1/23/18

Boy R. (GM): greetings

Zita of Mercere: hail

Boy R. (GM): alright, just so everyone's clear what's going on

Hypatia of Athens: Hello

Anthemia Mercere: Guess I should wear the hat today

Boy R. (GM): so zita and hypatia are conspiring to steal an arcane connection to venator out of lavinia's lab

this is after tribunal, but during the period when everyone is locked out of the covenant

Zita of Mercere: Did our friend Lavinia also get tossed out the covenant?

Boy R. (GM): you can certainly drop by the inn to deliver the post but he was very clear he doesn't want anyone in the catacombs

as far as you know

how do you want to approach this?

Anthemia Mercere: Is the clinic still up and running?

Or whatever you call Lavinia's practice in this day and age. it's not a Hospital since she's not a knight

Boy R. (GM): yeah i see it's on the map

mmm, I guess so

Zita of Mercere: First we should check her clinic. She might keep blood samples there. Unlikely, but you never know.

Boy R. (GM): no I'll have to say it's shuttered. she's out of town for a while

ok, going in to check her clinic will attract the attention of the covenfolk, who know you both well

or at least it does if you roll up and try the door

Anthemia Mercere: We could wear disguises

I've been putting XP in to Guile the past two years and Zita probably already has good Guile

I think we both have rings that change us into men as well

Zita of Mercere: The covenfolk are hanging around the area?

Boy R. (GM): a lot of the covenfolk work on this street

they're keeping the above ground operations running

Zita of Mercere: I can change my appearance with a magic item. If Hypatia makes a minor distraction, I'm stealthy enough to slip in unnoticed.

If it's locked, I have legerdemain. A lot of it, even.

Boy R. (GM): you can try to break in while it's quiet, that's just a matter of stealth

Zita of Mercere: I'll make myself look like just some peasant kid, now that I've found out small frame makes you as ridiculously small as it does.

I thought it was maybe 5ft tall or something but it's 4ft

Boy R. (GM): alright I have new intelligence from johns! the clinic is keeping its usual hours, but lavinia is not seen going into the covenant proper

5 feet is fine I think. size ranges are very broad

ok, give me a stealth roll for both of you, then a legerdemain check on someone

lavinia prides herself on using real locks

Anthemia Mercere: Hmm

Zita of Mercere: Characteristic? I assume stealth, though I think comm is used for social stealthing, not sure.

er, dex i mean

Anthemia Mercere: I could use the disguise I already ptu together and not stealth

Boy R. (GM): well that's a different approach. you can enter in disguise while the doctor is there

picking a lock is something you don't want to be seen doing

Zita of Mercere: You could scope it out and see if samples are kept there, and maybe where they are

Boy R. (GM): comm+stealth is fine for blending in, but it's not appropriate here

Zita of Mercere: then I break in when it's quiet

hows that sound shaun

Schediastís of Tytalus: Alright, I'll slip on the Guile buffing ring and FTM ring

Boy R. (GM): Lavinia's maid is doing some routine housekeeping around the little consulting room

Schediastis is anthemia/hypatia now?

Schediastís of Tytalus: Yeah, I posted about him, in the thread, he's my alter ego while attending male-only classes at Sapienza

Boy R. (GM): she looks up as you enter and says Doctor Zoboli is not here, but if you'll leave your details she'd be happy to consult you here or at your home

Schediastís of Tytalus: It's harder to disguise yourself outside of your social caste so I had to go with amagi identity

Boy R. (GM): "she's lost a few patients recently, after all. Not like that! They moved away"

eh, redcaps can be any social class really

Schediastís of Tytalus: Hmm

I'll think about it more later

If the maid doesn't really care then its not a big deal for now

Boy R. (GM): you're just some strange man to her. hopefully well dressed enough to present as a potential client

Schediastís of Tytalus: Yeah

I'm presenting as a well-dressed scholar

Gentle Gifted to those that would know what that is

Boy R. (GM): do you have any medicine or apothecary skill?

Schediastís of Tytalus: Not as such, though I can buff Recovery rolls with holy music

Anyway, I'll do as the maid says, and leave my deets so Dr Zobolli can see me later

Boy R. (GM): That doesn't help you here. This room is filled with jars of what must be medical supplies and cabinets labelled in some inscrutable cipher. you can't tell if blood samples would be kept here.

Schediastís of Tytalus: "I heard that scholars frequent the Eastern Ear as well, but when I arrived I was told its emptier than usual."

Boy R. (GM): Alright she makes note that a mister Schediastis wants to see the doctor. Mentally, because she can't write.

Schediastís of Tytalus: Zita is probably taking the stealth route as I talk to her

Boy R. (GM): "Well, this is the quiet season, you know. And we're a bit out of the way here. But it's a good, clean inn, I'll vouch for that"

Zita can sneak into the room if you like

Zita of Mercere: That could work, actually. Sneak in now and look around

Schediastís of Tytalus: :Ah right, the quiet season."

Zita of Mercere: I'll roll stealth to do so without being spotted going in or moving around

Boy R. (GM): it's a little risky because she's right there, but I know you have godlike stealth

Zita of Mercere:

rolling 1d10!+16

(

3

)

+16

=

19

Boy R. (GM): good enough

you sneak behind the maids back as she's seeing off Schediastis

Zita of Mercere: I miss AbAsAr just for rolling like +25 to these rolls

Boy R. (GM): does Zita have any medicine?

Schediastís of Tytalus: Maybe I should get some Intrigue, might help in Disputatio too

Zita of Mercere: Nope

However, she can now actually read

Boy R. (GM): that's something

Schediastís of Tytalus: Use your knowledge of the Aeneid to figure out the code for how Lavinia labels her jarls

Boy R. (GM): it'll take you a little while to search everything in here, shaun what's your strat to keep the servant distracted

Schediastís of Tytalus: Hmmm

Flirt with the maid, i think. I have Compulsion (sapphism) so it's putting me too far out of my comfort zone to do so.

