10/16/16

Darvin (GM): greetings!

johns (GM): Howdy

dys (GM): Hello gamers.

Darvin (GM): I will likely be a bit late today since I need to go pick something up, but Ferris will roll out with whatever.

johns (GM): rolling with the wizard posse

im running a quick errand too. back in 20

Giacopo: aging 11, 4, 10, 6, 15, 7, 19,

Endrite (GM): What the heck?

Giacopo: I know, right. I shouldn't be getting rolls like this with a proper doctor

Endrite (GM): What the heck, why are these pictures of gold coins so gigantic?

johns (GM): It's a lot of gold.

Endrite: Yeah but the image is mostly transparent.

Lavinia of Jerbiton: Actually, for the sake of us that decided not to go wading into a swamp, can someone tell me what happened and where all this gold came from?

Endrite: I don't think anyone here right now actually knows where it came from.

dys (GM): I do. I was there.

500 mythic pounds of plunder from a satanists laboratory.

Sadly we wasted a whole 30 pounds of it on bribes.

Lavinia of Jerbiton: A satanist lab?

Endrite: Metal Gear?

dys (GM): In a cave in the swamp, yeah. It's what the Flambeau, rip, was trying to find and stop.

Found him and his grogs dead.

I decapitated a two-headed monster.

Lavinia of Jerbiton: "Congrats!"

Proclus of Rome: "Where did the Internalist get it? Shouldn't it be returned to its proper owners?"

Lavinia of Jerbiton: "Did they leave a reciept?"

Proclus of Rome: Oh I need to roll for Aegis of the Hearth.

rolling 1d10! + 25

(

10

+

4

)

+25

=

39

Pretty good.

Archibald of Guernicus: "If we come across those he took it from, nae reason not to give their share back. But I suspect most of this will stay in our possession."

"Better put to good use than rotting in that lab."

Lavinia of Jerbiton: "Great! Let's spend it quick. Hoarding is avarice, after all."

Archibald of Guernicus: Damn if it ain't true.

Will Venator show up to personally boot Bonfilia onto the streets.

Venator ex Misc: "Impromptu council meeting time! Everyone please give a warm Vardian's welcome to our newest Maga, Beatrice d'Orsini."

Proclus of Rome: "The covenant is becoming pretty crowded."

Beatrice Orsini : I hope the meeting's at night.

also, i fit into smaller space

Venator ex Misc: did Beatrice wind up being a dwarf

Archibald of Guernicus: "Ach, we've plenty of room. If we dig a new floor."

Beatrice Orsini : no, just small

still size -1

Giacopo: Orsini? Aren't they gentry?

Archibald of Guernicus: I took that on the redcap I made, two midgets are showing up in one session.

Giacopo: My word, this place is really coming up in the world. No doubt it's down to the reputation of my workshop

Venator ex Misc: Is your Redcap ready to roll out today?

Archibald of Guernicus: No magic items finished up for them and I want to tweak their abilities but otherwise, yes.

Already added them to the character list.

I'll rejoin as a player.

Venator ex Misc: Excellent -- we'll get to Zita's intro in a minute

"Apologies if I cannot stay and manage your welcome better but I have pressing business... elsewhere. I may be gone for some time. I am also taking Bonfilia with me."

"I trust you can all beh, well, manage yourselves in my absence."

Proclus of Rome: "Good riddance."

Archibald of Guernicus: "What a shame."

Giacopo: k

johns (GM): Well, anyway. It is now Fall 1326, when Ildebrando informs you of an unusual visitor: A noblelady -- "I mean, another noblelady, madame Orsini" -- with her retinue and a familiar messenger in a red cap.

She asks to speak to the Magi of Vardian's Tomb, naming a few of you by name, up in the inn.

Proclus of Rome: Hmm.

"It is well that we should be recognized for our contributions to the city."

Zita: "You have a Proclus here, don't you? A Lavinia, a Venator." I check my notes some more "A Ferris?"

Proclus of Rome: "Yes, I am Proclus of Rome."

johns (GM): The lady travels with her 4 guards, a handmaiden, and Zita the redcap. Her retinue is quite out of place in the Eastern Ear Inn.

Zita: "Good to make your acquaintance, Proclus. The lady here is in need of some help, and I've heard good things about Vardian's Tomb and its good will."

Beatrice Orsini : I suppose if she's travelling with a redcap, I think I can go out without being invisible.

Proclus of Rome: "We are very interested in helping the needy, that is true."

"What do you need that you cannot already acquire with your name?"

johns (GM): Are you addressing that to your guest

Proclus of Rome: Yes.

Wait do I know her name?

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "I am the Lady Gracia St. Duane, baroness of the town of Montcuq, of the Kingdom of Naples."

Giacopo: A baroness is a baroness, even if she's a frank

Proclus of Rome: Well, she definitely made quite a trip to get here.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "I am... at my wit's ends. I have nowhere else to turn to, I beg you to please listen to my story and help me."

And here's the case she recounts:

She is the lady of Montcuq, which is located near the border of Naples / the Papal States, so not too far from here.

Her husband is Rogier St. Daune. About 18 months ago, Rogier went to Avignon. The family had lost some property during the Aragonese crusade and he was going to lobby the Pope for its return.

Proclus of Rome: Seems fair.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: Ten months ago, Lady Gracia was delighted when her husband returned home unexpectedly in the night and.. "we did, as, well, couples do." She blushes.

"The next morning he was gone. No one but Eloise my handmaiden saw him come or go. And within a few weeks I received a letter of my beloved speaking of business in Avignon as usual... I think that, it seems impossible he could have been in Montcuq that night."

Giacopo: i don't follow, please roll comm+innuendo

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "I... Well, I am not certain.. But I know that afterwards I was with child, blessed be. And a month ago I have given birth to my son, Valentin..."

Proclus of Rome: Hmm.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "Listen, please, and help me understand what is going on. The child.. I feel it can't be Rogier's certainly, but.. Why does no one else recognize it?"

Proclus of Rome: Well, it seems possible that someone else wrote the letter.

Giacopo: where is this conference being held btw? is it forward if i overhear it?

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "No one sees anything odd. Everyone is convinced the child is Rogier's even though it should be impossible. ... Except for 3.."

Beatrice Orsini : We're in the inn, iirc.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: You can be there if you like as an official "companion" of OoH

Proclus of Rome: "3?"

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "Yes.. I remember these vividly, these I can be sure happened..

Giacopo: I don't usually take an interest in the magi's business but i insinuate myself in because this lady seems like a potential customer

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "The first was a young woman who had just been married, and I met her procession while I was with a hunting trip outside the village. I was visibly with child then and the bride asked who the father was..

Proclus of Rome: "That seems forward of her."

Lady Gracia St. Daune: I thought her a half-wit for.. Wasn't Rogier telling me how proud he was of the pregnancy before he set off to Avignon?"

"But now that episode.. It's like remembering a dream.." She frets.

"My mother-in-law, she came to the barony, furious, screaming at me about the child, I couldn't understand what she was worked up about-- and then suddenly just before the evening meal, she came up to me and apologized, and said she had no idea what came over her!"

Proclus of Rome: Hmm.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "Father Tomas, I met while hawking one day, and he questioned me at length about the child as well. I responded, well, indignantly, and accused him of listening to Fraticelli gossip.. He has not raised the matter since."

Zita: "And there you have it, good sirs."

Proclus of Rome: "That is truly strange. Is Father Tomas still well?"

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "Wizards, please, my husband has just written to say he is on his way home from Avignon.. When he comes home the dishonor will be.."

Giacopo: "fraticelli gossip?"

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "Father Tomas.. yes, he goes about his business, his sermons as always. Nothing seems different.."

"There are some Fraticelli in Montcuq. They're harmless if a bit, uptight."

Giacopo: "would they have cause to slander your family?"

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "My husband is a devoted Guelph, to which the Fraticelli often object. They like to talk ill of the wealthy, also."

Proclus of Rome: "Where is your son now?"

Giacopo: "tch. sheer envy"

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "At the castle, in Montcuq, with his nurse. It is not sensible for a 1 month old to travel, after all."

Proclus of Rome: "Oh, certainly." I say with no certainty.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: q & a time, get all the info you can get

Proclus of Rome: Hmm.

Giacopo: well clearly you'll need to visit montcuq

i'll prepare a gift for our hosts

Proclus of Rome: "Was anything strange when you met your husband that night?"

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "Hmm.."

"He came in just after I had retired. Eloise -- " she acknowledges the handmaiden by her side-- "saw him, and he dismissed her from the chamber. It was definitely him in every respect, only his accent seemed slightly odd. He even knew a.. special name that is.. only know to the two of us." She blushes.

"He was in good spirits but seemed in a hurry to get to affair d'amour... Oh, I recall he was also wearing a strong, sweet smelling musk perfume. He said he had bought it in Paris."

Proclus of Rome: Hmm.

Giacopo: "Understand, madam, what you repeat here will be kept in the strictest confidence. Why, Ildebrando here is the very soul of discretion.

Proclus of Rome: Too bad we can't communicate the qualities of smell.

Giacopo: "With that said, we must know the name your "husband" spoke to make any progress in this case"

what kind of area lore does it take to know you won't visit paris on a trip to avignon

Lady Gracia St. Daune: some italian pet name idk

It certainly stands out as odd

Proclus of Rome: We should have a big map of Europe with a knife stuck in it.

That seems like a sensible purchase.

Beatrice Orsini : why ruin a good map

Lady Gracia St. Daune: ^^

Giacopo: why blunt a good knife?

Zita: Knives give it flavour.

Beatrice Orsini : also give me a second, i might have a good map of europe

Lady Gracia St. Daune: Per + Folk Ken rolls on anyone who wants to scrutinize this lady

Giacopo: I will! 15

Proclus of Rome:

rolling 1d10 + 0 + 5

(

4

)

+0+5

=

9

Zita: Can't hurt, I'll roll too

rolling 1d10+1+3

(

3

)

+1+3

=

7

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "I promise you, I have access to things you Magi will want, if you save me from dishonor and... my very life could be forfeit if a church court were to intervene!"

(To Giacopo): She's telling the truth but holding something back

Giacopo squints his prematurely wizened, nut-brown face at the visitor

Zita: "My lady, I assure you these men are fit to task." Probably

Proclus of Rome: "Too true."

"We have solved many mysteries in our time."

Lady Gracia St. Daune: She clasps her hands to her face and despairs visibly.

Giacopo: "oh of course madam! there can be no question but that the magi will do all they can to get to the bottom of a case so curi... delicate"

Beatrice Orsini : i have a map of europe: http://puu.sh/rLhHa/849ac184ea.jpg

(From Ferris of Bonisagus): greetings again

(To Ferris of Bonisagus): Welcome

Proclus of Rome: What is this, a map for ants?

Lady Gracia St. Daune: To quickly recap for Ferris' sake: This lady was visited by her husband who was away in France, though actually it was impossible for her husband to be there at the time, the child obviously isn't his but no one in the town seems to realize it

Giacopo: "But if you wish for their success, my lady, with all your heart, then you must give all assistance to their inquiries that you can. It might prove difficult, but there can be no shame in it."

I want to roll something to urge her to greater honesty. Is charm appropriate? Etiquette?

Lady Gracia St. Daune: i feel like, 1000 years after the roman empire, mapmakers should at least realize Italy looks like a boot

You can try either and I'll tailor the response appropriately

Proclus of Rome: Does anyone know how to determine the parentage of a baby?

I have no idea.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: horoscopes, intelligo corpus can do it

Giacopo: i'll try my native charm then, to break down the barriers of etiquette

Proclus of Rome: Horoscopes eh?

Beatrice Orsini : cast bloodline target spell on the supposed father, see if it affects the baby

Giacopo:

rolling d10+2+12 com+charm

(

5

)

+2+12

=

19

Proclus of Rome: I can cast a horoscope.

Ferris of Bonisagus: Thanks for the recap. I was reading the backlog.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: i recognize sicily and jerusalem on that map and nothing else, what a mess

Giacopo: Properly I think you'd need an Inception, which you then draw up a horoscope to match to particular person

it's a season's work, if you have good AL

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "I think.. I may be going mad."

"I could have sworn-- sworn it, that Rogier issued a proclamation announcing the pregnancy before heading off to Avignon, and that his return must have been a dream.."

Proclus of Rome: It is, in fact a season's work.

"Then shouldn't your son be 9 months old?"

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "But then, the just a few days ago, I was in Naples conversing with a lady, and I suddenly came to my senses.. Or did I? Am I  now  mixed up and  then  right?"

"Yes, that would be right... I, think, Rogier left 18 months ago. But.. I don't know anymore!"

Giacopo: "Oh I doubt very much you're going mad. More likely you're visited by one of the good folk. But we could have the lady doctor examine you, if you like."

Lavinia of Jerbiton: I prescribe Trepanation

Proclus of Rome: "Ascertaining the age of the child should be simple."

"For us."

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "That is why I asked Zita about getting a member of your order to help."

Proclus of Rome: Is age general information or specific information for the purpose of InCo?

Giacopo: zita is a redcap, right?

Beatrice Orsini : changing color should be base 1 + 1 Touch + 1 Diam + 3 Bloodline. That would be level 10 MuIm to have the the target and all of their descendants change color slightly. if the kid is Rogier's it should work, if we can get them into the same room

(To Hafl T.): Something not really conveyed by her token is her elfin appearance that would make Beatrice suspect a bit of fae blood

Giacopo: how is she known lady gracia

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "My father was a friend of Valgravian of Jerbiton, who lived in Bologna. I met him a few times as a young girl, and made the acquaintance of Zita that way."

Proclus of Rome: I think a simple examination of the age would be much more discrete and answer all of our questions.

Zita: "Mmhm. The old man's in twilight now, has been for 5 years."

"Shame, he was nice."

Ah, and yes, I'm a redcap.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: You know Valgravian of Literatus covenant and those details

Well knew. RIP.

Zita: Twilight can go longer than 5 years can't it? He'll be fine.

Any moment now he'll be back.

Proclus of Rome: Maybe.

Beatrice Orsini : "Hmm, lady Gracia, I might have some questions for you that relate to your family. Would you mind answering them?"

Giacopo: if her family associates with magi you'd think she'd realise she's being manipulated by magic rather than going mad

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "My family?"

"They have nothing to do with this matter, madame, I can assure you."

"My parents have been dead some many years now."

Beatrice Orsini : I'll brush away my hair to show her my Strong Faerie Blood feature of pointed ears. "There might be some issues in your parentage similar to mine."

Proclus of Rome: Yikes!

I'm shocked!

Lady Gracia St. Daune: Folk ken

Beatrice Orsini :

rolling 1d10+0 per + 0 folk ken

(

3

)

+0

=

3

no

Lady Gracia St. Daune: She shakes her head. "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about."

