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Birds circle ominously. Guy of Bonisagus: ill probably be dipping in and out helping my dad with something dys (GM): Alright. Shaun, is it Fiorella or Belzer who went underwater? moe: Dusan is also underwater salve Shauncat (GM): Belzer I suppose, Fiorella is doing something or other at Literatus dys (GM): is she stuck there? johns: no moe: looks up "something or other" in the dictionary and finds a crosslink to "intrigue, conspiracy" Shauncat (GM): As I recall I spaced out when we were saying who was going and didn't end up assigning any of my PCs johns: you can play Derfel. just pull his up sheet. Endrite: I think bird magic is going to have a lot of problems underwater. I guess you could summon ducks. moe: Geese would also apply imo Shauncat (GM): I think controlling a grog would be fine dys (GM): You could summon the noble penguin, that classic medieval beast. Shauncat (GM): Both my PCs have good reasons not to go, one isn't at VT the other is finishing his major life ambition before going on suicidal adventures dys (GM): [in a resigned, sighing voice] thats ars, baby brb a few mins, and then we'll begin Shauncat (GM): I had one goal, make a character who could write a level 5 ability summa that was worth circulation, and not be completely gimped outside that area of specialization, and he's one season away from completing the summa Dusan of Criamon: i want to apologize again for not doing seasons for two weeks now, i am under an insane workload devil's fav demon: thats ok dusan there are multiple characters who have existed for irl years without having their seasons done. Dusan of Criamon: Hey DFD! devil's fav demon: im here on time, but im going to be dropping in and out because im making dinner for the next hour or so. Rosario of Flambeau: hi! Alphubel ex Merinita: So what's the hold up? GM: Alright then, everyone comfortable? Alphubel ex Merinita: No. c'thinker: greetings. Lavinia: Ciao GM: Well. Last week, the situation was this: A dead mermaid was pulled up by fishermen off the coast of Venice, as you returned from tribunal. With some preparations made, you set out in the stone whale to the ocean floor in order to discover the origin, and possible treasures underwater. You found a magical aura with a number of dead, rotting fish in it showing signs of the blight, along with some stone buildings sealed tightly with copper doors. Along with a helmeted woman being dragged away in a net by greek fish-men. Lavinia bought some time to speak with the captive and she identified herself as Anna ex Verditius, though none of you have ever heard the name before and she certainly isn't from this tribunal, despite being an italian. And now you're headed into... the lost city of Atlantis. GM: Anything I missed in that recap of things? Rosario of Flambeau: i dont think so. Alphubel ex Merinita: You forgot to mention that we can all do magic. Pretty important detail to omit! Rosario of Flambeau: we're not currently trying to kill the fish men, as far as i remember, although Rosario is eager to suggest it Dusan of Criamon: I would oppose such a motion until they attempt to strike first Guy of Bonisagus: [reluctantly] we should rescue this verditius maga Dusan of Criamon: We were looking forward to meeting the king of Atlantis GM: The group of aquatic soldiers were leading you to the palace, through the sunken city, so we'll resume there... in the lost city of Atlantis. Lavinia: wow, plato was wrong, it was in the Ionain sea all along GM: It's everything that legends said it would be, naturally. A marvel of the ancient world, tragically sunken to the bottom of the ocean. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: wow it's great to be here in the lost city of atlantic. Alphubel ex Merinita: Wow! Gulielmus of Pure Reason: atlantis. fuck. can we start over Alphubel ex Merinita: Well, it's the Faerie version, which is just as good as the real thing probably. Rosario of Flambeau: I came all this way to the lost city of atlantis and boy are my arms tired. GM: Half-human half-fish inhabitants swim through the streets, which glitter in the strangely well-lit streets. You can't tell where the light is coming from, but everything is illuminated well. Dusan of Criamon: You know, it would be a hum-dinger if reaching this place really was the "great city in the west" that Dusans parens told him to seek out and reach as his gauntlet conundrum Alphubel ex Merinita: How large is the city? Dusan of Criamon: is it larger than Rome? Lavinia: Are we being crushed to death by water pressure Rosario of Flambeau: brb Dusan of Criamon: no, thanks to magic GM: The borders are fuzzy and hard to get a sense for. Water isn't like air, it inhibits how far you can see through it. The size could stretch for endless miles, for all you know. You are currently not being crushed to death by water pressure, though it is making it harder to move Dusan of Criamon: Hmm, hmm. Alphubel ex Merinita: Wait, aren't e in the whale? GM: Some of the fish-tailed citizens are out walking with their pets. You see it a number of times as you walk along, with mermen and mermaids floating along behind a large fish with a leash on it. You're in the whale, yes. I mean when you're outside the whale it makes it harder to move. Alphubel ex Merinita: Well then. Lavinia: to add to the recap we're supposed to keep our eyes open for this verditius' casting tools maybe they got dropped back at the stone building and someone can slip away at a convenient time GM: Ah. Yes, she said that she dropped them when ambushed. Dusan of Criamon: "Interesting! They are half fish, yet they have fish pets. Why that would be like if people, who have legs would have pets that..." Dusan of Criamon begins doing a circle walking meditation Alphubel ex Merinita: Hmm. Who would be the best at going back to get her casting tools with the whale while everyone else stays here. Magical Fish: The fish stare at you as you head by Alphubel ex Merinita: I think I should go, since there are unlikely to be as many defenses at the ruins and my magic is the most weak. GM: Right now you're all in the whale, as it slowly advances behind the soldiers and their captive. They mentioned before you wouldn't be able to bring the whale into the palace itself. Lavinia: "It'd be like having a pet sciapod, those weird things from Africa that are just a single giant foot." Alphubel ex Merinita: "That makes sense." Lavinia: "Can you turn invisible or teleport away, Alphubel?" Alphubel ex Merinita: "No." Lavinia: "That'd help if you want to slip away unnoticed." Alphubel ex Merinita: "I could claim to be taking the whale back to the surface for some reason." "I'm not, uh, not that good of a liar though." Dusan of Criamon: "I have a more obvious question: Can any of us walk outside the whale? I'm not one to complain but I would rather not get wet." Alphubel ex Merinita: "Oh, I know that one. You have to swim in water." Rosario of Flambeau: back GM: Shaun, the only grogs brought along were the Oread and Sir Oak, I should note. Forgot to mention this earlier. So do you want to play as a goat girl Rosario of Flambeau: "I can swim, but not with the best of them." "And it might be hard with all this armor." Guy of Bonisagus: sir boak Rosario of Flambeau: "Maybe I can just walk along the sea floor." Dusan of Criamon: "I'm actually sort of fond of diving, recreationally, but it doesn't mesh too well with my magic, and I can hold my breath for only a human amount of time." Lavinia: "You're wearing nearly 70 pounds of armor right? I don't think you need to worry about floating away." Rosario of Flambeau: the goat girls have a magic power but i dont remember what it is. i think its a teleport of some kind its on the sheet Lavinia: "We traded for an item that will give you fish's gills for sun duration, Dusan." Alphubel ex Merinita: Uhhhh, how does Lavinia have familiars? Dusan of Criamon: "Oh thank goodness. Thank you Lavinia. I haven't been looking at bookkeeping in a while." Alphubel ex Merinita: Those are pets! Shauncat: This would be a good spell https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D50apKBXoAM7Q1o?format=jpg&name=900x900 Lavinia: Problem? Alphubel ex Merinita: AFK a quick second but yes obviously, they should be in the grog tab. Rosario of Flambeau: ok its a teleport with a distance of one league, sight or ac, but the goat girl has to spend one round preparing. and it can swim neat moe: It would, Shaun Rosario of Flambeau: "Perhaps I should be the one to look for her tools, then." ha ha ha. devil's fav demon: ho ho ho ho hee hee Lavinia: gm did the atlanteans bring the bodies of their fallen with them GM: No, they simply left them there. They've already dissolved into glamour, I believe, if I remember how fae work. Lavinia: i'll ask our escorts can go recover the bodies and make sure they get an honorable burial Atlantean, Soldier: "But they would perhaps lose the opportunity to meet with our mighty king. Could any of you really make such a great sacrifice?" Lavinia: who wants to go Dusan of Criamon: (nonjudgementally) You just want to steal their vis Rosario of Flambeau: i want to go especially if soemone comes with me so i dont get lost. Atlantean, Soldier: While they're away you'll also be whale-less for an hour or so. Actually, how fast can the whale even move? Lavinia: as fast as a regular whale can Rosario of Flambeau: sort of fast. Lavinia: Blue whales can reach speeds of 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph) over short bursts, usually when interacting with other whales, but 20 kilometres per hour (12 mph) is a more typical traveling speed. alphubel adn rosario together then? Atlantean, Soldier: Less than an hour probably. You were moving at 'mermaids dragging someone in a net' speed before, which took a few hours. Rosario of Flambeau: The dream team. "Don't worry, Alphubel. We'll be fine if we stick together." I clap him heartily on the shoulder. Lavinia: "These two are really shy, and would probably make a bad impression before His Majesty anyway." Atlantean, Soldier: "Very well. The palace awaits." And, indeed, a mighty palace soon looms before you. Despite being sunken underwater for countless centuries, the palace shimmers constantly, the marble walls covered in red coral that adds an otherworldly elegance to it. devil's fav demon: they must spend a lot of time cleaning. Lavinia: ok --- but what's the Aesthetic Quality Atlantean, Soldier: I'll try and do both events at once, sec It is... 18! Rosario of Flambeau: O_O Lavinia: not bad Gulielmus of Pure Reason: nice Dusan of Criamon: Gotta work with what ya got Atlantean, Soldier: You park the stone whale in a handicap spot and disembark, leaving it with Alphubel and Rosario. Rosario of Flambeau: lol. Dusan of Criamon: heh Lavinia: :| devil's fav demon: crashing this whale... with no survivors!! Atlantean, Soldier: The soldier continue dragging their captive along to the enormous palatial gates, which slowly swing open to admit you entry. Everyone but dfd/endrite should be on the palace map If roll20 is behaving itself Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i am. Thank you for putting my token on the map GM. Dusan of Criamon: OK, so we're breathing water now Atlantean, Soldier: No problem, Gulielmus. Rosario of Flambeau: roll20 being able to split parties in different maps is pretty neat. i didnt know it could do that Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i didn't know you could Atlantean, Soldier: It's a bit awkward for me since I can only look at one at a time and have to keep switching. Do you head up and inside the palace gates? Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i thought there was just one PLAYERS thing Lavinia: aye i enter Atlantean, Soldier: Meanwhile: Rosario and Alphubel, you're headed to go find the tools, but if you do anything else while you're there, do say. Alphubel ex Merinita: Ok I'm back. Hmm. Atlantean, Soldier: You can drag a person's avatar to a map on the list Gulielmus of Pure Reason: is this place verified fae in character Atlantean, Soldier: and it moves just them over Gulielmus of Pure Reason: whoa. Lavinia: whoa Rosario of Flambeau: I want to honorably perform the sidequest. Atlantean, Soldier: You never knew? Rosario of Flambeau: thats wild. i never knew! Gulielmus of Pure Reason: no Lavinia: nope! that would have made a lot of stuff easier Rosario of Flambeau: lol Atlantean, Soldier: lmao Rosario of Flambeau: yeah for real. Atlantean, Soldier: well now you know Lavinia: i wonder how many other cool tricks we're missing out on Atlantean, Soldier: For instance, this means you can make a map that is nothing but an image of goatse and then move beardbeard over to it in the middle of a session, trapping him within this infernal realm for several hours. Alphubel ex Merinita: Are there any immediately visible casting tools? Dusan of Criamon: god DAMN lacking tech documentation Rosario of Flambeau: "Alphubel, I entrust you to lead the way. I'm sure I'll get us both lost if I take the lead." Atlantean, Soldier: Not near the whale, no. It's quite hard to look underwater, since it's only dimly lit here. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: did we resolve the light problem. Rosario of Flambeau: we cant use the light gauntlet underwater because it breaks if it gets wet thanks to aristide's genius. Atlantean, Soldier: lmao Gulielmus of Pure Reason: ok. Rosario of Flambeau: so i will cast a spell forcelessly so it doesn't blind Alphubel and hopefully it's not TOO bright for us to see. Endrite (GM): Hmm. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i will cast lamp without flame. Rosario of Flambeau: rolling 1d10 botch check ( 1 ) = 1 nice. Alphubel ex Merinita: I think the fastest way to do it would be to cast the Miner's Eye Revealed. Atlantean, Soldier: The soldiers advance within the palace, announcing their return. Rosario of Flambeau: noice. Atlantean, Soldier: It's a magical aura, Rosario, so rolling 1d10 ( 2 ) = 2 Rosario of Flambeau: i am casting mien of helios, the spell that makes me glow as bright as the sun. it will successfully cast if it doesnt botch. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: rolling 1d10!+2+3+11+7 ( 4 ) +2+3+11+7 = 27 Rosario of Flambeau: the light illuminates at least an area of 50 paces around me and can be seen from several miles away, where it looks like a blooming flower made of light. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: mine isn't as bright. Atlantean, Soldier: The palace area is brightly lit, Gulielmus. There's no obvious light source, but everything is clearly visible as if the sun was shining on it. Dusan of Criamon: in water you're presumably a little less bright. Rosario of Flambeau: i just thought of rosario as tim the toolman taylor and it sort of fits. Atlantean, Soldier: That very brightly illuminates the entire area around you, Rosario Rosario of Flambeau: "Hopefully we'll be able to find those tools now!" Atlantean, Soldier: You can see some blood on the sand near the building in the distance, where the captive was being dragged from initially The door is the only one lying open Alphubel ex Merinita: Hmm. Is it wet inside? Atlantean, Soldier: Do you head over to check? Rosario of Flambeau: I would like to head over and check. Atlantean, Soldier: Well. You should have control of your token. Rosario of Flambeau: over here? Atlantean, Soldier: It's the one further south of it, Rosario. That one's tightly sealed. Rosario of Flambeau: oh. "Alphubel, stick with me, please." Atlantean, Soldier: The door is lying wide open, and you can see a small silk bag lying on the ground, half open. Some tiny statuettes no larger than a finger lie on the ground near it. Rosario of Flambeau: "I think I found them!" I yell over my shoulder. Atlantean, Soldier: The inside of the building, assuming you're both looking in, seems to be completely dry. The water stops at the edges of a metal ring embedded in the floor of the entrance chamber Rosario of Flambeau: "It's dry in here. Your dreams have come true." Atlantean, Soldier: The top of the door has a marking on it, an engraving of a pile of salt. Alphubel ex Merinita: Ok, I'll spontaneously cast Intelligo Vim on the ring to try and find out what kind of spells are on it, touch range. Rosario of Flambeau: "I don't think I recognize that marking." Alphubel ex Merinita: rolling (1d10! + 5 + 8) / 2 (( 8 ) +5+8)/2 = 10.5 Rosario of Flambeau: rolling 1d10!+1+1 ooh lore ( 6 ) +1+1 = 8 Alphubel ex Merinita: Ok so that's base 5, detect any active magic. Atlantean, Soldier: It's not any sigil you've ever seen before, Rosario. Alphubel ex Merinita: Unless the aura is bad. Atlantean, Soldier: The aura is magical Alphubel ex Merinita: Far out. Rosario of Flambeau: I will make note of the sigil for later. Lavinia: its ok if team atlantis took the gill orb with them and didnt leave it in whale right dfd/endrite? Atlantean, Soldier: Not enough to take it to 15 though. Rosario of Flambeau: how long do we have without it Atlantean, Soldier: Until sunset. Lavinia: its sun duration but you can always retreat to the whale when you run out Rosario of Flambeau: heh. sounds good. Atlantean, Soldier: If you set out in the morning, you should have an hour or so until sunset still. Alphubel ex Merinita: Wait why do I have to take it to 15? Dusan of Criamon: (Rosario gritting teeth) I like the way this sucks Atlantean, Soldier: You don't. I'm just clarifying that your result was still 10, not 15, even with aura bonus. Alphubel ex Merinita: Well sure. I don't need to get to 15. Atlantean, Soldier: Anyway, you detect a ward against seawater on the ring. Rosario of Flambeau: I will step past the circle and scoop the little statuettes into the crown royal bag. Alphubel ex Merinita: Ok, so it should be safe. Atlantean, Soldier: Stepping past the circle is a slow process, since all the water on your body is forced off of you and pushes past to escape. Rosario of Flambeau: cool. Alphubel ex Merinita: Natch. Ok, now I'll try the same spell on the building. Atlantean, Soldier: Though this is a ward specifically against seawater, so you don't also have your spit and sweat and so on forced away Alphubel ex Merinita: rolling (1d10! + 5 + 8)/2 (( 4 ) +5+8)/2 = 8.5 Rosario of Flambeau: "I've got too many layers of clothing for this. Oof." Alphubel ex Merinita: Not good enough, unless the aura is 3 or higher. Atlantean, Soldier: It is. Alphubel ex Merinita: Then it is good enough. Rosario of Flambeau: brb sorry Dusan of Criamon: nice Guy of Bonisagus: stop saying intelligo instead of intellego thank you Alphubel ex Merinita: That's how we spell it in the Alps. Boy, it sure is easy to detect magical traps. Atlantean, Soldier: Hm. You detect magic was recently cast on the room, since it hasnt worn away enough to be a negative magnitude. Instant duration, room targetted effect to Perdo Aquam within, also targetting seawater. Dusan of Criamon: It's a northern Alps tribunal expression Lavinia: yeah just look for the pentagram Alphubel ex Merinita: That's not what the base spell I cast was. It only detects Active Magic. Atlantean, Soldier: HoH:TL clarifies how this works for recently active magic Alphubel ex Merinita: Oh, naturally. That's exactly where you should put that rule. Atlantean, Soldier: After being cast, a spell begins fading really quickly, but there's still traces of magic Rosario of Flambeau: hah Gulielmus of Pure Reason: aren't traces explained in the core book? just not as well Atlantean, Soldier: Inside, Rosario, you find a small bed and what is clearly a hermetic laboratory. Rosario of Flambeau: "Cute room." Atlantean, Soldier: They're mentioned, TL just goes into full detail about it. Alphubel ex Merinita: Anyway, I'll go inside. Hmm. Atlantean, Soldier: A small pile of books lies in the corner, along with a workshop and the usual indicators of hermetic laboratories.. Alphubel ex Merinita: I'll try to detect any magic on the footlocker. Rosario of Flambeau: I will go look at the books to identify them, because I love books. Guy of Bonisagus: babes spotted Gulielmus of Pure Reason: nervously are... are there any wax tablets Alphubel ex Merinita: rolling (1d10! + 5 + 8)/2 (( 4 ) +5+8)/2 = 8.5 Guy of Bonisagus: if its dry in here how do the mermen move do they slither GM: There is a single tablet, yes. I'm referring to the other map that Rosario and Alphubel are on, Guy. You're in the palace where it's very wet I assure you. Alphubel ex Merinita: If there was a Perdo Aquam spell cast they probably just flooded it. Guy of Bonisagus: ah GM: There's a little statuette on the desk of an intimidating crone. Alphubel ex Merinita: rolling 1d10 vs Courage ( 8 ) = 8 I'm not intimidated. GM: The books, Rosario, seem to be hermetic tractatii. One on aquam, another on rego. There's also a summae on the parma magica... with the key. Alphubel ex Merinita: What about the footlocker? Any magic on it? GM: What footlocker? Gulielmus of Pure Reason: it contains a health kit GM: That's a bed Alphubel ex Merinita: Are you telling me the bed is facing the wall? That's fucked up. Unbelievably fucked up. GM: Magi are just fucked up individuals at the end of the day. Dusan of Criamon: brb one moment Alphubel ex Merinita: Well then, is there any magic on the bed? GM: Nope. Alphubel ex Merinita: Ok. So no casting tools around, then. Rosario of Flambeau: I already picked them up. GM: Rosario already managed to find a velvet bag with tiny little statuettes in it, yes. Rosario of Flambeau: At least, I think they were casting tools. Alphubel ex Merinita: There's no way to know for sure. Well, we got what we came for. GM: Each of them has marking corresponding to hermetic arts: form and technique, each time. Rosario of Flambeau: "This is a pretty suspicious book." Alphubel ex Merinita: "Who could read it down here?" Rosario of Flambeau: Is there an oilcloth or some other mundane way of keeping a book dry in this room Alphubel ex Merinita: "If anything, it's the safest that the Parma Magica could be." Rosario of Flambeau: "You may be right." "Anyway, I'm confiscating it." Alphubel ex Merinita: "That's stealing." GM: You can't find anything that seems like a convenient oilcloth, sadly. Rosario of Flambeau: "It's evidence of a crime! Archibald would be very impressed." Hmm. "Well, she's the only magus down here, it's probably not a crime." "But it might be!" Alphubel ex Merinita: "You could ask her if she's doing any crimes." Guy of Bonisagus: hm. i need to impress archibald with evidence of a crime. i know, ill commit my own Rosario of Flambeau: lol. brb GM: He's 100% right in that it would be evidence of a crime, in that case. Prove anything he said wrong. Well, while you sort that out, back at the palace... The soldiers loudly announce the captive, and hand her over to the guards at the entrance to the throne room. Atlantean, Soldier: "What would you be announced as, to the king?" Lavinia: anyone opposed to using their real name Dusan of Criamon: Go ahead Lavinia: i suggest we give our names and that we're "Magicians of Rome" if they know we're from the same Order as their captive it might be bad. Dusan of Criamon: Sound good, vague enough to be safe, specific enough if they want to ever come visit us Lavinia: k then thats what we do. Atlantean, Soldier: The great gates of the throne room are thrown open, and the soldiers advance inside, dragging their captive. "My liege! We have brought the magus, and honoured guests who wish to pay you tribute!" Gulielmus of Pure Reason whispers. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Did we bring any tribute?" Atlantean, Soldier: "They are magicians of Rome, that small city somewhere in the south." Lavinia: our wine i cant remember if we had anything else Alphubel ex Merinita: Venison. Lavinia: I can tell a poem. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: let's give him the orb of water breathing Atlantean, Soldier: "Their names are" he begins rattling off your names, indicating you one by one Lavinia: ah yeah meat Dusan of Criamon: Vis Atlantean, Soldier: "Please, magicians, enter." Lavinia: majestic Atlantean, Soldier: On top of a grandiose marble throne sits an extraordinarily large man, with the lower half of a shark in place of legs and feet. He's easily 8 feet tall or more, and his white beard constantly flows like a running river. Dusan of Criamon: Impressive! Atlantean, Soldier: At the side is a far less impressive looking set of creatures. One of them is chained to the ground. They're all half-men half-fish, but unlike the others here don't look impressive or beautiful in any way. In fact, they look very scruffy indeed. Alphubel ex Merinita: How does he sit on the throne if he has no legs? Atlantean, Soldier: Very carefully. You'd understand if you were here to see it Alphubel. Alphubel ex Merinita: I might. King Pelagas: "Ah, splendifirous, you have returned." "And with guests, too! How lovely." Alphubel ex Merinita: Oh right, dead faeries leave corpses unless they're supposed to disappear when they die. King Pelagas: Ah. Well there's 2 corpses sitting there, then. back at the labs Alphubel ex Merinita: I guess another way to put it would be to say they disappear unless they're supposed to leave corpses. King Pelagas: they're both frozen solid Gulielmus of Pure Reason: they do whatever's necessary for the story. Lavinia: i consult my knowledge of etiquette to know what im supposed to d ohere rolling 1d10+4+3 int+eti ( 3 ) +4+3 = 10 King Pelagas: You think it'd be a good idea to let him ramble on a bit and then speak. Which he does so, talking about a number of great and important deeds of the Atlantean people, their illustrious history, and so on. Rosario of Flambeau: lavinia, i had a gold ring with flame engravings on it i was going to give them, but it is with me in the room now since i forgot. Lavinia: lol classic rosario. King Pelagas: "Ah, and now my palace will be all the sweeter, with a magus of my very own." Guy of Bonisagus: does he talk about the time he had his mages alternate between freezing the surface of the ocean and raining stellar death upon the surface world King Pelagas: It only gets a small mention. Alphubel ex Merinita: Hmm, I should have checked how many mystic towers Atlantis had. King Pelagas: "And you all are...?" Gulielmus don't hide under goat girls, its rude Lavinia: "The Wizards of Rome, your Highness." he cant help himself King Pelagas: "Oh yes, Rome. They have wizards now, do they? How fast these little towns grow." Rosario of Flambeau: theyre so soft. Lavinia: "It is a city of splendor -- I dare say, even six or seven tenths as grand as Atlantis, jewel of the world. We've brought your Highness, the great King ... Pelagus, some of Rome's bounty, as a gift." King Pelagas: "Oooh, I do love bounty. What have you brought for me?" Lavinia: "Fine wine and meat. And fine j-- oh, Rosario must've took it. Fine wine and meat!" Alphubel ex Merinita: If it was 1990 and we were playing D&D you could have definitely given him paper towels here. King Pelagas: "Oh, how absolutely splendifirous!" do you present them? Rosario of Flambeau: ok i have a plan. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: let's take a moment to consider the philosophical implications of king pelagas eating something higher on the great chain of being than himself. the man is a fish after all. Lavinia: lets take a moment to consider how gross it is we're walking around in the same water these guys go poopy in. Guy of Bonisagus: do faeries poop Gulielmus of Pure Reason: I must return to the whale. Lavinia: Let's present the goods. Gulielmus of Pure Reason gestures to Sir Oak. King Pelagas: I don't know, Guy. There is the enchanted piss forest somewhere in Italy, which is a direct portal to Arcadia. Sadly, Jorn left before the adventure about this could come up Dusan of Criamon: Homage to the greats Rosario of Flambeau: jorn was epic rip shaun King Pelagas: The meat and wine is brought forward to the king, who regards them with curiosity. "Wondrous, just wondrous. Oh yes, what a lovely gift." He says without really looking at them, placing them aside. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: europe is full of piss regios, we just haven't made the breakthrough to detect them yet Rosario of Flambeau: lol King Pelagas: "You simply must stay here as my honoured guests. It is so rare we get them, after we sunk." Lavinia: whats the worst that could happen Alphubel ex Merinita: You enjoy yourself TOO much and fall asleep. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "That sounds delightful, Your Highness." King Pelagas: Well the worst that can happen is, all of you sleeping in, you don't get re-orbed and drown. Lavinia: meh Dusan of Criamon: This is borderline court wizardry VT has gotten too close to getting marched in too recent memory King Pelagas: "Ah, you simply must have some entertainment." he picks up his trident and starts poking the chained fish-man on the ground near him with the blunt end of it. "Go on then, do your little show." (From King Pelagas): Actually, I have a question. Can a magic creature outside a magic aura use a power that is aligned to a blighted form? (To dys): I think so Atlantean, Chained: The chained man on the ground begrudingly performs a display of scintillating colours, as the water around him changes colour at his command. devil's fav demon: these people are monsters. Rosario of Flambeau: ha ha. Alphubel ex Merinita: Man, supernatural lords really love this trick. Lavinia applauds politely King Pelagas gives a loud, booming laugh that lasts for a minute King Pelagas: "Oh, I do never tire of that one. Alright, guards, please show them to your rooms. And my new guest, get her quarters arranged. Yes, a statue of me, that will be a good start. We need more of them." Atlantean, Soldier: "Please, magicians, we will show you to your rooms." If you follow along, there's a bunch of rooms on the right with a bed in each Lavinia: aesthetic quality of the beds? Dusan of Criamon: I give the chained wizard the gesture where I point at my eyes and then at his eyes and back Atlantean, Soldier: 6 Dusan of Criamon: I then follow along Rosario of Flambeau: lol. Atlantean, Soldier: In the meantime, then. Rosario and Alphubel, anything further or do you head to The Lost City of Atlantis now? Lavinia: Dusan Guy Gulielmus should share a room so they can have the orb together. Rosario of Flambeau: rolling (1d10!