Boy R. (GM): that seems entirely fitting

well, roll pre+charm

if you have venus' blessing you keep it when you're genderswapped. that's just how the world works

Schediastís of Tytalus:

rolling d10+3+2

(

9

)

+3+2

=

14

Boy R. (GM): Alright, lavinia's maid is charmed enough to walk a little way with you. She just takes a moment to lock the clinic door.

Schediastís of Tytalus: Good luck Zita

Boy R. (GM): Zita's at liberty to root around in here, and while you find several fine vessels for a physician to swirl blood and urine in and frown at, they're all impeccably clean

otherwise it's just routine herbal preparations, even some bandages, as if this was a barber's shop or something

Zita of Mercere: None stored here, then?

Guess we have to do things the hard way

Boy R. (GM): It doesn't look like it

Schediastís of Tytalus: Well it makes sense she'd keep the ACs in her lab

That's where you fix them

Boy R. (GM): Alright, you extricate yourselves from your respective plights without difficulty. If your target is the lab, where are you going in.

Zita of Mercere: It does, but you never know what sort of slip-ups someone might make. Which I guess she didn't.

Venator put a ward against humans at the covenant entrance, didn't he?

Boy R. (GM): Allegedly

Zita of Mercere: Well we can find out if I try to walk in and can't. Hypatia has MR, hmm

The catacombs have other entrances, don't they?

Schediastís of Tytalus: 25 MR against all forms

Boy R. (GM): they do

in this part of rome the catacombs are functionally sewers, you can access them from the river

Zita of Mercere: If Hypatia could get past the ward and grab an AC from futher in, past the aegis, I could teleport to the lower covenant entrance without needing to know the entire map of the catacombs to find a way.

That is, if there is actually a ward

Boy R. (GM): if you see the map, the stairs down from the cellar go to a corridor that leads to the labs on one side and catacombs on another

Schediastís of Tytalus: As a poet and scholar I've probably read the Aeneid but there's not much that makes that objectively true if you're not an Augustan

Hypatia of Athens: I'll switch back to this since its what I get referred to as

Boy R. (GM): are you trying to recall the aeneid for guidance?

Hypatia of Athens: It might come up if Lavinia has trapped her lab

And in fact I remember she has done so, from the Hospitalier adventure

Boy R. (GM): if you come across a passage from the aeneid, I'll let you roll int+AL to recall its context

Hypatia of Athens: Time to scour the chatlog

Boy R. (GM): instead let's move along

who's going in, and from where

Hypatia of Athens: Let's go in from the river and see if we hit a ReCo ward

I think we'll both go in from that point

Zita of Mercere: Yeah, I remember I had to show the knights around the covenant

Boy R. (GM): alright. what time of day is it

Zita of Mercere: And part of that was Lavinia disarming her trap

Boy R. (GM): that you do this

Zita of Mercere: Probably should be done when theres less risk of being spotted, but an excuse if we're noticed would be good, uhh

Oh, I can't disguise myself anymore either, since that relies on an item and they dont work in our aegis

Boy R. (GM): ok you sneak in at night, and fumble your way to the basement entrance without issue

do either of you need a light source?

the place is quiet as a tomb

Zita of Mercere: I have an item for that but it wont work here, we could use a mundane torch

Hypatia of Athens: I see normally but Zita can probably hold my hand

Zita of Mercere: You can see in the dark?

Hypatia of Athens: I mean, I don't see in the dark

I see mundaely

Zita of Mercere: Same

Boy R. (GM): I should I guess take off these alarm ward markers, but you're both aware there were routine wards on the covenant. these ones shouldn't trip for you unless lavinia has redone them all

Hypatia of Athens: Torch it is I guess

Boy R. (GM): alright. any situation that calls for stealth vs visual awareness, you will fail

do either of you have any active magical effects?

Hypatia of Athens: Without items, just my holy MR I guess

Boy R. (GM): that's cool, that's just a stat you have

alright you're walking up to the entrance together?

Zita of Mercere: Okay, I re-read the adventure from the knights hospitalier

Hypatia of Athens: Yeah, I'll pick up an Aeneid along the way

Zita of Mercere: Unless the ward has been changed

Zita was present when Lavinia disarmed it for the knight

Hypatia of Athens: Me too

Zita of Mercere: Since she was showing the knights around

Hypatia of Athens: Stand of this great city; if your heart

Is set on adding your own death and ours

To that of Troy, the door’s wide open for it.

Boy R. (GM): you can stroll right up to the door, giving the necessary passwords for the alarm

roll sortes vergilianae

Zita of Mercere: "Arms and the man I sing"

Hypatia of Athens:

rolling 0

0

=

0

Boy R. (GM): no but actually roll dex+stealth to open the door

Zita of Mercere:

rolling 1d10!+16

(

2

)

+16

=

18

Boy R. (GM): and you can roll per+awareness(hearing) if oyu fancy too

Zita of Mercere: I have... Sharp Ears!

Boy R. (GM): how convenient!

Zita of Mercere:

rolling 1d10+11

(

6

)

+11

=

17

Boy R. (GM): a low muttering from down the hall suggests venator is working in his lab. indeed as your eyes adjust you see the light from under the door

otherwise the place is completely silent.

this door opens onto the common area which served as council chamber

Hypatia of Athens: I'll hold the torch since Zita moves quietly and I don't

Boy R. (GM): it's mostly taken up by an immense pit

you'll have to find a way across it to the stairs or descend the pit itself

hypatia will also need to move  fairly  quietly, although getting hte door open was the major obstacle

Hypatia of Athens: Careful, this pit was enough to kill a stone bear with massive Terram soak

Zita of Mercere: He was only a normal street bear when it killed him. Of course it would have also killed him if he was a stone bear.

