the engineer we got a name for

Brother Basilio: Basilio crosses himself. "Plague! No, no, please, turn back, I beg of you."

Oh, fair enough

Brother Basilio passes a note to a player

Mortis ex Verditus: "Don't worry, it is simply swamp sickness."

Guy of Bonisagus: "It's no plague. We're bringing him to Brother Andreas, he's meant to be caring for the laborers in the swamp."

"Bringing both men, rather."

Brother Basilio: The monk covers his mouth and nose with his sleeve. "W-wait right there." He turns and steps to move inside, turning back just to say, "In the name of God, wait right there."

Guy of Bonisagus: "Alright."

Mortis ex Verditus: Man these malaria corpses are going to be really valuable.

time passes

Guy of Bonisagus: lets teleport plague corpses into covenants we dont like

Mortis ex Verditus: It would be blocked by the aegis.

Brother Basilio: The door in the gate opens, and two monks step out -- an old man, hunched, with clouded gray eyes, and a young man holding the elder's arm to keep him balanced.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: ok. lets teleport plague corpses into Harco

Guy of Bonisagus: lets teleport them 50 feet in the air above the covenant

Mortis ex Verditus: HOWEVER, throwing them with Rego Corpus would work very well.

Guy of Bonisagus: "Are either of you Brother Andreas?"

Brother Andrea: "I am he."

Dušan of Criamon: bakc

Brother Andrea: "There is a sick man here?" he asks, and looks around.

Archibald of Guernicus: Rofl. Yeah let's just rego some corpus. Good one.

Brother Andrea: lol

Guy of Bonisagus: "Yes." I guide his hand to Sclavo.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea:  through tears  lol

Archibald of Guernicus makes the jack-off motion manually as it is now impossible to use ReCo to do so without expending vis

Guy of Bonisagus: "Are you truly the infirmarian for the project in the swamp?"

Brother Andrea: You must spend vis to make that motion.

Mortis ex Verditus: Should've made an enchanted device.

Brother Andrea: "I am infirmarian for the abbey and those in its walls."

Mortis ex Verditus: "I see that it will be left to us to care for this man."

"Magic works better, in any case."

Guy of Bonisagus: "The foreman informed us that someone here was meant to be traveling to their lodgings to care for the sick, and gave us your name. I think there must have been a miscommunication."

"Regardless, someone needs to be assigned the task. There are four dead today alone."

Brother Andrea falls to his knees, knocking his young companion off balance

Brother Andrea: "Useless... I'm so useless!"

Guy of Bonisagus: "What makes you say that, Brother?"

Mortis ex Verditus: He's honest.

Brother Andrea: He holds up shaking hands.

"I shall not complain of God's trials.. He may take my sight, my hands, perhaps my mind.. but why should others suffer from my weakness!"

Dušan of Criamon: "It would be very unorthodox to assign a blind and lame man to medic duty."

Brother Andrea: The young monk tries to whisper consolations to Andrea, but the elder monk shakes his head and pushes him aside.

Mortis ex Verditus: "Have you considered healing the scars of time with magic?"

Brother Andrea: "So I told them!"

Guy of Bonisagus: "Have you been acting as the sole provider of care for the abbey?"

"Have they not given you anyone to teach your art to?"

Brother Andrea: "But none other know the art of Medicine.. Not even my apprentice, bless his soul," he pats the young monk on the arm.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "We could donate some medical summae."

Brother Ugo: The young one addresses you all. "Please, don't misunderstand, Brother Andrea is simply grieving. His mind is sharp is ever, He can still feel a pulse and make a diagnosis.. I'm merely here to help him here and there.."

Guy of Bonisagus: we have no medical summae, just tracts

i can read one and teach the basics to a bunch of monks though

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Let's buy and copy some then.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: let's steal some.

Mortis ex Verditus: What would we get out of it?

Brother Ugo: "There's plenty here who he has saved. He is just beating himself up over the Prior--" and then Ugo is immediately shushed and cuffed on the arm by Andrea.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Our reward is in Heaven.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea looks concerned.

Dušan of Criamon: The way I'm reading this, we either help cure this place or let them die. Ideally we'd hire a medic, but as good as that would be to sabotage the excavations and make them abandon their plans for now

Nobody even needs to die, just the excavations to stop, then once the coast is clear we swoop in and steal all the goodies

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "What about treatment? Do you have a proper stock of herbs? Is anyone qualified to prepare them? What has happened to the prior?

Mortis ex Verditus: The best way to help the sick in this case would be to drain the swamp.

Brother Ugo: MAGA

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Hermetic magic can't really purge disease, just remove aftereffects

It can buff recovery roll sthough

Mortis ex Verditus: An even BETTER way would be to invade the Magic Realm and destroy the cancer corrupting it from within.

Guy of Bonisagus: "I don't doubt Brother Andrea's abilities. The problem is that he is simply in no shape to make it to the laborers' lodgings. Could another apprentice be given the duty of heading there and escorting the sick back?"

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: pretty sure you can cure a disease outright with a ritual

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I'd have to look at CrCo again

Anyway CrCo sucks right now

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: huh, you can't

Dušan of Criamon: If we care about their lives (I do) the easiest way would be to hire a doctor in the city imho

Brother Andrea: "Brother Ugo," Andrea addresses his companion. "You will do as this Brother " -- referring to Guy -- "asks. You can't spend forever in the shadow of this worthless fool."

Dušan of Criamon: I'm assuming we have mundane resources

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Purifying Touch could be a Magic-typed ability but tends to be Divine more often than not

Brother Andrea: "Brother, show Andrea to the sick ones you have."

Dušan of Criamon: Oh ok, this works too

Guy of Bonisagus: I guide his hands to Sclavo and Rabble.

"Swamp sickness, both of them."

Mortis ex Verditus: Rhymes with Bribe.

Guy of Bonisagus: "That much I can be certain of."

Brother Andrea: Andrea nervously attempts a diagnostic.

Brother Andrea rolls some dice

Brother Andrea: excuse me.

Ugo does that.

Brother Ugo: "N-no buboes Brother Andrea.. Cramps and fever.. It could be the marsh sickness.. ?"

Fiorella of Jerbiton: We can afford a doctor but finding one is probably not trivial

It's not like they grow on trees

Brother Ugo: they grow on the University of Salerno campus.

Guy of Bonisagus: i imagine theyre all in pretty high demand too

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Let's have an adventure at Salerno

Brother Ugo: Let's.

Mortis ex Verditus: Can't Lavinia make medical Animo?

Guy of Bonisagus: and probably dont want to travel to a remote abbey or swamp instead of staying in a city

Brother Andrea: yeah probably mortis

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Yeah doctors can pretty much pick and choose where they want to be useful right now

Guy of Bonisagus: if we just took one from salerno itd probably be a shittle student

Mortis ex Verditus: Poaching doctors from other cities seems like it would be difficult right now.

Dušan of Criamon: Rome is a big city, of course we'd have to pay extra

Guy of Bonisagus: shitty even

Mortis ex Verditus: Since every city in Europe is suffering the devastating effects of the Corpus Pestilence.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: fortunately every king in europe is protected

Brother Andrea: "If it is the swamp sickness we can bring him into the infirmary. Brother, and strangers" -- addressing the PC -- " please forgive us for keeping you out. Will you please help us bring the sick in?"

Guy of Bonisagus: theres probably a lot of conmen going around at the moment too

Fiorella of Jerbiton: That's why I propose we start copying Medicine summa and donating them to places with literate people and scribes like monasteries.

Guy of Bonisagus: I help and have Hazm and Celeste do the same.

Dušan of Criamon: While I approve in general, I would like a short-term solution for the swamp at hand

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: gulielmus has -3 strength and will hover around the people who are actually helping

Mortis ex Verditus: I direct Carina to carry in the rabble.

Brother Andrea: You bring the sick ones inside. The infirmary is crowded and it takes awhile to find a clean spot to park them.

Mortis ex Verditus: AFK a sec.

Brother Andrea: Andrea issues some instructions to Ugo about a regimen and treatment for swamp sickness.

"You can probably see that we have our hands full here.. But I will instruct Ugo to make regular visits to the workers.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention.. I should have realized, but... I failed.."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I'll rest up from all my sponting

Guy of Bonisagus: "Aye. Apologies for my rough attitude, I did not understand just how poorly thought out and timed this project was. Do you know if the engineer in charge is staying in the abbey?"

Brother Andrea: "Magister Berenger is a guest of the Prior. He has a guest quarters next to the Prior's off the chapterhouse."

Mortis ex Verditus: Nice.

Brother Andrea: btw if you haven't noticed it yet before, the dominion aura here is pretty stifling

Mortis ex Verditus: But what do we hope to get out of the project engineer?

Guy of Bonisagus: "Thank you Brother. God bless you."

Dušan of Criamon: Obviously it would be good to confirm he changed the dredging direction because of magic goodies

Fiorella of Jerbiton: If the engineer is an infernalist we can kill him and take his treasure

Mortis ex Verditus: We should just dredge up the treasure anyway.

Dušan of Criamon: that would be the logical conclusion, we confront him, he begins spewing fire and we smite him in the name of the lord

Mortis ex Verditus: No reason to let them keep it.

They don't own it.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Well unless they have a vis-eating dragon abbot they probably don't want the vim vis anyway

Guy of Bonisagus: its gonna be hard to smite this engineer in an abbey

we should lure him outside somehow

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: Gulielmus hurries after Ugo.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: But to be clear, I don't know that they DON'T have a vis-eating dragon abbot

Dušan of Criamon: we should let the abbot smite him

Mortis ex Verditus: With what?

A book?

Dušan of Criamon: Faith

Guy of Bonisagus: we shouldnt let holy men do killing

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Books are pretty heavy, to be fair

Mortis ex Verditus: Hopefully the abbot is not a magician.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "Oh, Brother Ugo! Are any of the monks here skilled in the apothecary's art? I see you have an impressive herb garden."

johns (GM): Brother Ugo looks for a moment to Andrea for permission to speak, and getting it, responds

Brother Ugo: "Brother Andrea knows some of the art. In truth Prior Zilio deserves most of the credit for our supply -- when he was Bursar he acquired many seeds and plants we'd never had before."

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

"When was he the Bursar?"

Dušan of Criamon makes a mental note to get some seeds for the VT herb garden after all this is over

Fiorella of Jerbiton: We have a garden?

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: we have an excellent garden

Dušan of Criamon: At least since Dušan arrived

Brother Ugo: Ugo regards Mortis nervously, but politely replies. "Yes, m'lord, that was his station before he was appointed prior."

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: even though the blight killed our vegetable lamb of tartary.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Is there space for a walled gearden by the Eastern Ear?

Brother Ugo: yeah shaun

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Cool

Brother Ugo: gardens are pretty common in cities, and our covenant is in the rural farmland area of rome anyway

Mortis ex Verditus: We should just snap up some farmland now that everyone is dead.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: hmm. offering my services here seems like a good way to remove myself from any upcoming dungeon crawls

Dušan of Criamon: i mean i guess we were hit hard by the blight but that might recover

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: which i dont want to do really.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Our street does heavy commerce though so real estate is at a premium.

But inn customers might enjoy the walled garden

Brother Ugo: We have the Blessing of Mercury for our business

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "Does Brother Andrea need any assistance? I happen to be a master apothecary."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I understand, anyway it sounds as though the garden is a fact

Too bad VIolante isn't here to help tend it

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: we also have this magic ring of healing

Fiorella of Jerbiton: RIP

Brother Ugo: Ugo gives a sigh of relief. "Please don't tell him but I've been secretly praying for help to come... We're overwhelmed here."

Mortis ex Verditus: "Then you prayers have been answered."

