Spring 1220: Everyone Else

 Editorial note: I meant to mention this before, but I’m using the optional rule whereby companions and other magi can help in adventures by taking on one roll per challenge without fully taking part in the adventure. Given the time spent on these first two (partially due to me not absorbing the time formula at first) however, Nuallán and Gallchobar are spending their seasons on these adventures and gaining relevant adventure exp as a result. I think it’s only fair!

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Magi

Boagane:

While two of his sodales went off on adventures, Boagane immediately took to the library. As a student of necromancy, the giant-blooded magus had insisted that the lab texts they brought were in large portion made up of Corpus spells, a few of them above his current skill. Luckily, they had also brought a rare book that Boagane’s parens Curragh had offered them: Fetid Wisdom, a summa procured at great cost from the library of Fudarus that discussed at length the techniques of Guorna the Fetid. Though Gamayun reproached him for taking a book for study before she had even begun working on a reservation system, he took it nevertheless. The huge man settled down to study for the rest of the season, emerging from his cave-laboratory only for meals and the council meetings of the season. By the end of the season, he had finished the summa thanks to his skill with books, and was ready to begin absorbing the more difficult lab texts. 

(24 exp from summa to Corpus + 3 from Book Learner + 13 from Affinity + 1 exp each to Creo and Rego from Secondary Insight: Corpus increased to 14+Puissant for a total of 17)

Lisovyk:

Lisovyk also wanted to study his primary art, Herbam, as he was eventually interested in using the Carved Assassin spell in the library to provide a staff of ready-made servants to assist the magi and covenfolk. Unfortunately, none of the summae or tractatus covered Herbam. Luckily, the covenant’s stores, alongside ten pawns of Vim, had two pawns each of Herbam, Animal, Corpus, Ignem, and Mentem for study by the magi. Lisovyk thus withdrew his allowed 10% of the stores (the 2 Herbam pawns) and got to work studying for this season, surrounded by the potted plants with which he had filled his laboratory. He made intense progress in his study and found that his laboratory was quite conducive to the art of flora. By the end of the season, he too was ready to begin work on the lab texts. 

(Study stress roll: 1 (!) + reroll: 7x2 =14 + aura 5 + 3 from Free Study = source quality 23, 23 + 2 from laboratory exp in Herbam, bringing Herbam to 10)

Gamayun:

The Beast Mistress, while she had a general understanding of the widest variety of Forms thanks to her Elemental Magic, had no real specialty. Even her Affinity, Animal, she had not deeply explored. This troubled her greatly, for while the Polish maga knew she was likely the best warrior of the bunch, with Boagane a close second, she also knew that this was no longer the skill by which she would be measured. It troubled her prodigious pride to know that the other magi were already beginning at a stronger point than she, and so she dedicated herself to improvement. Luckily, the library had a tractatus—Rolf’s Book of Beasts—dedicated to Animal, written by her very parens, and although she still disliked him greatly, she could not discount his wisdom. But she had never learned any sort of magic without being exposed to its mundane equivalents directly, and so each day of the season, she gathered up the book and some supplies, and went out among the cattle and the hardy cattlemen, and read, surrounded by a chorus of mooing and the sharp scent of dung. 

(10 exp from Tractatus quality + Affinity = 15 exp to Animal, increasing Animal to 8)

Companions

Ciardha:

Restless with little to do, Ciardha spent the season relentlessly drilling the fian in-between their work, and slowly began to gain an adeptness at command.

(4 exp to Leadership)

Leonora:

Realizing she has no vis to prepare potions with, Leonora decides to put that aside for summer, when she plans to go on a vis search of her own. In the meantime, she spends time working for the covenant, gathering helpful herbs for Lisovyk and her own stocks. 

(2 exposure exp to Herbalism)

Ragnvald:

Ragnvald decides to experiment a little with his mystic horseshoes and fulfill some of his service to the covenant at the same time. Having heard of the horse race on Lammas Day, he decides to attempt to craft a set of horseshoes that will increase the speed of a horse for a brief period (similar to a personal, diameter-length Beast of Outlandish Size spell, only increasing speed rather than size). With the enthusiastic support of Boagane as Treasury Officer, he procures superior-quality iron from Drogheda, as well as a young assistant, and sets to work on a noble stallion from the stables, setting up outside the covenant's aura to avoid its effects. He has the bright idea to stamp a stylized whip on each horseshoe to represent their control over the animal's body. Months of measurements, hammering and forging in the smoky heat of the smithy, and frustrating failures pass. As spring comes to a close, he isn't nearly finished with his horseshoes, and has realized that it will take likely two more seasons to finish. Nevertheless, he carries on.

(Craft Total: 12 + Level of Effect 5 = 17

Workshop Total: 8 Craft (Blacksmithing) + 1 (horseshoe specialty) + 3 Dexterity + 1 for superior materials + 2 for assistant + 6 from horseshoe shape bonus + 4 from whip shape bonus +  0 aura = 6 points/per season to completion

Ragnvald gains 2 exposure exp + Affinity to Craft (Blacksmithing))

 Adventurers: 

Cuaidaitheoir:  7 exp gained from Ease Factor, 3 from number of challenges, for a total of 10, all spent on Vim, gaining Affinity bonuses, increasing his Vim from 8 to 10 + Puissant = 12 Vim

Nuallán: Gains 10 exp as above, all of which goes to his Beguile Faerie Art, which does not yet increase.

Cornelia:  6 exp gained from Ease Factor, 2 from number of challenges, + 4 for the total successes, for a total of 14, which all goes to her Entrancement ability, which doesn't yet increase. I would rather have spent it on Arts, but she didn't use a single spell.

Gallchobar: As above, all invested in his Profession (Poet) ability, which also does not yet increase.

Truly beginning to bustle with activity, the Witch Mountain covenant finished its first season in high spirits, although the May Day council meeting was somewhat marred by Cuaidaitheoir and Boagane sulking over Cornelia dragging them into league with an Anglo-Norman lord. Nevertheless, the covenant entered summer healthy and strong. 

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With that, Spring of 1220 is completed! Everything went fairly well this season, although I didn't realize how slow it was to craft a wondrous item. Too late to change Ragnvald now, though! Next time, we'll be getting into summer at last.


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