Boy R. (GM): ordinary flattened pit bear

Zita of Mercere: Eyyyy im fallin ova heah

Hypatia of Athens: I should maybe let Zita do this on her own, rather than screwing it up. If she remembers the Aeneid trick there's not much to contribute

Boy R. (GM): it's up to you

Hypatia of Athens: Well let's figure out how we're getting past the pit first

Boy R. (GM): my advice is to use a method that works to let you out again as well

Zita of Mercere: Oh, the pit is completely blocking the way. Well, then.

Is there any wood in the covenant? Even a small plank will do

Boy R. (GM): actually i've had to esblish this

ok the pit is 6 paces across

johns (GM): the battle map with the pits is still there

Zita of Mercere: I have Perfect Balance so I can cross even a thin walkway over it, potentially

Hypatia of Athens: Red X Bialas ;_;

Zita of Mercere: thats a lotta Xs!

Boy R. (GM): the pit encompasses the entrance hall, but it's only 18 feet across

unfortunately you do not have a plank 18 feet long

Zita of Mercere: Oh right, Beatrice's crystal is gone now, isn't it?

Boy R. (GM): there's no sign of her

Zita of Mercere: I mean I know that OOC but I find this out IC now

Boy R. (GM): you can also reach malach, gulielmus or fiorella's lab from here if oyu want to search them for soemthing useful

Hypatia of Athens: I don't think any of my miracles help here, and if the Aegis has more than 25 pen that stops me from using them

Zita of Mercere: Malach is dead and his lab is free for all to loot, so hell, why not

Boy R. (GM): roll int+magic theory if oyu have it

Zita of Mercere: Neither of us have it

Boy R. (GM): or magic lore actually

shit now I don't know what malach had in his lab

Zita of Mercere: Oh, I have Magic Lore

johns (GM): Turnips

Zita of Mercere:

rolling 1d10+3

(

10

)

+3

=

13

Boy R. (GM): a supply of several shovels

Zita of Mercere: +1 if my creatures spec applies

Hypatia of Athens: Fiorella's lab is mostly unused, she's been reading texts to try to get Leap of Homecoming

And 5 in everything for apprentice

Boy R. (GM): Most hermetic rituals last for a year, and you were often present at the solstice renewal of the aegis of the hearth

Hypatia of Athens: No Lore for me iether

Boy R. (GM): but proclus died last year, and venator expelled everyone else. If he's been maintaining it, it'll likely be a different version.

rooting around malach's possession turns up a ladder. but it'll need a stealth 9+ roll from both of you to lay it out without causing a racket

Zita of Mercere: Aegis already harms the only thing I have, anyhow, my magic items. Since they were made by people outside the covenant

Anyway

rolling 1d10!+16

(

4

)

+16

=

20

Hypatia of Athens: The main problem with Holy Music is that you have to be heard to use it

Zita of Mercere: Good luck Hypatia

Hypatia of Athens: I don't think I should follow

I have -3 Dex, I'll leave Zita to this mission

Boy R. (GM): it will take both of you to manhandle a ladder

you could also take a running leap, come back with climbing tools, any number of options

Hypatia of Athens: Alright

What's Zita's athletics

Zita of Mercere: Decent but nothing special, lemme check

+3, spec in acrobatics

4 dex tho

Hypatia of Athens: I had Conjure the Sturdy Vine on an old item but I got rid of all that adventuring gear that never came up because I'm only really useful for social stuff

Zita of Mercere: Wait

johns (GM): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXOBlCjqfMs#t=9s

Zita of Mercere: perfect balance is +6 to all rolls to avoid falling or tripping

does this apply to not falling in a pit

Hypatia of Athens: We could tie a rope between the sides

Boy R. (GM): I'd have to say no, it doesn't help how far you jump

Zita of Mercere: Dang

Boy R. (GM): you need to clear about 4 meters i guess

that's a reasonable feat of athletics but not impossible

Zita of Mercere: yeah, world record is 9m apparently

So 4 isn't that insane

Boy R. (GM): I'll call it 12+

Zita of Mercere: On the other hand, if I miss I'll die horribly. Hmm.

oh right, resisting personality is meant to be 1d10-personality modifier, lets see

rolling 1d10!-4

(

4

)

-4

=

0

Hypatia of Athens: What if we seduced Venator for the AC?

Boy R. (GM): what trait was taht

Zita of Mercere: Ambitious

Boy R. (GM): you failed to resist it anyway

Zita of Mercere: Zita has a flaw that constantly compels her to try things like this

on the plus side, it gives her a conf score of 2

Anyway

Boy R. (GM): that's a good flaw

Zita of Mercere: yeah, its only for heroic characters sadly

but you can get it with mythic blood

rolling 1d10!+10

(

2

)

+10

=

12

Boy R. (GM): you jump exactly as far as is required, and no further

Hypatia of Athens: Alright let's tie this rope across at both ends

Boy R. (GM): and land on your feet smartly, the torch streaming flame behind you

Zita of Mercere: Time to set up a way for Hypatia to cross too

Boy R. (GM): being habitual burglars, of course you have a rope

Hypatia of Athens: Zita's a burgler, I'm a poet

And aspiring doctor of theology

Zita of Mercere: I'm a kleptomaniac so I of course have one

Boy R. (GM): whatever. I won't make you roll use rope. There's something around here you can tie it to probably

it will be conspicuous if anyone passes by though

Hypatia of Athens: Angry Crying Feels Fighter with maxed out Use Rope

Zita of Mercere: Rope Kids

Boy R. (GM): you descend the stairs without incident, to the deep labs. you know there are no wards in the common passages here, so you find yourself in front of lavinia's door without incident

Zita of Mercere: "If I remember right, the password to enter safely was..."