Proclus of Rome: "I'm sure her blood is as pure as the driven snow, Beatrice."

"How could you even suggest otherwise?"

Ferris of Bonisagus: "We are simply looking for any relevant information that might help."

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "Thank you, I understand. But as I said, my parents are long gone and have no bearing here."

Giacopo: "she's saying your bloodline has been blessed by one of the Good Folk, my lady. It's most often a boon but they sometimes lack delicacy"

Lady Gracia St. Daune: anyone can folk ken to see if she's lying but she's not going to budge on this if you keep pressing

Giacopo grins brownieshly

Lady Gracia St. Daune: Even without folk ken you've clearly touched a nerve

Proclus of Rome:

rolling 1d10 + 0 + 5

(

5

)

+0+5

=

10

Ferris of Bonisagus: Is anyone going to trynthe "Tint the Bloodlines" spell?

Giacopo: if she wants to lie let her lie

Beatrice Orsini : i would have to have the father

Proclus of Rome: I'm not going to put up with any fairy tricks in my home.

Beatrice Orsini : spouses don't count into bloodline

Giacopo: but also steal an arcane connection and read her memories at your leisure

Beatrice Orsini : so i could identify the kid as hers, possibly

Lady Gracia St. Daune: You can wait for Rogier to show up, but the lady would prefer you figure out what's going on before then as she worries things will go.. bad once he's there

Beatrice Orsini : which is a good idea

is it really her kid?

if fairies are involved, it might not be

Proclus of Rome: I mean we should check and find out.

Giacopo: ooh that's worth ruling out

Zita: Can't hurt to check.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: Alright, if you have no more questions here we can visit Montcuq

Ferris of Bonisagus: Tint the kid and see of her and the husband light up

Beatrice Orsini : I'll eventually work out a synaesthesia spell to see smells with sight and make a bloodline identification spell that changes smells.

Giacopo: are we accompanying her back or travelling at our leisure?

Beatrice Orsini : it works only down

not up

Ferris of Bonisagus: Ah

Giacopo: also: are children one month old generally christened already?

Proclus of Rome: Unless you think the answers can be found in Rome there's no reason to wait around.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: She can go along with you or go ahead but she's in a hurry to get back to her kid

Giacopo: well it's a formal visit to significant nobility, so I want to prepare an Excellent (+3) gift for her child

Beatrice Orsini : I'm Major Compassionate, so I have to help if she's asking, plus it's personally interesting and being out of Rome is good.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: I think he would've been baptised but I don't know the particulars there

You're thinking in terms of dispelling any magical effects on the kid?

Giacopo: no actually i'm wondering whether a christening gown is an appropriate gift

hell i'll make some kind of baby clothes. they give +3 to his charm.

Proclus of Rome: Baptism is supposed to happen as soon as possible.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: He's a baby, I'm not sure he can appreciate any gifts

Beatrice Orsini : it's to impress the parents

Zita: It's likely a fae if he's been baptised, think a devil child would react to it.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: how did dutch put it: children before 2 are biological machines that turn food into poop and screams

Proclus of Rome: Midwives are even allowed to perform it if the mother dies in childbirth.

Giacopo: which is pretty incredible, because people pay a lot for actual machines that do that

Beatrice Orsini : pretty much anyone can perform it, since it's so important

Proclus of Rome: So by one month it's probably been baptized.

Or 9 months.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: Ferris & Proclus are going along?

Proclus of Rome: Sure.

I don't like fairy meddling, especially in the ruling classes.

Ferris of Bonisagus: yep

Giacopo: I love it!

Beatrice Orsini : if the father arrives early, i can use veil of invisibility and captive voice to keep the baby hidden

Zita: I'll attach myself to the magi's adventure, looking to see just how they go about solving mysteries.

Giacopo: i love fairy meddling so much, meddling is my major personality flaw

that;s why i haven't left my workshop in seven years

Lady Gracia St. Daune: Cool, well as indicated by the map, it's not too far at all, traveling with the lady's retinue you aren't slowed or hassled at all

Proclus of Rome: Excellent.

What kind of castle is it?

Lady Gracia St. Daune: It's a tall tower thing, you can sorta see it on the right side of that city picture still standin

Proclus of Rome: Alright.

Wow, this is a very luxurious looking castle.

Giacopo: hmm. looks like the ArM5 house style

Lady Gracia St. Daune: The city itself is a walled town on a hill, Dominion 2. Reminder that you can work to mitigate the nastiness of Dominion through ceremonial casting & using vis on your spell casting

Proclus of Rome: So is Montcuq officially a town or is it merely a large village?

Lady Gracia St. Daune: It's a barony

Proclus of Rome: Hmm.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: It's got a few trade guilds so I guess I'd call it a town

Giacopo: it's got its own Dove Cove

Proclus of Rome: Well sure.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: There's two gatehouses into the vil, er, town, one north and one south. As you approach the town, there is a wedding procession coming out of the south gate, headed out and away from the town.

Proclus of Rome: How else are you going to eat them?

A wedding eh?

Someone should check it out.

Giacopo: lot of weddings lately

maybe that's not so strange

Lady Gracia St. Daune: Looks like your typical medieval wedding except it's headed away from the church instead of towards it.

Proclus of Rome: That seems like it would be very atypical.

Beatrice Orsini : hmm, could be a funeral then

Proclus of Rome: How many people are in the procession?

Ferris of Bonisagus: The difference should be easy to spot...

johns (GM): bout 20

Proclus of Rome: Hmm.

Giacopo: I tell the magi I'll catch up and go join the crowd of revellers

Proclus of Rome: Someone should follow them.

Giacopo: "What cheer, neighbour?"

Proclus of Rome: Oh thnx Giacopo.

Peasant: The processionist looks at you like you're stupid. "Hildy & Sammy are getting married, o'course. We're headed to the church at [nearby village]."

Giacopo: "And may all the good saints bless their union! And all the fine spirits on earth, too."

I take a swig from my travelling flask and offer it to him

Peasant: He drinks it gamely.

(guess no one taught him about accepting drink from a faerie..)

Giacopo: "Is she an out-of-towner? Seems odd not to get wedded in your own church"

Peasant: "Bishop's edict. No weddings in Montcuq."

Proclus of Rome: Hmm.

Giacopo: "Well that's a hard line to take at the heigh of the marrying season. What crawled up his mitre?"

Peasant: in nameless one voice: updated the character journal

The peasant shrugs. "Not my place to question it."

Giacopo: "always a wise stance."

Zita: "Maybe the clergy would know."

Giacopo: i'll tag along and see if i pick up anything useful but feel free to switch scene

Peasant: Sure.

Zita and the Magi heading through one of the gates?

Proclus of Rome: I shall.

Beatrice Orsini : Sure.

johns (GM): Pick one (randomly if need be)

Ferris of Bonisagus: Maybe we should stop by the church

Zita: I have a virtue for this

Intuition

johns (GM): You intuit the guy at the northern gate is more sociable if you feel like pressing anyone for info. That's all.

Proclus of Rome: Hmm.

Good eye, Zita.

Zita: "Let's take this gate here, got a good feeling about it."

johns (GM): The lame gatekeeper sees you travel with Lady St. Duane and bows respectfully to you all. "Good day mlords. No charge for m'lady's friends, of course."

The gate is as pictured below, a wooden construction with a heralry shield hanging on the gatehouse

The lady heads on in, do you follow or talk to this guy

Proclus of Rome: What's with the pointy eared traveler?

johns (GM): maybe the artists was trying to double dip and make a commission for D&D at the same time

Beatrice Orsini : actually, that's me

Proclus of Rome: Hmph.

Zita: "Excuse me, might you know why weddings are banned within Montcuq?" I ask the gatekeeper

Perrin: "Father Tomas said he got a letter from the Bishop about it, something about taxes or.. Noble affairs, I can't keep up with it all, y'know."

Giacopo: who can?!

Ferris of Bonisagus: "The Bishop isn't local by any chance, is he?"

Perrin: "He's in, mm, can't remember the name right off hand but it's a couple days from here."

Proclus of Rome: Taxes?

Don't peasants have to pay a fine if they aren't married?

Seems like we should get to the bottom of this, as well.

Perrin: The source material names are all Occitan and I'm having trouble thinking of Neopolitan city names off the top of my head lol. But if you want to go to the Bishop's cathedral you can

it's just a bit of travel from here.

Proclus of Rome: Well I think we should just ask Father Tomas first.

Giacopo: why not just ask lady bneatrice

Proclus of Rome: You know, while we're here.

Zita: I'll head on and catch up with Lady St. Duane, I have a thought on this

Perrin: Okay

Ferris of Bonisagus: Well, we should focus on the job that has a clear benefit for us in the end before going out if the way for a problem where we aren't requested, yet.

Perrin passes a note to a player

Zita: "My lady, this may seem a strange question, but where were you and your husband married?"

(To Zita): passing through the gate, you suddenly wonder what all the fuss is. You have lost all memory of how long Baron Rogier was away from Montcuq.

Zita: OR not

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "In that very church a few years past."

Proclus of Rome: Hmm.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: Zita has passed on ahead

Proclus/Ferris you going with or staying with Perrin?

Zita: "Ah, I see. That is a strange question, isn't it. I don't quite know why I asked."

Proclus of Rome: I'll stay with Perrin.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: Sorry, Beatrice there too

Proclus of Rome: He might know more about any strange travelers.

Beatrice Orsini : I'll go with Zita. I might need the possible protection.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: Great!

Now we get to why I'm being so particular about this:

As you pass through the gatehouse, you feel an effect resisted by your Parma.

Zita: I forgot to say it earlier, is it alright to mention to the magi that they should look out for me acting strange, as I don't have parma.

I meant to say before we left.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: Well they'll certainly know it now

Ferris of Bonisagus: I stayed with Proclus

Lady Gracia St. Daune: Additionally, there is a hint of musky/sweet scent about the gatehouse.

Beatrice Orsini : Hmm.

Zita: "Beatrice, do you have any ideas about... well, what was the problem again?"

Beatrice Orsini : It's too late to turn back and tell Ferris and Proclus now, I think.

"Oh, I have ideas."

Lady Gracia St. Daune: You can come and go as you please

Beatrice Orsini : "Nothing that I'd care to discuss before I know more, though."

or in the lady's presence

Zita: You heard my question if you came with me, at least.

Beatrice Orsini : yeah

Zita: I shrug and wander around with Lady St. Duane some more, unsure why we're here.

Beatrice Orsini : "The problem is that the child couldn't have fathered by Lady Gracia's husband."

In Latin.

Zita: "Why couldn't it?"

I have the gift of tongues, so I can understand latin. Woo.

Beatrice Orsini : "The time does not fit."

Zita: "He's been here this whole time, hasn't he?"

Beatrice Orsini : "It's a long way for Avignon. Certainly too long for the husband to come back just to see his wife."

"No, he's been in Avignon."

Zita: "Wasn't gone for long, he must have been around."

Beatrice Orsini : Hmm.

Time to go talk to the Lady in person.

It might be foolish.

"Lady Gracia, may I have a word?"

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "Yes, my lady?"

Beatrice Orsini : In Italian to her, I guess. Unless she understands Latin.

"Your husband has been in Avignon, right? You told us so."

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "Yes."

Beatrice Orsini : "And you told my companion as well."

"Yet, she seems to be under the impression that he's been here the whole time."

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "That's impossible, though?"

Beatrice Orsini : "And there's something strange about the gate we passed to get into town."

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "Surely I'm not that mad?"

Beatrice Orsini : "The question is, how were you able to resist whatever made my companion change her mind?"

Lady Gracia St. Daune: She frets. "I don't understand what you mean."

(To Zita): To be clear you know that Rogier was Away but you don't know he was away for 18 months. should've been clear

Beatrice Orsini : "You know about the issues in my bloodline. You can tell me. If need be, I'll try asking Zita to leave us alone."

(To Zita): "removes any memory of how long the Comte has been away, permanently."

Beatrice Orsini : can i try charming her?

Lady Gracia St. Daune: Sure

Beatrice Orsini : it's a long shot

Lady Gracia St. Daune: Is this a faery thing? I don't know the mechanics of it

Beatrice Orsini : stressed roll?

no, just regular charm. using my faerie blood as a roleplaying excuse

Lady Gracia St. Daune: Regular roll

Giacopo: don't forget gift penalties!

Beatrice Orsini : i know

rolling 1d10+3-3+5 pre+charm

(

8

)

+3-3+5

=

13

Lady Gracia St. Daune: -5 instead of +5, right?

Beatrice Orsini : oh, hten it's 11

Lady Gracia St. Daune: er sorry. gift penalty is -5 under BR's system

Giacopo: no, I'm sorry

Beatrice Orsini : doesn't matter anyway, since degrees of success are by 5

Lady Gracia St. Daune: sorry. sorry. sorry. sorry.

Beatrice Orsini : 3 pre 5 charm

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "Don't cast aspersions about my lineage! I honestly have no idea what you're talking about with gates or what, and this has nothing to do with why we're here."

"Which is.."

Beatrice Orsini : "Oh, I see."

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "Oh heavens, what is happening? I could've sworn.. but."

Beatrice Orsini : "I apologize, my lady."

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "Beatrice, how long did I saw Rogier was away from Montcuq?"

* say

Beatrice Orsini : "18 months, I believe."

Lady Gracia St. Daune: "But that's impossible, Valentin was born 1 month ago.. Aaaaah!"

"What is happening here??"

Beatrice Orsini : "That is the issue we're trying to investigate."

"Perhaps a prayer would calm your mind. We could stop by the church until others catch up."

Lady Gracia St. Daune: Alright

Proclus/Ferris, anything you want to do?

johns (GM): Church is Dominion 3, Father Tomas is tending to his duties outside of service at this time.

Proclus of Rome: Yeah if Perrin doesn't know anything else I'll head to the church.

Zita: "Miss Beatrice, can I ask a favour? I can only assume something is awry, would you mind extending your parma to me for the moment?"

johns (GM): Cool-- you also feel an effect resisted by your Parma as you pass through the gatehouse

Beatrice Orsini : "Oh, very well."

I'll extend my parma over Zita.

johns (GM): & the same musky smell

Proclus of Rome: That's weird.

Zita: "You can retract it later, just use my reactions to guage when something is going on."

Beatrice Orsini : I don't know if it'll do anything at this point, though.

Proclus of Rome: Do I notice anything when I reach the church?

johns (GM): Nope

Zita: I lost a specific memory, but you've instructed me on it again so I think it's no longer a problem

It's not an ongoing effect, I believe

johns (GM): Zita once you're reminded that Rogier was away 18 months you realize that that is, of course, the whole reason you're here. Why did you even doubt it?

Ferris of Bonisagus: Ill try follow Proclus to the church, sorry for the delay

Proclus of Rome: Why are Italians playing Irish music?