"Gulielmus is an expert apothecary."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "He just said so."

Brother Ugo: "I'm.. um, a bit of a novice, perhaps you could help me pick out what I need from the garden."

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "Of course! Let's see what you have."

Brother Ugo: "We need cold and dry materials."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I'll have my familiar scout the area some in the meantime and see if it can catch a glimpse of what the crows are up to.

Brother Ugo: What is Gulielmus' score in Apothecary?

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: 6

Mortis ex Verditus: I'll study the map to see if there have been any significant revisions.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: he is incomprehensible though.

Brother Ugo: In the garden you see Blood Thistle, Valerian, Hops, Eyebright, Lettuce, Mallow, Thyme, Willow, Monkshood, Balm, Dandelion, and Fox Lungs.

Brother Ugo passes a note to a player

Guy of Bonisagus: any mageroyal

or steelbloom

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: black pearls, garlic, ginseng, bloodmoss, mandrake root, nightshade

Guy of Bonisagus: purple lotus?

Brother Ugo: Yes Mortis -- since Berenger took over the plans deviated greatly. The original plans slowly build an expanding circle of cleared land. The new plans launch large paths deep into thick and most overgrown parts of the swamp, before eventually turning back inwards to link up. The engineer's plans are more ambitious but also more labor intensive.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Arthas' Tears

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: is this everything in the garden, or everything cold and dry in the garden

oh

Mortis ex Verditus: Well, we can certainly provide the labor.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea:

rolling 1d10!+2+6

(

6

)

+2+6

=

14

Brother Ugo: That's everything in the garden that I felt like pointing out, including something that should be suspicious

Mortis ex Verditus: Do the new paths seem to point towards the spot that Sclavo indicated?

Guy of Bonisagus: can gulielmus figure out the suspicious plant?

Brother Ugo: The ingredient (Cold/Dry) you are looking for is Willow.

Fiorella of Jerbiton goes into a trance for a while to anyone watching her, but probably hangs out somewhere discreet anyway to keep from spooking muggles with her witchlike appearance

Guy of Bonisagus: i guess guy is still here too

does natural philosophy cover plants

think it does

Brother Ugo: yes mortis -- if you recall when he was pointing out the map he traced the route along one of the projected paths.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I think so Guy

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: blood thistle seems like a name that is not real.

Guy of Bonisagus: gulielmus...

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

Brother Ugo: also I don't think fox lungs is a real plant. sorry.

Guy of Bonisagus:

rolling 1d10!+7

(

9

)

+7

=

16

Dušan of Criamon: lmao

Mortis ex Verditus: I think we should head out to the spot where the treasure was found.

Brother Ugo: excuse me. Blessed Thistle. Blessed Thistle (hot 2, dry 2, Mars in Aries),

affects head & heart, opens channels

& cleanses

Guy of Bonisagus: if philosophy covers plants i think i figure out the bad thing

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I think Medicine, Philosophiae, and Magic Lore could all identify plants with useful properties, at least it would while I was running, but it's a judgement call

Guy of Bonisagus: "Why is there monkshood in here?"

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: pretty sure fox lung is real but has a different name

johns (GM): Fox Lungs (cold 2, dry 3, Jupiter in Cancer)

affects lungs, strengthens stamina

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

johns (GM): i was just picking items off the list in Art & Acadme p 63

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "Pliny recommended monkshood, you know."

Mortis ex Verditus: None of these are vis though.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Violante had Magic Lore for identifying herbs of virtue

Guy of Bonisagus: is there a smaller or larger amount of monkshood compared to the other plants? is it somewhat off on its own?

or is it just mixed in?

johns (GM): The garden is divided into several square plots each with their own type of herb and the monkshood has its own square plot.

Guy of Bonisagus: "There's quite a lot of it too. I'll admit I'm no apothecary, but what abbey has need of this, and in such supply?"

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

"What's wrong with a few herbs?"

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "Maybe they like the flowers."

Mortis ex Verditus: "Everyone needs something to liven up their daily bread, even monks."

"I suppose," I add.

Guy of Bonisagus: "Each single plant would be enough to kill several men."

"Who tends this garden now?"

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "Right, that would be a terrible idea."

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmmmmmm.

Dušan of Criamon: "Memento mori, perhaps?"

Mortis ex Verditus: Well this is a little suspicious.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "Hang on."

Fiorella of Jerbiton returns to the group once she's done borrowing her familiar's senses

Brother Ugo: "I suppose I do, under Brother Andrea's instructions. Brother Zilio used to help but he's too busy for that now of course."

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "You don't think anyone could have been accidentally poisoned, do you?"

Guy of Bonisagus: "Do you remember when this plant found its way into the garden?"

Brother Ugo shakes his head

Brother Ugo: "Sorry.."

"I just water and look for weeds, really.."

Guy of Bonisagus: "Mm. It must have been done after Brother Andrea lost his sight, that much can be certain. What does Brother Zilio do now?"

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: i will use my enormous brain to ask the gm a question.

rolling 1d10!+2+6

(

5

)

+2+6

=

13

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "Sometimes seeds are carried in the fecal matter of birds. Like those crows, for example."

Brother Ugo: "He is the Prior, brother. Our abbot, Brother Abramo, is traveling to Avignon now so Brother Zilio is master of the monastery."

Guy of Bonisagus: "The Prior, I see." I approach Ugo. "Speaking of which, you were about to say something regarding the Prior earlier. What was it?" I ask in a low voice.

Mortis ex Verditus: Sotto voce, as it were.

Brother Ugo: "I was.. Ah, about.. Prior Goffredo." He crosses himself.

"He has taken his final rest and is with God now. The great mortality, you see.." and he gestures in the air about him.

"Before I was saying that.. Brother Andrea took it very hard, losing the Prior under his care."

Mortis ex Verditus: Well, that explains t.

I mean "explains it."

Guy of Bonisagus: I nod. "I see. My apologies. Were you also acting as Brother Andrea's eyes at the time?"

Brother Ugo nods

Guy of Bonisagus: whos got medicine

just guli?

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: lavinia.

Guy of Bonisagus: gah

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: i don't have any medicine

Mortis ex Verditus: Hu hu hu.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea whistles as he harvests some willow bark.

Guy of Bonisagus: well it might be nothing, anyway. plague and poisoning probably look a lot different

even this guy couldnt fuck it up

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: they both cause Death.

Guy of Bonisagus: yeah but its a matter of whether the symptoms were improperly described to andrea

Dušan of Criamon: pustules were mentioned earlier

or boils

Mortis ex Verditus: Can herbs even create pustules?

Dušan of Criamon: stinging nettles i suppose

but not the black boils characteristic of this plague

right?

Guy of Bonisagus: monkshood just kills you outright

Brother Ugo: not afiak

Guy of Bonisagus: i doubt andrea would diagnose the plague if there were no boils

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

Brother Ugo: gulielmus prolly knows that Monkshood kills by causing an excess of warm humor

Guy of Bonisagus: hmmm

does that manifest as boils

Brother Ugo: discharge of blood, continuous fever, syncope (fainting), ulcers, blood-filled aposteme, itching or stabbing pain, exhaustion, coma.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: would it change his personality

Dušan of Criamon: fever exhaustion and coma

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: i suppose he would be too busy suffering for anyone to notice

Brother Ugo: those are symptons of excess heat and dryness

excess heat and moisture cause

Symptoms:

jaundice, weak pulse, excessive thirst,

tertian fever (reoccurs every third day), loss

of feeling in the extremities, nausea and

Brother Ugo: vomiting, quick exhaustion, seizing of joints,

burning red pus-filled aposteme, throbbing

or burning pain, hallucinations, dizziness.

Mortis ex Verditus: We've all been there.

Guy of Bonisagus: so it couldve been improperly described then, perhaps

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "All right, let's set this aside to dry, and use this portion to make a tisane."

"It's very simple."

Brother Ugo: "Of course.. Well you certainly make it sound so."

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: Gulielmus proceeds to give a completely baffling description of how to make a tea.

Guy of Bonisagus: "Mortis, can you have your, ah, friend remove this blight from the garden?"

Brother Ugo: Brother Ugo stops you occasionally to jot notes on a wax template.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I'll use the map we got of the swamp to map out the boundary of the infernal aura

Brother Ugo: Okay Fiorella -- the aura unfortunately dominates a lot of the swamp. All of Berenger's new routes are entirely within those aurae.

Mortis ex Verditus: I'll have Carina start pulling up the plants as directed.

Guy of Bonisagus: pull em up and stomp em into the ground

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Interesting

Brother Ugo: You acquire 2d10 monk's hood petals.

Mortis ex Verditus:

rolling 2d10

(

7

+

4

)

=

11

Nice.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: also i'll ask brother ugo for permission to take samples of any plants we're missing.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Maybe I'll pick up Profession: Cartographer or Profession: Illuminator (cartography) with this adventure's XP

Brother Ugo: He says he'll check with Andrea, but is positive you are clear to do so.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: nice.

ok lets string this out for like 30 more minutes

Brother Ugo: lol

Mortis ex Verditus: Good idea.

Guy of Bonisagus: this is cool

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "Oh, I completely forgot."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Good idea.

Mortis ex Verditus: So Monkshood is only lethal if ingested, right?

Guy of Bonisagus: after this visiting the engineer should be next ont he agenda

touching it poisons you too i believe

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Take all the time you ike, I'll keep on embellishing the map.

Mortis ex Verditus: Oh that's terrible.

Guy of Bonisagus: thats why i wanted the corpse to do it

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I'm finally putting my bird powers to good use

Mortis ex Verditus: How awful.

Dušan of Criamon: Actually

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "We have this wondrous ring that aids the sick and wounded, you see..."

"It has a bit of the Divine spun into it."

johns (GM): i just checked wikipedia

skin contact is fine

Dušan of Criamon: "Is the engineer here at the moment? In his room?"

Guy of Bonisagus: ah

Mortis ex Verditus: Oh, thank God.

johns (GM): and also in very small doses it's medicinal

"Severe toxicity is not expected from skin contact; however paraesthesia has been reported, as has mild toxicity (headache, nausea and palpitations)."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Like antifreeze

Guy of Bonisagus: yeah but this was an entire plot of it

i doubt they were using it for medicine

Fiorella of Jerbiton: You can't prove anything yet

johns (GM): Okay. If Mortis' corpse had a mind, it would feel dizzy at the moment.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: maybe they have a formula to extract its purple color.

johns (GM): Anyway, Guy is going to visit the Engineer

Dušan of Criamon: I go with Guy

I am hankering to try out some of my intelligo

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: does the abbey tolerate the use of the magic ring

Fiorella of Jerbiton: There's an infernal aura but it could just be an evil statue or something that sank into the swamp

Guy of Bonisagus: the engineer is PROBABLY not himself the evil guy, and is likely being influenced by the prior

Archibald of Guernicus: Gay of Bonerfagus

Dušan of Criamon: before we knock on his door

Guy of Bonisagus: but we will see

Mortis ex Verditus: Swamps are just plain evil, if you ask me.

johns (GM): Depends, is Gulielmus asking permission first or seeking forgiveness later

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Oh right, Hazm can detect possessed people

Guy of Bonisagus: of course the engineer could also have been influenced by the infernal crows

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: hmm.

johns (GM): Okay Dusan -- however this aura is -15 to all magic unfortunately

Guy of Bonisagus: depends on if he was here before the prior got murdered

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: permission first, since we've just been out in the garden

Dušan of Criamon: ah

well I desire to try anyway

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Hazm has ducked out into non-contributing PC space though

Mortis ex Verditus: Go for it.