"Arms and the man I sing"

Boy R. (GM): ARMA VIRVMQVE CANO

nothing happens, but you're confident that's what you heard

Hypatia of Athens: Temba, his arms wide

Boy R. (GM): try the door?

Zita of Mercere: I try the door slowly and carefully. I don't enter just yet, though, just open the door.

Boy R. (GM): ok. lavinia's sanctum is well ordered, and much the same as you remember seeing it before

the flickering torchlight illuminates the same magical diagram on the floor, with latin text you can only roughly make out. it covers the entire floor space though

roll int+latin if you want to try to decipher it, but it might just be wizard crap

Zita of Mercere: Before walking in I'll try a few simple things like rolling a small pebble in or tossing a dagger in attached to the rope, and some wood, to see if anything inhuman triggers a ward. Then I'll ask Hypatia to actually walk in since she has MR and I don't.

Though she has less MR here, iirc

since her MR is divine

not sure how that realm interaction works exactly

Oh, I'll roll latin, here I go

Hypatia of Athens:

rolling d10+3+5 +1 if Latin (academic applies

(

1

)

+3+5+1

=

10

Zita of Mercere:

rolling 1d10+3

(

7

)

+3

=

10

Hypatia of Athens: I think that was simple

Zita of Mercere: I have a spec in Hermetic Usage

already applied there

wait, no, it wont apply

shes non-hermetic

9

Boy R. (GM): Hypatia makes out enough of the inscription to recognise the verse

"Now sound the loud alarms; And, Latian troops, prepare your perjur'd arms."

are you stepping in?

Hypatia of Athens: I don't think MR is ever penalized

Not in that way

You don't lose Parma in a penalizing aura either

johns (GM): yeah you do

Boy R. (GM): do we use that rule? ok

johns (GM): mr is adjusted by aura

Zita of Mercere: You do, yeah

You lose MR from aura

Boy R. (GM): Divine is never penalised I believe

Zita of Mercere: Ah

Hypatia of Athens: Yeah

So its just Parma then

Zita of Mercere: Well, and fairy might, magic might, and infernal might

Boy R. (GM): sorry forgot to say, none of the small objects zita tosses in trigger anything

Hypatia of Athens: Okay I see now

They put the fact that Parma is penalized in the Realm chapter, not the ability description

Boy R. (GM): obviously

Zita of Mercere: Alright, I'll pull my dagger back with the rope and leave Hypatia to enter the doorway first, to see if her MR blocks something dangerous.

Hypatia of Athens: You could put it in both

Boy R. (GM): something like the fact your MR fluctuates wildly isn't important enough to mention twice

is hypatia going in?

Hypatia of Athens: Yeah

Boy R. (GM): ok, roll per+awareness

(vision)

Hypatia of Athens: 25 divine MR

Boy R. (GM): registered

Hypatia of Athens:

rolling d10

(

2

)

=

2

Boy R. (GM): alright, you set foot in the room, and necessarily within the pentagram

Zita of Mercere:

rolling 1d10+7

(

1

)

+7

=

8

I dont see shit, think that's stressed actually

rolling 2d10

(

9

+

5

)

=

14

Boy R. (GM): at that moment an array of bells lift up from where they've been sitting around the room and fly back and forth, shaking wildly

the noise is considerable

Zita of Mercere: "Ah. Ah shit."

Hypatia of Athens: "Well, Venator is coming."

Zita of Mercere: I'll dart into the room and look through the vials quickly

Hypatia of Athens: "Maybe we can get an arcane connection the hard way."

Boy R. (GM): there's no question that venator has heard it upstairs. what are you doing in these next few moments

ok

Zita of Mercere: "Go, go, I'll hide if need be."

Boy R. (GM): can you quickly outline zita's equipment for me?

does she have a sword or something?

Zita of Mercere: She carries around her redcap items, which are a bracelet, shoes and her clothing. She's got lockpicks if these exist in medieval europe, I'm not sure how they pick locks so disregard if not true. She has a dagger.

Boy R. (GM): you dash across the threshold and pause suddenly at the sight of blue sparks of light crawling along the ceiling

Hypatia of Athens: The Aegis Archibald invented is 30, right?

Zita of Mercere: Yes

I knew about Lavinia's traps OOC because Johns told me before but Zita doesn't so she just walks in with a dagger.

Hypatia of Athens: My items have 26 pen so if that's the one Venator cast, RIP, but maybe I can penetrate a lower amount

Zita of Mercere: Oh, right, Archibald didnt cast our current aegis

itll be lower than 30 for sure then

Hypatia of Athens: Anyway I'll try to slip the items on so I'm not recognized while fleeing

Boy R. (GM): by their light you see a second pentagram, which inscription you have no time to read, as a bolt of lightning arcs out from its center lights on Zita's bracelet, and for a moment seems to pierce her through

Zita of Mercere: RIP

Boy R. (GM):

rolling d10!+25 damage, - auram soak

(

9

)

+25

=

34

Zita of Mercere: Is that against me or just against my items

Boy R. (GM): it's +30 on your bracelet

which is melted

it's 34 on you though

Zita of Mercere: Ah

Well then. Hm. Uh.

This didnt trigger when I tossed the dagger in earlier?

I have no idea how virgilian shit works, maybe they have a way to detect items are on someones person.

Boy R. (GM): it did not. the rite's phrasing is very specific, it targets a metallic object born by the person that triggers the ward

Zita of Mercere: Ah

Yeah, makes sense. Alright, I think I'm dead here. Let's find out.

rolling 1d10!+2

(

3

)

+2

=

5

Hypatia of Athens: If Zita survives I'll try to drag her out, I doubt it though

johns (GM): :|

Zita of Mercere: Small frame dies at 16 damage. The pentagram wasn't visible until now?