Father Tomas tends his alter and the sacred oil and whatnot

Proclus of Rome: This is VERY suspicious.

Beatrice Orsini : italy is very cosmopolitan

also faeries are irish

Father Tomas: idk who's been touching the jukebox lol

Proclus of Rome: Not to mention the obvious French influences in this town.

Giacopo: idk. why does our home base have a cello theme?

Proclus of Rome: I'm HUGELY suspicious.

Giacopo: it's extremely anachronistic

Beatrice Orsini : if someone invents cello, i could try making an enchanted item to play the music

Ferris of Bonisagus: Ill call out to Father Thomas to get his attention.

Beatrice Orsini : "Wait, Ferris."

Father Tomas: "Yes, erm, my son?" He regards you a little dubiously.

Beatrice Orsini : Oh well.

I'll use the time to talk with Proclus instead.

Father Tomas: feel free to multitask

i don't mind!

Beatrice Orsini : I don¨t want the priest to hear.

So if Ferris is distracting him, I'll talk to Proclus.

Ferris of Bonisagus: "I've heard the bishop doesn't want any wedding going on in this town, why is that?"

Proclus of Rome: "What did you learn from the lady St. Duane?"

Beatrice Orsini : "She was affected by whatever enchantment is on the gatehouse. I trust you also noticed it."

"She forgot her husband was gone."

Giacopo: oh wait we need churchg not wedding

Ferris of Bonisagus: "Pardon my intrusion into local politics, if you don't mind..."

Beatrice Orsini : "So our issue might be solved."

Father Tomas: "It is a bit odd, I confess. The bishop's edict says that in the absence of the Baron, no weddings are to be conducted within these walls, as the feudal fees owed him cannot be collected."

Zita: "Same here." I tap my head

Beatrice Orsini : "Her husband will likely also forget about his absence when he arrives in town."

Proclus of Rome: "This is shocking."

Beatrice Orsini : "But we should still investigate."

Father Tomas: Area Lore and Civil&Canon Law rolls here can help

Proclus of Rome: "Who would trouble an entire town to rape a single woman?"

Father Tomas: Area Lore Rome (or Italy) to be specific

Zita: "If he forgets his own absence that's even more trouble. Everyone he met in Avignon will think him mad."

Beatrice Orsini : "A faerie creature probably."

Ferris of Bonisagus:

rolling 1d10! + 3 + 0 + 0

(

4

)

+3+0+0

=

7

Beatrice Orsini : "As much as she would like to deny it, the Lady has some faerie blood."

Proclus of Rome: "More fairy meddling."

Beatrice Orsini : "A fairy heir to the barony might be... interesting."

Father Tomas: This sounds a little weird Ferris but you don't know enough to elaborate why.

Proclus of Rome: "Why would you make such an accusation?"

Ferris of Bonisagus: "Where is the Baron? And surely someone could collect the taxes in his name."

Beatrice Orsini : "Fairy blood is rather easy to spot."

"You would notice it in me, if the Tomb was better lighted."

Giacopo: that's not necessarily true at all

Father Tomas: "He's been in Avignon on some business for.. uh, some time now. And you know, now that you mention it, Bishop Berasc has never cared about this kind of thing before. Nevertheless it's his dioecese so I obey his edict."

Beatrice Orsini : "Even if it's not fairy blood, the lady is obviously troubled abotu some aspect of her lineage."

"Might be just mundane meddling using obscure inheritance laws with magical support."

Ferris of Bonisagus: "Is there anything different about the weddings now that they are heading out of town?"

Proclus of Rome: "Likely it is just a relation to some bastard or other. The nobility do like to keep track of such things, after all."

Beatrice Orsini : the weddings have pass through the gate

"Yes. I know."

"Still, the enchantment on the gate means this case merits investigation."

Father Tomas: "It's up to the neighboring priests to officiate now. The procession heads off to another church for the ceremony and then the celebration. It's a bit sad isn't it? I have always loved officiating."

Zita: "Exactly. I wouldn't have come to you all if I didn't think her case sounded like magical meddling of some sort."

Proclus of Rome: "It is likely that she has just attracted the influence of some malevolent fairy. After all, such things are known to happen."

Beatrice Orsini : "Do we know anyone knowledgeable about the law? Could the bishop's ban on weddings in town be used to annul the Lady's marriage?"

"Even if retroactively."

Ferris of Bonisagus: "Truely you are being robbed of one of duties. If this is unusual behavior from the Bishop you are suffering from undo hardship. Has there been anything going on in the town that would make him change his normal attitude?"

Giacopo: when ws the ban put in place?

Father Tomas: 18 months ago.

Beatrice Orsini : "Or maybe the local priest made himself unsuitable to performing marriages and the bishop is just discreet."

Proclus of Rome: Now that's suspicious.

Giacopo: well it seems like a stretch then

Father Tomas: If you ask him: "A monk came bearing it, mm, 18 months ago."

Proclus of Rome: A fairy meddling in the Church would be absolutely unacceptable.

Beatrice Orsini : i know

Giacopo: i don't, because i'm off getting drunk with some peasants

Beatrice Orsini : the last time fairies meddled with the church, beatrice was born

Father Tomas: To Ferris' question, he shrugs. "Anything new? Only thing new happening around here is the Baron heading out.. and of course we're all very delighted about the birth of his heir, but that was just a month ago."

Proclus of Rome: Hmm.

Ferris of Bonisagus: "Has the boy been baptized?"

Proclus of Rome: How does Father Tomas remember the correct date?

Father Tomas: 'The guildsmen might know more, incorrigible gossips they are. They keep an office near the marketplace. Sorry I can't shed more light on it."

"Well, yes, of course... The Lady St. Duane knows you are asking about this? Respectfully."

Proclus, he seems to take the loss of weddings a bit hard so maybe that's why he remembers

Proclus of Rome: Hmm.

Zita: Church members do get some small amount of MR too

Father Tomas: Giacopo feel free to rejoin anytime you like, I only stressed locations as important cause of the gatehouse

Zita: I believe that was how the houserule worked.

Father Tomas: Not all, Zita

Zita: Oh.

Father Tomas: :)

Ferris of Bonisagus: "I just didn't know if baptisms were also taking place outside of rhe city. Well Father, thank you for indulging my curious nature. If there is anything I can do to return the favor, please feel free to ask."

Giacopo: of course, any magus can easily determine if someone has magic resistance

i'll stroll about the town, working my way back to the party gradually. I don't want to follow the wedding party to the next village

Father Tomas: Okay, Giacopo, as you pass through the gatehouse you're hit by an effect

Giacopo: oh no!

(To Giacopo): You lose any memory of how long the Baron has been away from Montcuq.

Father Tomas passes a note to a player

Father Tomas: In this town there's only a few spots of interest: The Marketplace, where traders hawk and a troubadour commands a small crowd's attention; The Markethall which also serves as a guild meeting place/city hall, the Church you've seen, and the Gatehouses you've also seen.

Giacopo: Hmm. Not sure what was so pressing that we all dropped our business and rushed off at this lady's invitation

Father Tomas: & the Castle ofc

With Lady St. Duane's blessing you basically have the run of the plce

Giacopo: Well, being an incorrigible gossip I'll pay my respects to the guildsmen and see what's up. Worth knowing whether the clothing trade is regulated in this barony too.

Proclus of Rome: If no one here can remember the real date teh child was born then why did the Lady St. Duane think to visit us in the first place?

Teh.

Zita: I dont think that was the concern, it was over her husband being away that the effect messes with.

It removes all memory of how long his trip is.

So obviously, if his wife had a child, he must have been here.

Scapa: Scapa is the master of the spinner's guild of Montcuq and a good man for a tailor to know

Beatrice Orsini : Oh, I just realized something.

Scapa: and of course, doesn't see anything odd in the slightest about Valentin's birth etc.

Giacopo: naturally

Beatrice Orsini : "Proclus. could the enchantment on the gate have multiple components. There was a smell of musk about it and Lady Gracia said her husband smelled of musk when he visited her."

Giacopo: i introduce myself, saying i'm a friend of the doctors the lady hired to inspect her child (for some reason)

make some joke about there being no demand for wedding dresses

how does a comm+intrigue roll to pick up the juiciest gossip sound?

Scapa: He laughs and wonders what got the Bishop in a damn tizzy

Sure

Proclus of Rome: "It is possible to invest a building with multiple effects, but that would require a substantial amount of vis."

Giacopo: drop some organization lore (guild) to establish common acquaintances

rolling d10+2+9 intrigue

(

5

)

+2+9

=

16

Proclus of Rome: "We should have one of our companions attempt to scale the wall to see if their memories are altered in the attempt."

Beatrice Orsini : "That explains why whoever did this didn't attempt to make the enchantment penetrate the Parma. It would have required even more vis."

Giacopo:

rolling d10+1+7 int+org lore

(

2

)

+1+7

=

10

Scapa: "People of the same trade seldom meet together even for merriment and diversion but the conversation ends at a conspiracy against the public." - Leonard Nimoy,  Civilization IV

Proclus of Rome: "Additionally, it seems unlikely that someone would go to the trouble of destroying a memory only to have it return when they pass through the gate."

Beatrice Orsini : "Oh, I understand."

Ferris of Bonisagus: "Everyone who left for weddings would remember as they left."

Beatrice Orsini : "The smell of musk is not an effect. It is a wizard's sigil."

does anyone have ooh lore?

Scapa: latest gossip: Valentin's nurse is a hotheaded loudmouth, everyone is happy to see the renowned troubadour Sir Vital is in town again, the Bishop's edict is weird cause he never cared about marriage fees before

Nothing real juicy though.

Proclus of Rome: I do.

Giacopo: "a bishop who doesn't care about money? maybe he came to his senses"

Proclus of Rome:

rolling 1d10 + 2 + 2

(

4

)

+2+2

=

8

Ferris of Bonisagus: On Procluses hunch, Im going to float over the walls of the town back and forth to see if I feel the effect.

Scapa: "I don't know many counties in Naples that collect it anyway."

You got light as a feather spell for that?

Giacopo: "to be sure, it would only drive the poor out of church"

is Sir Vital in the marketplace performing right now?

nbeing upstaged by teh incredible floating man?

(From Ferris of Bonisagus): I made my own spell "Spilio's Winged Metamorphosis". I grow butterfly wings and can move in any direction at the speed of walking."

(To Ferris of Bonisagus): Sick!

Scapa: Ferris, you feel nothing as you pass over the walls

Yeah Sir Vital is doing his thang

Zita: "You suspect a wizard is the culprit?"

Proclus of Rome: This is interesting.

Scapa: Singing the classics of Occitant troubadours

Proclus of Rome: Why would a wizard spend so much vis?

Ferris of Bonisagus: "The effect seems to be only placed on the gate houses, nothing haooens if someone scales the wall."

I say, reporting back to the group

Beatrice Orsini : "Enchanting an entire town would be much more difficult and costly."

And it's an Augustan thing.

Proclus of Rome: Furthermore, why would someone schooled in Hermetic Architecture be so utterly lacking in moral fiber?

Lavinia of Jerbiton: Enchanting an entire city with a watching ward???

Giacopo: alright fanburst stinks

johns (GM): fartburst

Ferris of Bonisagus: "Might as well check the other entrances just to be dligent." And I'll try to walk through all of the public entrances to the town.

Giacopo: not one rendition of ai vist lo lop, no coventry carol, frankly a shitty selection of plainchant

johns (GM): Three gatehouses-- North, South, and Castle-- all look basically the same, as pictured -- and all have an effect whenever someone tries to pass throug hthem

Proclus of Rome: This is strange.

We should definitely investigate the child.

johns (GM): Alright..

Giacopo: "and the nurse" I add, catching up with teh group easily bc they;re extremely conspicuous

"I hear she's a firecracker!"

wait i don;t know what that is

Proclus of Rome: Is the castle really on the edge of such a cliff?

johns (GM): You could

Giacopo: "I hear she's a... termagant?"

johns (GM): Maybe you read Marco Polo's book

Giacopo: let me check if i can read

Proclus of Rome: Yeah he's invented pasta already even.

johns (GM): lol

Giacopo: i can! but i only read modern trash like traveller's tales

johns (GM): You can get to the upper levels of the castle as long as you're attended by the Lady, otherwise the guards will stop you

Who goes into the nursery?

Proclus of Rome: I will.

Giacopo: I'll go, I love children

johns (GM): Excellent

Beatrice Orsini : I'll go

johns (GM): Inside is Valentin in his crib, and his nurse

The baby starts crying the moment Gifted people enter the room

Ferris of Bonisagus: I think babies wouldnt like me very much.

Zita: "You're scaring her..."

Him, sorry

Mengarda: "Who the fuck's disturbing his lord's sleep?" shouts the nurse at you.

Proclus of Rome: "I would like to settle once and for all the question of this child's age, if I may."

Zita: Children are like trees, determining the age is easy

Proclus of Rome: 'Yes yes of course. Greetings madam, I am Proclus of Rome, a philosopher of some note."

Mengarda: "You could be wearing a pope's miter and shit solid gold and I wouldn't care. You got the stink of wickedness on you."

Giacopo: "I tried to tell them miss, but there;s no managing philosophers. Look, stop crowding the poor creature! Can't you see you're scaring him?"

Proclus of Rome: "I am given to understand that there is some doubt regarding the circumstances of the boy's birth."

This is a really thin castle.

Mengarda: "What the fuck nonsense you babbling about? What inbred whore raised a halfwit like you?"

Giacopo: it's a castle of modest means

Giacopo makes soothing noises at the child

Giacopo: "who;'s a handsome fellow?"

Proclus of Rome: "I can see that you too have been afflicted by the Mentem effect that has been clouding the judgement of those who live in Montcuq."

Mengarda: "I'll save you the cost of a mirror and let you know it ain't you, dandy"

Proclus of Rome: "However, it is imperative that I perform a ritual to determine what, if anything, has befallen the child."

Giacopo: incredible! a woman who's immune to clothing

Beatrice Orsini : "I can quiet the child. Does anyone have a bag?"

Giacopo: this has never happened before

Beatrice Orsini : "Uh, I mean. I won't hurt it."

Ferris of Bonisagus: I want Mengarda protecting my children. She seems great.

Proclus of Rome: Is she going to interrupt my spontaneous ritual?

Lady Gracia St. Daune: Do you have to touch the child for it to work

Show me on the doll where the magus touched you

Beatrice Orsini : I don't have to touch the child to do my thing.

Giacopo: you have to make weird signs and chants and circles for half an hour regardless, so it seems like anyone would interrupt

Proclus of Rome: I do have to.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: Mendarga resists and holds the child close and away from you, even as Lady St. Duane tells her Proclus is doing what is necessary

Proclus of Rome: It'll be base 5 +1 touch.

(To Proclus of Rome): remember ceremonial casting, vis, etc., or try to get her to settle down

Proclus of Rome: What's the aura here?