+17+2+6+3)/2 Sponting ReAq 15 (Base 5 ward against mundane water, +1 diam, +1 touch), casting total + shouting and flailing + burning three blighted aquam vis + conf (( 1 ) +17+2+6+3)/2 = 14.5 lfmdao. you motherfucker. i hate this game. Atlantean, Soldier: But there's only one room with 2 double beds Uh 3 vis is 3 extra botch dice right Rosario of Flambeau: its a level 15 spell so i think if i dont botch it will still cast. possibly. haha. Alphubel ex Merinita: Molto bene. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: hehe. Rosario of Flambeau: they're also blighted vis. Atlantean, Soldier: Did that add botch dice? Rosario of Flambeau: idk Lavinia: nah Alphubel ex Merinita: I don't think so, even though it is a shocking waste. Atlantean, Soldier: rolling 4d10 ( 9 + 5 + 8 + 4 ) = 26 No botch! Rosario of Flambeau: hell yes. incredible! Alphubel ex Merinita: Don't forget the aura. Rosario of Flambeau: oh yeah. ty. Atlantean, Soldier: yes, with aura it casts Alphubel ex Merinita: Somebody needs to stop Rosario from taking all the vis. Anyway, I'll head back to the whale. Rosario of Flambeau: ok after i ward the parma book against water i will be ready to return to the whale. after tucking it in my armor Atlantean, Soldier: Sounds good. That gets it back nice and dry. Rosario of Flambeau: Excellent. Atlantean, Soldier: Then, about an hour after you all split ways, the whale makes it back again to the palace. "Greetings, magicians. Your friends have been given rooms to stay in. The king is most pleased with this wine you brought us." Rosario of Flambeau: "Wonderful!" Alphubel ex Merinita: Hmm. Rosario of Flambeau: I work the fire engraved ring off my finger and proffer it. "We also offer this to the King. My apologies for being late." Alphubel ex Merinita: So here's my question: who are the guy's next to the imprisoned Atlantean? Rosario of Flambeau: cute mermaids inside detected Atlantean, Soldier: "Oh, yes, we'll deliver it to him at once." They also resemble the atlanteans, but look more like old monks yes I see them Alphubel ex Merinita: These two fellows. Ok. Rosario of Flambeau: "Don't take it for yourself, now! Ha ha!" Lavinia: maybe they were covenfolk Atlantean, Soldier: Similar to the chained one, they're very unaesthetically pleasing. Rosario of Flambeau: I try to clap the Atlantean on the back heartily. Alphubel ex Merinita: The real mermen. Lavinia: was there only 1 bed in the wizard's lab? Alphubel ex Merinita: Not the fairy mermen. We only checked the lab. But yes. Lavinia: do mermen even need beds? there's a lot we could learn here Alphubel ex Merinita: Any grogs would live elsewhere, probably. Atlantean, Soldier: He frowns at you Rosario, and swims away with the ring Lavinia: anyway can we all meet up and hatch a scheme now Alphubel ex Merinita: Ok. Atlantean, Soldier: Oh wait, fuck I forgot. They speak greek so he just said a load of gibberish at you Rosario. My bad. Let's wind back slightly. Alphubel ex Merinita: I think we should try to free all the captives. Atlantean, Soldier: Languages truly are a pain in rpgs Gulielmus of Pure Reason: Wow it's great to be here in Atlantic. Fuck!!! I did it again! Alphubel ex Merinita: But in a way that doesn't make King Pelagas TOO angry. Atlantean, Soldier: Do you still hand over the ring to the greek fishman, Rosario? Dusan of Criamon: I love freeing slaves Alphubel ex Merinita: Maybe we could give King Pelagas a substitute magician. He doesn't seem too interested in how good Hermetic Magic is, so I'm sure any hedge wizard would do. Do we know any hedge wizards we want to get rid of? Gulielmus of Pure Reason: oh, speaking of that, let's set up a deadly lightning bolt trap and lure the king onto it. Dusan of Criamon: He now has both from what I gather, the weak monk-looking guy seems like a hedgie Rosario of Flambeau: I just show it to him in that case. Alphubel ex Merinita: I bet that wouldn't work so great underwater. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: there's only one way to find out. Dusan of Criamon: Goofus-Gallant comparison: Hedgie vs Order Magus Lavinia: i have an even better spell one that boils all water in a room Rosario of Flambeau: And I guess try to mime a king. lmao lavinia. Atlantean, Soldier: lmao Gulielmus of Pure Reason: oorah. Lavinia: id have to burn vis to cast it tho Rosario of Flambeau: go for it, i just spent 3 to keep a book dry. Lavinia: and id need some unobstructed time in the room in question to set up the trpa Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i can seal off the entrance so no one can escape. Dusan of Criamon: it's a good book though Lavinia: wait my bad, this is from the fire form not aquam, I can cast it fine Rosario of Flambeau: lol Gulielmus of Pure Reason: let me look up this spell actually. Rosario of Flambeau: virgil's epic disregard of casting requisites Alphubel ex Merinita: Here's the problem with that spell: we couldn't be in the castle when you cast it because the escaping steam would force its way out of the building, scalding us to death. Lavinia: Right Rosario of Flambeau: I keep waving the ring as I try to enter the building with Alphubel in tow. GM: Since you've been given rooms of your own, you have the freedom to meet and discuss plans of whatever you want. Lavinia: I can also cast a spell to destroy the palace entirely. Atlantean, Soldier: He stares at the ring, unsure of what you're doing, Rosario. You look suspicious, so he just swims off and leaves you alone holding it. Lavinia: again, unfortunately, kinda high in collateral damage. Alphubel ex Merinita: I think negotiation is the better way to go here. Who knows what kind of benefits these fairies can provide us? Rosario of Flambeau: Oh, and I've left the parma text in the whale, wrapped in my tabard. so i just have my armor showing and no cool rose embroidered red cloth. rip. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: lifetime imprisonment oh has my int been boosted yet Lavinia: Let us think in terms of Fairy Lore. what do Fairy Monarchs want Alphubel ex Merinita: They want treasure. And babies sometimes. And conquest. King Pelagias definitely does. Rosario of Flambeau: Rosario keeps walking straight until he sees the king, waving the gold ring in the air and yelling gibbering. gibberish. Dusan of Criamon: power moves Rosario of Flambeau: well, i'm yelling "Greetings, I am Rosario of Flambeau, and I bring gifts to the king" etc but they can't understand me. King Pelagas: He says something aside to one of the guards, who then yells at the chained fish-man, that responds in greek to him. They speak back and forth slightly Alphubel ex Merinita: Do we know any surface kingdoms they could conquer? Atlantean, Chained: "He says you should hand him the ring, magician." the chained man says in Latin Gulielmus of Pure Reason: what about england Rosario of Flambeau: I do so. Lavinia: Let's get them to aid Venice in destroyign the vile Turk Alphubel ex Merinita: Oh, that's a good idea, they could invade Venice. Rosario of Flambeau: And do the "shit bow" from the curb your enthusiasm episode where larry gets mad at the japanese guy. Alphubel ex Merinita: Plenty of water there. King Pelagas: The king gives you a big smile, Rosario. The light glints off of it, with an audible ping. Rosario of Flambeau: lol Lavinia: when th eKing was rambling on about his history, did he give any hints about what drives him Rosario of Flambeau: I'm very impressed by his smile. "You remind me of Derfel, a guy I know." King Pelagas: He nods at whatever you said to him Rosario of Flambeau: lol King Pelagas: Hm You could roll, retroactively, Folk Ken, Lavinia Lavinia: rolling 1d10+2+3 pre+fk ( 6 ) +2+3 = 11 Rosario of Flambeau: I'll wander off and hope to meet up with the rest of the VT crew, then. Don't want to overstay my welcome with the king. (From King Pelagas): He seems exceptionally vain and shallow. The long history speech felt more like an attempt to impress you than an earnest recollection of past deeds. Rosario of Flambeau: "Hail, Guy! How are the beasts treating you?" Lavinia: "He seems interested in anything that strokes his ego." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i miss Derfel. Alphubel ex Merinita: Rosario manages to get lost in the 50 feet between here and his room. Rosario of Flambeau: lmao. GM: He may. Rosario of Flambeau: it's honestly possible. GM: Well, no, Guy is right there. And Alphubel. They can save him. Alphubel ex Merinita: Phew. GM: Anyway, you can all pile into a room to do your secret planning Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i will move my token to the large room. "Salve." Dusan of Criamon: I respect Rosario's commitment to getting lost Alphubel ex Merinita: Ok so, what if we got a coterie of noblemen from the surface to pay him tribute in exchange for his prisoners? GM: I will be right back, while you scheme and plot. Lavinia: idk what's in it for us why not just kill them all and harvest their vis Alphubel ex Merinita: Some type of deal where he gets symbolic tribute from surface kingdoms would be something he wants, as a faerie king. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: maybe he'll offer us gifts of his own. Alphubel ex Merinita: It's Molesting the Fae. Lavinia: gah he's right. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: as is the practice in faraway Serica Dusan of Criamon: First of all killing these beings carries the risk of us getting killed instead or in conjunction Alphubel ex Merinita: That's right, there's finally a character who gives a shit about that rule. Dusan of Criamon: second, I support the motion to save all captives Lavinia: i fear that provoking these guys into conflict with real world nobility would offend others in the tribunal Alphubel ex Merinita: Well, they don't have to be the genuine article. Some fake nobles would suffice the same. Lavinia: hmm. if only we had a magus with noble blood here Rosario of Flambeau: rip Alphubel ex Merinita: Frankly, if we claimed the authority of Rome here we could just arrange to give him tribute. Rosario of Flambeau: somewhere fiorella flits around Dusan of Criamon: Pshaw, who needs real nobles Lavinia: if only the Tribune of Roma, Cola di Rienzo, were alive to offer tribute Alphubel ex Merinita: What a shame. Dusan of Criamon: rip Alphubel ex Merinita: I don't know who that is. Rosario of Flambeau: he was cool but he was assassinated by Giraldo of Rivera. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: oh, he said he likes statues of himself. Alphubel ex Merinita: True. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: we could just get him some of those Lavinia: oh yeah Rosario you got the casting tools right? Rosario of Flambeau: Yeah, I brought those in here with me. Lavinia: if none of our good schemes work then as a fall back, we should just give them to Anna. if she chooses to go insane and molest the fae it's on her not us Dusan of Criamon: Plausible deniability; a wizard's most important tool Rosario of Flambeau: if anna gets killed, lets brush her crime under the rug and do an extremely large crime by giving her parma key text to the hedgies on vulcanal rosario didnt say this out loud but hes thinking about it because he's so sick of the anti hedgie thing and wants to focus on killing monsters and demons. Lavinia: commissioning a big statue for this guy is cool but to get anna free i think we'd have to set something up where we do a challenge for him and he offers a boon in exchange lets ask the guard if Atlantis has any great dilemmas or threats to it that someone should deal with Rosario of Flambeau: Good idea! I love this plan. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: let's put statues of him all over Rome, blanketing the entire city in a powerful faerie aura Dusan of Criamon: can we please find the old post with "repeating things to myself like 'i love to endanger the order of hermes' " etc and put rosario's name on it now Gulielmus of Pure Reason: let's dig up some ancient ruins and dedicate them to his worship Dusan of Criamon: it was "Im permabanned witch Jeanne dYs" or similar Alphubel ex Merinita: Well, I think a less extreme version of that plan where we give him a statue every year could work. Atlantean, Soldier: "Dilemmas? Well, we wish to return to our rightful place as rulers of the surface, but raising the entire city is beyond us." Rosario of Flambeau: lets link the oread with this guy somehow Alphubel ex Merinita: But to be honest I'm not sure how that gets us the captives back. Lavinia: ok this is easy. Rosario of Flambeau: turn her into a fish girl Lavinia: we raise the entire city. Dusan of Criamon: smart Lavinia: "Have they thought of conquering new land, forming colonies?" Dusan of Criamon: what's that ReTe? Alphubel ex Merinita: I was thinking that we could just use the Oreads as all those damosels who try to fuck Lancelot. Rosario of Flambeau: that way we can put more anime tokens in the game and use mermaid palm from hunter x hunter as her token thats a good idea too Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Build a nice new city, right up on the beach." Lavinia: hey we have some prime island real estate Dusan of Criamon: "Oooh. Do you think it would be court wizardry if we offered to administrate such a colony." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: most of it isn't even being used Atlantean, Soldier: "New cities! When we live in the finest in the world?" Alphubel ex Merinita: Dealing with faerie courts isn't court wizardry. Since they aren't real nobles. Rosario of Flambeau: "I don't understand. A kingdom that doesn't want to expand without end?" "That's like a pile of shit that doesn't generate flies." Lavinia: i translate that last remark into something less offensive Rosario of Flambeau: ty. Alphubel ex Merinita: "Is that how kingdoms work? I thought the King and Queen just waited in the throne room to give quests to knights." Atlantean, Soldier: "But we are the greatest kingdom that has ever existed, or ever will exist. A second city would be like removing a fine robe to put on rags." He says, though none of the atlanteans seem to wear clothes Lavinia: "Have you heard the story of Troy?" Dusan of Criamon: SOMEONE tell this man about greek history thank you Lavinia Atlantean, Soldier: "Oh yes, we traded with them, why?" Rosario of Flambeau: lavinia: LEMME SPEAK ON THIS Lavinia: "Where to begin." "Well, I speak of arms and the man ...." (this will go on for some time) Atlantean, Soldier: lol Alphubel ex Merinita: Ok. Lavinia: ".. and then Rome became an even greater city than Troy ever was, and they lived happily ever after." Rosario of Flambeau: "Lavinia, do you have the orb?" Lavinia: as our most reliable person gulielmus should hav eit Rosario of Flambeau: True. It's a wonder why that guy isn't consul. brb Gulielmus of Pure Reason: rigged elections "I have the orb in here somewhere." Atlantean, Soldier: The atlantean stares at you with empty eyes. "I see." Gulielmus of Pure Reason pats his iconic satchel. Lavinia: "Uh, I guess the point I'm making is, like Aeneas, your King should go on an epic quest to build a new empire after his city was destroyed by the capricious gods." "And then people will know his name for the rest of time." Atlantean, Soldier: The soldier slowly drifts away. He seems deep in thought. Dusan of Criamon: The seeds are sown Lavinia: "Hm, I hope I haven't made a catastrophic mistake." Alphubel ex Merinita: "I'm sure you'll be fine." So what's our next plan? Dusan of Criamon: "Quite the contrary! This will be a wonderful business opporunity." Alphubel ex Merinita: "Business opportunity?" Lavinia: lets wait for everyone to start drowning so they can re-up on the orb Alphubel ex Merinita: Or we could all just sleep in the whale. I think that's probably the best idea. Dusan of Criamon: I will do as you suggest, to prevent dying Gulielmus of Pure Reason: if the king doesn't impound the whale that seems like our best option Alphubel ex Merinita: I mean, he hasn't. Atlantean, Soldier: The whale is kept outside, but you could. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: let's This is the power of Pure Reason. Atlantean, Soldier: So, what is your plan, magi? Gulielmus of Pure Reason: I think we should arrange to offer tribute in the form of cool statues. Lavinia: sure Dusan of Criamon: Periodic statues, good we also imply he should make colonies and also somehow we would like the mages Atlantean, Soldier: What are you planning to ask for in return for a bunch of statues Dusan of Criamon: A bunch of disheveled hedgies and a woman who spends her time at the bottom of the sea Alphubel ex Merinita: I don't think they're very interested in colonization. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: oh yeah we should free the prisoners. that would be the compassionate thing to do. Lavinia: perhaps we have sewn the seed of doubt by recounting The Greatest Story Ever Told Dusan of Criamon: It would be apt. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: the soldier didn't seem very impressed. you should tell it again Atlantean, Soldier: argh. brb again 1 sec, hsould be the last time. Lavinia: the real problem is they have to hear it in greek and not the original latin. Alphubel ex Merinita: Oh, we could get them to invade all the faerie Troys. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: a chinese style routine exchange of gifts would be cool but that's probably not on the table here. Lavinia: let us kowtow 4 times and swear the bond of blood brothers with Pelagus. Alphubel ex Merinita: Hmmmm. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: let's. Alphubel ex Merinita: We could claim that we already own the maga and the mermen. And then offer to give him something in return for them and then start giving him statues. Dusan of Criamon: I'm going to take this opportunity to disappear for a moment also I support a deal to save the slaves if I'm not back by voting time Alphubel ex Merinita: Let's trade Dusan for the slaves. He's already approved of this deal. Atlantean, Soldier: RIP Dusan These things just happen Alphubel ex Merinita: It's a brave sacrifice. GM: In any case, after a night spent not drowning in the whale, a new morning arrives. Lavinia: question how bad does the water hamper spellcasting GM: Hm Rosario of Flambeau: Lets free our fellow maga. So we can then march her. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: it impedes our gestures GM: It's the same as if doing Subtle gestures because you can't move around properly If you can breathe, however, you can speak normally Lavinia: i sent the specs on rite casting by steam, would I take the -3 penalty in this case Gulielmus of Pure Reason: but we have gills, and aren't really breathing ha ha. Rosario of Flambeau: dinner is almost done but ive been having to leave to stir the pot etc. there will, ideally, only be one more time i have to leave. Lavinia: lavinia is breathing, her item turns water to air GM: I wouldn't say that you're seriously impeded, you just move slower, so I don't think the -3 would apply in that case. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: ah Lavinia: then i will try casting a rite in the building okbefore going to bed GM: Ah. Which rite? Lavinia: the one that sets a trap that can destroy the palace entirely Rosario of Flambeau: hell yeah. Lavinia: you konw. just in case GM: Of course. Just in case. Alphubel ex Merinita: Uh. Lavinia: any objections? Alphubel ex Merinita: That seems like a bad idea since the maga is still inside. Rosario of Flambeau: "I think we should probably take the honorable maga held captive with us before you go collapsing the palace, Lavinia." Lavinia: "Ah, prudent." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i support this plan but only if it gives me a good opportunity to cast Wizard's Lock Rosario of Flambeau: I hold up the crown royal bag. "I've still got her casting tools, if you know where she is." Lavinia: I could try divining it after sundown her parma lowers so she should be easy to find GM: Did you bring a waterproof aeneid? Lavinia: in the whale Rosario of Flambeau: lol GM: Oh, I suppose that you can, yes Guy of Bonisagus: h Rosario of Flambeau: inventing lamination so you can always carry an aeneid on underwater inventions bathtime aeneid adventures. gah. Lavinia: rolling 1d10!+8+2+2 divination ( 5 ) +8+2+2 = 17 Guy of Bonisagus: maliciously: bathtime, aeneid Rosario of Flambeau: lol. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: lol Lavinia: thats enough for EF 12: "Locate a person to whome you have an Arcane Connection" Rosario of Flambeau: noice. Guy of Bonisagus: whome whomest Lavinia: whomie. Rosario of Flambeau: this is cool to me when im not a gm Lavinia: gahaha (From GM): She's currently located in a room in the upper left portion of the palace, on the same floor Alphubel ex Merinita: Owned. Lavinia: "Dash'd on the shallows of the moving sand, and in mid ocean left them moor'd aland.... aha, she is in the upper left portion of the palace, on the same floor as our chambers." "I mean, that's my hunch. Not that I would scry on a magus." so i guess the next day we try diplomacy first and if that fails we have a fe wideas for a violent solution. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "I'm sure she would forgive you, if you did." GM: Lavinia pulls out her tome, Crime For Dummies Dusan of Criamon: i've returned, reading backlog now GM: With that, are you going to meet with the king again first, or any other plans Gulielmus of Pure Reason: we could look around Alphubel ex Merinita: Well, is she in a place where she can be rescued? Guy of Bonisagus: she is in a regio that a bunch of combat monster magi are in yes Lavinia: lets test something: when I am invisible underwater, am I actually invisible or does it leave a weird bubble effect GM: That's... hm. I think this is mentioned in a book somehwere but a way to spot the invisible is to fill a room with smoke and see where the smoke is not So it might be the same underwater Alphubel ex Merinita: Water is invisible though. Guy of Bonisagus: then how do sight range spells targeting water work Gulielmus of Pure Reason: is the water clean inside the palace? Guy of Bonisagus: theres a lot of merfolk here so probably not Gulielmus of Pure Reason: there shouldn't be a bubble outline GM: I think it would still give a stealth bonus but you would have to roll stealth to be careful while using the ring. Since there'd be a sort of shimmering in the air you'd be anonymous, at any rate Rosario of Flambeau: cool. GM: The water is pretty clear, yes Guli It's illuminated but you don't cast obvious shadows because the light is coming from all around Gulielmus of Pure Reason: then invisibility should work well Lavinia: does anyone here have any score in stealth Gulielmus of Pure Reason: not me GM: Well, even with no score in it, good dex might help Dusan of Criamon: yes yes i do Alphubel ex Merinita: I don't. GM: Nice, Dusan. Lavinia: I can lend Dusan the ring of invisibility if he wants to go on a Stealth Mission Dusan of Criamon: I didn't want to monopolize the session but a stealth operation sounds feasible Guy of Bonisagus stares into the distance, thinking about the last time Dusan went on a stealth mission. Rosario of Flambeau: do it! yeah! Alphubel ex Merinita: Sounds good to me. Lavinia: can i suggest we try this order then a) offer the statue tribute if he refuses, b) try stealth extraction if dusan gets caught, c) annihilate every last atlantean Guy of Bonisagus: whats the statue whatd i miss Dusan of Criamon: i respect the logic of your plan Lavinia Would I attempt to free the slaves directly or merely recon Lavinia: he appease his ego by stating that the nobles of the realm of Land want to offer tribute and glorious statues to him Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i propose that we do that, but case the joint first GM: It's the next day, Guy, you all slept in the whale to avoid drowning. Alphubel ex Merinita: Smart. (To GM): I would like to cast a spell onto the throne room by touching the wall between it and one of the bedrooms. (From GM): Sure. Is that the rite to blow up the building, or something else? (To GM): the boiling water rite (To GM): the trigger will be if someone says the word "shibboleth" Guy of Bonisagus: that does sound smart for us Lavinia: rolling 1d10!+11+9+2 vs 21 ( 1 ) +11+9+2 = 23 hahaha. epic. we're in an Aura and not a regio, right? Rosario of Flambeau: i love botches. GM: You're in a regio. Lavinia: i thought a regio had a minimum aura of 5 GM: You passed through pillars into a city that couldnt be seen from the other side They do? The palace itself is Fairy 6, I wasn't aware of that rule, we could just say it was fairy 5 before instead of 4. Since I didn't know there was a set minimum Anyway, thats 13 botch dice lavinia Lavinia: it's fae 6? gah GM: Yeah. Lavinia: i would not have done this if I thought it was a regio well whatever GM: No-one asked for the aura and there wasnt a convenient place to put it down on the map, sorry. Lavinia: time to die rolling 13d10 ( 8 + 1 + 5 + 10 + 1 + 7 + 1 + 7 + 4 + 3 + 9 + 10 + 7 ) = 73 Gulielmus of Pure Reason: blehehe. Lavinia: rolling 1d10 weird magic die ( 6 ) = 6 GM: Now.... how the fuck does twilight work for Virgilians Rosario of Flambeau: wowsers. this is epic. Lavinia: first you should figure out the botch effect Alphubel ex Merinita: It is epic. GM: This is the only time we'll get to see this. Lavinia: Botched Vigilo rites may have the wrong trigger action that leads to catastrophe, or affect the caster rather than the initiating force, or even cause unforeseen side effects in the warded area. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: is this for the Building Collapsing Rite Lavinia: then we get into virgilian twilight no, it was for a ward to boil water Rosario of Flambeau: oh no.. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: ah. Guy of Bonisagus: well GM: It's a different trigger action, and you don't know what the trigger is Sounds about right going by that Lavinia: Good shit. Now for the follow up. Alphubel ex Merinita: Hmm. Lavinia: The first time a wizard gains 2 or more Warping Points from a single event, he attracts the attention of a powerful entity in much the same way that Aeneas and his followers were troubled by the attentions of Juno, whose wrath they Lavinia: never managed to placate. The entity is usually one of the magical or faerie spirits invoked in Virgilian magic, but may even be an angel or demon. The prevailing aura at the time of the botch, the nature of the rite attempted, its motivation, and Lavinia: the character’s personality should be taken into account when selecting a spirit. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: seems appropriate for Faerie Guy of Bonisagus: it should boil lavinia frankly Lavinia: whatever spirit appears here is the one that appears from now on whenever Lavinia takes 2 warping points. Alphubel ex Merinita: Well, I recommend you simply remove the ward. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: may even be [a] demon.... the character's personality should be taken into account when selecting a spirit Alphubel ex Merinita: Hmm. Dusan of Criamon: she should attract the attention of an angel, as VT has sworn off sin after the last tribunal Lavinia: First I can try avoiding the spirit's attention Rosario of Flambeau: this. frankly. Guy of Bonisagus: oh my god. its lucifer Lavinia: Attention Avoidance: Intelligence + (Realm Lore) + stress die vs. Warping Score + Number of Warping Points Gained + aura + stress die rolling 1d10!+3+3 Int and Realm Lore ( 8 ) +3+3 = 14 Gulielmus of Pure Reason: if it's not a demon the GM is a coward Lavinia: vs GM: So a powerful entity becomes your enemy and pesters you, and they re-appear whenever you twilight, then? Lavinia: yes GM: Alright. Well, maybe you'll avoid it. Lavinia: rolling 1d10!+3+3+6 Warping Score+Botches+Aura ( 5 ) +3+3+6 = 17 yeah no Alphubel ex Merinita: Ah well. GM: Rip. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: Gulielmus of Pure Reason: if it's not a demon the GM is a coward Lavinia: I can now attempt to Entreat the Fates, once the spirit arrives. GM: Does it appear immediately? Lavinia: it doesnt say this is rival magic p.65 btw GM: Alright. Well, uh. Give me a minute to figure out what happens. Lavinia: lol sorry guys! GM: You can uh Rosario of Flambeau: dont be sorry this is one of the cool and fun parts of ars magica everyone loves, right GM: react to this in-character and panic or whatnot, while I figure out the spirit and what goes on, im reading rival magic now Alphubel ex Merinita: I forgive you, since you are about to be epically and brutally destroyed by a spooky ghost. GM: it doesnt say how soon it arrives Lavinia: Am I aware that the spell botched GM: I'd say that you are in the same way a hermetic magus knows they botched. Alphubel ex Merinita: You will be. Lavinia: I see. I return to the whale. GM: You get a supreme feeling that you fucked up. Lavinia: "Sodales, I think I've made a mistake." Alphubel ex Merinita: "What makes you say that?" Rosario of Flambeau: "What were you doing?" Lavinia: "Well, I was attempting to cast a rite on the throne room, that would set a deadly trap we could spring if negotiations went wrong." "You know how much I like planning ahead after all." Dusan of Criamon: "Only natural." Lavinia: "Anyway -- to cut a long story short -- I am not sure what will trigger the rite. Also we may expect a visit from a powerful spiritual entity looking for me." Alphubel ex Merinita: "Why not simply erase the ward?" Lavinia: "Impossible in the current framework of Virgilian theory." Alphubel ex Merinita: "Well, then I recommend we rescue the Atlantean prisoners and escape as soon as possible." Rosario of Flambeau: "Well, I would recommend none of us enter the throne room from now on, if we can help it. " GM: You're all gathered in the whale currently, correct? Alphubel ex Merinita: "On the other hand, how much damage can the ward do, really?" Dusan of Criamon purses lips while turning, Tamborishly Alphubel ex Merinita: "It can't have very good penetration." GM: The water around the whale begins to swirl. The whale itself trembles. Rosario of Flambeau: we are, op "Gah!" I draw my sword. GM: Soon, a great current erupts alongside it, dragging the whale helplessly high into the waters above Alphubel ex Merinita: Uh oh. Neptune: A booming voice echoes all around about you "Lavinia. You have brought a curse upon yourself, polluting my seas so." Alphubel ex Merinita: Oh hey it's that god. Neptune: You can roll to uh deal with the fate, I believe Lavinia thinks Neptune: entreating it, rather Lavinia: alright Alphubel ex Merinita: I'll see if it's faerie Neptune or magic Neptune. Rosario of Flambeau: "Do you think the fish men can see this?" Neptune: You can't tell right now, as you're really high above the city Lavinia: I consider Neptune's character from the Aeneid and attempt to entreat... Alphubel ex Merinita: rolling 1d10 + 1 + 2 (Faerie Magic) ( 10 ) +1+2 = 13 Lavinia: rolling 1d10!+2 Communication ( 2 ) +2 = 4 Gulielmus of Pure Reason: the gm has broken my heart. Lavinia: rolling 1d10!+4 Warping Score ( 2 ) +4 = 6 hmm I don't suppose I can conf that. haha Neptune: Can you not? I can't see any reason why not. You can conf rolls to comprehend twilght. Lavinia: Oh, good. I conf the comm roll then, so I beat the Ease Factor by 1 Neptune: Alphubel, given the nature of the greco-roman gods and the regio you are in, they are absolutely faerie. Lavinia: We launch our vessels, with a prosp'rous wind, And leave the cities and the shores behind. "An island in th' Aegaean main appears; Neptune and wat'ry Doris claim it theirs. Alphubel ex Merinita: Uh wow. Lavinia: doris. Neptune: Doris Alphubel ex Merinita: I was hoping to keep that secret to myself. Rosario of Flambeau: doris. wtf. Alphubel ex Merinita: BUT I GUESS I JUST BLURT IT OUT! Neptune: You can still keep it to yourself in-character. Dusan of Criamon: Semper games Alphubel ex Merinita: You can't shut the barn door after the cows have run. Dusan of Criamon: I vow to never break the covenant of the gaming group Neptune: Usually positive effects of successful Entreating the Fates rolls are represented by gaining an appropriate Minor Virtue, or by an award of 5 to 10 XP in a relevant (Realm) Lore, rite, or Supernatural Ability. Occasionally entities may grant knowledge of rites directly. The frst Virtue gained is often the Supernatural Ability Premonitions. Major Virtues such as Ghostly Warder (a spirit Neptune: linked to the entity rather than a ghost), Death Prophecy, Greater Immunity, and Greater Purifying Touch can sometimes be appropriate, if the event was triggered by gaining a particularly large number of Warping Points. Neptune: I dont think this was large enough to get a Free Major Virtue Gulielmus of Pure Reason: doris bizarre Lavinia: it doesnt give a margin for what the rewards should be like Hermetic Twilight does so its up to you Neptune: However, humbling yourself before the mighty god of the sea, you hear some compassion in his next statement. "Since you seem truly repentant, let it never be said that Neptune cannot forgive. Do not cross me a second time, Lavinia." Lavinia: The first Virtue gained is often the Supernatural Ability Premonitions. Alphubel ex Merinita: 5 XP in Boating, IMO. Neptune: I will work out the exact reward you get later. Rosario of Flambeau:  Neptune: For now, the whale slowly descends again, to where you parked it before. Lavinia: Doris Lore Gulielmus of Pure Reason: why wouldn't they just give you a budget like regular twilight. Guy of Bonisagus: 5 xp in theology Neptune: Doris Lore is used to initiate yourself into her cult to get Major Magical Focus (Winning) Dusan of Criamon: lol rosario Alphubel ex Merinita: Probably they don't give you a budget because it's Rival Magic. GM: With the seas returning to their former calm, then, you are left in the whale with a sense that you narrowly avoided something dreadful. Lavinia: I feel humbled. Rosario of Flambeau: "You always seem to skate past trouble, Lavinia." Lavinia: "Well, it's not for nothing I'm the longest lived of Vardian's Tomb." "So, let's remember Lavinia's lesson. Don't cast stressed magic in a hostile regio." Alphubel ex Merinita: "I'm more worried about the fate of Atlantis." "We should return and rescue the maga as quickly as possible." Lavinia: "Yes." Dusan of Criamon: "I concur wholeheartedly." GM: What is the penetration on your rite, Lavinia? To boil all the water in the room Which could go off at any moment, since the activation trigger is totally unknown. Or it could never go off Lavinia: hmm i rolled assuming aura was 4, it's actually 8? GM: 6 Lavinia: ok, penetration is 7 GM: Alright. Alphubel ex Merinita: Oh well then. We should all be fine. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: whew. Alphubel ex Merinita: Oh right, quick question, is my Magic Resistance boosted by Faerie Auras? GM: Yes. You get the full benefit rather than half, from your house virtue. Rosario of Flambeau: nice. Alphubel ex Merinita: Hmm. Rosario of Flambeau: rip to the king, maybe. or some attendants idk the king probably has more than 10 might. GM: You basically treat fairy auras as if they're magic, iirc. Rosario of Flambeau: whenever/if this goes off. Alphubel ex Merinita: Wait a minute, isn't that penetration too low to hurt anyone in the regio besides the captured maga? Rosario of Flambeau: probably. Alphubel ex Merinita: Since they all have at least 1 Might and then add +6 to their MR from the aura. GM: With the aura what it is, it can't hurt anyone with any MR at all, basically. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: maybe they'll pretend to be harmed. Alphubel ex Merinita: So what Lavinia ACTUALLY did was try to murder the Hermetic maga. Lavinia: Shh, I had a plan for that. Rosario of Flambeau: I don't think she TRIED to do that, necessarily. Rosario is so naive. Lavinia: I have this enchanted item that chills the wearer's surroundings. I'd just have to get right up to the maga and cast that to protect her. (hopefully.) Alphubel ex Merinita: This seems like a bad plan, looking back on it. How long does it take us to get back to Atlantis? Lavinia: let's let Dusan go on a stealth mission now. GM: Let's. Dusan of Criamon: We can't blame someone for having the mechanics make their plan impossible GM: We can. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i ward myself against sand. Dusan of Criamon: Also I seem to have missed the part where we try to broker a statue/maga deal Gulielmus of Pure Reason: she was setting up the rite beforehand Dusan of Criamon: That's not brokering a deal to trade statues for slaves! That's preparations to use the pretense of brokering a deal to do murder! GM: That's just the high stakes world of diplomacy. Rosario of Flambeau:  Lavinia: It's Vardian's Tomb, so the odds of things devolving to murder are very high. I just wanted to lend a hand. GM: Dusan is going to sneak in, yes? Alphubel ex Merinita: Smart. Sort of. Dusan of Criamon: We haven't even gotten to the diplomacy yet! We only prepared a backstab! Alphubel ex Merinita: Except for the part where it can't hurt any of the faeries. Guy of Bonisagus: its called full diplomacy, actually Gulielmus of Pure Reason: every character in this saga is Cryle Rosario of Flambeau: Lavinia is really good at the backstabbing part and very good at the diplomacy part, but seems to really only have the passion for the former GM: That's why she's the most senior maga of Vardian's Tomb Dusan of Criamon: True. GM: Dusan, where do you head, while invisible? Also, while wandering around, give me a stealth roll Invis was +9 to them iirc Alphubel ex Merinita: AFK a sec. Dusan of Criamon: OK one last question before I go don quixote: can i deactivate invis at will Lavinia: yes, by taking the ring off Dusan of Criamon: I don't have bakir around to communicate for me ok Lavinia: it has 6 uses a day GM: The statblock I adapted for the king has his awareness listed, so Dusan of Criamon: OK, I'm a little scared of the king, so I'm going to do the other areas first classic stealth game bs Gulielmus of Pure Reason: farewell Dusan GM: You see a long corridor, like the other side, ending in a dead end Rosario of Flambeau: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncNSJGPl8X4 GM: Where do you head? Dusan of Criamon: I advance, not bumping into the guards, and look left and right at the visible missing sections of wall GM: Theyre all doors to bedrooms, like on the oppposite side Dusan of Criamon: all of 'em? GM: Roll awareness at the far end, though. Yes. Dusan of Criamon: rolling 1d10+4 ( 2 ) +4 = 6 GM: It's a dead end, is all you can see. Dusan of Criamon: Frustrating Is all casting here stressed? Rosario of Flambeau: ooh. i sense dusan's signature spying spells coming. GM: It's not Dusan of Criamon: hell, I'm Invading Privacy already, may as well get the theme song going GM: But it does require subtle gestures Since you can't move as much Dusan of Criamon: Conveniently I have subtle and silent magic! GM: Convenient Where do you pry into? Which wall Dusan of Criamon: I suppose I'm at the end of the corridor so I'll start from there Rosario of Flambeau: brb Dusan of Criamon: oh it's not painting on the black stuff ok GM: It is Gulielmus of Pure Reason: the gm can see it GM: I'll reveal the rooms it shows Dusan of Criamon: Hmm GM: You see, in the northern room, the captured maga. It looks like they're turning some kind of servants room into a workshop for her. Alphubel ex Merinita: Nice. Dusan of Criamon: Oh if only we had someone who could turn solid walls into traversable openings GM: Well then. With this information at hand, what now? Dusan of Criamon: alright i'll run down the rest of the walls before planning another move update my journal GM: You find a series of bedrooms, nothing noteworthy Dusan of Criamon: no special access systems or secret door triggers hm hm hm ok I could do one more try in the other corridor ending GM: You could hunt around in there if you want. You found what seems to be another dead end on the other side of the right wall. Dusan of Criamon: hmmm the bed locations make me think there shouldn't be a connection in the workshop south wall GM: Don't overthink too much about the map, I'm using a castle map I made previously. Alphubel ex Merinita: Gasp! Dusan of Criamon: Ah, well then GM: When you make a huge map you want to get all the mileage out of it you can. Alphubel ex Merinita: Are you saying that we've entered the Dungeon of Darkness?! Rosario of Flambeau: hahaha GM: No. I'm saying you've entered the World of Darkness. Dusan of Criamon: Wait a moment - this isn't Dungeon Crawl Classics at all! Alphubel ex Merinita: Which kind of Goth am I? I guess faerie goth. GM: It's a palace map I made for my last campaign that ended recently. It still works as a palace battlemap. Changeling, definitely. Rosario is a Hunter of course Guy of Bonisagus: what is guy GM: Dusan would be a changeling too. Guy is a demon. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: what of gulielmus Lavinia: malvakian XD GM: [tries to think of the least competent wod splat] A wraith Dusan of Criamon: Dusan is a mundane, constantly being thrown into horrible hijinks and adventures Alphubel ex Merinita: No I mean the kind of goth where I have a poster of a fairy with butterfly wings but she also has goth makeup, black leggings, and a pentacle necklace. GM: Anyway. Dusan, anything else or returning to everyone? Alphubel ex Merinita: Obviously we want to come at this from goth first principles. Dusan of Criamon: Alright, the workshop in construction contains a guard right GM: Yes. Dusan of Criamon: also the corridor on the right of the one i explored is just a boring corridor and not a secret passag GM: They're keeping a close eye on the maga as she sets up tables and so on Well. You could hunt for a way to open it, if it is. Lavinia: is the back wall of the workshop the exterior wall of the palace GM: yes Dusan of Criamon: Alright, last question other corridor where the bedrooms are that we were led to do i discover anything of note behind the walls with the green arrows GM: Same things, the palace is mirrored Dusan of Criamon: alright, that's it for recon Alphubel ex Merinita: The Mirror Palace of Atlantis. Dusan of Criamon: regretfully, all I confirmed is that yes, there really is at least one Magus held in the palace (simpsons one trillion dollars bill gag) Rosario of Flambeau: ok lets start casting archibalds unwelcome entrance until we get the lady out well, after you come back. Dusan of Criamon: It couldn't be helped I return and report back Alphubel ex Merinita: Well. Hmm. It seems like she could be rescued if the wall was knocked down. Lavinia: what does that area of the palace look like outside, crowded? public? GM: It's a large garden, sparsely occupied. Rosario of Flambeau: well, i can open the wall unless its living coral or something. Alphubel ex Merinita: Is that what it appeared to be? GM: It's a stone wall, it just has decorations on it It's a sunken city, after all. Must have been stone when it sunk Lavinia: rosario should do that and bring the casting tools. Rosario of Flambeau: lets. Lavinia: the rest of us can distract the king with our mighty diplomacy skills. Alphubel ex Merinita: Sounds good to me. Rosario of Flambeau: lets do this heist. Dusan of Criamon: Also let's somehow nonlethally knock out the guard in there. GM: Alright Gulielmus of Pure Reason: very well Alphubel ex Merinita: Nonlethal Pilium of Fire. GM: Move Rosario over to the break-in point. Sec. Pick your place to break in from, Rosario Rosario of Flambeau: i lost dusan, where is the room Dusan of Criamon: top left we're entering from the outside though, right? GM: The rest of you are headed to the throne room, correct? Rosario of Flambeau: oh there you are GM: You meet Guy who has been standing perfectly still here for the last day. Rosario of Flambeau: lol Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Salve, Guy." Rosario of Flambeau: Guy just locked in deep conversation with a guard. King Pelagas: "Hello again, magicians. Did you enjoy your sleep in my wonderful palace?" Rosario of Flambeau: "Just tell me when to open the wall, Dusan." Lavinia: "I apologize, but I was troubled by nightmares of the wrath of Neptune." Alphubel ex Merinita: "And also the real wrath of Neptune," I mutter. Dusan of Criamon: "Just tell me, do you think you can shut down the guard once it's open?" King Pelagas: He quivers slightly "N-Neptune, why, of course, as the finest city in the seas, it only makes sense he would come here." Guy of Bonisagus: "Salve." Rosario of Flambeau: "Of course." Lavinia: "I wish I could report good news, Your Majesty. But Neptune was very upset. He said his seas were polluted." King Pelagas: "He was?" He asks in a worried tone Rosario of Flambeau: I will use my item to give myself horse legs for the charge attack bonus. King Pelagas: If you want to pull a scam on him here, roll Guile Rosario of Flambeau: well, i think i'll activate all my items. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Gave us quite a scare." Lavinia: nice, time for another epic botch rolling 1d10!+2+3 com+guile ( 6 ) +2+3 = 11 King Pelagas: rolling 1d10!+0+4 ( 1 ) +0+4 = 5 Gulielmus of Pure Reason: oorah. King Pelagas: rolling 2d10 ( 10 + 1 ) = 11 Alphubel ex Merinita: Wow, an epic botch. King Pelagas: Speaking of an epic botch Rosario of Flambeau: so the ignore wounds and fatigue and the horse legs. lmao. botches all night. Dusan of Criamon: lol "Well, let's do it." King Pelagas: "Eek!" he screams Dusan of Criamon: I check one last time with my signature move before Rosario goes Kool-aid man King Pelagas: "Magician, magician, whatever can be done to appease great Neptune?" Rosario of Flambeau: rolling 1d10!+20 archibalds unwelcome entrance ( 2 ) +20 = 22 whew. Lavinia: I pretend to do a big thinkie. King Pelagas: It succeeds. The wall swings open, Rosario. The guard inside looks confused and angry What's your immediate reaction Lavinia: "Was it Neptune's wrath that destroyed Atlantis, your Highness?" Rosario of Flambeau: rolling 1d10!+20+2+10+3 i will charge inside as fast as my horse legs and armored weight can carry me, Exert, and spend a conf to alpha strike him with my sword. ( 9 ) +20+2+10+3 = 44 King Pelagas: Jesus Dusan of Criamon: Oh jeez King Pelagas: rolling 1d10!+7 defensive roll ( 8 ) +7 = 15 So that's a threshold of 29 Rosario of Flambeau: 11+attack advantage damage King Pelagas: His soak is 7, so that is 34 damage. You insanely explode him in one hit. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: brb Rosario of Flambeau: fuck yeah. King Pelagas: A bunch of fish gibs lie around the room Lavinia: Cinematic takedown Dusan of Criamon: jesus christ Rosario of Flambeau: I hold the bag out to the maga. King Pelagas: "His wrath..." he seems to be remembering something, or at least looks it Dusan of Criamon: I'm the voice in Rosario's ear going "nonlethal takedown Snake!" Rosario of Flambeau: "Here are your tools." Alphubel ex Merinita: Hmm. Anna ex Verditius: "That's... incredible." She picks up the bag of tools quickly and holds onto them tightly Dusan of Criamon: "It's good you understand so quickly, and quietly." Rosario of Flambeau: "The school of Ramius is powerful." Dusan of Criamon: "Let's leave before we're invited to dinner." Rosario of Flambeau: rolling 1d10 botch check to open the wall again ( 8 ) = 8 ok cool. Anna ex Verditius: "Whoever Ramius is, I'm grateful." "We should leave, quickly! Before they notice." Rosario of Flambeau: "Let's." Alphubel ex Merinita: Noice. Rosario of Flambeau: "Dusan, lead on to the whale!" Dusan of Criamon: I use my ability to not get lost on trips longer than 50 paces to lead us to the whale Lavinia: "Atlantis was sunken by the wrath of the Divine. Though under your Austere leadership it persists, it remains scorned by the Divine. What if your Majesty's destiny is not to rule under the sea -- but to build anew upon land?" Rosario of Flambeau: we just set up a SICK locked room mystery. Dusan of Criamon: We're giving credence to the thought of magic being real Alphubel ex Merinita: lol Dusan of Criamon: I bet all the skeptics in Atlantis will have a hard nut to crack with this one Rosario of Flambeau: lol King Pelagas: He strokes his beard, still shaking slightly "Anew on land. Yes, of course, I had.... often thought this." Lavinia: "It is, I admit, only a dream. But I beseech your majest to mind other foul omens it could harken. Men stricken without cause. The very water itself turning to air... All these, warnings from Neptune." Alphubel ex Merinita: Hmm. Good point. King Pelagas: "Then that illness...! The sick fish-people, they brought it with them!" Lavinia: "The only way to appease him is to release those blessed by him you have taken, and to forge the path that will bring the greatest glory upon thee, King Pelagas-- a path that will make your name known and revered from Ireland to Cathay." I gesture at the weirdos in chains by the throne when talking about the prisoners. King Pelagas: He nods, gesturing to the guards "Quick, get all of them out of here, as fast as possible." "They are less important than the magus, anyway. Yes, of course, I always intended to release them." Lavinia: oops. King Pelagas: lol Rosario of Flambeau: lol. Dusan of Criamon: I'm not angry, just disappointed King Pelagas: The chains are broken on the fish-man, and he and his fellows slowly swim away Alphubel ex Merinita: I'm thrilled. Hmm. I'll offer to take them back home with our whale. Atlantean, Chained: "A whale of stone? Thank you, magician." "Your kindness is immeasurable." Alphubel ex Merinita: I don't make eye contact. Lavinia: lol Guy of Bonisagus: Atlantean, Dire Alphubel ex Merinita: I'll escort them back to the whale. King Pelagas: "Tell me, then, what you would suggest, magician. So that I can see how it aligned with the great plans I already had, of course." Dusan of Criamon: OK, while me, Rosario and the saved Magus are in the whale, waiting, we put some old robes or similar on the magus we got out, in case anyone should see her Rosario of Flambeau: thats a good idea. Dusan of Criamon: I was made to believe the whale is actually glass Lavinia: nah stone Rosario of Flambeau: it was planned as a glass whale but iirc glass was much harder to make Alphubel ex Merinita: Along the way I'll ask one of the Atlanteans about their home of Atlantis. Rosario of Flambeau: i think theres a glass viewport Alphubel ex Merinita: I think we should have three exposition-heavy conversations at once. Surely the GM can handle that. Dusan of Criamon: So the way I'm imagining this is that the other freed disheveled mages enter the whale, and just as we're leaving the "body found" alert sounds but we're already in the leaving cutscene so we're safe Rosario of Flambeau: lol Lavinia: "I am humbled to offer what meager scraps of wisdom I have to Your Wise Majesty. Let me tell you the story of a man from another fallen city.. the abridged version.." Rosario of Flambeau: This is Pequod. On station at LZ. King Pelagas: That sounds delightful Alphubel. I will do those conversation soon enough, but first I must check my basement [starts crouching behind couch] Lavinia: If it's time to wrap up, I will offer the brief advice that he needs to go on an epic quest following the advice of a patron goddess. I suggest he will find his destiny at, uh..... (thinks about a map) King Pelagas: I think things are about resolved, but you can chat on the way back and find out more. Lavinia: i guess ponza is fine King Pelagas: lol Atlantean, Chained: "We are the atlanteans, or what is left of us. A foul disease claimed so many lives, and when we went to flee we were captured by these horrifying creatures." "Our home is poisoned, now." Rosario of Flambeau: "Horrible." Atlantean, Chained: the atlantean speaks Latin, luckily Alphubel ex Merinita: "How many Atlanteans survived?" Rosario of Flambeau: "So much of magic is poisoned, but we're working to stop this." Atlantean, Chained: "Less than a dozen at most, we scattered." Rosario of Flambeau: I clap the Atlantean on the back heartily. Alphubel ex Merinita: Hmm... Atlantean, Chained: "That is, those of us that can speak. The lessers of our kind, you may see them only as fish, but they are our people too." Lavinia: those aren't the fish being walked like pets, are they?? Alphubel ex Merinita: "Have you, uh, you know, uh, met any other what do you call them, magi?" Atlantean, Chained: Indeed, Lavinia Lavinia: Ok that tears it. it's genocide time Rosario of Flambeau: oh fuck Atlantean, Chained: He nods "We made a deal with one, she and her apprentice wished to have a laboratory within our lands. She knew of our magic, and made us gifts as payment." Alphubel ex Merinita: "Oh? What happened to the, uh, the other one?" Atlantean, Chained: "We haven't seen her since this horrid disease struck us. Her apprentice died, but they took on their own. She should still be alive." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: lol. Dusan of Criamon: :( Alphubel ex Merinita: What does he mean by "they took on their own?" Does he mean that the maga took on a new apprentice? Atlantean, Chained: There were 2 magi, the younger took on an apprentice, then died. So just Anna and her parens' parens are left. Alphubel ex Merinita: Ah, I see. Lavinia: where'd the grandfilia go grandparens i mean Atlantean, Chained: He says that they disappeared around the time of the blight hitting Rosario of Flambeau: hmm Atlantean, Chained: oh, right. the atlanteans cant breathe air so when they try and go in the whale they immediately get out Rosario of Flambeau: oh lol rip Alphubel ex Merinita: They can hang onto the outside of the whale, it's fast. Rosario of Flambeau: "Maybe you can hold on to the outside." Atlantean, Chained: They can, yeah Rosario of Flambeau: ok. Atlantean, Chained: "Anything to be gone of this place as fast as possible." Anna ex Verditius: "This whale is incredible, you must really love the ocean, don't you?" Alphubel ex Merinita: "Uh, uh, uh huh..." Lavinia: yeah me and Neptune are on speaking terms Alphubel ex Merinita: I stammer. Rosario of Flambeau: lol "We do a lot of traveling." (To dys): Am I back on the whale with the dys (To dys): Rest Anna ex Verditius: "Right. And you're all... allies?" she seems suspicious (From Anna ex Verditius): yes Alphubel ex Merinita: "Yeah, I'm uh, whatever, sure." Rosario of Flambeau: "We try our best to be." Lavinia: "We're the perfect complement of brains, brawn, charm, and technique." Anna ex Verditius: "So that wizard's war, it ended?" Lavinia: "Which war?" Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "War?" Lavinia: what is it good for Alphubel ex Merinita: "Uh, how long have you, you know, lived underwater?" Anna ex Verditius: "Well THE war. You know, everyone killing each other over vis and so on. That's why magi live in seclusion, obviously." "Oh, since I was 6 or so." Alphubel ex Merinita: Hmmm. Anna ex Verditius: "When my master brought me down here." Lavinia: War never changes. Alphubel ex Merinita: "How long has your, uh, you know, uh, line lived in Atlantis?" Anna ex Verditius: "Oh. A long while, I think. Baba could tell you exactly, but she hasn't come out of her lab in a while." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "At the risk of sounding rude... how old are you?" Alphubel ex Merinita: TFW no qinqin baobao jugaogao. Anna ex Verditius: "Is that a normal question for magi to ask one another?" Alphubel ex Merinita: "Yes," I reply glumly. Anna ex Verditius: "... Well, you did rescue me. 24." Dusan of Criamon: lol alphubel Anna ex Verditius: lol Guy of Bonisagus: lol Rosario of Flambeau: "Were you in Twilight recently or something?" Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "I see." Rosario of Flambeau: "I should tell you, it's the 1360s." Anna ex Verditius: "Right. I know that." "I've never hit twilight, actually. I'm always careful when I have to cast anything." Alphubel ex Merinita: "Smart." Rosario of Flambeau: "Well, it's odd for me to miss a war. I mean, magi kill each other over vis, and magic is suffering a horrible blight, but the Order is trying to stand together." Lavinia: "Well, there was the time they destroyed an entire house." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Flambeau's crusade notwithstanding." Lavinia: "And a time they destroyed the minds of all senior Magi in house tremere." "And when all the senior Magi of Tytalus were marched.... but yes, the Order hasn't collapsed into civil war yet." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Can anyone say they didn't have it coming?" Anna ex Verditius: "Oh, Tremere, they're the soldier types, right?" "Them and Guernicus, those are the real dangerous ones. Kill at a moments notice." "But if you're up on the surface you must know that better than me." Lavinia nods Alphubel ex Merinita: "Do... don't you have any books about, uh, Order of Hermes, uh, Lore?" Anna ex Verditius: "Just on the forms and techniques, that sort of thing." Alphubel ex Merinita: I nod knowingly. Anna ex Verditius: "Baba doesn't have anything like that in her library, I borrow my books from her you see." Lavinia: "My sodales are tiptoeing around it, so I might as well just tell you, there was no war the kind you're talking about in recent history." Rosario of Flambeau: "Interesting." Lavinia: "Your parens lied to you." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "House Flambeau's crusade notwithstanding." Rosario of Flambeau: "Yes, aside from that." Alphubel ex Merinita: "Well, I don't... I'm not sure about that." Lavinia: "Magi don't all live in seclusion. Our covenant is 9 magi living together in the middle of the eternal city, Rome." Anna ex Verditius: "Don't make things like that up." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "And House Tytalus's continued existence." Anna ex Verditius: "The middle of a city? You'd be an easy target." Lavinia: "You're welcome to come see it yourself when we get out of here." Alphubel ex Merinita: "They might have, uh, might have been underwater since the Schism War." Rosario of Flambeau: "We have been attacked several times." "You're right." Anna ex Verditius: "Oh. Of course, visit, yes." Lavinia: "Not by magi." Alphubel ex Merinita: *outside the covenant. Lavinia: "Just arrogant nobles and sentient blocks of wood." Rosario of Flambeau: "Severin attacked once, I heard." Dusan of Criamon: "We think ourselves a subtler covenant, hiding in plain sight. We consider the regular intrusions on our covenant grounds to be anomalous in nature." Anna ex Verditius: "I knew it, the world is embroiled in conflict. Why would you try to hide that?" "I might have grown up down here, but I'm not totally ignorant of what the Order is like." Dusan of Criamon: "Oh we're not debating the overall issue, we're just squabbling about specifics." Anna ex Verditius: "Everyone's just out to kill one another for vis and their secrets." Rosario of Flambeau: "We love to argue." Alphubel ex Merinita: "Well, uh, that's sort of true." "Not everyone though!" Dusan of Criamon: "What else are we going to do on long whale rides?" "This thing does like 3 knots on a good day." Alphubel ex Merinita: "I've never fought with any of my siblings OR my parents." Lavinia: "No one's tried to kill me or steal my secrets, like how I made this amazing whale." Alphubel ex Merinita: "Except for that time, uh, well uh, I mean never." Anna ex Verditius: "Well... I mean I wouldn't do that, but that's the norm, you shouldn't be so trusting." "How have you all survived so long when you're this naive?" Rosario of Flambeau: "I'm very strong." Lavinia: "My silver tongue can bluff the gods themselves." Alphubel ex Merinita: "Well, hardly anyone ever visited the covenant I grew up in, because of, uh, because of all the dragons." Rosario of Flambeau: "Dragons?" Alphubel ex Merinita: "Well, just two really." "Yeah, you know, with the, uh, scales and things." Dusan of Criamon: "That's quite the soft sell." Rosario of Flambeau: "I know, I've always wanted to slay one." Alphubel ex Merinita: I'm appalled. Lavinia: "Guy here is an unstoppable killing machine, and Dusan uses his comprehension of the cosmos to steer him from danger." "We're a great team." Anna ex Verditius: "Ah. So you survive by being a powerful group. That makes more sense." Alphubel ex Merinita: "If magi couldn't trust each other, I never would have been born." Anna ex Verditius: "Um. You're going to let me go back to my lab, of course, right? I'm not being kidnapped a second time in 2 days am I?" Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "That's what the Parma Magica is for, after all." Anna ex Verditius: "But the parma is proof that you can't trust others, so you have to have a protection against their magic." Rosario of Flambeau: "Do you think you'll be safe there? The fish men could just kidnap you again." Alphubel ex Merinita: I nod knowingly. "It's, uh, it shouldn't be a problem. They're faeries." "You could just ward your, uh, sanctum." Anna ex Verditius: "It was just an accident that they got me. I just.. the ring just happened to trip me, it could happen to anyone, just a freak act of fate." Alphubel ex Merinita: "How did they get, you know, through your Aegis of the Hearth?" Anna ex Verditius: "Through the what?" Rosario of Flambeau: "Hmm." Alphubel ex Merinita: "You know, the thing." Anna ex Verditius: "I... the thing? I don't know what you mean." Alphubel ex Merinita: "Uh, the spell you cast on your covenant." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "It's a spell to keep faeries out." Anna ex Verditius: "Baba likes to cover her own lab in traps, but I've never felt much need to before today." Alphubel ex Merinita: "It's like the Parma Magica, but for, you know, covenants." Rosario of Flambeau: "I wasn't going to bring this up until we got back to Archibald, but, well." Anna ex Verditius: "There's something as great as that?" Alphubel ex Merinita: "Sure, we have some copies if you want them." Dusan of Criamon: "It's kind of Order baseline stuff." Rosario of Flambeau: "I don't think this young lady was legally apprenticed." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Hmm... Maybe they relied on the Atlanteans to deal with other powers?" Alphubel ex Merinita: "Oh, come on now." Anna ex Verditius: "Legally? What?" Alphubel ex Merinita: "She, uh, she knows what she's doing, sort of." Anna ex Verditius: "I passed the gauntlet my master gave me, that makes me a magus, he said." Rosario of Flambeau: "She has her heart in the right place, but she seems a little... off." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Who am I to question the gauntleting practices of House Verditius?" Rosario of Flambeau: I go get the book and unwrap it. Lavinia thinks about the many mages she has known, and wonders if Anna is any weirder than them. Alphubel ex Merinita: "No, she's great." Rosario of Flambeau: "Also she had this in her lab. It's got the key to the Parma." Lavinia: "Yeah she seems fine to me." Dusan of Criamon: "I honestly feel like I'm looking at myself, just much younger, and less ugly." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Nothing wrong with that." Anna ex Verditius: "My book!" "You'll get it wet if you're careless!" Rosario of Flambeau: "It's dry in here." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: Gulielmus corrects himself. "Nothing wrong with that, except that you've stolen it." Alphubel ex Merinita: "Well, yeah, but I'm sure Rosario will say, uh, say that he's sorry." Anna ex Verditius: "Well. You were smart enough to figure out that my bag of tools is waterproof, so you must have known what you were doing." Guy of Bonisagus: ah, fortunately this is not a crime as shes not a real magus Rosario of Flambeau: "Well, she can have it back." "But it might not be, uh, prudent." "For the Order of Hermes." Anna ex Verditius: "The disorder of hermes, more like." She laughs a few times at her own joke "Bunch of killers and thieves these days." Rosario of Flambeau: lol Dusan of Criamon: I like her Gulielmus of Pure Reason: damn her - she's right Alphubel ex Merinita: I laugh at the idea of it. Hermetic Magi all work together really well! Lavinia: "It's possible. Thankfully my master wasn't Hermetic so I didn't inherit their warped, backward views." Dusan of Criamon: (laughing nervously) Gulielmus of Pure Reason: - known infernalist Anna ex Verditius: "So that's how you made the whale come to life, then?" "We tried to figure out a way to get around faster, something like this seemed impossible." Lavinia: "This is the magic of Virgil." Alphubel ex Merinita: "It's easy when you work together." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: the whale is on the move right Lavinia: mr. dink voice very expensive Rosario of Flambeau: red mist seeping into the throne room by now. waaait a minute. Anna ex Verditius: The whale be moving I really should have had the ward go off in the middle of the aeneid. It slipped my mind but it's too late now Rosario of Flambeau: lol Anna ex Verditius: wait no it should have been triggered by the word 'arms' so the moment lavinia starts Rosario of Flambeau: "Anyway, I'm not giving your book back yet. But I will." Anna ex Verditius: "What's so strange about that book?" Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Why don't we bring the whale to the surface?" Anna ex Verditius: "Every magus knows it, you said it yourself." Lavinia: its ok. the dead merman/ evenetual boiling of the throne room are now predicted omens of neptune. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "It sounds like Anna - who is a legitimately gauntleted Hermetic maga - hasn't seen sunlight in eighteen years." Dusan of Criamon: (under breath) Boy I know what that's like Anna ex Verditius: "We have everything we need down here, who needs the sun?" "Food, water, books, v- oh. Oh. Hm." Rosario of Flambeau: "You're not supposed to just have all of this in one book." "What if someone finds it?" Guy of Bonisagus: v. vergil. Alphubel ex Merinita: "Who could find it?" Anna ex Verditius: "What's wrong with it? If someone's broken into my lab they're already robbing me." Lavinia: "I think you should give it back, Rosario." Rosario of Flambeau: "You told me to go into your lab!" Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "We have, what, two of them? Three?" Anna ex Verditius: "Well... I didn't say to take books out with you!" Lavinia: "And I think Anna should become an ally of Vardian's Tomb, so we can help her out whenever she's in trouble, and vice versa." Anna ex Verditius: She stares at you Lavinia. Possibly. It's hard to tell with the helmet on. Alphubel ex Merinita: For sure. Rosario of Flambeau: "Well, you didn't say you were a delinquent criminal when I agreed to help." I say, trying to keep a friendly tone. Guy of Bonisagus: "Oh, aye, we can throw her on Ponza with the other strange fellow." Anna ex Verditius: "You already have your group, why would you care about another magus?" Lavinia: "I care about the order, and really, all of Europe." Alphubel ex Merinita: "Uh... no reason..." Rosario of Flambeau: "I'm just going to run this by one of the consuls, and then I'll give it back." Lavinia: "I already told you that we are stronger as a team. So the more friends I have, and you have, the stronger we are." Dusan of Criamon: "There's a plague, that's been hurting magic, and some of us dream of a big united push against it. I for one believe every hand helps." Guy of Bonisagus: lavinia the shonen protagonist Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "It doesn't hurt to have friends, regardless of strength." Lavinia: it hurt mortis lol Dusan of Criamon: lmao jesus Gulielmus of Pure Reason: hehe. Anna ex Verditius: "Well... just remember, if you try and backstab me, I'm not alone here. Baba's very powerful." Rosario of Flambeau: "I'm sure she is." Dusan of Criamon: "Vardian's Tomb is doing their best to stop needless treachery since the last tribunal." Rosario of Flambeau: I am sincere here. I bet baba is really strong. Lavinia: "Anna, if you've never been to the surface, you've never been baptized?" Alphubel ex Merinita: "What kind of a question is that?" Guy of Bonisagus sneezes. Anna ex Verditius: "Oh. I was as a little girl. My master made sure of it before taking me down here." Guy of Bonisagus: well. hm. i suppose guy was baptized it only makes sense Lavinia: "Whew!" "Just checking. Sorry to pry." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "I think I speak for all of the non-Tytalus magi of Vardian's Tomb when I say I would never stab you in the back." Anna ex Verditius: "I know we live apart from a church, but I do remember to pray." Alphubel ex Merinita: "Smart." Lavinia: lets get rid of archibald and replace him with anna Rosario of Flambeau: lol. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: Life underneath the waves corresponds in many ways to that on dry land. Priests as well as warriors and beasts have their underwater counterparts. The legendary Bishop Fish is a strange fish with fins resembling priestly robes. It is a powerful priest, but it cannot leave its maritime realm. Alphubel ex Merinita: "Jesus was the greatest wizard of all, you know." Rosario of Flambeau: anna seems cool. lets kidnap her and march baba Anna ex Verditius: lol guli Lavinia: "It was a rude question, sorry. I just know a pagan on the surface and... I fear for my sodales' souls sometimes." Guy of Bonisagus: life underneath the waves corresponds in many ways to that on dry land, ed boy Gulielmus of Pure Reason: ol Lavinia: "The Atlanteans said your "Baba" hasn't been seen since the Blight hit, is she still around this building?" Anna ex Verditius: "Ah, they're one of the causes of that war! Godless degenerates, all." "She... she just hasn't come out of her lab in a while, she must just be really busy." "She was really angry about this Blight. I've never seen her so furious." "She was just screaming for hours on end." Rosario of Flambeau: "Well, we're trying to stop it for good." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Secluded meditation." Alphubel ex Merinita: I nod knowingly. "That's why Faerie Magic is so useful." Anna ex Verditius: "She said she was going to figure out a solution, that must just be why she's still in her lab." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: anna is going to love the rest of house verditius. Anna ex Verditius: The whale makes it back to the complex of buildings "Have you eaten at all? There's always spare food." Rosario of Flambeau: "It turns out there's a monstrous infected corn at the heart of all magic." Anna ex Verditius: "What?" Rosario of Flambeau: "That's what's causing the blight." Anna ex Verditius: "That is... horrible! How did that happen?" Alphubel ex Merinita: "It was probably a very large dragon." Gulielmus of Pure Reason coughs. Anna ex Verditius: "Truly there are evil people in the world if such a thing could happen. Destroying parts of magic itself just for an advantage in raiding and plundering. Shameful." "Perhaps they heard about here, and they wanted to weaken our defences..." she trails off, in thought Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "No, the one responsible had no such motive." Dusan of Criamon: I think assigning human motivations to the corn is a step too far. Anna ex Verditius: "Whatever their motive, they must be the most vile of villains possible." Lavinia: "There's no record of your covenant's existence down here, as far as I know." Anna ex Verditius: "Oh. Phew." Lavinia: "Actually, by the laws of the Roman Tribunal it would be a problem if people knew about it... But we can keep a secret, right guys?" Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "No one was even sure Atlantis really existed." Dusan of Criamon: "Of course! Of course." Anna ex Verditius: "Don't trust any laws they tell you about, they'll break it as soon as it suits them." Dusan of Criamon: "Worst case we claim it's a detached workplace, an aquam laboratory." Lavinia: "Indeed." I look at Guy of Bonisagus. Anna ex Verditius: "That's all that Code is. I learned it from my master. It's how those raiders and killers in Guernicus use to justify their atrocities." Rosario of Flambeau: lol Lavinia: "I'd be really interested to here more of what your Baba knows about Guernicus' atrocities." Rosario of Flambeau: "I don't have that experience with House Guernicus, I have to say." Alphubel ex Merinita: Hmm. Well, she might have a point. Anna ex Verditius: "Oh, she said they're very dangerous. They only exist to put good magi down." Dusan of Criamon: "While we can't dispute the facts here, your interpretation and actions based on said interpretation are a little grim." Anna ex Verditius: "They even chased her away from her old covenant. Evil people." Dusan of Criamon: "The world on the surface is actually quite exhilarating. You're cordially invited whenever you're near the upper fathoms." Alphubel ex Merinita: I nod knowingly. Rosario of Flambeau: "Oh? This wasn't her first?" Lavinia: "That's awful. What covenant was that?" Anna ex Verditius: "Ohhh, what was it called again. It had a name that was in the local tongue." "Alde something?" Gulielmus of Pure Reason: aidsmar Alphubel ex Merinita: "It doesn't, uh, matter, really." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: rolling 1d10+5 ooh lore ( 7 ) +5 = 12 Rosario of Flambeau: rolling 1d10!+1+1 ooh lore + int (if the ritual was cast, minus 1 if not) ( 7 ) +1+1 = 9 Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i'm assuming it's been cast Rosario of Flambeau: i have been as well Lavinia: im just personally interested in anything that could be used to defame house guernicus tbh. Guy of Bonisagus: lets boil her alive Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Alde Feanan?" Anna ex Verditius: "That's it, yes." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "That's up in the Rhine." "Was up in the Rhine." Anna ex Verditius: "Oh. Yes, it's far away." Knowing the covenant you could probably find out the magus in question, looking into it Lavinia: quick -- to the library Anna ex Verditius: That's ars baby. Rosario of Flambeau: ars ftw Anna ex Verditius: Anna steps out of the stone whale onto the seabed. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: time to consult our travelling library Gulielmus of Pure Reason moves some copies of the Aeneid aside and opens a chest full of more Aeneids Anna ex Verditius: "Well. Uh. Thank you for your help. I really did not expect there to be such... noble magi. I hope no-one takes advantage of that niceness." Guy of Bonisagus: i am going to burn every book that has mention of this covenant Rosario of Flambeau: lol Anna ex Verditius: What's wrong, Guy? Guy of Bonisagus: why is there a revealed room with a bed that has the foot of the bed against the wall is this what faeries do is this the true extent of their evil Gulielmus of Pure Reason: anyone ever notice everyone in this covenant is going to Hell Anna ex Verditius screams Rosario of Flambeau: lol. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: lmao Lavinia: There is a power greater than even the post powerful archmagi of Durenman. Rosario of Flambeau: report: hes doing it again Lavinia: The power of friendship. Anna ex Verditius: Well With that, unless you want to try and break into a heavily booby-trapped lab of a really old magus, I think we're done here. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: let's knock on Baba's door. Alphubel ex Merinita: Hmm. Lavinia: I want to break into the heavily trapped lab Rosario of Flambeau: lol Alphubel ex Merinita: How can I send letters to Anna? Rosario of Flambeau: good luck. Lavinia: Let's ask Anna if she'll let us check in on Baba Dusan of Criamon: this was a tremendous ending to a tremendous sesh Alphubel ex Merinita: I guess we could try organizing some trade with the Atlanteans. Anna ex Verditius: "Well... you can knock, but she hasn't answered in a really long time." Rosario of Flambeau: lol Guy of Bonisagus: i will never trade with them after seeing that bed Gulielmus of Pure Reason: it's scrying time. Anna ex Verditius: "But she told me never to go in without saying so. There's traps, you see." Lavinia: pfft whats the worst that could happen Dusan of Criamon: I am absolutely going to scry if you convince me i won't get marched for it Anna ex Verditius: "In case some evil magus found where we lived." Lavinia: the sortes could detect all magic in there without us even having to look inside right Anna ex Verditius: Can it? The sortes be capable of crazy shit Lavinia: "Detect any active magic and any trace of positive magnitude left by earlier magic." Anna ex Verditius: Do watching wards count Lavinia: i would assume? its active Anna ex Verditius: Yeah They are, true Lavinia: whats the aura here, magic? Anna ex Verditius: Yeah It's magic 5 Alphubel ex Merinita: Hmm. Anna ex Verditius: I'll just say it since you can easily check anyway Lavinia: rolling 1d10!+15 sortes ( 5 ) +15 = 20 thats enough to hit the guideline i just said Anna ex Verditius: Alright. Is that on the lab as a whole, or just the building in question the room, rather lemme indicate it Bottom-most building Lavinia: ill keep it to the lab Gulielmus of Pure Reason: is there anything in the unrevealed external area moe: I think I'm going to dip out here friends been quite a day for me Rosario of Flambeau: nice have a good night moe moe: i'll see you all tomorrow (From Anna ex Verditius): The lab itself has 3 watching wards prepared, along with a number of enchanted device effects going off all the time. Most are aquam-aligned lab total enhancers, but one is constantly removing all heat from the room to keep it ice-cold. Lavinia: cheers moe Anna ex Verditius: gn moe Alphubel ex Merinita: Bye. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: vale Lavinia: "3 watching wards, and a few constant effect items, one that removes all heat." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Sounds too dangerous to enter even without the watching wards." Rosario of Flambeau: "An interesting magus." Lavinia: "We could come back with a Vim specialist one day, or throw a conjured corpse in through the door to try and set them off and hope it doesn't collapse the whole building." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "There can't possibly be a living maga in there." Rosario of Flambeau: "There might be a corpse in there." Alphubel ex Merinita: "Well, why not?" "She might have a, uh, ward against cold." GM: Is there anything else you wish to do, or is it safe to call an end to today's adventure? Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i'm going to blow this entire lab up by casting prying eyes on the roof Lavinia: lets let gulielmus die then call it a night GM: Okay, Gulielmus. You reveal this room Gulielmus of Pure Reason: Very well GM: The room is full of water, unlike the others Alphubel ex Merinita: I have no idea what that thing is. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: is that a statue GM: It contains multiple statues Yes Alphubel ex Merinita: Oh. Rosario of Flambeau: huh Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "A ward, sure, but it doesn't sound like our mystery maga would ever go so long without seeing Anna." huh. tell me about the statues GM. Guy of Bonisagus: tell me about the statues george Gulielmus of Pure Reason: [as the whale swims away in the background] tell me about the statues GM. GM: One of them is a statue of an old woman in a cloak, pointing an accusing finger at the entrance. The other looks like a man in chainmail, a mercenary attire. Alphubel ex Merinita: Hmm. "I, for one, am content to allow this, uh, maga her privacy." Lavinia: is the "statue" possible her in twilight Alphubel ex Merinita: Anything is possible. GM: It looks like a stone statue from Gulielmus' inspection. Never say never, I suppose Twilight can look pretty weird Lavinia: I shudder at the thought of being immobilized forever in twilight instead of having an excuse to meet fascinating primoridial dieties GM: Twilight for an elderly magus can sometimes last for very long periods of time, so it is possible. Lavinia: well lets tell anna and see what she says Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i will return to my good friends and lifelong companions in the whale, and tell them what I saw. Anna ex Verditius: "Twilight?" "Ohhh, she hates twilight, she'll be really angry when she gets back, I just know it." she says, glumly Gulielmus of Pure Reason: tfw you stab anna in the back. Alphubel ex Merinita: 'Does anyone like Twilight?" Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Dusan does, I think." Lavinia: yeah beardbeard is on team jacob Guy of Bonisagus: i am going to kill both your and hafls pcs, johns Alphubel ex Merinita: That is your right. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: thank you for your service Alphubel ex Merinita: Ok, I don't think we have much more to do here. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Uh, please don't tell her I invaded her privacy in her absence." "She might take it the wrong way." Anna ex Verditius: "Oh. Well. As thanks for rescuing me, sure." "You were probably just worried about her too, after being worried about me. Right?" she stares at you, Guli Alphubel ex Merinita: "What's the best way to send you, uh, letters?" Rosario of Flambeau: lol Get in there, Alphubel. Anna ex Verditius: "I've never had that problem before. Huh. That's a tricky one. Couldn't you have someone deliver them in the whale?" Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Well, yes, when you said she hadn't come out of her lab I was worried for her." Rosario of Flambeau: "I'll be back to bring your book back soon, so I can bring Alphubel's letter along." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "I've seen one too many bodies pulled out of labs in my time." Alphubel ex Merinita: "I guess..." Anna ex Verditius: "Oh, then, it's all good. It's not like you got scared away by all her traps or anything. Phew." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Oh, just give her her book, Rosario." Lavinia: we can uise our dryad Rosario of Flambeau: "Not yet." Alphubel ex Merinita: "I don't see why you can't just give her her book back." Lavinia: oread finally she has a use and need not die from neglect Alphubel ex Merinita: Oreads can't swim, obviously. Anna ex Verditius: Rosario: [pushing Alphubel aside] I can bench press my own body weight and yes that includes armour. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: let's leave the oread here. Anna ex Verditius: "But, uh. If I wanted to reach your covenant, it's in Rome, right?" "If I was ever on the surface. In unrelated business." Rosario of Flambeau stuffs the book under his breast plate Alphubel ex Merinita: "Yeah, it's the building with the big tree, you can't miss it." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Just up the Tiber from Ostia." Anna ex Verditius: "Got it." she taps her arm, thinking "Uh, I don't have anything to really give you, I suppose. Do you want some food? All there is to drink is water, though." Alphubel ex Merinita: I accept her hospitality. Rosario of Flambeau: "Are you absolutely sure you'll be safe here?" Lavinia: fresh seafood yum Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "What do you eat down here, anyway?" Anna ex Verditius: Okay googling indicates this probably isn't anachronistic. She emerges with a giant cob of corn, over half her height. Alphubel ex Merinita: lol Lavinia: i beg your pardon Anna ex Verditius: "Baba made some wonderful devices, they let food grow down here, and big enough that we always have plenty stocks." Alphubel ex Merinita: Anyway we need to murder Dys. Guy of Bonisagus: oh my god. they found the samnian regio Lavinia: no. NO! Gulielmus of Pure Reason: let's kick the gm's ass Lavinia: This is an infernal realm. We must destroy these people immediately. Anna ex Verditius: "What's wrong? Do you not normally eat it on the surface?" Lavinia: "I've never seen anything like it, nor read about it." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Some kind of grass?" Guy of Bonisagus: hm. you said shes 3 hermetic years old?? Guy of Bonisagus cracks knuckles crigishly. Anna ex Verditius: [sweating] google told me that corn existed in europe from at least 1100 onwards Alphubel ex Merinita: Let's throw knives at the GM until he dies. Anna ex Verditius: You can substitute it for a giant tomato if it makes you feel better. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: the fuck Are you some kind of dumbass. Guy of Bonisagus: corn is wheat in europe google told me this Gulielmus of Pure Reason: it's any grain Guy of Bonisagus: It's linguistic difference. In British English, 'corn' is wheat (or sometimes any grain). What we in the US call corn is called 'maize' in Britain. Lavinia: are you for real Anna ex Verditius: Corns. Alphubel ex Merinita: Ok so how much XP do we get from this adventure? Also, what season is it? Anna ex Verditius: 7 xp. 6 if you don't stop making fun of the corn. Rosario of Flambeau: lol Anna ex Verditius: Spring 1363 iirc Guy of Bonisagus: the really big corn that is a few decades early Lavinia: unless this is the gm's hint that anna's parens found a way to mythic america Gulielmus of Pure Reason: the greally big grass cob Alphubel ex Merinita: Dys WILL be destroyed, this is a promise. Guy of Bonisagus: does mythic america exist lets go meet the aztecs Anna ex Verditius: It's just some devices that make plants grow really fast. And really huge Rosario of Flambeau: cool Anna ex Verditius: It can be a giant apple for guli to hold and treasure if you like Guy of Bonisagus: alright. now that dys's adventure is done, i have one that i wanted to run real quick too it starts off while the group is returning to the covenant Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i would love and cherish the giant apple Rosario of Flambeau: lol Guy of Bonisagus: a minor earthquake happens, and causes some structural damage notably, archibalds lab collapses with him in it rolling 1d10!+35 ( 6 ) +35 = 41 Anna ex Verditius: This seems really similar to cumthinkers adventure Guy of Bonisagus: no no, cumthinkers adventure happens while archibald is recovering Lavinia panics Alphubel ex Merinita: lol Lavinia: does this in any way interfere with our plans to rebuild the covenant as a cool fort Guy of Bonisagus: it, well, it involves the aftershocks which make archibalds lab collapse on him again Alphubel ex Merinita: Hmm. Guy of Bonisagus: lavinia, it conveniently sets a perfectly level foundation for a fortress Alphubel ex Merinita: Seems like a good way to get rid of this mysterious "Archibald" character. Guy of Bonisagus: with archibalds grave at the center GM: anyway. thank you for playing this idea, i had. Rosario of Flambeau: thank you for running it, it was a fun session GM: vale Rosario of Flambeau: i liked chopping a fishman in half and all the other parts. GM: it was a pretty incredible chop Alphubel ex Merinita: So how long did this adventure take? Lavinia: This was fun, thank you dys! im still gonna kill you though. GM: It took a few days in all Alphubel ex Merinita: Ok, I have to change my season then.
 * if one of us can go