Boy R. (GM): on the ceiling, by torchlight, and apparently designed not to be visible

I had it pegged at 12+ awareness

Zita of Mercere: Oh right, awareness roll before. Good time for a 1.

Hypatia of Athens: RIP

Boy R. (GM): well, by the strictest reading of the house rules that's incapacitation, but I think massive damage like that means you're dead

Hypatia, what's your move here?

Hypatia of Athens: Uhh

Boy R. (GM): or rather, what would hypatia do here

does holy music have the power for sudden and extreme medical intervention?

Hypatia of Athens: Somewhat

If you want to call for an immediate Recovery roll to establish dead or not,, it woudl help

Boy R. (GM): oh right

Hypatia of Athens: Resurrecting people is saved for the likes of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Zita of Mercere: PBUH

Hypatia of Athens: I can also transfer my confs to Zita

If a +6 would save her

Zita of Mercere: It is your call as storyteller, of course. Even if I conf twice, it's still... 21 damage. Which is fatal.

Hypatia of Athens: RIP

Zita of Mercere: A half-decent roll would have saved me on either awareness or the soak roll, the dice aint with me today.

Think every roll besides one was like, 3 or less

Boy R. (GM): yeah I've got to call it instant death, or else we'll be setting the precedent that no amount of damage is fatal

johns (GM): should i just update the combat rules to say 21-25 is incap, 25+ is death

Boy R. (GM): I would prefer it

sorry I know it seems like bullshit to be one shot by a trap

Zita of Mercere: Sure. In that case, if I conf twice, I hit... 21 damage taken, which I think still kills me, since Small Frame.

Did that shit to exert yourself work on soak rolls lol. I'm really reaching here.

Boy R. (GM): lol it does not

Zita of Mercere screams

johns (GM): isnt 21 incap even on small frame

oh wait small frame lowers every damage category

Zita of Mercere: I believe it lowers every category, yes

Boy R. (GM): incap at 17-20

Hypatia of Athens: Hypatia's course of action is to beg for guidance: should I confess to Venator?

I ask my guardian angel, is that the most pious course of action?'

Boy R. (GM): hmm

I was going to suggest a personality roll here but this is much more complicated

johns (GM): adjusting the brackets to houseruled combat that means 1-4 fatigue, 5-8 light, 9-12 medium, 13-16 heavy, 17-20 incap and 21+ death

arg

Hypatia of Athens: Or should I stay loyal to Aurora, the slayer of Carloman the Wise and the Archpoet?

johns (GM): does aurora's motivation for asking this task matter

Hypatia of Athens: I don't think my angel would know the motivation

Boy R. (GM): idk if the rectitude of this situation is affected by zita's death

Hypatia of Athens: It's just a holy ghost

Zita of Mercere: You could always [fluttering eyelashes at the GM] go with that optional rule in one of the books where you can survive death by taking an appropriate flaw. Other than that I think there's nothing that can be done.

Some great fuckin rolls

Boy R. (GM): I... am going to defer that to the lead storyguide, since he's here

are we using that rule?

Zita of Mercere: Excellent. His trap killed me so he can be guilted into doing what we want.

johns (GM): its never come up lol

in the past I thought we reserved it for magi

Boy R. (GM): you've had pc's die before

Hypatia of Athens: If Zita has any hope here, I can buff her Recovery rolls, but I can't make death not deth

johns (GM): we used it on aurora

Boy R. (GM): yes, I've availed of it

johns (GM): yeah it never came up on masini or all the wizards who died in the fight recently

or aristide

Boy R. (GM): my stance is that it's bullshit and it shouldn't have been allowed, but my judgement was clouded

johns (GM): or ferris



Boy R. (GM): but as a past beneficiary, I can't forbid it

Zita of Mercere: Oh, it got used on Boy Rep's own PC, aha

well

Johns wasnt GMing

when any of those people died

aristide wasnt even a PC

Boy R. (GM): Hypatia's angel enfolds and comforts her. She is not to blame for the suffering she's witnessed. If it's in her power to aid her friend, christian duty dictates she do all she can, but she is under no obligation to face this venator's disapproval for its own sake.

Hypatia of Athens: Anyway, Aurora is a monster, and my best friend Zita is dead and my other friends Proclus and Beatrice killed each other, Fabius is either dead or a permanent exile.

It's time to take the righteous path and avenge Carloman the Wise and the Archpoet.

Boy R. (GM): good character moment

you'll have to decide what you're doing quickly though because the alarm is still going

Hypatia of Athens: I'll try to pull Zita out of the pentagram

Zita of Mercere: You could always bring the rule back, Johns.

I didn't know we'd actually used it before. Well, last saga.

Hypatia of Athens: Dead or alive.

I'll tell Venator the truth when he gets here

johns (GM): Well

Zita of Mercere: Oh. I'll get thrown out anyway. Rip.

Boy R. (GM): there's one possibility

johns (GM): I mean if you're not dead you're incapped in another magi's sanctum and hypatia just confessed you're trying to get venator murdered

Boy R. (GM): you just need to make sure you're alive, but so badly burned nobody could recognise you

regardless of the situation we should decide on whether we're going to use the maiming option or not

Zita of Mercere: Yeah if Hypatia confesses I think we're both dead anyway.

Venator doesn't really fuck around

johns (GM): it seems poor form to bring it up now after everyone else has had to cope with a character dying

Hypatia of Athens: What's Venator's Mentem MR?

johns (GM): probably really high

Zita of Mercere: Yeah

Boy R. (GM): that's true actually

Zita of Mercere: Mentem is used in necromancy

so

johns (GM): since he's a centuries old necromancer

Hypatia of Athens: Okay

johns (GM): *century, singular

Hypatia of Athens: So there's no chance he'll want to play 4D chess instead of killing us?

Zita of Mercere: It's in poor taste somewhat, I understand. On the other hand that was PCs actively and willingly murdering each other.