Lady Gracia St. Daune: dom 2

Proclus of Rome: Ok.

Zita: "Please allow hiim to see to the child, this is important. Surely you have the child's best interests at heart? Trust the lady's decision here."

Giacopo: I'm powerfully impressed by this woman's honesty and loyalty. I'll attempt to introduce us all, conveying my apologies for my companion's lack of graces

Zita: Can I use charm to help sway her into being more compliant?

Lady Gracia St. Daune: You can try but it'll be tough

Giacopo:

rolling d10!+1+12+3 presence + charm + fine cloak

(

7

)

+1+12+3

=

23

johns (GM): Zita, can you assist?

Zita: Oh, is it presence and charm? I thought it was communication.

Giacopo: For instance, mention that I'm unmarried

Zita: I have good communication but bad presence, whoops.

Beatrice Orsini : i can give giacopo aura of ennobled presence

Giacopo: well it's the GM's call, whcih i presumptuously didn't wait for

johns (GM): you FOOL

Giacopo: presence seems appropriate though

Zita: I'll assist if I can roll communication, since I'm trying to just talk to her not down to her.

johns (GM): Alright

and Beatrice, you can ennoble presence in this aura?

Beatrice Orsini : yeah

formulaic

Giacopo: my comm is better, but i'm trying to impress her

(To Zita): Roll Comm

Beatrice Orsini : 16 MuIm, for 10 target. iirc, dominion is -3

Giacopo: can you do it without sign or gesture?

Beatrice Orsini : i can do no voice with fatigue

johns (GM): I'm convinced

Giacopo: well your call ofc

Beatrice Orsini : and subtle gestures

Proclus of Rome: Isn't Dominion -6?

2 x 3.

Beatrice Orsini : -3 per level

Zita:

rolling 1d10!+2+7

(

3

)

+2+7

=

12

Ferris of Bonisagus: Yea

Proclus of Rome: So that's -6.

Beatrice Orsini : stress roll, i assume in the circumstances

(To Zita): Humor me with a conf?

Zita: I spend... a confidence point.

Whoa!

Beatrice Orsini :

rolling 1d10!+16-6-10-2 no voice, subtle gestures

(

2

)

+16-6-10-2

=

0

Proclus of Rome: Nice.

Beatrice Orsini : within -10 of 10 level

johns (GM): Good teamwork

Beatrice Orsini : and i go sit down

oh wait

i have to spend confidence

nocturnal, so additional -1

johns (GM): oof

Good thing I gave you a conf for that insight about the sigil

Proclus of Rome: It happens.

johns (GM): After this charm offensive Mengarda sets the baby down but watches you all like a hawk and makes it clear she will beat proclus to death with candlestick if he hurts Valentin

Giacopo: your sacrifices are appreciated

Beatrice Orsini : and good thing i replaced low self-esteem with compassionate

Proclus of Rome: Smart move.

johns (GM): The baby's features closely resemble the mother btw

Ferris of Bonisagus: Hmmmmmm

johns (GM): anyway cast what you're gonna cast. refilling my coffe 1 sec

Proclus of Rome: Has there ever been a child whose maternity was in question?

Beatrice Orsini : fairy children

Zita: The lord god jesus christ.

Proclus of Rome: Alright I'm shooting for 10 here.

Giacopo: I chat with Mengarda to keep her calm as the ritual proceeds. Have I mentioned I own my own business?

Proclus of Rome: I'll use Fatiguing Spontaneous here.

Ferris of Bonisagus: Just wondering how the group feels about me using my paralyzing stare on people who give us trouble? For example, a woman who won't hand over a baby...

Giacopo: only you can know when to deploy your paralyzing stare

Proclus of Rome:

rolling (1d10! +2 + 6 +4 + 8 -6)/2

(

(

7

)

+2+6+4+8-6)/2

=

10.5

Nice.

Giacopo: it does seem like it would escalate tensions in this situation though

Zita: I'm just a neutral observer for now, and eager to see how wizard's solve mysteries.

Proclus of Rome: Wait do you subtract 6 before or after dividing by 2?

Seems like before.

Ferris of Bonisagus: I assume before

johns (GM): mengarda is in fact married, oh and she lost her own son about a month ago which is why she's so dedicated to Valentin

Proclus of Rome: Aww.

Beatrice Orsini : you subtract 6 before

johns (GM): oh and imagine a bunch of swearing and cussing at you as all this goes on

Beatrice Orsini : 5e formulas says aura modifier is part of casting score

Giacopo: It's a modifier to your Casting Score, which is a total generated before rolling or dividing

Proclus of Rome: She must be swearing a lot because this takes 10 minutes.

Giacopo: alright i lose interest in mengarda

johns (GM): someone tell me if it was successful or not and what it accomplishe

d

Beatrice Orsini : the spell was cast

Proclus of Rome: It was.

I wanted to tell how old the baby is.

Giacopo: "why would that matter?"

johns (GM): 1 month.

which is what anyone here could have told you

Proclus of Rome: Hmm.

Then why go to the trouble of destroying people's memories?

Ferris of Bonisagus: Is there anything magical about the baby? Possibly changing its appearence?

Beatrice Orsini : the issue is more about the father's location at the moment of conception

johns (GM): I should clarify because if not you could be getting real mixed up here

The memory that was destroyed was: How long ago did Baron Rogier leave Montcuq.

Giacopo: you've also learned that the child has no magic resistance, which helps narrow the possibilities

johns (GM): Pretty mundane baby

Proclus of Rome: Hmm.

Zita: Someone disguised as him and fucked his wife then cast a spell on the gatehouses.

Proclus of Rome: So possibly some Hermetic interloper.

Giacopo: classic

Ferris of Bonisagus: Just zeus things

Giacopo: i mean i wouldn't even want to bring a charge against someone at tribunal for that, it's such a classic wizard move

Zita: The sigil theory would point to a wizard.

Well, they interfered directly in mundane affairs of a noble, that's definetely suspect.

Giacopo: oh it;s illegal as hell

Proclus of Rome: There's also the matter of preventing weddings in the church in town.

Giacopo: if anyone cares to prosecute

Proclus of Rome: Why would anyone do that?

Beatrice Orsini : To make everyone in the wedding party go through the gates.

And forget how long was the baron gone.

johns (GM): People go through the gates all the time regardless though.

Proclus of Rome: Yeah no one would just stay in town forever.

Beatrice Orsini : Yeah, but this makes it more sure.

Proclus of Rome: Where would you get crops?

Can't live w/out crops.

johns (GM): Let me throw something else into the mix

Beatrice Orsini : Even people who get all their crops at the market from people who come through the gates would go through the gates.

johns (GM): Three people questioned the Lady about the child, plus the one person in Naples who would obviosuly be unaffected by anything here

One was the Priest, and this occurred outside the city

Proclus of Rome: Yeah we should seek out the peasant woman.

johns (GM): One was the Mother-in-Law, and her behavior changed in this castle right before the evening meal

And one was the peasant women, from Montcuq, returning to Montcuq after a wedding outside the town.

Giacopo: ok the peasant woman is explicable

Beatrice Orsini : The mother-in-law seems to be the most suspicious.

Since we're not sure she left town.

Giacopo: did anyone bother asking the priest about the content of his conversation with the baroness?

johns (GM): She left a few weeks ago

Proclus of Rome: To where?

Avignon?

johns (GM): To Arcadia, I guess

Idk somewhere far away from here, never to appear.

Beatrice Orsini : Definitely suspicious. We must track her.

Proclus of Rome: Arcadia?

Zita: The mystery can't be solved without her.

Giacopo: that's kind of odd, since this is her son's ancestral home

did she remarry?

Proclus of Rome: Sounds like it's time to prepare for a trip to that wretched place.

johns (GM): Aha

Her mother in law, Bonita St. Duane, lives in Carcassonne.

Giacopo: how did that come about?

johns (GM): Who knows

Beatrice Orsini : Avignon's almost on the way to Carcassonne.

Proclus of Rome: Well, the nobility in Naples are all French.

Giacopo: well i'm curious. was it actually beatrice who inherited the castle?

johns (GM): Who is Beatrice?

Beatrice Orsini : i think he means gracia

Giacopo: where did i get taht name?

ok the younher lady st. duane

johns (GM): She wouldn't have inherited anything, this is St. Duane land, and she married into the family

The mother in law is the mother of Rogier, not Lady St. Duane

Giacopo: sorry typos, this keyboard is small

yes understood

i'm reading too much into it, i guess the family has a lot of property

johns (GM): lol serves me right for bringing it up

but giacopo asked if anyone asked the priest about the conversation, and no one did

Zita: Are wizard sigils recorded in their home covenant, or anywhere?

johns (GM): Nah

Proclus of Rome: I can't remember, was Rogier successful in reclaiming his families londes?

johns (GM): Well, you could inquire by correspondence to various folks

He is returning successful, yes Proclus

Giacopo: their sigil also means their personal seal, which IS recorded by the redcaps or quaesitors or someone

Proclus of Rome: Interesting.

Zita: I'm a redcap.

Woo.

Proclus of Rome: But why would you conceive a child using trickery and then leave it?

Giacopo: but that doesn't help oyu identify someone by their casting sigil

Proclus of Rome: Or in this case, him.

johns (GM): Very good question, Proclus

If something about this whole scheme feels a bit stupid or silly... You're right.

And there's a reason for it.

Beatrice Orsini : Ah, we need to find an Int-3 wizard

Proclus of Rome: Fairies do it because they're stunted creatures incapable of doing anything besides prowling for humans to feed off of.

johns (GM) scours house jerbiton

Proclus of Rome: But why would a person do it?

What do you think, Beatrice?

Could this still be a fairy?

Ferris of Bonisagus: Did we ever try tinting the mother to make sure the baby is hers?

Beatrice Orsini : Quendalon turned himself into a fairy. So I see no problem in it being both wizard and a fairy.

I don't think I could spont that spell in this aura.

Zita: It's the mother's child, let's not go down that road again.

johns (GM): you could wait til night and it's dominion 1 I suppose

Proclus of Rome: Hmm.

Beatrice Orsini : i'd still have to roll at least 5

Proclus of Rome: It does seem suspicious that Mengarda's son died at the same time that Valentin was born.

But it could just be a tragic coincidence.

Giacopo: was it the exact same time?

because babies die all th4e damn time

johns (GM): about a week after

Ferris of Bonisagus: Ill ask Mengarda how old her son was.

Proclus of Rome: Wow don't do that.

What a jerk.

Zita: Yo. How old was your dead kid.

johns (GM): lol

she asks you to leave, in less polite words

Zita: The Gift obviously didnt make her hate you enough

Let's step things up

Proclus of Rome: Wait a minute.

Can anyone talk to inanimate objects?

We could interrogate the bedchamber.

Giacopo: Yes.

Proclus of Rome: Perfect!

Giacopo: I don't know what good you expect that to do though

alright i'm sorry, I don't have any magic powers like taht

Proclus of Rome: Wow.

johns (GM): While you are pondering this, the sun starts to dip outside

Proclus of Rome: A fairy lying to me.

What a shocker.

johns (GM) passes a note to a player

Beatrice Orsini : The hour of my real power approaches.

(To Giacopo): You lose all memories of concerns about the pregnancy.

Giacopo: i'm merely Touched with faerie, which gives me the impulse to make bad jokes

johns (GM): Everyone else feels an effect resisted by their parma.

Beatrice Orsini : Any smells?

johns (GM): You betcha

Musk

Proclus of Rome: Hmm.

Giacopo: anyway, what are you hoping to find out?

Ferris of Bonisagus: From Musk to Maw

Proclus of Rome: Well, a bed would obviously know the difference between someone and their impersonator.

Ferris of Bonisagus: N

Giacopo: also did someone let a tom cat in here or something? they smother babies sometimes

Proclus of Rome: What?

Who said anything about smothering a baby?

Giacopo: strange smells, is all

i;'m saying you don't want animals in the nursery

Proclus of Rome: Hmm.

Giacopo: never mind, never mind. what's the plan, magi?

Beatrice Orsini : hmm, do we know a cat bjornaer with musk sigil?

Proclus of Rome: The idea that this whole castle has been invested with vis is simply ridiculous.

Whoever is doing this must be around here somewhere.

johns (GM): Have

you considered alternative enchantment designs besides Hermetic Architecture

Proclus of Rome: Why would I? Hermetic Architecture is the best.

(From Giacopo): this is what you get for marching your verditius

Proclus of Rome: I suppose it could be some object in the room.

Which is YET ANOTHER time when talking to objects would be helpful.

Giacopo: well, can't you just cast a spell that does that?

surely you've got good terram with all taht architecture

Beatrice Orsini : investigate the crib

that seems the best thing to enchant in this situation

Proclus of Rome: Not that good.

Beatrice Orsini : it's almost always close to the baby

Proclus of Rome: It's base 35 to talk to an object.

25.

johns (GM): If it were a room enchantment here the only person who would be effected constantly is Mengarda

Giacopo: hyopthetically you could also cast a spell to see the contours of a magical effect, or determine if an object is enchanted

Proclus of Rome: I see what you're suggesting.

Giacopo: is stone tell of the mind that sits that high?

Proclus of Rome: Someone has broken the limit of the moon and is using it to carry out a petty affair.

Giacopo: dang it's pretty high

Zita: What a bold wizarding move.

Proclus of Rome: That's only base 20, because it is a natural stone.

Zita: We should kill him and steal his notes.

Proclus of Rome: Anything in here would be an artificial stone.

Or follow those guidelines.

Beatrice Orsini : i'm shocked a redcap would suggest killing wizards and stealing their notes

Giacopo: seems like you're better off cutting out the middleman and detecting enchantments yourselves

Proclus of Rome: I suppose.

Who has the highest InVi?

Mine is 11.

Beatrice Orsini : 3

Zita: Hm, mine is 0.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: lol cripes

Proclus of Rome: Yeesh.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: maybe this was a bad aventure for young magi

Zita: Archibald had good InVi, ha ha.

Proclus of Rome: I'm 31 years young.

Zita: But you have me instead.

Beatrice Orsini : I pumped everything into imaginem and rego

Proclus of Rome: Seems like he'd be the guy who is the most interested in this in any case, since we're investigating a possible hermetic crime.

Lady Gracia St. Daune: Alright, let's look at this from another angle

Zita: Oh, wait, I forgot to actually study Vim like I'd been intending to. His is also 11.

He just has good intellego.

Boy R.: ahhh i miss flying everywhere automatically scanning for magics and piercing illusions

johns (GM): Something is affecting the townsfolks' minds. Can you figure out how to stop it?

Proclus of Rome: I think coming at it from the perspective of the perpetrator is the right move.

Beatrice Orsini : demolish the gatehouses and possibly the church

johns (GM): You've been in 4 spots with something effecting people in it: The gatehouses and the castle.