Dušan of Criamon: Prying Eyes, InIm +19

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: he's carousing with derfel and giraldo

johns (GM): If you are sponting, it's also 5 extra botch dice (remembers he's talking to a criamon) never mind

Guy of Bonisagus: hazm helped me move a sick man, hes contributing

Dušan of Criamon:

rolling 1d10+19

(

6

)

+19

=

25

Mortis ex Verditus: Heh heh.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: That's fine

Dušan of Criamon: it's a L5 formulaic

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: he's appeasing the infernal powers with bonfilia.

Guy of Bonisagus: good work, dusan

Fiorella of Jerbiton: As long as I'm using two PCs worth of useful supernatural powers

Dušan of Criamon: if I see him doing something worth hearing I can cast the listening version of this too

johns (GM): Okay, Dusan -- the building with the Abbot / Prior / Guest quarters consists of a hallway and 4 cells, the cells all look out into the courtyard.

Three of the rooms are empty -- one of the rooms has a stately looking monk and a bearded man wearing familiar looking black velvet robes enjoying lunch together.

They are attended by a pair of servants.

Mortis ex Verditus: Regular type servants or capering devils with pitchforks?

Dušan of Criamon:

rolling 1d10+2+2

(

5

)

+2+2

=

9

johns (GM): They don't seem to be discussing much of importance, just news (a lot about people dying), gossip, politics

Regular type.

Mortis ex Verditus: Darn.

Dušan of Criamon: Drat!

johns (GM): The kind who stand to the side and refill your wine cup when it's empty.

Mortis ex Verditus: That would have really sewn up this investigation.

johns (GM): lol

Dušan of Criamon: I was hoping to find them mid-infernal consorting

I relate this to my sodales

I guess we can now choose to barge in on their meal

Mortis ex Verditus: To do what?

Guy of Bonisagus: yeah it was the poison and the unfortunate death that gave us a suspicion, but you know seeing those imps dancing around was a huge help in figuring out what was going on

Mortis ex Verditus: Should we just throw the accusation at them?

Guy of Bonisagus: its probably better to speak to them seperately

Dušan of Criamon: While you are right, I am caught off guard by you suggesting a subtler approach

johns (GM): You could try to speak to both at once now, or wait til later to catch them apart

Guy of Bonisagus: i doubt they are both in need of a pilum

so finding the true bad guy of this adventure is ideal

Dušan of Criamon: god will sort them out

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: cant believe guy is casting doubt on gods plan

Dušan of Criamon: either way, we are at the advantage if we divide and conquer

Mortis ex Verditus: Possibly.

Crucially, we don't know which one of these men is which without first talking to them.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: God heps those who help themselves, and the best way to help yourself is to bofa your enemies

Mortis ex Verditus: We also have no proof of any accusations we can throw at them.

Guy of Bonisagus: the black robed man is, obviously, the engineer

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: he's a tremere

Guy of Bonisagus: he very well could be

johns (GM): they are both in black robes, but one of them is wearing robes of fine velvet and has no tonsure

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea brushes a fly off the sleeve of his black robes

johns (GM): do your robes have funny alchemical symbols on them gulielmus

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: they do actually

i think it's just some ♄s

Mortis ex Verditus: AFK a second.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: for lead

or saturn.

johns (GM): if you cover up the curly part, that's a cross.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: it's the truth

Some time passes. Eventually the bell in the Church rings.

johns (GM): The two men step out of the room. The tonsured man bids the other a good night then excuses himself for vespers. The non-tonsured man and his servant retires to another of the VIP rooms.

Across the rest of the abbey, the other monks file into the church for Vespers.

Guy of Bonisagus: oh so it wasnt even the prior

it was just a monk

Dušan of Criamon: "just a monk"

no such thing

johns (GM): the monk had 1 servant with him

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Just the wind

Guy of Bonisagus: the priors name was vilio right?

johns (GM): Zilio

Guy of Bonisagus: ah

Mortis ex Verditus: Let's ruin vespers by accusing the monk of conspiring with the devil.

OR, we could accost the engineer in his quarters.

Dušan of Criamon: Power move.

Guy of Bonisagus: oh wait hes not going to sleep hes

ok might still be the prior

johns (GM): Vespers = 5:40 PM

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Let's ruin the bridge out of Vesper by filling it with PKs who keep you from getting any mining done

Dušan of Criamon: I'll spy on the VIP room

Guy of Bonisagus: "Alright, what should our approach be with this engineer?"

Dušan of Criamon:

rolling 1d10+19-15

(

3

)

+19-15

=

7

johns (GM): The room has niches in the wall for cots, a desk, some shelves, and other basic accoutrements. The servant tidies up then takes a nap. The layman sits down to study a book.

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

The servant sleeps in the same room, right?

Dušan of Criamon: Unless he's reading something good, I rejoin my sodales

johns (GM): yup

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: what spell are you casting

Guy of Bonisagus: the engineer enjoys his book bound in human flesh. its a real page turner

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: you may be able to read over his shoulder.

johns (GM): Oh right Prying Eyes lets you move your viewpoint around ?

Dušan of Criamon: Prying eyes, InIm 5

let ,e check

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: yeah the room target lets you move your viewpoint to any place in the room while you concentrate

Dušan of Criamon: yes

johns (GM): Okay, it's a book in classical latin you don't recognize, it seems to be about architecture and engineering.

eh ill just say, it's  De Architectura, a very rare book

Dušan of Criamon: no diablerie - no deal

johns (GM): https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/De_architectura.jpg/1280px-De_architectura.jpg

Mortis ex Verditus: Rare book eh?

Dušan of Criamon: I tell my sodales, so far as they're still with me, that there's nothing to be gained here but a valuable mundane book

Mortis ex Verditus: Let's steal it.

I thought you wanted to talk to this guy!

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: spont CrIg to ignite everything flammable in the room

Dušan of Criamon: I was hoping to catch him inflagranti communing with the devil

Guy of Bonisagus: I'll knock on his door.

johns (GM): In English accented Latin, the man bids you to enter.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: You don't need to commune with demons

johns (GM): The servant wakes up.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: They can whisper in your ear any time they like

Guy of Bonisagus: I enter. "Salvete! Sorry to bother you this eve. I am a traveling scholar and heard there was a great engineer staying here."

johns (GM): He smiles, rises, and bows. "You heard right, my friend. Please, come in, come in. Servant, some wine for the scholar."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: You can also just go to sleep and they'll appear and you can talk to them without anyone knowing you're doing something evil

Guy of Bonisagus: "Thank you for your hospitality. So, you are clearing out the swamp?"

Dušan of Criamon: I'm imagining Fiorella telling this to Dusan who keeps shivering more at every sentence

Mortis ex Verditus: But who can remember anything they talk about when they're asleep?

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: the entire covenant crowds into the room for free wine

Thomas Berenger: If you want to go with guy inside thats fine

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I will tell Dusan all this, or if Fiorella doesn't know it, Hazm definitely does

Thomas Berenger: a scholar must have servants after all, even weird ones

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

I'll head back out and watch for the monks.

Thomas Berenger: "That I am. You must know many great engineers have tried draining the marsh and failed. Our project here isn't as grand in scope as theirs but I think it's a bit impressive I'm succeeding where they failed -- don't you agree?"

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I will also mention to Dusan that it's hard for a demon to talk to people in their dreams inside a Dominion aura, but not so much in a cottage outside the grounds.

Guy of Bonisagus: "Certainly. I look forward to a day when land that has so long been unavailable can be used for forestry, perhaps even great cities."

Thomas Berenger: "Wouldn't that be amazing... Where once there was nothing but rot could be towers and spires."

Mortis ex Verditus: We should annihilate the marsh by creating a huge hole.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Let's find a pit wizard who can make one

Thomas Berenger: malach.....................

"Are you a builder yourself, or perhaps just an aficionado?"

Guy of Bonisagus: "Ah, I am simply interested in the architectural arts. I paid a visit to the work site, you know, a fine crew you've put together."

"Hard workers all, and nothing but good to say about you. Rare that a leader would inspire his workers so."

Thomas Berenger: "Thank you-- " a brief pause-- "though, erm, I suppose I can't take  all  the credit -- the foreman was working the site before I was brought on. But I did turn their efforts from meandering into something productive."

Guy of Bonisagus: "Oh yes, he said as much. A stroke of genius, he called it, you had them change to a far more productive way of clearing out the land. Tell me, what inspired that? Seems a departure from the classical methods."

Thomas Berenger: "Ambition. It's what separates the artists from the craftsmen."

Mortis ex Verditus: Makes you think.

Guy of Bonisagus: please secretly roll my folk ken of +2 on that statement, gm

Thomas Berenger:

(To GM) rolling 1d10+2

(

4

)

+2

=

6

Thomas Berenger: "My philosophy is that you can't achieve greatness without great effort. This abbey is a fine place -- wealthy, sturdy walls -- but the gains from its new land could make it so much more."

Guy of Bonisagus: "That's the truth." I nod. "So many would be content with enough, but it takes a true leader to strive for the best."

"Do you have an estimation on how long the project will take?"

Thomas Berenger leans back in his chair

Mortis ex Verditus: So it sounds to me like we should fund this guy's project.

Guy of Bonisagus: its a good project and he doesnt seem ill intentioned

Thomas Berenger: "Consider Rome. It once was a sprawl of wooden hovels. Then it became a marvel of stone and marble... A pity the shape it is in now, but.."

"Hmm..." He considers Guy's question. "It's hard to say, really."

Guy of Bonisagus: well

Thomas Berenger: "Various, factors, so and so, you know."

Guy of Bonisagus: thats assuming his intent isnt just to dig up what hes after and dump the project. which it might well be!

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: hes a faerie

get him

Guy of Bonisagus: I nod. "Fair enough. No man can predict how such an undertaking will go. One thing we can be certain of, though, is that it will be finished unlike so many others." I smile.

Mortis ex Verditus: We can find out by digging up the treasure first.

Thomas Berenger: "Indeed. For instance, have you heard of that tower in Pisa they've been working on for 2 centuries now?"

He laughs. "The damn thing's tilting but they won't give up."

Guy of Bonisagus: I laugh as well. "Determined, I'll give them that."

Mortis ex Verditus: Our Society Today...

Archibald of Guernicus: He said damn and laughed. He's clearly infernal.

Thomas Berenger: get im boys

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: wheres our pc with 30 mentem and our other pc with the personality trait Murderous +12

Thomas Berenger: "Now if I were in charge .." he rambles on a bit on the theme of how great he is.

Guy of Bonisagus: I nod along.

Dušan of Criamon: funding

Guy of Bonisagus: "Well my friend, the hour is growing late. I thank you once again for sharing your time with this fan of the arts." I extend my hand.

Dušan of Criamon: we should ask about funding

Thomas Berenger: "Any time!"

He shakes your hand. He does something slightly weird where he presses your thumb between the knuckles of your second and third finger.

Guy of Bonisagus: is that just a 14th century english handshake

before i chase this Infernal Symbol clue

Thomas Berenger: Roll Int + Area Lore England, natch.

Guy of Bonisagus: i do not have area lore england

rolling 1d10+3

(

10

)

+3

=

13

Mortis ex Verditus: Good roll, in any case.

Thomas Berenger: It is not an ability that can be used untrained, unfortunately.

Guy of Bonisagus: gah!

Fiorella of Jerbiton: If you have Infernal Lore you also have Area Lore England

Thomas Berenger: lol

Guy of Bonisagus: true

i looked up what it means and thats cool but i dont know in character

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: wheres archibald when you need him.

Guy of Bonisagus: unfortunate!

Thomas Berenger: no clue.

Guy of Bonisagus: i will take my servants out of this nice mans room with me

"God bless you, and God bless your works."