Boy R. (GM): I don't think that makes a difference really

Zita of Mercere: If you want your trap to be actually, really lethal, you get to choose that.

johns (GM): well also lots of other chars have died in non-pvp situations

Boy R. (GM): I wouldn't have let Bialas survive with +90 damage, but proclus' could easily have been retconned to hideous burns

I think if you set a trap to shoot lightning at people you're prepared to kill

which is of course forbidden by virgilian magic, and lavinia loses all her powers

johns (GM): tis only fair

Hypatia of Athens: Hypatia doesn't even really understand that the AC is for murder or else she wouldn't be here

Boy R. (GM): alright Hypatia is standing firm, possibly slightly shocked, praying over Zita's corpse

Zita of Mercere: rip

goddamnit

johns (GM): sorry dys :(

Venator ex Misc levitates in

Venator ex Misc: "Well?"

Zita of Mercere: the ONE player who actually makes a psycho trapped lab

Venator ex Misc: he waves a hand and the bells stop ringing

Hypatia of Athens: "We are here at the behest of Aurora of Mercere."

Zita of Mercere: I had more fun with Zita than Archibald so I'm sad now. I dunno what I'll even make as a replacement.

I can't exactly take all those fun heroic things again

Venator ex Misc: you were also extremely unlucky that I rolled 28 penetration on the alarm and 23 on the lightning trap

or hypatia was lucky

Zita of Mercere: oh my god

Venator ex Misc: "To do what?"

Zita of Mercere: I had the Intuition virtue but I dunno if itd even help here

Venator ex Misc: how does that work

you could intuit the lab was dangerous, but that was already how you were treating it

Zita of Mercere: it works like this https://puu.sh/z8dFh/dde8749fb2.png

Venator ex Misc: he casts another spell at the burned body on the floor, and looks less furious and more sad and old

"You bloody fool"

Zita of Mercere: i keep forgetting i have this damn virtue, think ive invoked it twice

Hypatia of Athens: "To gain a bodily sample. Zita believed Lavinia might keep them preserved in such a way that they remain useful to Gifted applications."

Venator ex Misc: I don't think it really applies here

"That conniving witch"

"You knew this was a crime!"

Hypatia of Athens: "And there are many crimes I could have been pinned with had I refused."

Venator ex Misc: "So you put your loyalty to her schemes over good sense and your sodales' life. And this is the fruit of it"

he dusts-to-dusts Zita's body, because as I understand it that's how he rolls

johns (GM): actually

Venator ex Misc: maybe not

I guess there's no threat of necromancy here

Hypatia of Athens: "There's no good sense way out of this. We remain obligated to House Mercere for life."

"I'm taking the high road as it is, telling you instead of attempting to flee."

Venator ex Misc: honestly johns if you want to step in it would be helpful, I think I've made it clear before I have no idea what motivates Venator or what he knows

johns (GM): lol sorry

Venator ex Misc: except the necromancy thing really

Zita of Mercere: This is the first PC I've ever had die across like 30 games or however many I've played over the years.

Venator ex Misc: "You've come clean now, why?"

Hypatia of Athens: "Because I realized what I was doing was wrong."

"I don't want Aurora to lead any more redcaps to their death like this."

Venator ex Misc: "It is easy to say that after you've been caught. Would you allow me to confirm it?"

Hypatia of Athens: "Very well. I cannot voluntarily relinquish my divine protection, though."

Venator ex Misc: What kind of penetration would he need for Frosty Breath of the Spoken Lie?

Hypatia of Athens: 25, its an individual spell

Zita of Mercere: If penetration is an issue, Hypatia could volunteer a hair or something to give him better pen from the AC

Hypatia of Athens: But I'm also telling the truth, I had a chance to flee and made the choice not to

Venator ex Misc: "Permit me to borrow a hair. I shan't take it out of your sight."

bingo dys

Hypatia of Athens: Very well, I will do so

I could also give him some of my poetry

Art is an AC

Zita of Mercere: I'm smart. Well, not smart enough to not walk into a trapped lab. I really didn't think I'd get that screwed on every single roll.

Venator ex Misc: Okay he casts on you then hands the hair back. "Do you support Aurora?"

It should have been Lodewig who trapped the insane murder spells!!!

Hypatia of Athens: "No."

Venator ex Misc: "Would you be prepared to tell Aurora a lie to save my life?"

Boy R. (GM): Lodewig wasn't too attached to his lab or possessions

he'd only kill for pleasure, never spite

Hypatia of Athens: That'll be the truth, I'll take exile from Mercere and get marched after a year if it comes to it

Hmm, as to the next quesiotn

Zita of Mercere: Johns played a paranoid magus and got exactly what he wanted.

Insane murder on an intruder

Virgilian Monkey Paw Magic

Boy R. (GM): oh wait lodewig should have tripped the trap. i think he would have resisted

Hypatia of Athens: "If I believe it to be a righteous act in the end."

Zita of Mercere: wait, did lodewig set off this fucking trap a year ago and we never knew or resolved that he

Zita of Mercere screaming gets louder

Boy R. (GM): we may also have different understandings of vigilo spell penetration if you claim to get 70 on the door alarm though

Venator ex Misc: He ALMOST did

But he realized if he brought his enchanted Petrarch bottle into the aegis it would stop

Zita of Mercere: ah

Venator ex Misc: let me try rolling now to see

Boy R. (GM): I just wanted to stash petrarch in lavinia;s lab for a little

Zita of Mercere: The door alarm is pen 70, the lightning trap isn't?

Hypatia of Athens: "Aurora slew the holy man, Carloman. If he was truly holy, perhaps I will be blessed with the silvery tongue I need to play her."