Proclus of Rome: Wait a minute.

Zita: Catching the culprit is important as well.

Beatrice Orsini : hmm

Proclus of Rome: We all know someone who is a master of mentem and loves to use it to sleep with women.

Boy R.: assuming hermetic methods, someone has sunk a lot of resources into an unsustainable prank

johns (GM): lol what a twist

Proclus of Rome: It's Prudenzio!

Beatrice Orsini : are just the weddings banned from the church, or all services?

johns (GM): Just weddings.

Boy R.: does the sacrament of marriage protect you from date rape magic, like funeral rites does with necromancy?

johns (GM): Nope!

Proclus of Rome: No.

It doesn't protect you from anything, really.

Beatrice Orsini : except some sin

Proclus of Rome: I guess it protects you from damnation for having sex.

Zita: Rip the lady.

johns (GM): lol

Proclus of Rome: Hmmm.

johns (GM): Looking that way

Proclus of Rome: Ok here's an idea, we should ask Mengarda what she did before she was a nursemaid.

johns (GM): she was also a hand maiden

Proclus of Rome: Ok.

What about the bishop?

What if the monk was a real monk sending a real message?

Ferris of Bonisagus: Im still suspicipus about her kid, but short of digging up the kids binrs i dont think i can get any farther with that

Bones*

Boy R.: where does the bishop live? maybe someone could get in touch

johns (GM): A few days travel away

At Not-Cahors

Boy R.: i forget how long we've got before the baron gets back

johns (GM): Could be any day now..

Proclus of Rome: Hmm.

Beatrice Orsini : The baron will be presumably affected by the enchantment too.

Proclus of Rome: How could he be?

It would create a memory that would make no sense at all.

Boy R.: he'll emnter through the gates

Proclus of Rome: He'd figure it out immediately.

Zita: I don't know how we can help her out, though. She gave birth to the kid, he's here.

johns (GM): Oh

Beatrice Orsini : We could take the kid.

johns (GM): I guess Giacopo never explained what effect jsut hit him

Zita: Better to catch the one responsible

Boy R.: why would I?

Zita: Oh?

johns (GM): lol good point

Giacopo is suddenly unconcerned

johns (GM): maybe it's a badly written adventure

Not my fault. Nothing I could do.

Proclus of Rome: No such thing.

How would Giacopo be able to tell what memory has been changed?

Giacopo: in fairness i tried to hint a little but couldn;t think of a good way to draw attention

Zita: If someone mentions something he doesnt remember or misaligns with new information, would be the simplest

We just need to quiz him on every detail of this case

Until he says something stupid

johns (GM): Also, this effect occurred at a specific time, whereas the gatehouse effects occurred whenever someone passed through

Giacopo: "it's late, magi, and if truth be told I'm not sure what we're even trying to do here. Perhaps the problem will look better in daylight"

Zita: Everyone felt their parma ping, they should interrogate him.

Proclus of Rome: "I doubt it, problems generally only get worse at night."

Giacopo: huh i figured the gatehouse effects were just continuous

Ferris of Bonisagus: Well. We could try the tint spell since it is night time now.

Giacopo: targetted at an area

Proclus of Rome: We could but Mengarda is still awake.

Beatrice Orsini : oooh

we could do it on mengarda

Proclus of Rome: I'll be honest, I have no idea how this castle is defended.

Beatrice Orsini : and the effect involves touching the parent, not the child

Ferris of Bonisagus: Good idea Beatrice

Giacopo: what will that accomplish?

Beatrice Orsini : see if the child isn't actually mengarda's

johns (GM): It happens to look nothing like her

fwiw

Beatrice Orsini : illusions are not affected by mr

Giacopo: "ah, a case of mistaken maternity! I see now"

"though isn't gossip like this a bit beneath your normal concerns, magi?"

johns (GM): Alright I'm just gonna spill the beans cause idk how the authors intended the players to communicate this

Beatrice Orsini : "I have been asked to help, so it's natural I'd help."

johns (GM): Gatehouse effect targets memories of how long the Baron has been away

Proclus of Rome: No!

Beatrice Orsini : don't

johns (GM): Castle effect targets memories of..

well ok.

Proclus of Rome: "It's vital to determine the parentage of this child, given the strange behavior that everyone in the castle has been experiencing."

Beatrice Orsini : but repeat what the Lady said about the mother in law's behaviour

Giacopo: the mother in law is still confusing

didn't she enter the town through the gates? why would she have suspected infidelity in the first place?

johns (GM): Indeed, this may actually be a plot hole on the part of the writer. lol.

Beatrice Orsini : "Proclus, Ferris, would you mind keeping an eye on the child? I have something I could try."

johns (GM): Unless the Gate enchantment was put in place AFTER the castle enchantment.

Proclus of Rome: "Of course, what else would we look at?"

Beatrice Orsini : "Lady Gracia, will you permit me to attempt something? It is a bit loud, so perhaps it would be best done in another room. Could you please accompany me?"

johns (GM): She will accompany you

Beatrice Orsini : "We do not want to wake up the child again."

hoot and holler spellcasting bonuses still work, right?

johns (GM): Yes

Okay, I just realized the gate enchnamtnets had to have been in place when the MIL arrived because she was here only a couple weeks ago and the Lady was visibly pregnant months ago.

Giacopo: "But really, Proclus, why should the parentage of this child be in question at all?"

Beatrice Orsini : ok, the effect is tinting the bloodline's skin blue for diam duration.

Base 1 + 1 Touch + 1 Diam + 3 Bloodline

Giacopo: "the baron and lady st. duane aren't exactly noted philanderers"

Beatrice Orsini : 10 total

johns (GM): Her

mother-in-law, Bonita St. Daune, lives in

Carcassonne. She came to throw Gracia

out of the castle, having apparently received

a letter saying that she was pregnant.

A furious row followed, with Gracia

johns (GM): insisting the child was her husband’s

and conceived before he set off, and

Bonita furiously arguing with her. However

just before the evening meal (taken

just after sunset, if anyone asks), she

calmed down, seemed embarrassed and

johns (GM): apologized profusely.

Beatrice Orsini :

rolling (1d10!+16-3+1+1)/2 i should have a chance

(

(

6

)

+16-3+1+1)/2

=

10.5

Proclus of Rome: "Don't you remember? The Lady St. Duane believes that someone disguised himself as her husband."

Beatrice Orsini : made it

Proclus of Rome: "That's why we're here."

Giacopo: mothers in law travel by flying broomstick

johns (GM): well now im pissed that got you all mixed up

Giacopo: "i don't remember that. It seems like sheer hysteria"

johns (GM): oh

OH

I know how it works now.

Proclus of Rome: "When have you known us to become hysterical, Giacopo?"

Beatrice Orsini : The skin of the Lady and all her descendants should get tinted blue for diam duration.

Zita: "Oho, now he's spouting nonsense. But he didn't pass through the gates again, did he?"

Beatrice Orsini : I assume the nurse freaks out

But it'll pass

Proclus of Rome: "Something did happen at sunset."

"A traditional Hermetic duration."

johns (GM): Okay let me add in some words to help make this make sense and add a clue: The mother's letter included rude insinuation from the mother's friend that the child was illegitimate.

Giacopo: "on the part of her ladyship, that is. No disrespect intended, but young mothers can become somewhat anxious. It's common knowledge"

Zita: Somewhere in a distant village an orphan begins glowing blue

Beatrice Orsini : lol

johns (GM): Okay the baby is blue

It's her child.

Proclus of Rome: Yikes!

johns (GM): The Lady's child I mean

Proclus of Rome: Oh.

johns (GM): I have no idea how you got onto this track or ever doubted it

Beatrice Orsini : It's only for a Diam. Someone hold the nurse, so she doesn¨t murder me.

Giacopo: incredible

didn't we confirm that with a different spell already

Proclus of Rome: If a nurse can murder you maybe you needed to study more.

johns (GM): Yes, and with your eyes, and with common sense.

Beatrice Orsini : I wanted to check if it was Roger's child first.

Proclus of Rome: No, we just confirmed the age.

Beatrice Orsini : Plus I wanted to use the bloodline target.

johns (GM): Wait, does that spell confirm if it's Rogier's?

Beatrice Orsini : And since Rogier wasn¨t here...

Giacopo: it is a good target

Beatrice Orsini : it doesn't

johns (GM): Awesome!

Beatrice Orsini : spouses don't count as bloodline

Proclus of Rome: Ok.

johns (GM): So wait, if you cast it on the lady then it should have no effect on the child?

Giacopo: hwat

Beatrice Orsini : it does

johns (GM): assuming it's her child? which it is?

Beatrice Orsini : the child is hers

Giacopo: it affectgs the target and their descendants

johns (GM): Ah, okay, I get it.

Proclus of Rome: Why would someone make people forget that there was doubt about the child's parents?

johns (GM): Okay so the point I was suggesting earlier is the Mother-in-law had more than just simple arithmetic giving her reason to believe the child illegitimate.

Giacopo: i'll buy it. plot hole closed

Proclus of Rome: Specifically, why create such a specific memory if the gatehouses already destroy the memory of the Baron's departure?

johns (GM): and Proclus clues onto the nature of the other enchantmnet

Beatrice Orsini : oh, bloodline target affects all bloodline members born during the duration. this is imortant

Proclus of Rome: Why?

Giacopo: well as you pointed out, the baron would have no memory of siring his own child, and that migth bother him

Proclus of Rome: Is someone going to be born in 2 minutes?

Beatrice Orsini : no, but it can be eventually useful

johns (GM): Giacopo gets it

Proclus of Rome: Well, it would have to be a supremely different memory for the Baron.

Since he'd need to remember the entire conception as well.

johns (GM): This is true also.

What else would you have to do to cover your tracks there?

Proclus of Rome: The Lady St. Duane was tricked with a disguise, so wouldn't require this kind of memory manipulation.

Zita: He could convince himself he was just drunk, though yes there's something up

Beatrice Orsini : a spell targeted at the baron specifically

Zita: The final step, honestly, is to kill the baron

That ties up everything for them

Giacopo: she needed the same memory manipulation as everyone else, to forget aobut his trip

Proclus of Rome: If that's the case, then why wait until he comes back to Montcuq?

Darvin (GM): This redcap seems murderous.

Proclus of Rome: He's been away for a year an a half.

Zita: I'm not saying WE should.

Proclus of Rome: That's plenty of time to kill someone.

johns (GM): (pulls off redcap mask) Bonfilia!

Zita: If they can alter his memory they can do that at any time too

Proclus of Rome: I mean whoever is responsible for all the confusion around here.

Zita: It could be that the magus has no opportunity to reach him, for whatever reason

Giacopo: i didn't register before, but the reason this scheme is so poorly laid is because it's not a scheme, but someone trying to cover up their impulsive crime

so: who has been secretly lusting after the baroness?

Beatrice Orsini : the priest?

Proclus of Rome: It could be anyone.

Zita: That's a good question we could ask her

Beatrice Orsini : always suspect the priest

Giacopo: well, it also has to be a wizard i suppose

Proclus of Rome: And why ban marriages?

Zita: If she had any other admirers

The man was mad enough about it to enact this scheme, he wouldn't be subtle.

johns (GM): Beatrice, do you have any insight on why a marriage would be bad for a faerie

Proclus of Rome: This is probably the worst way in the world to hide a secret rendezvous.

johns (GM): A general marriage of other people, not its own

Giacopo: i'm pretty sure i do ooc

Beatrice Orsini : i'm not good at faerie lore

johns (GM): don't let in characterness hinder things

at this stage

Proclus of Rome: You know, for a thinking, reasoning person.

Beatrice Orsini : i have 1, but that's not enough

Giacopo: well, it's definitely a traditional ban on whatever creature this is

Beatrice Orsini : but fairies hate bonds

Giacopo: like garlic on vampires

or church bells or something

Beatrice Orsini : bonds on fairy familiars constantly decay

Proclus of Rome: Good old church bells.

johns (GM): Indeed

Proclus of Rome: Hmm.

johns (GM): Strange you haven't heard any in awhile

Beatrice Orsini : that¨s why i was asking about if other services except marriage were banned

Proclus of Rome: Wait a minute, are bells only rung during a marriage?

Zita: Ring the church bells and see what happens. The dark souls of ars adventures.

Proclus of Rome: Don't you also ring them at a funeral?

Giacopo: or sunday mass?

johns (GM): Lol. this is the author being shit again. only Wedding bells count here.

Beatrice Orsini : yeah, that's why i didn't pursue it further when i learned other services were allowed

Giacopo: if only wedding bells count, that's fine

Zita: This author needs a good kicking.

Beatrice Orsini : forget about the baron, let's murder the author

Giacopo: that's just the nature of the creature you're dealing with

Proclus of Rome: A fairy then.

Hmm.

Giacopo: i won't have an ars author maligned for not writing as if for pendragon

johns (GM): I should have reread this a bunch more and fixed all the problems, sorry folks. But you're powering through to the solution

Zita: Beatrice can tell us about the wedding bells idea, she's the Merinita.

Proclus of Rome: Kill... the GM?

Beatrice Orsini : a fairy + a wizard

Zita: Wait

johns (GM): Please.

Zita: Does this mean

We need to hold a marriage

(To Beatrice Orsini ): could it be?

Giacopo: it... it was you?

Proclus of Rome: Oh shit is it that bastard Cupid?

(From Beatrice Orsini ): what?

(From Beatrice Orsini ): i have no real idea

Giacopo: cuopid can't abide the sound of wedding bells

johns (GM): There's definitely something Faerie at work here, and there's definitely something Hermetic at work with these enchantments

Proclus of Rome: Cupid loves weddings.

So it probably isn't him.

Zita: Find someone good enough, I have blessing of venus.

Beatrice Orsini : ok, we need to get away from here. it's quendalon

johns (GM): Hey if you want to get married you can, you have to get the priest to ignore the edict though

Proclus of Rome: I feel like I don't need Faerie Lore to know things about Cupid that he has told me.

Giacopo: lots of other merinita have achieved the deed of quendalon you know

Proclus of Rome: Hmm.

Giacopo: or you might, but I don't know that

Proclus of Rome: Well, we could just have someone pretend to be another monk.

Giacopo: I have this necktie that lets me look like any other person for Sun duration

Proclus of Rome: It's a touch blasphemous but it's the best way to return this church to proper order.

Beatrice Orsini : the deed of quendalon is almost impossible in raw and even less possible now

Giacopo: amd before you ask, this is not my child

Proclus of Rome: A necktie?

Beatrice Orsini : a noose

Zita: The spell to change how you look is just a simple MuCo, good luck sodales.

Giacopo: it's a fashionable accessory

Zita: Oh good necktie.

Proclus of Rome: Well, you don't even need to look like anyone in particular.

You just need to look like a monk.