Thomas Berenger: After your spirited discussion it's about 7pm. Another 40 minutes until compline and the gates close.

Mortis ex Verditus: Gah!

Guy of Bonisagus: the prior will probably be far too busy the rest of the eve for us to speak with him alone

Mortis ex Verditus: I think we should decamp to Vardian's Tomb.

Guy of Bonisagus: yeah

Mortis ex Verditus: We can come back in the morning.

Thomas Berenger: Sure

Mortis ex Verditus: Or we could set out into the swamps at night.

Thomas Berenger: no prob there

Thomas Berenger rubs hands mischievously

Guy of Bonisagus: anyway i dont think the engineer is guilty of anything beyond being an englishman, which is a very grave crime

but the dominion aura will protect him from justice, for now

maybe tomorrow we should just go have a look at where the laborers are clearing to

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: lets summon jorn

johns (GM): you have sclavo's directions to work with

Dušan of Criamon: true

Mortis ex Verditus: Yeah we've got a map.

It even has a dagger in it!

Dušan of Criamon: I am sorely disappointed I did not meet my foes from the infernal realm

Mortis ex Verditus: YET!

Dušan of Criamon: it's probably for the better

johns (GM): Okay, early next morning, another trip into the Swamp

Archibald of Guernicus: Here we go

Guy of Bonisagus: actually if i had area lore i could probably guess what his motives are!! oh well

Mortis ex Verditus: It shouldn't be too difficult to traverse the swamp.

johns (GM): tfw no lore

Everyone who mucks through the swamp takes a long-term fatigue

Guy of Bonisagus: gah

johns (GM): >:D

Mortis ex Verditus: It can't be helped.

Can I just have Carina carry me to avoid this?

johns (GM): How strong is she?

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I summon horses to carry me and anyone else who wants a horse

Archibald of Guernicus casually teleports 50 paces at a time

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: imagine spending even a single precious season on learning area lore:rome.

johns (GM): oh right if you take the horse the horse gets the fatigue instead

Bolad: Lore beyond measure, outlander.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: i will take a horse.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: That's okay

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: do i have to roll ride

Mortis ex Verditus: Carina is Str +0.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: The horse disappears at sunset anyway and I summon a new unfatigued horse

johns (GM): Regardless -- apart from crows hovering ominously in the distance, staying in the corner of your vision, you are not accosted

Archibald of Guernicus: "Horrid things."

Guy of Bonisagus: i will take the hrose

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmmm.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "I had a look earlier through Camilla. They only stay within the infernal aura."

Mortis ex Verditus: Well everything appears to be in order.

Guy of Bonisagus: "Some manner of devilry, doubtless."

Mortis ex Verditus: I guess it was just a chance find after all.

johns (GM): Following Sclavo's instructions, you find some old ruins, hidden under a dense layer of tree canopy, half submerged in the muck.

Mortis ex Verditus: How much XP for this adventure?

Fiorella of Jerbiton: We still have to fight the three planned encounters in the ruins

johns (GM): The ruins consist of a single room.

Smaller than a hermetic lab.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Plus rolls on the random encoutner table

Guy of Bonisagus: hope i get a cloak of resistance +1 in here

Fiorella of Jerbiton: You discover a chest containing your wealth by level

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: this chest contains Hermetic Magus gold coins

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

johns (GM): The ruin looks like a temple of some sort. There's a detailed figure of a regal looking woman inscribed in the back wall. Around her are concentric circles and the stars. Old, rusted nails are driven into the stone in a vertical line.

Archibald of Guernicus: I'll carefully examine the surrounding area before we mess with the figure

johns (GM): Beneath her is a flat slab. There are 3 pieces of limestone with the rune you've seen before sitting beneath them, and to the side of the slab, several same sized limestone chunks with no inscription.

The aura feels tingly.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Would Magic Lore or the like identify her as some sort of mythic figure?

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: is it Ops

johns (GM): Yeah, give it a shot

Dušan of Criamon: Are the star charts just rudimentary or do they point to a specific date

johns (GM): Int + Artes Liberales for that, Dusan

Fiorella of Jerbiton:

rolling d10+1+3

(

6

)

+1+3

=

10

Dušan of Criamon:

rolling 1d10+2+2

(

4

)

+2+2

=

8

Guy of Bonisagus: i will also do the dusan check

rolling 1d10+6

(

2

)

+6

=

8

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: same

Mortis ex Verditus: I'll have Carina touch all the nails.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea:

rolling 1d10!+2+2+1 (specialization)

(

8

)

+2+2+1

=

13

that's artes liberales

Archibald of Guernicus: I'll check the local aura with fatigueless InVi, think the spell level was really low

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "I venture a guess that this is the goddess Nortia."

johns (GM): tis Magic 4, Archibald. The aura outside was Infernal 3.

Archibald of Guernicus: base 2, +1 touch, so 15 is all you need

"Sodales, a pocket of magic within this blasted infernal swamp."

Mortis ex Verditus: "Who is that?"

Guy of Bonisagus: "Pagan magic, eh?"

Archibald of Guernicus:

rolling 1d10+2+2 for int+AL

(

7

)

+2+2

=

11

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

johns (GM): You all scrutinize the wall carving. The moon appears multiple times here, so you figure this is a lunar calendar -- not the Julian calendar you are used to

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: gah

Mortis ex Verditus: YIkes.

This must be a very old ruin.

johns (GM): The important date is at the beginning of the annual set of lunar cycles.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "Who's Nortia?"

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "An Etruscan variant of Fortuna."

"Historians say her followers would mark the new year by hammering a nail into the wall of her temple."

johns (GM): The nails, Endrite, are entirely mundane. Their purpose eludes you.

Archibald of Guernicus: "Etruscan, aye, the language we saw on the tablets. Perhaps there are other relics to be found here."

johns (GM): They're not holding anything up or holding anything together.

Oh

It doesn't elude fiorella!

Finally, Int + Magic Theory from the smart people

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "Maybe Hazm would know more. He makes a study of Greco-Roman deities."

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea:

rolling 1d10!+2+6 Int and MT

(

3

)

+2+6

=

11

sorry that should be 10. not 11

Dušan of Criamon:

rolling 1d10+2+3

(

6

)

+2+3

=

11

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: gah

Guy of Bonisagus: does a spec in identifying magic apply here

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

johns (GM): sure

Fiorella of Jerbiton:

rolling d10+3+6

(

7

)

+3+6

=

16

Guy of Bonisagus: alright

stand back

Archibald of Guernicus:

rolling 1d10+2+8

(

2

)

+2+8

=

12

I smart

Guy of Bonisagus:

rolling 1d10+10

(

10

)

+10

=

20

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: yikes

Mortis ex Verditus: So is the goddess figure a relief sculpture or like a fresco or what?

johns (GM): WHOMBO COMBO

Dušan of Criamon: boom

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: fucking bonisagi.

Guy of Bonisagus: crying angry ex misc

johns (GM): Hmm, idk if I'd call it a relief per se -- its made of the same stone as the back of the temple. So the entire back wall has been carved away except for the goddess, which protrudes out.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: hows your roll to resist poison

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "Time and fate are things typically elusive to Hermetic magic, but perhaps its different for the priesthood of an Etruscan goddess."

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

johns (GM) passes a note to a player

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "Fortuna seems like a dangerous spirit to invoke."

johns (GM): said in the ignatius reilly voice

Mortis ex Verditus: "Who would even know how to summon some ancient Etruscan spirit?"

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "Invokers. Mystery cultists."

Guy of Bonisagus: "Ah, if we leave a carved runestone here it will become vis."

"Only on the Etruscan new year however."

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "One moment, king of the world, the next-"

Guy of Bonisagus: "Fascinating."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "Goetic summoners."

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea traces a sweeping semicircle with his hand.

Archibald of Guernicus: "A vis site, what a find, sodales."

Guy of Bonisagus: "Vim vis as well, I believe? Was that not what the other runestone was?"

Archibald of Guernicus: I nod

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "Titanoi."

johns (GM): You gained 1 vis runestone at the start of this adventure, there's 3 lying here now, and it would be a recurring 1 pawn a year site henceforth... assuming it stays in tact

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

Guy of Bonisagus: thats true

Mortis ex Verditus: We should have a road built to this shrine.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: lets turn it into a tourist site

Mortis ex Verditus: Wait a minute.

Guy of Bonisagus: "Ah... But if the marsh draining project continues, this would surely be destroyed."

Dušan of Criamon: So, is this in the way of the dredging?

johns (GM): Tis

Mortis ex Verditus: Why would the Etruscans go to all this trouble to build a shrine in the middle of a stinking swamp?

Guy of Bonisagus: is this in the actual line that the project is going through right now

johns (GM): It is

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: let's conjure a swamp castle around it

Guy of Bonisagus: "I wonder... Is this temple what that engineer is after? Does he want to see it destroyed? Or use it for something else?"

Fiorella of Jerbiton: As a Venetian I don't understand Mortis's swamp hate.

Slam down a bunch of stone and divert the moisture into moats, its not rocket science.

Dušan of Criamon: Well, either way we personally stand to gain naught from the dredging

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: bonfilia would know what to do here

Archibald of Guernicus: "Engineer? Tch, bloody mundanes, they'd never appreciate what this is."

Mortis ex Verditus: "Certainly it would be easy to simply dig around this old temple, wouldn't it?"

Fiorella of Jerbiton: *canals

"A few canals would help delineate the temple from the infernal influence."

Archibald of Guernicus: "We have an easier method of cowing people tae do what we want now, if he can't be persuaded otherwise."

Guy of Bonisagus: "I have to say, it doesn't sound like it would be worth all the time and effort for him to just destroy this temple. He may have other plans, or perhaps there's something else out here he's after."

Mortis ex Verditus: "He's just some hireling, why would he have any interests in the swamps of Rome?"

"How would an Englishman even learn about it in the first place?"

Dušan of Criamon: "Cui bono, as you Romans say."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "One man's magic goddess is another man's corrupted idol."

Dušan of Criamon: "Someone's footing the bill for this expanded operation."

johns (GM): as far as you know, it's Subiaco abbey doing so, dusan

Archibald of Guernicus: "Oh, it's some stupid Englishman, right, let's drive him off."

Mortis ex Verditus: Seems reasonable.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "As educated magicians, we can research the powers of a Daimon without being led on the path to damnation. For the layman, it's easier to use a symbol to turn them to darkness."

Mortis ex Verditus: Getting rid of the miasmatic swamps around Rome can only be to the good, if you ask me.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "There is no end to the perversion this temple could be used for."

johns (GM): what??? is this really mortis saying that???

Mortis ex Verditus: Why would I like swamps?

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Anyway, if there's miasma clinging to this temple, I'll use the bellows to clean it out

johns (GM): Oh, right... No corpus blight here

you love death

i thought that was your deal.

Mortis ex Verditus: Uhhh, wow.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: he hates vis sources

Mortis ex Verditus: I can't even right now.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Where are you getting black mana if you have no swamps to tap?

johns (GM): he hates these cans

Mortis ex Verditus: Wait is there no corpus blight in the temple?

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: it blew away, probably

Mortis ex Verditus: Possibly.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Yeah no reason for it to linger

johns (GM): It doesn't have a door, as you can see

just an opening

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Breezy swamp

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

Dušan of Criamon: practically begging us to enter

let us dally for 2 hours

Mortis ex Verditus: I'm not confident that this is all there is to the temple.

What's the deal with these pillars?

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: there hae to be other ruins in the swamp

johns (GM): Well, the ground and the base are submerged

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: hmm.

what if the swamp were drained

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Have someone look with Second Sight for a regio

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: then we could see more of the temple

Mortis ex Verditus: If there are a bunch of pillars there was probably a larger structure here.