Venator ex Misc: school + rite + comm + aura = 11+6+2+3

rolling 1d10!+22

(

4

)

+22

=

26

26, vs 15, +3 penetration = 14, x 5 = 70 pen

Hypatia of Athens: GJ

Boy R. (GM): nah

Zita of Mercere: good LORD

is that just the alarm trap or the lightning trap lol

Venator ex Misc: alarm trap

Boy R. (GM): pentagram target gives you +5 to the bonus multiplier, so 6 if that's your only bonus

HOWEVER the multiplier only affects your pen score

Venator ex Misc: does it?

Zita of Mercere: yeah

thats how they always work

Boy R. (GM): that's plenty strong

Zita of Mercere: 5*3 pen, for 15

26

Venator ex Misc: okay, the rites don't have any other bonus they can add to penetration because they can't use sympathetic magic

but dang, now I have to study pen

Boy R. (GM): actually there's an error in virgilian magic formulas where it calls for penetration score rather than penetration bonus, which would mean you never apply the multiplier, but it's clearly meant to work like an AC for a hermetic magus

it's 6*3 pen

you get +18 penetration on all your pentagram rites, which is certainly solid

Zita of Mercere: guessing the lightning is just a rite, not a pentagram

Venator ex Misc: this probably means my math on our scheme to mess with severin was wrong too

it was a pentagram as well

Boy R. (GM): pentagram is the default target for rites

it makes the penetration ability much more valuable for augustans, funnily enough

Zita of Mercere: guessing lightning trap rolled low then

Venator ex Misc: Okay, back to Hypatia: "She is expecting a sample of blood then, so she can use the Intangible Tunnel to murder me from afar, knowing her habits."

Boy R. (GM): it did, it would have failed without the aura

ofc if it had failed lavinia would have just rerolled and got something better

Hypatia of Athens gasps sincerely

Venator ex Misc: "I couldn't ask you to present her a stranger's blood -- that would imperil someone else. But if Zita is gone from this world she could still contribute to one last good act."

Hypatia of Athens: "Hmm. She'll be suspicious when I return alone, without the stealthier of us."

Venator ex Misc: "You'd know that better than I."

Hypatia of Athens: "Perhaps I can find another redcap to deliver it, however."

Venator ex Misc nods absentmindedly and looks at dead redcap

Zita of Mercere: oh right, i could have confed that awareness roll earlier after all, spec was alertness and would have applied, +3 from conf is 12.

now im really sad

Hypatia of Athens says a prayer for Zita

Zita of Mercere: a series of comically low rolls

Venator ex Misc ReCos zita out of the lab into the hallway

Venator ex Misc: no need to dwell on the gory particulars

im unsure what to do from this point. he needs a little time to think.

if hypatia is really devoted to opposing aurora that opens up some future stories on that line, i gotta think of what's in character and works out best mechanically

Hypatia of Athens: "Do you have any sample jars like the ones Lavinia uses? So that it appears the attempt to burgle her laboratory was successful?"

Venator ex Misc: "I'll try the clinic."

the elder archmagus considers the insurmountable obstacle of a locked door but eventually gets the task done

anyway should we break here?

Hypatia of Athens: Hypatia has no magic but her MR can theoretically go up if the Divine chooses

Boy R. (GM): well it seems like we've resolved this situation

Zita of Mercere: i miss my pc

Hypatia of Athens: Sorry I couldn't help you survive

Venator ex Misc: right after i have to bully dys into keeping one pc around another dies

johns (GM): :(

Zita of Mercere: the one i liked more, even.

i thought i was getting into her last 7 years but it was realy just 7 days

This puts surviving magi at just fiorella, hypatia, lavinia, archibald and gulielmus

out of 11

Hypatia of Athens: I won't know what the consequences of this are yet as if Venator plans to lay a trap on Zita's corpse, I wouldn't be able to tell and it wouldn't be right to ask him when I'm bargaining from a position of weakness

johns (GM): he'll be forthright about it

he expects Aurora will declare wiz war once she gets the blood, so a month will pass before she tries using it

Hypatia of Athens: Okay

johns (GM): at which point she'll either look through the intangible tunnel and realize she was tricked or she'll cast away and not realize it's not hurting anyway

Hypatia of Athens: I have a month for her to figure out it's a trap

A month to prepare

Zita of Mercere: You can set things up to detect a tunnel so Venator could just sit by the corpse and wait on the tunnel to open, then own her back through it.

johns (GM): venator's going to pen a letter threatening to expose her for using redcaps to commit crimes if any harm comes to hypatia or the covenant and then he's going to disappear because he knows aurora can still kill him

Venator's not a big Vim guy

Zita of Mercere: Don't need much vim, just enough to detect the tunnel

its not overly hard if you know its coming, iirc

Boy R. (GM): maybe this is state secrets but why does aurora want venator dead?

johns (GM): he wrote a mean letter to her that aurora interpreted as blackmail

Zita of Mercere: Zita would have probably found out the reasons. Welp.

Welp.

Boy R. (GM): that's fair and just

Zita of Mercere: Welp

johns (GM): then hypatia delivered it

Zita of Mercere: surely she'd be down, if she hates the tremere too

Hypatia of Athens: Hypatia had an epiphany upon ZIta's death that Auora is an enemy of God.

Boy R. (GM): it's certainly possible

johns (GM): lol

Hypatia of Athens: Not a supernatural epiphany, just her connecting the dots

johns (GM): im so sorry for taking such liberties with your pcs and npcs br

Boy R. (GM): this is the best part of keeping saga continuity

venator was a blank slate when i introduced him

polite, necromancer, has a harem of ghosts

Hypatia of Athens: Hypatia will keep improving her Guile as she adventures, so she can come up with better disguises.

She can survive Aurora's enmity for a while

In a year she'll have enough knowledge to pass herself off as a highly educated priest too

Zita of Mercere: im sad now.