Zita: I havent decided on Zita's magic items so I'm just saying she accidentally left them at home.

Giacopo: it's an imaginem spell so it can handle clothing

Proclus of Rome: Excellent.

Giacopo: well let's see, what do i need to ask this priest again?

Proclus of Rome: This idea is a little tricky, ethically speaking, but it's the best way to uncover what's going on here.

Giacopo: oh right: i'm telling him marriage is now permitted, right?

Proclus of Rome: Yes.

Giacopo: my memory is spotty both in and out of character

Proclus of Rome: Also we need to find a couple to get married.

Giacopo: I've been thinking I should settle down

I mean I'm 42

Proclus of Rome: I definitely won't stand for any funny business with the sacrament of marriage.

Beatrice Orsini : I'm not getting married unless it makes my family mad.

Giacopo: damn i need a better portrait

marry me, that'd make them insanely mad

johns (GM): brb 1 min

Beatrice Orsini : my family hates me, so marrying a commoner is what they'd expect

Proclus of Rome: If you get married I'll expect you to not get divorced.

Don't make a mockery of the sacred institution of marriage.

Giacopo: how is someone like me going to get divorced?

Beatrice Orsini : i make mockery of marriage by being illegitimate

Proclus of Rome: I don't know.

Giacopo: you think i can afford to pack up and petition the pope in avignon?

hell proclus weren't you looking to get married a while back?

really the trouble is the shortage of eligible ladies

Proclus of Rome: I still am but she's in France at the moment.

Her father doesn't approve of me.

Giacopo: oh, well congratulations

Zita: It's also the subject of a future adventure, from Johns post.

Beatrice Orsini : hell, you can go visit her while we go to avignon to petition for divorce

one marriage for one divorce

balance is served

johns (GM): MuCo her blood to match yours so you have a valid case of consanguinity for annulment

Beatrice Orsini : that would require a lot of finesse

Giacopo: ReVi to alter the targets of a marriage

Proclus of Rome: Muto doesn't use finesse.

Father Tomas: Though it is late, Father Tomas is out tending the little garden in front of the church by candlelight.

Proclus of Rome: That's a little strange.

Giacopo: it circumventsthe limit of the divine, like that spell that transfers fatigue without creating it

I adopt the form of a monk

Ferris of Bonisagus: Maybe he just likes being outside at night

Proclus of Rome: That's unsavory.

Giacopo: "Father Tomas! I must speak with you urgently!

Father Tomas: He makes the sign of the cross then bows. "Salve, salve, frater. Wither come you this hour of night?"

Giacopo: "The bishop has relented of his stricture, and marriage ceremonies are once more permitted within this parish! Witness this letter that was prepared earlier!"

Father Tomas: You got a letter?

Giacopo: nope! I was hurrying along with the scheme and forgot to stipulate

but it occurs to me that he'd be expecting one

Father Tomas: lol

Well ok

Proclus of Rome: Just wave a piece of paper around and hope he's illiterate.

Giacopo: Also I address him in pretty bad Latin

I have Latin 7, if you care to consult the rope kid chart

Father Tomas: He takes the letter, looks at it for about a second in the moonlight, then tears it up. "This is a forgery. The edict stands. There will be  no  weddings in Montkuk."

Giacopo: huh. good eye

anyone want to cast a spell on this monk?

Father Tomas: he pronounces the city name with a hard K sound

Giacopo: it never occurred to me it'd be otherwise

Proclus of Rome: A hard K?

Giacopo: it's possible this only makes sense in the occitan setting

Proclus of Rome: There isn't even a K in it!

Father Tomas: Haha

Well let me elaborate

Beatrice Orsini : he's talking in latin

Giacopo: oh shit

he's talking classical

Father Tomas: In Occitan it is pronounced "mon-kuk" and in french it is pronounced with a soft c

and in italian, evidently

Giacopo: i don't believe they use q's in italy

Father Tomas sighs

Giacopo: i mean, ok, i'm to gather he's a foreigner?

Father Tomas: that's the gist

or at least he sounds like one now

Proclus of Rome: Interesting.

That's VERY suspicious.

In addition to the candlelight gardening.

Giacopo: did he have a local accent before? for all i know they speak a different kind of italian here

well. he's either a fairy or a devil, anyway. either one has traditional wards and bans

Proclus of Rome: Or just a jerk.

A demon definitely couldn't stand to be in a church this long.

Though he is outside...

Ferris of Bonisagus: We found him insidr at first

Beatrice Orsini : a demon could stand to be in church for long if there were enough people murdered inside

but it's dominion inside

Proclus of Rome: It could be someone pretending to be the real Father Tomas.

Beatrice Orsini : smell for musk

Giacopo: "ah, the bishop will not be pleased to hear of this, but this misunderstanding will be cleared up, god willing"

"in any case, my message is delivered and I will trouble you no longer"

Zita: I wonder what the author's intentions were in having the possible culprit of fathering a child with a married woman pronounce the place name as Mont Cuck.

Proclus of Rome: Hmm.

Giacopo: as we call it here, Mont Suck

Proclus of Rome: Can anyone sneak inside the church and see if there is a real Father Tomas?

Beatrice Orsini : i have formulaic veil of invisibility + stealth

Giacopo: oh btw should I roll for guile for that ruse?

Father Tomas: You may

Ferris of Bonisagus: I can go invisible, turn into a spider, or turn you guys into spiders

Giacopo: it failed, but becauise i'm careless with guile there's a good chance of an amusing botch

Proclus of Rome: You could get your hideously ugly familiar to have a look around.

Giacopo:

rolling d10!+2+11

(

7

)

+2+11

=

20

Father Tomas: Good roll! And yet he saw through it instantly.

Proclus of Rome: Well, he believed that you're a Monk.

Father Tomas: Did he?

Proclus of Rome: Try some circle kicks.

Ferris of Bonisagus: Ill se d my familar into the church and just report back if there is anyone in there

(To Ferris of Bonisagus): Father Tomas is kneeling at the alter saying his evening prayers.

Ferris of Bonisagus: Uh....

Father Tomas passes a note to a player

Zita: The letter means he probably didnt, if he himself knew there was no original edict.

Giacopo: hey you know it would be cool to establish if the monk is supernatural by casting a harmless forceless spell at him

Proclus of Rome: Remember she has to make her way back out to actually talk to you.

Ferris of Bonisagus: I try whispering to the nearest person to me "The real Father Thomas appears to be inside"

Giacopo: priest i mean

Proclus of Rome: Yikes!

Well this is pretty supernatural in that case.

Is he alive?

Ferris of Bonisagus nods his head

Ferris of Bonisagus: Yes. Incase that wasnt clear.

Proclus of Rome: Thank you.

Well, we could have him perform an emergency marriage in that case.

Beatrice Orsini : i'm not getting married

Proclus of Rome: If only we had two people who wanted to be married.

Beatrice Orsini : is the nursemaid married?

Proclus of Rome: Yes.

Beatrice Orsini : damn

Giacopo: it would ha e been so convenient too

Beatrice Orsini : i knew she had a kid, but i figured giacopo had a chance

Proclus of Rome: Before you ask, humans and spiders can't be married.

Zita: No!

Ferris of Bonisagus: What are we doing about faux-father out here?

Giacopo: i'd really like to be saddled with a wife who resents being pressured into marrying me to lift a curse

Proclus of Rome: Don't want to tip our hats too much.

Zita: We could ask around town, but I doubt we'll find someone willing to marry another npc that fast.

Beatrice Orsini : anything offensive i could do would have extremely little penetraton

Giacopo: ouch

Zita: Giacopo you must take the hit here.

Beatrice Orsini : zita as well

Giacopo: oh i thought you were calling me an npc

Zita: Ll

Lol

No I meant marrying 2 npcs together

Proclus of Rome: We could ask Scapa if any of his apprentices are married.

Beatrice Orsini : good reason for zita to hang around the covenant if she's married to giacopo, imo

Giacopo: i wasn't being sarcastic, I think it would be cool to have a nagging or overbearing wife

Proclus of Rome: I get the sense we don't have much time.

If the fake Father Tomas is here he must have some scheme cooking.

Zita: How easy is a divorce to arrange, if we find no other target for giacopo to wed

Proclus of Rome: Since he hasn't even bothered to murder the real one.

Giacopo: i thinkj you basically need to be a king to get divorced

Beatrice Orsini : we'd have to go to avignon to petition the pope

which would be nice adventure with my background

Ferris of Bonisagus: Well, Kings have to invent their own religons to get divorced...

Zita: It's a really good thing I did not take compassionate as a flaw, or I'd be compelled to throw my life away to aid this woman.

Beatrice Orsini : oh, i got it

Giacopo: if it falls through, yeah

Beatrice Orsini : get zita and giacopo married.

give zita a longevity ritual

petition to annul marriage for infertility

Zita: I get one anyway, as part of being a redcap.

Beatrice Orsini : great

Father Tomas: Which priest are you intending to bring this marriage proposal to

Giacopo: seems fair

Beatrice Orsini : we can skip step 2

Father Tomas: as there are currently 2 of them

Zita: They get one for free from a magus with 50 lab score, as part of their status.

Proclus of Rome: I feel like the real one is the best one.

Beatrice Orsini : the real one can actually perform a marriage

Giacopo: or how about this: get zita and giacopo married, and have lots of grog children

Beatrice Orsini : that said, we don¨t now which one is real

know

Giacopo: i won't insist that more than half of them become apprentice tailors

Proclus of Rome: I feel like the one who is outside gardening is the fake one.

Zita: She's too in love with adventure to settle down now. Sorry Giocopo.

Proclus of Rome: Since he was able to see through Giacopo's disguise.

Giacopo: also night gardening is weird

Proclus of Rome: The only way to see through that disguise is to know that the marriage ban is fake.

Giacopo: and he's the one that's oddly opposed to marriage

Proclus of Rome: The real one loved doing marriages.

Giacopo: is the guy inside the church restrained or anything?

Beatrice Orsini : we should investigate the garden. it might be cool there

there mighht be something cool there

let's loot the fairy's herbs

Proclus of Rome: We don't KNOW he's a fairy.

Giacopo: i think he's only here because he's following us

Proclus of Rome: But he probably is.

How would he follow ahead of us?

Giacopo: idk, supernaturally

"well father, i'm sorry my message did not please you. But I have travelled hard and the hour is late, may I beg your hospitality?"

Father Tomas: "Uhh"

"Well"

"No."

Giacopo: "You;d refuse a pallet on the floor to a member of your own order?"

Zita: He's now rude enough to legally explode him into vis

Father Tomas: "You're not a real monk, though."

"Or maybe you are but you aren't here on the bishop's business. Who sent you?"

Proclus of Rome: Can we get into the church without the fake Father Tomas noticing?

Giacopo: hmm. can i stretch my area lore rome to knowing of monasteries in this area?

Father Tomas: Wouldn't be too hard

Proclus of Rome: There's at least one monastery you know about around here probably.

Father Tomas: To both questions

Subiaco Abbey

Proclus of Rome: Yes.

Giacopo: "well, from my superior at the abbey of saint G-"

Proclus of Rome: I always forget how to spell it.

Father Tomas: "Never mind, I'll just figure it out myself."

And he puts Giacopo to sleep.

Who is watching this exchange?

Giacopo: rude

Beatrice Orsini : i don't think any magi are in sight, it'd be too conspicious

maybe ferris' familiar

Zita: We all were, I thought, since we were whispering

Ferris was whispering anyway

So I assumed we were near

Beatrice Orsini : i assumed near, but not directly observing

Proclus of Rome: Well, Ferris' familiar is a hideously bloated spider.

So maybe that isn't the best thing to wake up to.

(From Giacopo): do I get a SAVING THROW?

(To Giacopo): Roll it, it's standard ReMe

(To Giacopo): Sta vs. 8

Ferris of Bonisagus: It grows on you

Proclus of Rome: I think probably someone noticed, maybe.

Giacopo:

(To GM) rolling d10-3

(

8

)

-3

=

5

Proclus of Rome: Not me though, I was with Ferris.

Beatrice Orsini : i think the familiar could see and tell ferris who would tell us

Father Tomas: Great

Act if you want, or don't

(From Giacopo): i maintain 3+magnitude is the more suitable ease factor

Proclus of Rome: Right but how is the Spider Matriarch going to wake up Father Tomas?

Beatrice Orsini : i'll invisible myself

Father Tomas: One leads to an unsatisfying conclusion here

Beatrice Orsini : this is the moment where we discuss if veil of invisibility is an illusion

Proclus of Rome: If anyone saw Father Tomas put Giacopo to sleep they should do something about it.

Ferris of Bonisagus: The spider can just skitter across him, and wake him up like hes being tickled

Giacopo: i feel like we had this discussion when you made this same character in the last campaign

Proclus of Rome: It obviously is.

Beatrice Orsini : i'm not sure, actually

Proclus of Rome: If it actually made you invisible it would be Perdo Corpus.

Zita: If he was talking, I have very good stealth, so I could be nearby without problems.

Proclus of Rome: To destroy your body's ability to emit species.

Giacopo: actually i think what we arrived at was illusions cover basically all imaginems except intellego

Father Tomas: Also, it's dark outside

Beatrice Orsini : not really

Giacopo: the argument was what you could get away with in a minor focus, so not really relevant

Proclus of Rome: Well there's candle light.

Father Tomas: Is the focus minor or major

Proclus of Rome: Still that's pretty dark.

Beatrice Orsini : Major

Father Tomas: Then yes

Beatrice Orsini : ok

Proclus of Rome: How could Veil of Invisibility be anything other than an illusion?

Beatrice Orsini : that's 23 base - 3 dominion then

Ferris of Bonisagus: Maybe its not an illusion

Father Tomas: remember you can ceremonially cast it too

Beatrice Orsini : it does not create new images that don't exist. it destroys existing images

Father Tomas: assuming you did this in advance

Beatrice Orsini : veil of invisibility is level 20

if it counts as an illusion i have 23 casting score and if dominion is 1 at night, the only inssue is a botch

Giacopo: i mean, you could call a lot of mentem spells illusions if you're going by the literal meaning of what's a pretty broad concept

Beatrice Orsini :

rolling 1d10+23-3

(

5

)

+23-3

=

25

passed

Father Tomas: Cool!

Proclus of Rome: Anyway we should probably do something about Father Tomas putting our companion to sleep.

Father Tomas: Well, you invisibly see Father Tomas cast the Call to Slumber on Giacopo.

Proclus of Rome: Wait didn't we nerf sleep?

Father Tomas: Giacopo made and failed his saving throw

Giacopo: i have stamina -3

Proclus of Rome: Yikes.

RIP

Giacopo: and there was no imminent peril, so asleep i go

Father Tomas: Well, he starts casting another spell unless you're going to act here

Beatrice Orsini : i do

Proclus of Rome: Do something about it Beatrice!