Dušan of Criamon: SS rolling

rolling 1d10+4

(

6

)

+4

=

10

johns (GM):  gm sweating bullets  maybe the etruscans just like having pillars, you know

Archibald of Guernicus: Second sight sounds good

rolling 1d10!+3+3

(

6

)

+3+3

=

12

Mortis ex Verditus: Also the Etruscans weren't stupid enough to build some gigantic edifice on swampy ground.

Guy of Bonisagus: archibald find the regio entrance

Fiorella of Jerbiton: [Blue Dragon voice] Pillars of eternity

johns (GM): who says it was swamp when they did so

Mortis ex Verditus: Exactly.

Dušan of Criamon: perfect

eat the cake and have it too

Archibald of Guernicus: +2 to that actually, as its fairy power in a magic aura

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: let's use powerful mentem magic on the engineer

Mortis ex Verditus: I think we need to consider this entire swamp may be an unnatural creation of some evil entity.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Also the bonus from being in a magic aura

johns (GM): No regio entrance and no spirits here

Fiorella of Jerbiton: To Dusan anyway

I consider that idea and reject it

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: how much of the swamp did fiorella investigate

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

johns (GM): She was flying around as a crow testing auras right?

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Swamps didn't eat of the forbidden apple and thus cannot be good or evil

Not without human intervention

Mortis ex Verditus: Who has the best Intelligo Terram? We could use that to determine how old these nails are.

Archibald of Guernicus: "If we get an arcane connection to him, he can be made scared and malleable."

johns (GM): I won't rule out other exciting swamp sights in case a future GM wants to use them but --- in her survey of the 5 miles around the worksite -- there were no other visible ruins. This ruin here was obscured by the trees overhead and blended in with the general muck color.

Archibald of Guernicus: Intellego Terram boy here

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Oh

No

Archibald of Guernicus:

rolling (1d10!+38)/2

(

(

7

)

+38)/2

=

22.5

Mortis ex Verditus: If we figure out how old the nails are, we might be able to deduce the last time a ritual was performed here.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I was using my familiar to survey the swamp

johns (GM): Ok.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I need Spring of this year before I can turn itno a bird again

Archibald of Guernicus: level 15 - learn all mundane properties of an object

+1 touch

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I can see clear mental images transmitted to me from the vulture

johns (GM): The last nail was driven in between 400 and 500 years before Christ

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Cool InTe

Archibald of Guernicus: "About 1800 years ago. Aye, this place has been left for a long, long time."

Mortis ex Verditus: Surprising they managed to last that long in a damp swamp.

johns (GM): (i.e. around the same age as the stone you investigated at the start of this adventure)

Archibald of Guernicus: Terram's my second-best form, and intellego's been my best technique forever

Good to confirm it anyway, Johns

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I was using the fact that the crows stick to the infernal aura to figure out where the natural boundaries were

Dušan of Criamon: InTe is really good because rocks are really good witnesses

Guy of Bonisagus: "I think we should investigate the cause of that infernal aura before doing anything to anyone."

"Can never rule out infernal influence."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "Vim vis is vim vis, but dealing with the cause of the infernal aura will help protect our claim."

Mortis ex Verditus: I think we should get to work having undead work gangs clearing out this area.

At least now that the harvest is finished.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Go ahead

Dušan of Criamon: "Also, if the canal is to go directly through here, we should ask the engineer to deflect it."

Mortis ex Verditus: "Wouldn't it be too much trouble to demolish this structure anyway?"

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "A canal might interrupt the magical aura protecting it from the infernal."

"Depending on the design."

johns (GM): There it is, to scale to you, Mortis.

Dušan of Criamon: "To be frank, I don't know what building a canal entails."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "Digging a trench and paving it."

johns (GM): The process of draining marsh land, reclaiming it

for use as agricultural land, is called “inning.” Teams of

men build dykes — great walls of earth and clay piled

over a wooden core — connecting with other dykes to

form enclosures. Water is then drained from this enclosed

land by a network of channels or sewers, and

johns (GM): sluices. The wetlands are inned a strip at a time. The

reclaimed land is rich and fertile, vital for supporting a

booming population. The fields in this reclaimed land

are surrounded by ditches, known as “wet walls,” and

these are spanned by small simple bridges.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I'll tell Dusan what I know about canals as a Venetian.

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Which probably includes casual knowledge of inning a marsh.

Dušan of Criamon: so unless they plan to make this into a great wall, it's safe?

Mortis ex Verditus: They might quarry it, true.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: wheres ronnie when you need him

johns (GM): Their plan is to turn it into farmland

Mortis ex Verditus: We should talk to the prior about this.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "It's not a temple to God, it can be perverted to the infernal."

Archibald of Guernicus: "The cause of the infernal aura is the greatest concerm here."

"We'd be best off keeping this project far away from the temple, but finding the cause of the infernal aura and clearing it away."

Guy of Bonisagus: "And such a potent one, as well."

Mortis ex Verditus: "It's a swamp, what more cause is required."

Guy of Bonisagus: "Rare to find that in sites that don't see active use."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "As those versed in magic lore might know, ancient buildings can gain magical potency through their age and platonic resonance."

johns (GM): Inf Lore?

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "What if we go to the middle of the aura?"

"Seems like a likely spot, you know."

Mortis ex Verditus: I have no Infernal Lore.

Father Hazm:

rolling d10+2+2 Infernal Lore

(

7

)

+2+2

=

11

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: i have some infernal lore.

rolling 1d10!+0+2

(

7

)

+0+2

=

9

johns (GM): There are 3 basic ways for an infernal aura to spring up

or to increase in strength

Mortis ex Verditus: Lay it on me.

johns (GM): Number 1 -- places full of the restless dead, such as plague pits or malaria infested swamps, are natural hotspots

Number 2 -- places where people frequently commit sin

Number 3 -- places where an Infernalist has carried out a ceremony to defile the aura

Archibald of Guernicus: So draining the swamp should clear it out. Probably. Unless there's also an infernalist.

Guy of Bonisagus: number 1 is reasonable but at the same time whos fucking around out in this swamp

and doing so enough to bring an infernal 3 aura about

Father Hazm: Also any Christian might be aware that a symbol that is not Christian can be perverted to Satan's agenda.

Archibald of Guernicus: My guess: multiple PCs working together in a dark, hidden cult

johns (GM): "This diminishing of an Infernal aura

only occurs if the aura remains dormant

and neglected. Infernal auras within stronger

auras do not fade if actively maintained

by the presence of manifested evil,

for example, the presence of a demon

johns (GM): or a powerful Infernal enchantment. A

successful corruption roll (see below)

also prevents the degradation of a weak

Infernal aura."

Dušan of Criamon: To be fair, so far all our attempts to enter a combat with demons this adventure yielded nothing

Father Hazm: The GM can invent any corruption rite they want, really.

Mortis ex Verditus: Damn him!

johns (GM): There could be a powerful demon right behind you right now keeping the aura up and you'd never know.

Mortis ex Verditus: I turn around!

johns (GM): You see nothing!

Mortis ex Verditus: Gasp!

An invisible demon!

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: mortis has been blinded

Mortis ex Verditus: In any case, I think we're good to go.

We just need to have this shrine protected from the work crews.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: gulielmus follows up on his previous comment.

johns (GM): i myself knowing what I know can't think of a good way to investigate the aura itself directly so you'll have to think of something I haven't to do so

Father Hazm: I believe it might be worth spending some time spying on this place to see what infernalism might be going on here

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "Maybe it's just the swamp, though. Full of diseases and all."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: As a bird wizard, that is

But spying can happen after we go home and count our adventure XP

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: let's set up labs and extract vis from th eaura

Guy of Bonisagus: lets get the swamp drained but in a way that doesnt harm our pagan magic source

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "I believe the swamp is ideal for corruption but not the source of it."

Archibald of Guernicus: I think we just need to move the project out of the way of this

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: fiorella doesnt even have infernal lore!

i have 1 xp, making me the authority

Fiorella of Jerbiton: She knows how superstitious Mortis is

Dušan of Criamon: Guy said it

Mortis ex Verditus: Who says I'm superstitious?

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: what if we pick up the temple and move it

Mortis ex Verditus: How?

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: boundary ritual

Archibald of Guernicus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9RuaB3c9FQ

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: the aura is tied to the temple!

let's ship it to ponza

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Everything Mortis has said about the swamp sounds folklorey rather than a fact. That's why he comes across as superstitious to Fiorella and why she suspects when he says something about the swamp, he is wrong.

Mortis ex Verditus: I mean, it is evil.

It's filled with disease and sinkholes and murderous corpses.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: It's evil but he has cause and effect confused

Mortis ex Verditus: Them's the facts.

Every swamp has at least the first two.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Getting cause and effect straight here is important if it means the difference between killing the bad guy and letting him mess with our vis site unmolested

johns (GM): i dont want to feel like im railroading you too much but the source of the aura is a bit beyond the current scope of our adventure

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Okay

Mortis ex Verditus: I will NEVER listen to the GM's advice about what is or is not the scope of the adventure.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: We've done what we can to investigate, I feel

johns (GM): we may get there soon but i dont want to keep us way off track

Fiorella of Jerbiton: We have our vis

johns (GM): here's a "scope" for you

johns (GM) 360 noscopes mortis' damn head off

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: we also had an infernal lore roll tell us that a malarial bog is a natural location for an infernal aura.

Mortis ex Verditus: In any case, the only other thing I can think of is that the prior is a murderer or something.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: let's go rough up the engineer

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Most evil monks you can't do shit about

johns (GM): Archibald Guy and Dusan, which plan do you like so far

Guy of Bonisagus: idea for an adventure: we go to the magic realm and fix the magic blights

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Get some evidence and Hazm can help build a case against him

Guy of Bonisagus: i like the plan of rerouting the project somehow

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Reroute the project

Dušan of Criamon: Roughing up the engineer

Guy of Bonisagus: because its a Good Work and i wwant to consider this englishman one of the good ones

Dušan of Criamon: telling him politely first, then fists second

Archibald of Guernicus: I think we keep the project away from the temple and we'll be fine, the temple being destroyed by an architect seems far more dangerous than there being another aura around it, which its managed to weather just fine for 1000 years

Mortis ex Verditus: We could just pay him to reroute the project.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: i agree with archibald.

Archibald of Guernicus: but draining a lot of the swamp should help with the infernal aura anyway

johns (GM): When & Where would you like to confront the Engineer?

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Father Hazm can check people for possession, he can accompany Guy

Archibald of Guernicus: I wont come for the confrontation, but I can provide a backup if things go awry

if you get me and AC we can Benedetti him

* an

Guy of Bonisagus: "Frankly, I think the engineer is free of any direct infernal influence."

"We should speak with the murderous Prior."

Dušan of Criamon: So, so far we have a plan to

pay him off

if that fails rough him up

Mortis ex Verditus: But what would you want to do to him if you did have an Arcane Connection?

Guy of Bonisagus: "The engineer is, in all likelihood, acting under the Prior's direction."

"And I maintain my theory that the Prior killed his predecessor with poison."

Archibald of Guernicus: Cast a ReMe effect to make him terrified and thus far more easy to influence

Mortis ex Verditus: What if he's too frightened to deal with us?

Archibald of Guernicus: "Monk politics. Do they even care where the route goes?"

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Alright, Hazm doesn't accompany anyone

Guy of Bonisagus: "What if the Prior is acting under the Devil's influence? The infernal forces may want that temple gone."

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

Do we have any way to keep tabs on the prior?

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Have crows spy on him.