Hypatia of Athens: Sorry dys

Fiorella Zeno of Jerbiton: Bring Zita back as a ghost

So we can continue to investigate The SPider

Zita of Mercere: I suggested to Johns that I swap out Archibald's Oath of Fealty flaw, which I'm sick of coming up as wow why did I let you take that, for something that suits what happened recently

and he gets that flaw where a ghost follows you around annoying you

of one of the dead magi

johns (GM): A supernatural nuisance to ask you why you haven't murdered all Tremere and Mercere

Zita of Mercere: which, unlike prudenzio, he cant just order around, since he promised Venator he wouldnt perform necromancy on a magus

Boy R. (GM): i was pretty interested in where that business with damhan-allaidh was going

johns (GM): Makes sense

Fiorella Zeno of Jerbiton: When Fiorella hears that Zita is dead, she will go to Milo and ask to be Principle on Zita's case,or if she's not qualified, ask Archibald to hook her up so she can become qualified. She has 7 years

Zita of Mercere: the other PCs can investigate it now lolol. im a bit out of this

Boy R. (GM): somebody must have an incentive to investigate that claw

johns (GM): it's at a bit of a standstill while the claw is in the vault and you already foiled Plan B

Zita of Mercere: well, archibald can look into it now

Fiorella Zeno of Jerbiton: Oh yeah its not a conflict of same player now

Zita of Mercere: does the plot just stall while we keep the claw?

thats badass. lets just keep it forever and make johns cry

johns (GM): lol

Fiorella Zeno of Jerbiton: lol

Boy R. (GM): let's search for all the scattered parts of the boss so we can resurrect him and fight him

johns (GM): I mean it just means I have to concoct more minions

Boy R. (GM): i hope they're more evil twins

Zita of Mercere: Let's gather the corpse parts while participating in the largest horse race in history

well

good news johns, i did actually have an idea about a companion i could make, potentially

you'd even like it

someone else looking for Troy, a descendant of Hector trying to find the final resting place of his ancestor

johns (GM): a character with Invisible to Magic Virtue and personality flaw Driven (murder all augustans)?

Hypatia of Athens: Is Malta in a tribunal?

johns (GM): itd be in Roman tribunal

Zita of Mercere: oh im fucking taking invisible to magic i dont give a damn about making a second heroic character

Hypatia of Athens: How about North Africa?

Zita of Mercere: i constantly regretted not taking that

on zita

and this is the result

im taking that damn virtue

johns (GM): yes -- i'm using the map of covenants from the 3rd edition source book on Rome which includes part of Tunisia

Hypatia of Athens: Hypatia's plan is to transfer to a made up covenant outside of any tribunal authority

While she continues to attend Sapienza

johns (GM): Any covenant in Normandy would fit the bill

Hypatia of Athens: Cool

Zita of Mercere: I should murder all augustans though, as a principle

Hypatia of Athens: I'll also attempt to build up a Neo-Goliard movement to oust Aurora

johns (GM): excellent

Zita of Mercere: I'll lie here, dead, unable to play this character anymore.

Hypatia of Athens: Be a faerie ghost that resembles Zita and has all her abilities

Zita of Mercere: :thinking:

Though I do think having Beatrice return as a ghost to annoy Archibald would be a fun flaw to go with

johns (GM): A ghost could offer some insight on Damhan Allaidh

ive been trying to think of what I can tell you that doesn't make it really easy for you to screw him over though

Hypatia of Athens: Jorn returns, having found Beatrice's ghost in Arcadia

johns (GM): Oh

Lavinia had been wanting to follow Aeneas' footsteps in visiting the underworld anyway

What with EVERYONE BEING DEAD that seems like a great way to get some guidance

Boy R. (GM): LETS DO IT

Hypatia of Athens: Hell yes

Zita of Mercere: lol

Hell yes, though

Boy R. (GM): step one, summon the ghost of virgil

Zita of Mercere: Please, let's

Hypatia of Athens: Visiting the underworld seemed silly until 69 PCs died in two sessions

Zita of Mercere: lol

johns (GM): lol but also :(

Boy R. (GM): i will absolutely do an aeneid underworld adventure

johns (GM): oh HELL yes

Boy R. (GM): the question is which slice of ars mythology it fits into

Zita of Mercere: i need to read the aeneid, going to pick it up after i finish this current book

Hypatia of Athens: There's a miracle to visit heaven & hell but I think Hypatia needs invocatoin for it

And her tradition doesn't have access to it

Boy R. (GM): is the pagan afterlife the same as purgatory

actually this ties closely into some controversial ideas i was exploring about the nature of the supernatural realms

Hypatia of Athens: Pagans go to Arcadia

Zita of Mercere: I think Zita goes to the same fucked up pagan underworld that Beatrice, Bialas and Malach went to.

Hypatia of Athens: Depends on what kind of pagan though

Zita of Mercere: After she made a pact with a magic daimon

johns (GM): I thought Dante described the pagan afterlife as the top level of hell

Hypatia of Athens: Valhalla is in Faerie, Jorn's mother-in-law is Hel

Boy R. (GM): fuck you're right

dante is right now rewriting virgil's vision of the underworld

johns (GM): it's all poetry anyway

Boy R. (GM): yeah but this sort of thing isn't fun if you don't pack it with refs

johns (GM): Valhalla is definitely part of Faerie like shaun says

its important to the cosmology

Hypatia of Athens: Hypatia is interested in this adventure as an amateur poet

johns (GM): Okay im gonna do some chores, see yall in discord

Hypatia of Athens: Bye

devil's fav demon (GM): aging R

rolling 1d10!-4

(

4

)

-4

=

0

rolling 1d10!-4

(

10

+

3

)

-4

=

9

rolling 1d10!-4

(

6

)

-4

=

2

Schediastís the Theologian:

rolling 3+4+d10! Pre + Bargain vs EF12 to apply to Sapienza

3+4+

(

4

)

=

11