Beatrice Orsini : i'll try Touch of the Goose Feather on him

Giacopo: i wonder how he saw through my illusion but not the veil of invisibilitu though

Father Tomas: theres a real mundane simple answer for that

Giacopo: oh wait he didn;t, he just didn't believe me

Proclus of Rome: He wouldn't have to.

IF he made up the lie then anyone who is trying to correct it must also be a liar.

Beatrice Orsini :

rolling 1d10!+7-3

(

10

+

9

)

+7-3

=

23

level is 5

Father Tomas: Penetration? (Use Raw, just halve your Pen score)

Beatrice Orsini : 18 pen + 3 skill = 10.5

Proclus of Rome: So anyone delivering a message trying to cancel a false edict must have a fake letter.

Beatrice Orsini : 18 score + 3 skill, i mean

Father Tomas: parma is 2xParma Ability and your relevant Form, not your Form Bonus score, right?

Zita: Form itself, yeah.

Father Tomas: Okay. (also -3 from aura)

Beatrice Orsini : isn¨t aura accounted in casting score?

Zita: I can't believe the culprit would be this brazen.

Father Tomas: It's in both actually, aura effects Magic Resistance too

Magi are more vulnerable when they are in Dominion (but it's harder to cast too)

Anyway--- Your spell fails to penetrate, but he stops casting what he was about to cast anyway and looks in the direction of where he was touched

Beatrice Orsini : oh, i thought you mean -3 penetration from aura, not -3mr from aura

Father Tomas: "Ah-- who goes there-- you've no right to be here-- show yourself!"

Zita: I mundanely try tackling him to the ground.

Father Tomas: regular Brawl check there

Beatrice Orsini : I won't reply and instead try to get back to the other magi while he's distracted.

Father Tomas: + stealth if you want to make it a sneak attack

Zita: Dex and brawl? I have stealth too

So stealth first, then brawl?

Father Tomas: Dex + Stealth first to sneak up on him

Then Dex + Brawl as an attack roll

Zita:

rolling 1d10!+4+11+2

(

3

)

+4+11+2

=

20

Father Tomas: A successful sneak attack = no defense bonus on his part

Zita: Stealth

Father Tomas:

rolling 1d10!-2+0 this moron has no awareness score lol

(

2

)

-2+0

=

0

Giacopo: if i'm reading your pen rules right pen should be 18 for casting score +1.5 for penetration ability score

Zita: Lol

Welcome to the own zone wizard

Giacopo: or maybe you meant halve total, well nm

Father Tomas: If you don't botch here you tackle him

Zita:

rolling 1d10!+4+6

(

6

)

+4+6

=

16

Father Tomas: Wham!

Proclus of Rome: I'm still discussing how gross his familiar is with Ferris here.

Father Tomas: "This is -- oof!"

Zita: "Hey, he's a magus! Or something like that, he's casting!"

"I found the culprit!"

Ferris of Bonisagus: Your being arachniphobic Proclus

Zita: I'm yelling, surely you arent that far. Or maybe you are.

Well thankfully Beatrice is here

Proclus of Rome: Nah.

We're just at the other end of the church.

We'll come running.

Father Tomas: "This is an outrage! Get off me, sodales!"

Ferris of Bonisagus: Yea

Zita: "No way, you've been meddling. Heavily."

"That stupid effect on the gates hit me."

Proclus of Rome: Imagine how much easier things would be if people were required to register with the covenant when they traveled.

Zita: Is it really prudenzio

Ferris of Bonisagus: "Explain yourself, false Father!"

Father Tomas: "You've scried an assaulted a Magus outside of a wizard's war. Now will you please get off me so I can stand and talk about this reasonably?"

Zita: Does wizards war rules apply to redcaps. I think they're socially the same as wizards but that part of it I don't know if it applies to them

Father Tomas: Yeah

Proclus of Rome: "I think that sounds reasonable."

Yes.

Zita: "Alright, alright." I get off him

Father Tomas: Though anyone who wizard's war on a redcap gets basically blackballed by House Mercere for being a dick

Zita: "You did cast on a member of their covenant, though."

Father Tomas: He haughtily brushes dirt off his clothes.

Zita: "Had to stop you."

Giacopo: redcaps have all of the legal rights of magi, which they're mostly not allowed to exercise

Father Tomas: "You've been poking around in my affairs all day and now were going to  ruin  everything."

Proclus of Rome: "I have had enough of people coming to Rome to capriciously curse people."

Giacopo: we're in naples though

Zita: They cant be killed without it being a hermetic crime though, which is the most important law honestly.

Proclus of Rome: It's close to the Vardian's Tomb Covenant, so it's our territory.

You know, notionally.

Father Tomas: "So who are you then? Magvillus? Rellanati?"

Proclus of Rome: "I'm Proclus of Rome."

"I wish I could say I was pleased to meet you."

Zita: "Mercere, just gauntleted sir."

Beatrice Orsini : i forgot, can you prematurely end your own spells?

Proclus of Rome: Yes.

Father Tomas: Not without a special virtue or by casting Perdo

Giacopo: the mercere gauntlet is running an obstacle course without dropping your satchel

Proclus of Rome: I thought it was the opposite.

Zita: I should put my house affiliation in my name now that I think of it. I'm a gauntleted member of the order.

Proclus of Rome: You needed a flaw to not be able to.

Father Tomas: Anyway

Giacopo: no, it's a special ability.

Proclus of Rome: Ok.

Father Tomas: It's getting pretty late, and even after confronting this guy you have a couple big problems on your hands

Would folks want to resolve this next week and then jump right into the next adventure?

Giacopo: actually i think they're in the mercere supplement. the house has a lot of secret magics for having no wizards

Giacopo sleeps through the rest of the adventure

Proclus of Rome: Well how much stuff do we have left to resolve?

Father Tomas: Alright, I'll go a bit further and summarize some stuff

Giacopo: but you should probably stop if there's a lot left

Galafre the Elder: This guy introduces himself as Galafre the Elder of Merinita.

Zita of Mercere: I can go all night, and I don't know what problems we have left now we've caught the idiot responsible. We need to fix their marriage somehow.

Beatrice Orsini : oh shit

Ferris of Bonisagus: Im fine with either option

Beatrice Orsini : i have about 3 more hours at least

Galafre the Elder: Alright I'll stick it out

"Now. What's your business here? I'm in the middle of a very carefully concocted story and you're trying to ruin it all."

Giacopo: oOOOooooh right

Proclus of Rome: "A story? You stopped a priest from performing the sacrament of marriage for something a pointless as that?"

Beatrice Orsini : "Lady Gracia asked for help."

Galafre the Elder: "Yes."

Giacopo: now what kind of fairy needs a merlin

Galafre the Elder: "I did."

Proclus of Rome: "Abominable!"

Zita of Mercere: "You really upset her, and this is definetely meddling too far."

Ferris of Bonisagus: "Is that child up there yours?"

Proclus of Rome: "A shocking abuse of Hermetic Architecture."

Galafre the Elder: "Listen... if you ring those bells, everything falls apart. And then what? The Lady is an adulteress, and will be beheaded. The child a bastard and disowned. The baron humiliated. This accomplishes... what, exactly?"

Beatrice Orsini : Damn. He's right.

Galafre the Elder: "That child is... the titular cuckoo, of course."

Proclus of Rome: He is right, because he's a rapist.

Ferris of Bonisagus: "Why are you trying to protect the lady? This seems like a lot of work for a mundane..."

Proclus of Rome: "Protect? He's the one who put her in this situation to begin with."

Beatrice Orsini : If you rape a lady, the least you could do is not let her be beheaded.

Galafre the Elder: "It wouldn't be a cuckoo if it got thrown out of the nest, come on now."

Ferris of Bonisagus: Im not saying if your rapist you dont have some code of honor, but...

Proclus of Rome: "What do YOU get out of this?"

"Some catspaw to further meddle in the affairs of state?"

Galafre the Elder: "Oh, please."

"I wouldn't even be here if I didn't have to try and keep the whole thing in motion. I don't care what happens to the kid as long as the story works."

Proclus of Rome: "What story?"

"The story of the meddling Merinita?"

Beatrice Orsini : "Of course you don't care about the child after they're born."

Zita of Mercere: "Ooh that's a good one."

Galafre the Elder: "Oh come on, no one got hurt. No one in the Order that is."

Beatrice Orsini : I'm a bit bitter about that.

Zita of Mercere: "I did, you idiot. Your spell on the gates hit me."

Galafre the Elder: "If you hadn't interfered no one would even know the kid's a bastard! So, really, it's  you  who meddled here."

Proclus of Rome: "Lady St. Duane came to us! Your story was never going to work."

Galafre the Elder: "Well, I'm sorry about that, but you didn't really have any business here in the first place."

Proclus of Rome: "She already knew."

(From Giacopo): lol that's got to be worth a code roll

Galafre the Elder: "The story.. the story would work! We'd, I'd make it work. It would."

Zita of Mercere: "Mmhm, and if she hadn't come to them it'd have been other wizards."

Proclus of Rome: "More wasted time and vis and more misery for you and your compatriots."

Zita of Mercere: I'll leave out that it was entirely me that set up her meeting vardians tomb

Galafre the Elder: hehe

Ferris of Bonisagus: "If we hadnt discovered you, someone else would have noticed. This wont last forever."

Galafre the Elder: "It... uh.."

Zita of Mercere: "And what if the kid ended up with fairy blood from all this nonsense, huh."

"Pointy ears stand out. No offence, miss."

Galafre the Elder: "That's on the mother for that one."

Giacopo: why, you'd be condemning that child to long life and magical blessings

Beatrice Orsini : not everyone has brownie heritage

Zita of Mercere: Worse. Condemning them to the fate of a PC.

Proclus of Rome: "Is the mother an elf?"

Zita of Mercere: NPC wizards get to sit in their labs for years on end

Proclus of Rome: "Perhaps we should allow them to behead her."

Beatrice Orsini : my sidhe heritage condemns me to be a 20th century goth in 14th century

Galafre the Elder: "Who are you to judge me? Did not Merlin the Magician change the appearance of Uther Pendragon so he could lie with the countess who became Arthur's mother?"

"And are you really going to judge  Merlin ?"

Beatrice Orsini : yes

Proclus of Rome: "Who?"

"The hawk?"

Giacopo: wasn't merlin an enemy of hte ooh?

Ferris of Bonisagus: Nice

Galafre the Elder: lol if true

Proclus of Rome: "I'm not into modern literature."

Giacopo: i certainly don't have the magic lore to know!

Zita of Mercere: I do

I have magic lore, and I'm not afraid to use it

Proclus of Rome: How could he be? He was trapped in a cave before the Order of Hermes was founded.

Galafre the Elder: what if Damhan-Allaidh was Merlin the whole time...

Giacopo: for the crime of having an unpronounceable name, history shall know you bu teh first bird i see

Galafre the Elder: "Then, think of it this way, was not our Lord engendered upon the Virgin by the Holy Spirit?"

Giacopo: "if you think of me as the holy spirit, this seems a lot more reasonable"

Proclus of Rome: "Are you comparing yourself to God?"

Zita of Mercere: "Ah, the classic part of the bible where a fairy disguises as a woman's husband to ravish her."

Ferris of Bonisagus: "Are you claiming you are an angel?"

Proclus of Rome: "Are you really so foolish?"

Galafre the Elder: "No retort except ad hominems, I see."

Beatrice Orsini : comparing yourself to god is pretty hermetic, though

Galafre the Elder: "That's fine. I get it."

Zita of Mercere: You're only calling me a rapist, making me the victor.

Proclus of Rome: "What was your plan once the Lady St. Duane realized that her child was not the Baron's?"

Beatrice Orsini : "You meddled with mundanes in a slapdash way, ruining lives of multiple people in the process."

"All your enchantments would fall apart once the baron returns."

Galafre the Elder: "I left an enchantment to keep it from being a problem. And I just have to keep tweaking the Baron's memory to keep him in the dark too."

"Unless you're volunteering to take up that duty that I'm selflessly assuming? Otherwise I hope you're happy with the lady's death on your hands."

Zita of Mercere: "What if you mess up somewhere and enter twilight?"

Proclus of Rome: "What is the point of doing any of this but to cover up your tawdry affair?"

Galafre the Elder: "The point is, um,"

Giacopo: i think you;re missing something

Galafre the Elder: There's a look of confusion on his face for a moment

Giacopo: where's the fairy he;s enabling

Galafre the Elder: "The sake of the story, naturally."

Zita of Mercere: "Isn't that a fairy thing?"

Beatrice Orsini : "I see. Who enchanted you?"

Galafre the Elder: He scoffs.

Proclus of Rome: "These Merinita don't need an excuse to act like beasts, I see."

Galafre the Elder: "Enchant  me ? Don't you have it backwards?"

Beatrice Orsini : "You're creating a story for no human gain at considerable cost to yourself."

Galafre the Elder: "Some, some puny little faerie, pulling a fast one on Galafre? Hah. Not a chance."

Beatrice Orsini nods.

Beatrice Orsini : "He's enchanted."

Ferris of Bonisagus: "Can you explain why this dtory needed to exsist in the first part? Were you compelled to commit your sin?"

Proclus of Rome: "This is why we need to eradicate all fairies."

Galafre the Elder: "Sin, pah, all seduction is based on deceit and trickery, really. And how was I to know there'd be a child."

Ferris of Bonisagus shurgs in agreement.

Proclus of Rome: "That's often the case."

Zita of Mercere: "Merinita would be really cross if you did, Proclus."

Proclus of Rome: "Well let them be."

Ferris of Bonisagus: "Ah, so this was just the first time you were almost caught."

Galafre the Elder: We know what side Proclus is on in the upcoming titanomachy

Galafre sputters but can't get a retort to Ferris on that one.

Proclus of Rome: "So you haven't even had a Longevity Ritual performed?"

"Not that much of an elder, I see."

Galafre the Elder: "This is exactly what I mean. Everyone just wants to gang up and judge me."

Giacopo: i would like to, yes

Proclus of Rome: Nothing I could do!

"Wait a minute, how did you decide on Lady Gracia St. Duane?"

Ferris of Bonisagus: Is rape against the Code?

Proclus of Rome: Nope.

Beatrice Orsini : not in itself

rape is fine as long as you don't use magic

Zita of Mercere: Fathering a bastard with mentem effects is pretty against it

Galafre the Elder: "Do you know the Latin root of Montcuq? Montem cuci, mountain of the cuckoo. Funny, isn't it?"

Proclus of Rome: "Come to think of it, how would she know to offer us a reward that would be enticing?"

Zita of Mercere: If only Archibald were here to arrest him, whoops

Proclus of Rome: "Could it be possible that she is the one behind all of this?" I say unwisely.

Galafre the Elder: lol

Beatrice Orsini : "Definitely possible."