And familiars

Dušan of Criamon: I could spy on him when he's indoor

Guy of Bonisagus: frankly we should knock his head off

Archibald of Guernicus: "Then why not aim for the prior with all this? Fear of hell could make him confess his infernalism, if he's engaged in it."

Guy of Bonisagus: the gm smiles from behind his screen, knowing well that ugo is responsible

Mortis ex Verditus: Responsible for what?

Guy of Bonisagus: "We should speak with the man before we go casting spells upon holy men."

the assassination

and the swamp

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmmmmmm.

I think we should try just asking Thomas Berenger to not dig a canal through the temple.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: we should.

Mortis ex Verditus: We might not even need to bribe him.

Guy of Bonisagus: the abbey is funding his project

if the prior wants the temple hit, well,

johns (GM): The abbey was funding the draining before he arrived, just fyi

Mortis ex Verditus: Right.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Let's just see if we can preserve the temple

Mortis ex Verditus: And he moved the canal because he thought it would work better.

Guy of Bonisagus: alright, consider this

solving the priors murder will get us AT LEAST one more xp

johns (GM): The timeline is, the abbey has been doing this off and on for decades, the foreman's father used to manage it, then the foreman inherited the job. Prior Zilio died in late 1350. Thomas Berenger was brought on at the beginning of 1351.

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Guy of Bonisagus: uhhhhh prior zilio is CLEARLY alive

as he is the current prior

johns (GM): sorry

Guy of Bonisagus: and murdered the previous one

johns (GM): Prior Goffredo

Ahah. Just testing you. Hheh

Archibald of Guernicus: Your appointment to the swamp project will be finalised within the week, I've already discussed the matter with the foreman.

Guy of Bonisagus: yeah so prior zilio contracted this guy to get things done a specific way

Mortis ex Verditus: Sounds like we need to once again consider that Thomas Berenger is a sorcerer of some kind who killed the former prior in order to dig something up in the swamp.

johns (GM): I think you'll keep running in circles if you stick to speculation at this point

Mortis ex Verditus: Oh, what if it's actually his so-called "servant?"

Oh good point, they might be agents of Chaos.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Someone with a way to CONFIRM their theory speak up

Mortis ex Verditus: What with all the circles.

We should seed if the ants in the area are acting unusually.

Guy of Bonisagus: who can use magic on the engineer to make him be completely honest

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Archibald has Frosty Breath formulaic I think

Guy of Bonisagus: and who can cast call to slumber in a -15 aura

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: my theory is that the most effective way to do this is appeal to the engineer, then bribe him

Guy of Bonisagus: we should invite the engineer to rome, or at least somewhere outside of the abbey

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: we could tell him that there's something even more dangerous in that area, and they need to go around it.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Doesn't the engineer already live outside the divine aura?

Guy of Bonisagus:  brain begins collapsing and i make the drooling face  wecould sit down and have a normal talk with him

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: or even tell him the truth, that there are cool ruins there that should be preserved

johns (GM): he's got a room in the monastery & the shack in the worker's camp, shaun

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: that means everyone will see the temple though probably.

Mortis ex Verditus: Yeah.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: RIght, the shack

Guy of Bonisagus: i doubt he goes there often

since its in a swamp

johns (GM): Derp of Bonisagus

Guy of Bonisagus: and his alternative is living in a monastery

Fiorella of Jerbiton: He could go there when he wants to talk to his demonic ally

Guy of Bonisagus: well no he had one of his robes sitting there. maybe he does go there regularly

what if we asked our friend Brother Ugo

Brother Ugo: Salve.

What's the haps.

Guy of Bonisagus: "Salve Brother Ugo. How are the sickly laborers?"

Fiorella of Jerbiton: When we were talking about dream demons earlier I got a helpful reminder from the main behind the curtain that dream demons have an easier time operating outside of divine auras.

Archibald of Guernicus: What if the previous prior died attempting to read Aristotle's second book on poetics

Brother Ugo: "Improving greatly, thank you. And please pass my gratitude to Gulielmus."

lol dys

Mortis ex Verditus: We have to consider that "Brother" Ugo might be an imposter, since Brother Andrea has such poor eyesight.

Guy of Bonisagus: what if he was looking for the sixth edition of ars magica

Brother Ugo: whoa the music suddenly took a turn

Dušan of Criamon: I was wondering

Guy of Bonisagus: "I will, I will. Pardon my prying, but do you know if the engineer leaves the abbey regularly?"

Brother Ugo: "Once or twice a week, by my reckoning."

Guy of Bonisagus: what day is it

Brother Ugo:

rolling 1d7

(

7

)

=

7

Sunday.

Guy of Bonisagus: nice

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Oh my god

Guy of Bonisagus: so he wont be leaving today

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Ugo is toiling on the Sabbath

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: Holy shit.

Guy of Bonisagus: he is providing aid to the sick

Brother Ugo: Toil is the name of the game.

Ora et Labora.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea:

rolling 1d10!+2 initiative

(

9

)

+2

=

11

Guy of Bonisagus: i dont know the actual rules but i think doing healers work on gravely ill people might be excused

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: probably

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Maybe

Dušan of Criamon: let us seek out the engineer and finally posit to him our plans

Guy of Bonisagus: well, we c an guess that the engineer might leave the abbey in the next day or two

Father Hazm makes notes on how to get away with working extra

Mortis ex Verditus: Brother Ugo isn't a Jew so he can actually do stuff on the Sabbath.

Guy of Bonisagus: for today maybe we should check with the prior

Mortis ex Verditus: UNLESS HE IS A SECRET JEW!

Brother Ugo: can anyone confirm if monks actually treat sunday differently than normal

Guy of Bonisagus: they probably do

Brother Ugo: the engineer is where you last found him.

Guy of Bonisagus: i said the prior

johns (GM): The prior is obeying the canonical hours so

https://spencerabbey.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Horarium-Schedule-4.13.15.jpg

Guy of Bonisagus: SUNDAY SCHEDULE: The schedule is similar on Sunday except for the following: LAUDS takes place at 6:00 a.m., then TERCE at 8:45 a.m. followed by MASS around 9:10 a.m. prior to which the monks had a brief CHAPTER MEETING and practiced the music for MASS. Also on Sunday there is no work period that day,

Mortis ex Verditus: On Sunday monks do less work and spend time on leisure.

johns (GM): ah interesting. thank you.

Guy of Bonisagus: they do no work

Dušan of Criamon: then prior

Guy of Bonisagus: except the cooks

Mortis ex Verditus: THIS IN ITSELF MAY BE CAUSE FOR SUSPICION!

johns (GM): the prior is just chillin' in his room, I guess.

Guy of Bonisagus cackles while chasing red herrings that arose from small detail errors on the part of the GM.

Guy of Bonisagus: i will knock on his door

johns (GM): Does Guy have any score in Etiquette?

Guy of Bonisagus: as a matter of fact he doesnt

i thought i had +1

Prior Zilio: Fair enough!

A voice from within asks, "Who taps at my door so?"

Guy of Bonisagus: "Salve! A traveling philosopher wishing to speak with the Prior."

Prior Zilio: You hear the prior cross the room, and he opens the door. He looks at you with some veiled annoyance. "I shall have to speak to our Hostillar.. Had I known we had a guest we would have proper accomodations for you."

"Regardless..." He steps aside, holding the door open, gesturing you in.

Guy of Bonisagus: I step in with my servants, who may choose to guard the door if they wish.

Prior Zilio: "Have you supped, Signore ... ?"

Guy of Bonisagus: "Not yet, no."

Prior Zilio: He addresses your 'servants.' "The kitchen is in the base of the aedificium. Tell them to prepare a meal for myself and a guest."

Dušan of Criamon: a point, and the getting to thereof

Guy of Bonisagus: "Thank you for your hospitality, Prior."

Prior Zilio: "Hospitality is the rule of our order. I don't believe I caught your name though?"

Guy of Bonisagus: "I am called Guy."

Prior Zilio: Accustomed to greeting people of merit, the Prior easily settles into making small talk, asking about your journey, how things are outside the walls, and so on.

What is your approach on the swamp matter?

Guy of Bonisagus: "I hear that your project with the local swamp has taken on new life. An engineer with drive and ambition."

Father Hazm: Engineers 1, 2, and 4 are taking the swamp project in a brave new direction.

Prior Zilio: "M. Berenger is skilled at what he does."

Guy of Bonisagus: "I will admit, I am curious. Is there a purpose behind the sudden contracting of the man? Have you a more immediate construction planned, with need of fresh land?"

Prior Zilio scratches his beard

Prior Zilio: "I felt the project would go faster with a skilled man at the helm. He was in the area and came well recommended so it was a natural fit."

Prior Zilio rolls some dice

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

Prior Zilio:

(To GM) rolling 1d10!+2

(

7

)

+2

=

9

Mortis ex Verditus: In the area?

Guy of Bonisagus: i will have the gm secretly roll my +2 folk ken

Prior Zilio: just did lol

Mortis ex Verditus: Because he was summoned through the use of his True Name?

Guy of Bonisagus: with a +1 if this man is secretly a magus

Prior Zilio:

(To GM) rolling 1d10!+3+2

(

4

)

+3+2

=

9

Father Hazm: Does false gift count for that specialty?

Prior Zilio: sure

Mortis ex Verditus: Wow!

Guy of Bonisagus: "True enough, true enough. The abbey will surely benefit greatly with the project's completion, though I see it's already in a fine state."

"I took a look at your garden. Truly fine specimens you keep. I do consider myself an expert on plants, you know."

Prior Zilio: "Brother Andrea is a skilled horticulturalist."

Guy of Bonisagus: "Aye, the evidence of that is clear. Though I heard you previously took a great interest in the herbs as well."

Prior Zilio sighs

Prior Zilio: "I am sad to hear the brothers are engaged in such idle chitchat, with our guests no less."

"The rules of our order extol the virtue of silence."

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: He's right.

Guy of Bonisagus: "Ah, I must admit fault in that. I pressed them, when I saw particular specimens, and the unfortunate state of Brother Andrea."

"Please, place no blame on them."

Prior Zilio: "Very well. I shall forgive them this."

Dušan of Criamon: what exactly is it we wish to coax out of him here now

so i can ask him bluntly

with my -3 com

Prior Zilio: lol

Guy of Bonisagus: im trying to get anything that suggests hes responsible for the monkshood

or that he used it

Mortis ex Verditus: Fun fact: gossipers are considered to be just as bad as adulterers and murderers.

Dušan of Criamon: we should straight up ask his opinion of the former prior + what about the former prior beginning the dredging op

this could even be done in a non-Dusan way through Guy

Guy of Bonisagus: finish typing johns

Prior Zilio: I was just going to say I'm sorry if it feels like this scene puts all the pressure on beardbeard

and no one else feels like they can act.

Guy of Bonisagus: i think the main thing is the big aura

Dušan of Criamon: I think the main thing is I made a character as socially retarded as myself irl

Mortis ex Verditus: I'm fine with letting Guy take the spotlight for a change.

Guy of Bonisagus: and im the only one who doesnt stink or at least talk like a peasant

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: hmm.

what if we had a magus with Mythic Blood

Guy of Bonisagus: im also socially retarded so its hard!

Dušan of Criamon: you were actually pulling well the previous convo

just this one i'm worried i'll go to bed before it's resolved

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: my strat is to just make a lot of charm, leadership, etc rolls unprompted by the gm

Prior Zilio: what if we  split party  and a party lead by gulielmus talks to the engineer at the same time

Dušan of Criamon: That party could go with a simple formulaic bribe-threat conversation

Mortis ex Verditus: That seems like it would be demanding on your end, but I have no problem with it.

Prior Zilio: then split the party again and another party goes on a wacky adventure straight through the Realm of Magic.

Guy of Bonisagus: "Ah, but back to the topic of the swamp, has this been a long standing project? Something of the previous Prior's?"

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: hell yeah.

Prior Zilio: "Abbot Abramo, in truth. Our abbey came into the land through some dealings... 30 years ago, I believe?"

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

Prior Zilio: "The previous prior was a skeptic, in truth."

Mortis ex Verditus: Wait did we accidentally sell them this land?

Prior Zilio: yes when you burglarized this place 30 years ago you accidentally left behind a deed for 1,000 acres of swampland.

Prior Zilio muses over his wine

Dušan of Criamon: classic

Guy of Bonisagus: "A skeptic? How did he ever get the position?"

Prior Zilio: "A skeptic of the project, I mean. Despite his.. other faults, the man was no doubter of the Divine."

Guy of Bonisagus: I nod. "Ah, of course."

Prior Zilio: "Regardless. The lord gave man the earth to cultivate and prosper with, so we shall do so on these marshes."

Guy of Bonisagus: "Aye, that's only right. Far better than letting them fester."

Dušan of Criamon: "I do wonder if it is wise to do so in these troubled times, however. Men are a shortage nowadays, and they do seem to be dropping like flies in the swamp."

Mortis ex Verditus: "I have a line on some laborers."

"For a price."

Dušan of Criamon: if he shelves it now, I take it he has no ulterior motive

if he pursues it, he is choosing a harsh price to pay

Prior Zilio: "Hmm.. I'd heard things were messy down in the swamp but M. Berengar was assuring me it was going just as these sorts of things always go."

"You don't strike me as a slave trader, sir knight -- " addressing Mortis " -- are you offering to sell some of your serfs?"

Mortis ex Verditus: "No, I'm a wizard."

Prior Zilio laughs

Mortis ex Verditus: "Magic might just be the answer to your problem."

Prior Zilio: "A good jest, sir."

"I put no stock in such things."

Dušan of Criamon: "Oh I don't know the first thing about dredging, but with the ill air all over Rome and Italy, well, clearly I wouldn't be cut out for a leadership position. My heart would bleed for all those poor souls lost in the pursuit of civilization."

Mortis ex Verditus: "Haven't you heard of Vardian's Tomb? I'm the great Mortis ex Verditus."

Prior Zilio: "Man achieves greatness by the strength of his will and his own hands."

"Hmm... I suppose it rings a bell... Were they the ones who bewitched the river to make it sink barges?"

Mortis ex Verditus: "That's the one."

Prior Zilio: "Then you have tread far down the wrong path."

Mortis ex Verditus: "We've simply found a superior method of doing what the noble families of Rome have been doing for a thousand years."

Prior Zilio: "And what is that?"

Mortis ex Verditus: "Protecting the people of Rome from all threats, including merchants who don't pay taxes."

Guy of Bonisagus: "Forgive his comments, he's a bit, hm..." I tap my head. "But he does have some fine laborers in his employ. And it is the truth that it seems the wilder parts of the swamp are taking many lives."

Dušan of Criamon: slide whistle

Prior Zilio: lol

"I'm always open to a good deal, but your friend strikes me as one who belongs in a lunatic house."

Guy of Bonisagus: I shrug. "He provides interesting company, and his affliction hasn't spread."

Prior Zilio: "Is he looking for work? The Duc Colonna is a friend of mine. I think he could use a new court jester."

Mortis ex Verditus: "I would accuse you of hypocrisy, but in all fairness you do abstain from spellcasting."

Guy of Bonisagus: I laugh at the Prior's joke. "Ah, but in any case, I have had a look at the work site. With the few men left, it could take months just for the current phase of work to finish."

"And I'm sure you know hale and hearty men are in short supply these days."

Prior Zilio: "Alright." He rolls up his sleeves a bit and channels his inner Bursar. "I could offer half a pound for each serf you can supply, provided they survive to the end of the inning project."

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

Do his eyes glow blue like when Bolad channels a spirit?

Dušan of Criamon: lol

Prior Zilio: lol

he channels Mercury, god of Great Deals

Guy of Bonisagus: i will also ask the gm to secretly roll my +2 folk ken to see if he has any reaction to the idea of the work being delayed

Dušan of Criamon: what is the angle here

Prior Zilio rolls some dice

Prior Zilio:

(To GM) rolling 1d10!+2

(

9

)

+2

=

11

Dušan of Criamon: make the prior hire our undead

then tell the engineer to not disturb the vis source?

Guy of Bonisagus: seems like it

does mortis want to go for a higher price

Mortis ex Verditus: No, that sounds fine to me.

Dušan of Criamon: Well then this is essentially resolved

Mortis ex Verditus: I guess I'm not sure how many actual workers he wants.

Dušan of Criamon: though the stipulation calls for serfs "alive" by the end of the work period

hehe

Prior Zilio: "Excellent, bring your serfs by in the morning if you can and we can put this in ink."

Mortis ex Verditus: That is something of a problem.

Dušan of Criamon: The prior is resolved, let us bribe the engineer

actually, let us first ask politely

then bribe

Guy of Bonisagus: aye, lets leave the priors office

Dušan of Criamon: then extort

Guy of Bonisagus: yeah i wanna talk to him

he seems reasonable

Prior Zilio: You move next door.

Thomas Berenger: "Guy! A pleasure to see you again."

Dušan of Criamon: "Salve engineer!"

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "Ave, magister."

Guy of Bonisagus: I smile. "Aye, I thought of one more thing I would like to discuss with you."

Thomas Berenger: "Of course." He gestures to an empty chair across from his reading desk.

Dušan of Criamon: how do we play it

imply sentimental value?

Guy of Bonisagus: im just gonna try being honest and see what develops

Dušan of Criamon: that's always a good move

Mortis ex Verditus: We should just say that it's ours.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: thats my disciple.

Dušan of Criamon: my one question is: do we have confirmation the temple is going to become a wall

or like, destroyed in a way

Thomas Berenger: its going to be turned into farmland

Dušan of Criamon: maybe that should be the first question

Guy of Bonisagus: I take a seat. "Thank you once again. Mr. Berenger, I have a preference for being open and forthright about things. Do you know what lies in the current path of your project?"

Thomas Berenger: He cocks an eyebrow and studies you intently. ".... Marsh?"

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: "Ruins!"

Thomas Berenger: "Ruins?!"

Guy of Bonisagus: "Aye."

Thomas Berenger: He stands up abruptly, slamming his hands on his desk.

"Describe them to me! ... Please!"

Guy of Bonisagus: ah

so he didnt wanna destroy em

Dušan of Criamon: nice

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: hes a damn secret handshake haver.

Mortis ex Verditus: Nice, a fellow ruin enthusiast.

Guy of Bonisagus: I blink, not expecting this reaction. "Well, it's an old temple."

Dušan of Criamon: nothing suspicious

Guy of Bonisagus: "From the days of the Etruscans."

Thomas Berenger: "Etruscans? .... "

He looks lost in thought for a moment.

"Go on. Details, shapes, sizes, please."

Guy of Bonisagus: I will describe the temple for him, including the goddess depicted.

hey maybe hes not a bad guy

Thomas Berenger: He thinks.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: he's probably a mathematicus

Dušan of Criamon: tit for tat though: ask him what his deal is

Thomas Berenger: He looks at his servant, and Guy's "servants." "I need a work with Guy alone."

"Leave us."

Dušan of Criamon: Alright

Archibald of Guernicus: Oh boy

Guy of Bonisagus: I'll wave my sodales out.

Thomas Berenger: *a word

Everyone here leaves?

Dušan of Criamon: Sure

I immediately begin prying eyes from the corridor

Thomas Berenger: hehe

Dušan of Criamon: got your back Guy

Thomas Berenger: you can cast that without being noticed?

Dušan of Criamon: from outside his room?

Mortis ex Verditus: I have no reason to intrude on this conversation.

Guy of Bonisagus: if all the "servants" are just kind of crowding around waiting its probably not immediately visible to passersby

Thomas Berenger: just wondering if you have any of those virtues that let you cast without gestures or speech

Dušan of Criamon: oh hell yes, both

but i mean, I'm casting it out of his FO

Thomas Berenger: Sicknasty.

Mortis ex Verditus: I'll just "chill" outside.

Dušan of Criamon: FOV

Thomas Berenger: So everything that happens since is also witnessed by Dusan.

Berenger bites at his thumbnail and paces around for a minute, just thinking.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: i was going to stay!

but, i will depart.

Thomas Berenger: lol

Guy of Bonisagus: "You seem to have been expecting this on some level, Mr. Berenger."

Thomas Berenger: you fucker

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: since the narration has begun

cranked

Thomas Berenger: "First, Guy, I need to know.. How did you find these ruins?"

Guy of Bonisagus: "I came across a curio taken from it, and decided to investigate the source."

Thomas Berenger: "You wandered out into the swamp after a curio?"

Guy of Bonisagus: "You came from England seeking the potential for ruins, Mr. Berenger. I think we are equal here."

Thomas Berenger looks taken aback

Thomas Berenger: "Guy -- answer me this -- I need absolute certainty."

"At these ruins, was there an octagon?"

Guy of Bonisagus: was there?

Dušan of Criamon: Not to my knowledge

circles mostly

Guy of Bonisagus: "No."

Thomas Berenger: "You said it was Etruscan. You are sure of that? You saw nothing Roman or Greek?"

Mortis ex Verditus: Oh yeah for sure I know the difference.

Guy of Bonisagus: "The words were in Etruscan, and it looked to be untouched for the past 1800 years."

Thomas Berenger: "You saw nothing like this?" And he quickly draws a caduceus (symbol of Mercury) on a wax tablet.

Dušan of Criamon: different god, buddy

Guy of Bonisagus: "I did not. It was an Etruscan temple, this I can assure you of."

Thomas Berenger: "Damn.."

Guy of Bonisagus: "My turn to ask some questions though, Mr. Berenger. Why are you seeking temples to Mercury?"

Thomas Berenger: "I .. can't say. And.. I shouldn't have even mentioned it."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: If we had seen something resembling the Staff of Hermes we would have taken immediate notice.

Guy of Bonisagus: "You are in good company, Mr. Berenger. I believe I might even be able to help you, if you are willing to help me."

Thomas Berenger: He looks out the window for awhile before turning to you.

"You're suggesting a deal, then?"

Guy of Bonisagus: "Aye. I have an interest in keeping this temple unmolested."

"If you can promise me that your project will not see it damaged or destroyed... I can show you a true Mercurian temple. But I need to know I can trust you."

Thomas Berenger: "I don't need  a  temple. It's... I need to find something very particular. It's out there in the marsh."

"Will you help me?"

Guy of Bonisagus: "In the marsh? You're certain?"

Thomas Berenger: "Absolutely."

Guy of Bonisagus: "Tell me what you're looking for, or at least why."

Thomas Berenger: "The why -- absolutely not." He shakes his head. "If I tell you the what then you must swear secrecy to me. I am.. supposed to do this myself, you see."

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

Classic initiation ritual.

Guy of Bonisagus: "Very well. But know that if it's an item of magical power you seek, I can only promise to let you see it and study it at the moment."

Thomas Berenger: "I.. can't accept that promise. When I have found it I may receive, other instructions. Or others may have interest in it."

Guy of Bonisagus: "That's a decision I cannot make on my own. May I invite some of my associates back in?"

is archibald in the abbey or outside of it waiting

Thomas Berenger: "No!"

"I've erred too much even revealing this much to just one soul."

"If you won't help me then we have nothing more to say to each other."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Let's kill this guy

Guy of Bonisagus: I regard the man for a long moment.