Zita of Mercere: "What? Gracia?"

Proclus of Rome: "Yes."

Zita of Mercere: "She's always been a nice girl, no way."

Giacopo: well, she might have been told how to approach magi on account of beingh introduced through a redcap

Galafre the Elder: I think we already went over this that she knew a Jerbiton magus as a family friend awhile back

and that magus knows Zita

Proclus of Rome: Sure.

But that doesn't establish her bona fides at all.

Beatrice Orsini : We should take the child and make Galafre make everyone forget it exists.

Zita of Mercere: Then we have a child to raise.

Make him make everyone forget, and then raise the child.

Beatrice Orsini : i'm fine with adopting a child and handing it over to some grogs to raise while still calling it mine.

Proclus of Rome: This is such a perfect adventure for Prudenzio to miss.

Galafre the Elder: "You'd be even worse meddlers than, I mean, you'd be meddling then, if you stole the only heir to the St. Duane bloodline."

Ferris of Bonisagus: We did say it was doomed to an exsistsnce as a PC...

Zita of Mercere: Two of the magi most suited to it are absent, it's great.

Proclus of Rome: "When did you start this scheme?"

Galafre the Elder: "Who cares?"

Proclus of Rome: "I care."

Galafre the Elder: "It's in motion and that's all that matters now."

Proclus of Rome: "How could you have forgotten?"

Beatrice Orsini : "He is not the heir to St. Duane bloodline. He's the heir to whatever Lady Gracia's family is, not the baron."

"That said, who are Lady Gracia's parents."

Zita of Mercere: Do I know, Johns?

Galafre the Elder: "Hell if I know."

Galafre the Elder passes a note to a player

Proclus of Rome: "Is it possible that you've botched yourself?"

(To Zita of Mercere): You know that her father was actually a wealthy wine merchant, and in truth was a covenfolk of Literatus (the jerbiton's covenant). She has never spoken of her mother to you except to say that she is dead.

Proclus of Rome: "And that's why you've been recklessly pursuing this dangerous and potentially illegal scheme for no personal gain?"

(To Zita of Mercere): The bit about the father is a secret cause it means she is a lowborn who has married into nobility

Galafre the Elder: "I've said enough, your preening moralism is getting tedious."

Zita of Mercere: "I don't know her mother, but I remember meeting her father. He's dead now, though."

Proclus of Rome: "That's very suspicious."

Galafre the Elder: And now the final "crux:" What's to be done here? You can tell him to piss off, take him up at tribunal etc., but what're you going to do about the baron showing up in a couple days?

Proclus of Rome: "Is it possible that she enlisted Galafre's help to create this bizarre and pointless story?"

Galafre the Elder: Galafre scoffs, scoffishly.

Zita of Mercere: "Then why would she ask for help with it?"

Beatrice Orsini : "Maybe it was her mother's doing."

Ferris of Bonisagus: I vote for letting the tribunal decide his fate.

Galafre the Elder: Galafre also says if you try to bring this up at tribunal he'll countersue for scrying/assault

Zita of Mercere: "She never spoke about her, just mentioned she was dead."

Proclus of Rome: "Well, even fairies require more than one person to birth a child."

Galafre the Elder: If you have Code of Hermes you can make an estimate of whether it's a serious claim or not

Proclus of Rome: I do!

Rolling Code of Hermes + Int.

rolling 1d10 + 1 + 2

(

4

)

+1+2

=

7

It just isn't very high!

Ferris of Bonisagus: Well, we didnt knlw he was a magus when we assaulted him. It was his fault for disguising himself.

(To Proclus of Rome): You're both in pretty murky waters here.

Galafre the Elder passes a note to a player

Galafre the Elder: Something to look forward to in the tribunal session in a few weeks then :)

Beatrice Orsini : If using magic disguise counts as scrying in Roman Tribunal, he is just as guilty.

Proclus of Rome: Well we still need to find his conspirator.

Galafre the Elder: that might be impossible at this stage

Proclus of Rome: It might be.

Beatrice Orsini : I think we're forgetting one thing.

"What's the story you want to create?"

Galafre the Elder: "It wouldn't be a worthwhile story if I spoiled it now, come on."

Proclus of Rome: "I think we're well beyond spoiler territory."

Galafre the Elder: "Trust me-- it will be grand."

Giacopo: murder this guy now and the tribunal will never now

know

Proclus of Rome: I'm clicking the black text.

Beatrice Orsini : "Actually, spoilers enable us to appreiciate a story better."

Galafre the Elder: He shrugs.

Not budging on this one either.

Beatrice Orsini : "You don't know."

Galafre the Elder: Folk Ken + Per if you like

Beatrice Orsini : let's see

Ferris of Bonisagus: I dont think proclus would let us get away with murder

Proclus of Rome:

rolling 1d10 + 0 + 5

(

4

)

+0+5

=

9

Beatrice Orsini :

rolling 1d10+0+0

(

3

)

+0+0

=

3

Zita of Mercere: "Tell us or... I'll marry that guy, and the bells will ruin the story anyway. No-one will ever see it." I point at Giacapo lying n the ground

Proclus of Rome: Hmm.

Beatrice Orsini : no idea

good threat

Zita of Mercere:

rolling 1d10+1+3

(

1

)

+1+3

=

5

Bad folk ken, but this might work

Galafre the Elder: "I think you're bluffing. You wouldn't have come out this far just to doom the lady to her death."

Proclus of Rome: What's that rol?

l

Zita of Mercere: It was folk ken

(To Proclus of Rome): He got a little pale at Beatrice's last remark

Giacopo: lmao nice ability scores

Galafre the Elder passes a note to a player

Galafre the Elder:

rolling 3d10

(

8

+

8

+

4

)

=

20

Giacopo snores middle-agedly

Proclus of Rome: "We didn't, you did, with your shoddily constructed story."

Galafre the Elder: "The past is the past. The future is up to you now, not me."

Ferris of Bonisagus: How long is Giacopo out for?

Proclus of Rome: "Well then I guess they're going to have to get married. I'm sure everyone will remember the grand tale of the Merinita who knocked up a Baroness and then got her killed."

Beatrice Orsini : he was tickled awake by a spider, wasnt he?

Proclus of Rome: No, that was the real Father Tomas and we didn't do it.

Giacopo: the effect of call to slumber is instantaneous

Ferris of Bonisagus: Can we shake him awake?

Proclus of Rome: So we just need to kick him a little.

Galafre the Elder: "Then in that case... I'm off. Bye!"

And he runs away.

Giacopo: but it;s night so i;ll probablyt sleep to morning unless someone kicks me

Proclus of Rome: He runs away?!

Is he serious?

Let's get him!

Zita of Mercere: Get him boys

Galafre the Elder: I mean

Ferris of Bonisagus: Ill try to Web Condtrain him

Galafre the Elder: you're going to assault him again?

Ferris of Bonisagus: Gently hold him

Giacopo: he's arguably guilty of interference

Ferris of Bonisagus: With spider webs

Giacopo: you'd be definitely guilty of assault

Galafre the Elder: Innocent until proven guilty



Giacopo: and to what end?

Zita of Mercere: Is he going to flee after causing all this damage? I guess we can't stop him but we can definetely take him to tribunal for this farce

Giacopo: assuming anyone else cares

you'll have to demonstrate he's harmed the order or other wizard's interests

Zita of Mercere: If we could demonstrate that his actions negatively impact the order, yeah

Galafre the Elder: It would be a really easy case to prove

Proclus of Rome: For example, by making us look like a bunch of rapists.

Galafre the Elder: because I don't subscribe to the idea you have to make demonstratable harm to a specific magus for interference, giving the order or magic a bad name in general is Bad

Proclus of Rome: In any case, we should grab him.

Beatrice Orsini : Also, if the Lady is Jerbiton acquaintance, her dying could possibly harm their interests.

Zita of Mercere: Yeah, so we can take him to the cleaners for this.

Proclus of Rome: How do we gang up on him and beat him up?

Zita of Mercere: I could grab him, though a recently gauntleted red cap assaulting a more senior magus twice in one day might get me in trouble too.

Giacopo: in for a pawn...

Proclus of Rome: Yeah.

But I believe you mean pfennig.

Beatrice Orsini : i could flail at him ineffectually with my fists

Galafre the Elder: It's not a big deal anyway, you either take him here or you take him to court in a couple years

unless he goes fugitive and gets wizards' marches

Proclus of Rome: Well, I'd like to see what happens when we break whatever is going on here by ringing the wedding bells.

Galafre the Elder: marched

Beatrice Orsini : I'd prefer someone marrying someone.

Proclus of Rome: Well whatever.

Zita of Mercere: I think we should disrupt the story, though I immediately regret my empty threat that I assumed he'd acquiese to.

Beatrice Orsini : I'm willing to marry someone myself, if I can get a divorce later.

Zita of Mercere: We should probably do something about Gracia so that she doesn't get executed though.

Proclus of Rome: Like what?

(From Beatrice Orsini ): I'll be down with going to Avignon in few years to petition pope for divorce. Especially if my father is there.

(To Beatrice Orsini ): lol

Beatrice Orsini : Ok.

Zita of Mercere: Well, allow her to flee. She is the victim of a wizard's serious meddling, its not meddling to stop that.

Beatrice Orsini : I have a plan.

Giacopo: fake identity and new life somewhere?

Beatrice Orsini : We'll claim the child is mine.

Ferris of Bonisagus: I think if we assualt him now, we could* get in trouble. But if we just bring up his case at the tribunal we are safe and solve the problem.

Zita of Mercere: Oh

We could maybe, though its unscrupulous

Giacopo: oh nice thinking

Zita of Mercere: Use mentem to make the nurse believe the child is hers

johns (GM): Interesting, go on

Beatrice Orsini : I have better plan.

Giacopo: but you'll need to concoct a scheme almost as outlandish as the one that actually took place

Zita of Mercere: She wants a child, presumably. She's a grieving mother.

Proclus of Rome: That's a pretty good idea, Zita.

Zita of Mercere: Also I suspect she's put there by the author so you can do this, he he.

Beatrice Orsini : We'll say the child is mine. The lady just pretended it was hers to do me a favor and she'd give it back after I marry someone.

Proclus of Rome: But what would we do with a baby?

Beatrice Orsini : Give it to grogs to raise.

That's what wizards do with babies, right?

Proclus of Rome: Which grogs would raise a baby?

Zita of Mercere: Well the covenant does have a mother.

Did, sorry

Proclus of Rome: Why would they put up with that?

Ferris of Bonisagus: Letta would be fine with it

Zita of Mercere: The only expert in raising children is now gone.

johns (GM): People have seen Lady Gracia pregnant though

Proclus of Rome: Yeah.

Beatrice Orsini : It was a ball.

Proclus of Rome: That is an issue.

Zita of Mercere: She put on weight and the baby was so she could pretend she didnt.

Proclus of Rome: HOWEVER, we can just say they were tricked by Galafre.

And he used the nursemaid's child.

Zita of Mercere: Oh. Yes, good thinking.

Proclus of Rome: And made her believe that her child was dead.

Beatrice Orsini : Oh, I have an idea. I'll marry Giacopo, he gets an heir. And I'll divorce him later.

Giacopo: you can easily fix the natural grief of the bereaved by messing with people's heads. for further information consult the  De Columnas Aeternum  of Obsidianus

Proclus of Rome: I guess everyone's a winner here except for her real child.

Beatrice Orsini : I just really want t go to Avignon to ask for divorce.

Zita of Mercere: Hey everybody! We're all going to Avignon!

Proclus of Rome: But he's dead.

Giacopo: well, that;s good enough for me

Zita of Mercere: Well, mentem could just be a last resort.

Giacopo: really what i want more than an heir is a nagging sitcom wife, but i'll be an npc in a week anyway

Zita of Mercere: If we explained that the child is doomed otherwise, and that he needs a mother.

She really cares about him already

I imagine the lady can slip her some money to help

Beatrice Orsini : I'll be a wife who ignores Giacopo completely since I don't want to devote seasons to bothers like pregnancy and raising children.

Proclus of Rome: Doesn't that just encourage blackmail?

johns (GM): the SEC thread

if you accuse Galafre of meddling would that constitute bad meddling too. ( ponders this in the pose of The Thinker )

Ferris of Bonisagus: Enforcing law is not meddling.

Proclus of Rome: Well it will be when we start changing people's memories.

Ferris of Bonisagus: Oh yeah, and of course, stealing a baby.

Giacopo: that's inconsequential meddling, probably

anyway would recognise you're trying to set things right

johns (GM): Would you prefer to take some IRL time to figure this out and detail it in the thread. also depending what course you choose there may be more stories related to this in the future

Proclus of Rome: That sounds good.

Zita of Mercere: We could actually fix this entirely mundanely, though it opens up blackmail I guess.

Ferris of Bonisagus: Yeah, lets resolvr this in the thread.

Beatrice Orsini : If Giacopo is ok with, I'm 100% open to marriage just to see how it ruins the story.

johns (GM): lol

Zita of Mercere: If we simply cancel the effect with wedding bells, and convince the nurse to take the child without using mentem

Then that is 0 arcane meddling

And we still resolve it

Giacopo: i'd really better go to sleep, but thanks for the game, it was fun to break out this guy again

Zita of Mercere: Good night, gamer.

Giacopo: and sure, marry him by all means

Beatrice Orsini : Giacopo wants an heir and this one is the only one I can get him.

johns (GM): im glad as hell whenever you get to play BR

Giacopo: though i'll always dream of nurse what;s her face

Endrite: Yep.

Good stuff.

Zita of Mercere: I can't believe we actually meet a criminal wizard who is blatantly committing crimes, and it's the one time I don't play Archibald.

Beatrice Orsini : lol

Ferris of Bonisagus: Thanks for the session Johns.

Endrite: Ownt.

Zita of Mercere: Good session, yeah.

We salvaged the sillier parts

c'thinker (GM): what are the haps

Endrite: Ok see ya.

c'thinker (GM): hmm. what were the haps

johns (GM): heya cthinker

im writing up a little recap in the thread right now because we haven't quite figured out the solution

basically: Cuckoldry

Beatrice Orsini : my cardinal father dies in 1342 so i want to get to avignon sometime before that

c'thinker (GM): natch

Beatrice Orsini : and i think i have a good excuse

c'thinker (GM): cuckoldry and, apparently, rape

Zita of Mercere: A wizard used mentem to rape someone.

dys: A classic tale.

johns (GM): he's just some magus who rapes people,

Beatrice Orsini : technically, it was imaginem

the mentem was to cover it up

dys: It's not a big deal and it's really annoying seeing you bring it up at tribunal.

Beatrice Orsini : we can get a companion out of it in twenty years

johns (GM): Goodnight folks! catch ya later

Beatrice Orsini : good night

dys: Night.

I wont even need aging rolls on my magus by then, 20 years is nothing.