Dušan of Criamon: take the deal

we can always back out on it

Mortis ex Verditus: Smart.

Guy of Bonisagus: "Let me verify one thing with my associates, then. Not a word about what we've discussed, but something else."

Thomas Berenger: "Then bring them in so I can hear what you discuss."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Well I forgot we can't easily interrogate ghosts any more

Guy of Bonisagus: I call for Dusan to come in.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: harsh.

Thomas Berenger: lol

Dušan of Criamon: Oh wow

Mortis ex Verditus: Talking to ghosts is Mentem magic.

Dušan of Criamon: I enter

Mortis ex Verditus: So you can still do it.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Black Gate is Corpus I thought

Oh well

Mortis ex Verditus: That's different.

That's talking to a body.

Thomas Berenger: and only the recently deceased

Dušan of Criamon: "Ave, agan."

Guy of Bonisagus: "Dusan. I know not if you have been, but please do not listen in on us. In any way."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Still, the corpus blight has taken its toll on the pillum first, ask questions later policy

Dušan of Criamon: "Hah, you phrased that very diplomatically. I shall not, and if i Have, I shall not continue."

"Good day to you both!" I leave the room.

Guy of Bonisagus: I turn back to the man. "As I said, I prefer an honest approach."

Mortis ex Verditus: Dusan please continue to spy on him.

Thomas Berenger nods

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: i can also spy on him.

just say the word.

Thomas Berenger: "Just to be sure, I will ask my servant to stand in front of the door so no ears might happen to press against it."

Guy of Bonisagus: in a -15 aura??

Dušan of Criamon: "It's completely out of my hands now, a sodalis asked me not to."

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: probably.

Dušan of Criamon shrugs

Thomas Berenger: He opens the door and issues these instructions, then closes the door, leaving you two alone again.

Mortis ex Verditus: "Don't you want to know what kind of mysteries he's getting involved with?"

Thomas Berenger: If no one spies, and no player here minds OOCly, I could conduct this next part with beardbeard entirely in whisper.

I know it is a little dull to those excluded though, so object now if you don't like it.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: i would rather just see it

Dušan of Criamon: I don't mind though I advertise now I will be going to bed within 40 minutes

Thomas Berenger: Ok.

We're hitting a natural stopping point soon.

Dušan of Criamon: flawless execution

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: the natural stopping point is guy's death by poisoning

Guy of Bonisagus: no!

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: Farewell.

Mortis ex Verditus: The natural break before session 3 where we try to talk to the Monskhood.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: It's cool knowing that if Milo of Guernicus so much as spat in the face of this infernalist he'd face multiple charges of mundane interference because he dindu nuffin

Guy of Bonisagus: lol

Dušan of Criamon: gone but not forgotten

Thomas Berenger: Berenger chooses his words carefully. "For the sake of, another, I need to find something that is lost in the marsh. It is an octagon of stone, large enough to fit many men atop it -- I do not know the exact measurements.

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: jesus.

Thomas Berenger: I know that if, in the course of the inning, I find objects related to the ancient pagan cult of Mercury, I am on the right track."

Guy of Bonisagus: "You seem a fine fellow. I would happily help you find this, if you can guarantee the safety of that temple. Do you know the device's purpose?"

Thomas Berenger: "I don't know why you call it a 'device,' by its description it is a landmark or a structure of some sort."

"... I have no notion what it is, or what it is for. Only that I am supposed to find it."

Guy of Bonisagus: "It surely serves, or served, some purpose. But yes, a structure might be a better term."

Thomas Berenger: "I can redirect the path of the workers tomorrow and your ruin will be safe. When I have found this structure I can concoct some excuse for leaving the temple be."

"But.. not a word of this to anyone. We are agreed?"

Guy of Bonisagus: "Agreed, though I'm sure you understand that if I am to help you find this I will need to at least have some assistance. The swamp is... dangerous in more ways than you imagine."

Thomas Berenger nods, and sinks back into his seat wearily.

Dušan of Criamon: not ONLY did we secure a vis source

we ALSO made a friend!

Mortis ex Verditus: Huzzah!

Dušan of Criamon: VT, baby

Thomas Berenger: I don't believe it myself

Guy of Bonisagus: "I happen to know of someone who could, most likely, find it quickly and easily now that I know what he's after."

"I will tell him only that we are doing a favor to secure that temple's safety."

johns (GM): "He will need to be sworn to secrecy as well then.."

Guy of Bonisagus: "He is present somewhere around here. Would you like me to fetch him?"

Thomas Berenger: "No, please.. In truth it is best if he never sees me or knows who I am."

"You and I will have a compact, and then you and he will have one."

Guy of Bonisagus: I think for a moment. "You are more right than you think, actually."

Thomas Berenger: "It is.. safest for me that way."

Archibald of Guernicus: ;)

Thomas Berenger: lol

Guy of Bonisagus: "Very well, I will find him. Again though, we will likely take others with us. Only hired to escort us, however, they won't need to know anything."

Thomas Berenger nods

Guy of Bonisagus: I rise from my chair and extend my hand again. "I am truly glad that we could work this out so peacefully. I will admit I had my concerns about your motives."

Thomas Berenger: He shakes your hand with the funny manner again.

Guy of Bonisagus: "We will begin our search either today or tomorrow, I should imagine. I'll let you know what we find."

I head out.

is archibald around

johns (GM): Pause here, or try to find & investigate the Octagon tonight?

Guy of Bonisagus: pause here imo

johns (GM): Sure.

Guy of Bonisagus: i just wanna do the explaining to archibald thing

Mortis ex Verditus: Sounds fine to me.

Archibald of Guernicus: Sure

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Are octagons platonic?

Guy of Bonisagus: I find Archibald. "Salve Archibald. I've secured the temple's safety."

Mortis ex Verditus: They're regular geometric shapes.

Dušan of Criamon: I don't know if they're platonic, but this sesh was SOLID

Mortis ex Verditus: So yes.

Dušan of Criamon: get it

Mortis ex Verditus: I get it.

johns (GM): hehe

Guy of Bonisagus: gahaha

johns (GM): "lol."

Sorry for this spilling into a THIRD session, but you have achieved an important goal in finding and safeguarding the vis site

Archibald of Guernicus: "You have? Good, good. No catches are there?"

Dušan of Criamon: this is cool

i'm cool with a multiparter

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Beandog: Did you know? a d10 is not a platonic solid.

Guy of Bonisagus: "Only one. We owe a favor, which we may stand to benefit from. I'll explain the details if you swear to say nothing to anyone."

Archibald of Guernicus: Yeah it was a little slow to start in the first session but it's been cool this week

moe: i feel i contributed, in a real player skill sort of way

i pushed a thing when we were slowing down

johns (GM): the d20 is platonic but hte d10 isnt

moe: i'm happy with myself

johns (GM): thats what matters most

moe: i'm going to eat shit the coming 48 hours but this was dope

Fiorella of Jerbiton: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platonic_solid d4 d6 d8 d12 and d20, but not d10

Archibald of Guernicus: "Secrecy is an important thing. You have my word as a quaesitor that, so long as it disnae harm the covenant or Order, I will say nothing."

Mortis ex Verditus: Sounds good.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Ironic that Ars Magica of all games has you rolling a non-platonic die

moe: alright, if i go to sleep now i'll just be able to do the most pressing things tomorrow morning before a job interview

Fiorella of Jerbiton: It should be d8, as 8 is very magical

Guy of Bonisagus: "Good. There's a Mercurian structure out there in the swamp, somewhere. A great stone octagon. With your abilities I think it should be easy enough to find. Then we simply report its location."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Something to keep in mind as you hunt the octogon

Archibald of Guernicus: "Mercurian? In that swamp you say?"

moe: ho boy uncontrolled seeing double, sleeping pills are doing hey job on top of a 19 hour waking cycle

smell you all later in the thread

johns (GM): yeep

be safe moe

moe: peace out

Mortis ex Verditus: See ya.

Archibald of Guernicus: gn moe

Guy of Bonisagus: "Aye. It doesn't seem like anything portable, so it should remain there for us to study later."

"Regardless, we can of course have a look beforehand."

Archibald of Guernicus: "What does our architect want with it?"

Guy of Bonisagus: I shrug.

"He said he doesn't know, just that he wants to find it."

Archibald of Guernicus:

(To GM) rolling 1d10+2+1

(

7

)

+2+1

=

10

Guy of Bonisagus: "The way I see it, we would likely have not even known of it without him. So it seems reasonable to let him look at it after we do."

Mortis ex Verditus: Are you going to tell anyone else about this?

Guy of Bonisagus: no

Mortis ex Verditus: Boo.

Guy of Bonisagus: i only told archibald after getting permission

johns (GM): Hm, I should tell (scans list) the loud mouth, the naive guy, the person constantly scheming to destroy the Order,

Archibald of Guernicus: "Guy, I believe we should look into the man's... employers, later. But for the meantime, yes, this does sound very significant."

Gulielmus ex Miscellanea: its so fucked up he cut the naive guy out of the deal.

guys a piece of shit.

Archibald of Guernicus: "What a find. And he took you into his confidence? Aye, this is something to investigate."

"What did you give as your end of the deal?"

Guy of Bonisagus: "He reroutes the project to preserve the temple and its aura, we tell him where this Mercurian structure is. That's all."

"The structure is what he was after to begin with, he thought the ruins might be it."

Archibald of Guernicus: "There's few people who'd be interested in such a structure outside our own order, we should tread carefully in that regard. There is a good chance that another magus hired him to find it. That said, if we find it, we have every right to investigate it."

Fiorella of Jerbiton: "He is suspicious, but if we can secure the vis site, that's acceptable."

Guy of Bonisagus: fiorella is NOT in this conversation

Fiorella of Jerbiton: sorry

Archibald of Guernicus does a double take at Fiorella warping into this private talk

Guy of Bonisagus: you better be!

Mortis ex Verditus: She's magical.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: I'm not

Mortis ex Verditus: Are too.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Screw that, i havne't done anything for a few hours, it was a reasonable assumption to make that we finally gathered

Apology retracted

Guy of Bonisagus: "I suspect some sort of hedge wizardry, at minimum. Perhaps even a non-Hermetic tie to the Cult of Mercury."

shaun is unleashing his full power

Archibald of Guernicus: "Oh, sorry, thought I heard something there." I cough "The swamp is quite vast, it'll take days of searching for sure, but a sun duration effect tae see through water, perhaps an Intellego Terram effect tae make stone stand out. It'll take a lot of footwork, but it's doable."

Guy of Bonisagus: I nod.

good game everyone

good session johns

Fiorella of Jerbiton: gg

johns (GM): See ya next week folks

Mortis ex Verditus: Hmm.

We should definitely do something about the magi who are conspiring behind our back.

johns (GM): we should be conspiracy behind THEIR back is what lavinia has been saying all along

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Fiorella wasn't even intended to be adventuring PC this go around, she was just picked up later so we could have an additional spontingg magi

Mortis ex Verditus: I don't understand.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Or whatever reason Archibald went to fetch me then.

Oh

Archibald of Guernicus: It was because of the infernal crows, your bird expertise seemed relevant and useful

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Oh right, I see now, there'w as a train of thought in my head so that statement is a massive non sequiter. Disregard

Sadly ornithology doesn't tell me much about inernal crows

Mortis ex Verditus: Done and done.

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Well, for curiosity's sake: johns, Fiorella has philosophiae and Magic Lore specialized in animal knowledge. Would eitehr of those cover insight into these crows?

Also chirurgy specialized in animal anatomy

johns (GM): no cause theyre infernal

Fiorella of Jerbiton: Ok

I'll let Archbald know there's no such thing as Bird Lore later