The Advocate Mage 2013/07/02(Tue)20:12 No. 520904 ID: 0eef61
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I catch the Revenant as his wings sputter and blink. He is wavering.

[b]"Orbus Zephyr!"[b] I yell, and my exposed skin is blasted by the rolling gust I have created. The arrows aimed at us are scattered by the titubant wind.

"You've saved me, Astrea." The Revenant's voice is guttural and strained. "I'll have my head cleared in just a moment."

"Oy!"

A voice from the wreck of the tower.

"You! The wee fairy man who's knocking new windows into me house!"

The Advocate Mage 2013/07/02(Tue)20:14 No. 520905 ID: 0eef61
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"Stop killing me boys, you bloody bastard!"

Into the charred breach the Revenant Mage's spell tore strides a huge, bearded man waving an axe as tall as I am.

"They can't stand against ye, ya cheating, splinterfaced little puke! But I can!" He grounds himself and howls his protest into the windstorm.

"Accept the challenge of Safoy, the Brigand Mage! Duellum Potestatis, ye craven! Duellum Potestatis!"

I think you're going to have to handle this one, The reverant mage still looks pretty out of it. You got this right?

Oh sorry, are we attacking people who can't effectively fight back? It is almost as if we were bandits murdering unsuspecting travelers or something.
Anyway, he wasn't very specific as to who he was challenging, and Revs seems out of it at the moment, so yeah.

Go for it, lady. Give the victims of these bandits some proper advocacy.

>>520905
"You hunt and prey on the innocent, taking every advantage you see to advance yourself. Bandits don't get to cry about cheating when they lose at their own game."

The Advocate Mage 2013/07/02(Tue)22:21 No. 520917 ID: 0eef61
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"You prey on the innocent and take what you want from those who lack the strength themselves," I hiss. "If you will call the kettle black you'd best prepare to burn yourself. I acc-"

"This isn't your fight, Astrea." The Revenant pulls himself from my arms and his wings flash back into existence. "I'm the one who went after this man. It is seeming I face the danger."

"You could barely stand up just a moment ago," I whisper. "You're in no shape-"
"I haven't been in any shape to do anything for a century now," says the Revenant. His blade is out. I cannot help but notice his grip is shaking. "It is simply a little pain that comes along with redemption."
"Don't be a fool, Revenant. If you aren't ready, you aren't ready."

"Are you nancies tucking your tatties in up there? Fight me!"

"Astrea," he says, gently. "Have you ever taken a life?"
"I have. Two days back. There was an archer."
"Did you like it?"
"What?"
"Did it feel good to you? The killing?"
"I. No, but-"
"Then I entreat you to leave this to me. The others need you to clear the skies of those arrows."

he's trying to stop you from walking the same path he did so long ago... if he says he can handle this let him you should just make sure that nobody decides it would be a good idea to put an arrow in him while he is busy with the fight.

Any chance we can just sic Layla or Spidrift on him?

I'm sure Spidrift would enjoy a proper fight with another mage, and we still haven't seen what Layla is capable of in an all-out fight.

We're gathering a party for a reason; Jerruv doesn't have to do everything himself.

On a related note, how does duel priority work? Like, if Layla were to declare Duellum Potestatis against Safoy, with him having declared Duellum Potestatis against Jerruv, how does that pan out?

>>520917
call layla in, have her pay her rent with redheaded blood. i want to see what she is capable of

>>520917
He is fine. Let them duel, and protect the others.

welp. he's got you there. if there's any way you can help him not be all fucked up for his duel, to that.

The Revenant Mage 2013/07/03(Wed)22:09 No. 521224 ID: 0eef61
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"Safoy!" I hover closer. "You are a villain and a fool. I accept your challenge. Duellum Potestatis."

"Aye, that's more like it!" Safoy steels himself. "Ye've good men's blood on your head. Now you gonna come down here with that toothpick a yers, ye wee leprechaun-hatted fainty fairy, or do I need to swat ye out of the air meself?"

Eat outer bits of his soul if you can mid-battle. The sensations will freak him out and get him off guard, this is our first legit duel where we don't have to or want to hold back against a human target.

Just don't go all the way, so he can get an afterlife and so you don't piss off the Lord.

He also has a beard just waiting to be set on fire. Fulga Fuge that bitch.

The Revenant Mage 2013/07/03(Wed)22:50 No. 521236 ID: 0eef61
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I phrase my response in a way I believe his type understands.

"Fulga Fuge!"

The flame roars from my fingers, courses along my blade, and comes out in a narrow point. A flashsweat slicks up to my wrist.

The Revenant Mage 2013/07/03(Wed)22:51 No. 521239 ID: 0eef61
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"My beard." The Bandit Mage's hand flashes to his face. "Ye toasted my beard!"

He slams his axe against the ground and gives a coarse howl. His fist comes up and my sword suddenly yanks violently against my fingers.
The fasteners in my clothes, the studs in my armor, the buckle in my hat, and the phylactery around my neck are all pulling me toward the Bandit mage.
I see the axe tremble and bend in his fist, but his impressive musculature holds it in place.

Some sort of power word that attracts, combined with the word for metal. Well, let him have your sword. Throw it at him, and along with the phrase to turn it into a big ol' shield. That'll be unexpected and hard to deal with.

>>521243
works for me

all this metal is conductive right? maybe you could use an electric base spell as well to fry his ass.

The Revenant Mage 2013/07/03(Wed)23:47 No. 521255 ID: 0eef61
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If he wants my sword, he can take it.

"Scutum Ferrum."

I admit I hadn't thought I would ever find a use for this spell, but it works excellently. The Bandit Mage is caught entirely offguard by the sudden morphic projectile that flies toward his face, and it catches him right in the forehead.

I feel his spell stall and fail as he reels backward.
I feel my spell stalling and failing as my attunement grows dangerously low. I involuntarily drop several feet in the air and my stomach gives a sickening lurch before I right myself again.

>(Quick reminder: All spells in the Revenant's growing repertoire can be found here- http://tgchan.org/wiki/Revenant_Quest )

trasus fuge seems like it would be really great right now, help with that attunement problem too. Maybe singe him a little in the process. Maybe the flames will be huge! Or you'll run into a wall

Lets see what a super flaming Trasus does!

land so you can turn off the wings

>>521243
omg, the word that attracts plus Philen.

>>521255
Let loose with a Torrentus Acridum.

he's stunned, so you probably can pull of a three word spell. orbus zephra fuge, yo.

>>521284
I think he just got interrupted. Besides, Torrentus Acridum is good against armor, and he's armored. It should be almost as effective, I'd say.

Torrentus Acridum works

>>521308
Yep.

Fulga Ferrum. Your sword might not be in your hands, but it looks to be in just the right position for a deadly attack.

The Revenant Mage 2013/07/04(Thu)20:54 No. 521495 ID: 0eef61
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>>521487
A novel idea, but Fulgum Ferrum works only if the blade is in my hand.

My wings glitter into dissolute wisps as I land, take a step back, and lash at Safoy with Torrentus Acridum. My gut twists and thumps as the acid washes greasily past my ankles and toward the Bandit Mage.

He manages to protect his face with that axe head, but the acid that splashes against it creates an entire other set of problems. A foul-smelling vapor is rising off his arms and armor. He grunts with pain.

The grunt turns into another roar as he prepares another spell. The nails and shavings of metal from the walls shiver and shoot from their casings, creating a jagged halo of shrapnel around his head.

He's about to launch them at you. Dodge and/or shield.

Trasus, retrieve the sword.

>>521495
You need a shield, Sanctus Scutum.
Although maybe the nails wouldn't count as a magical attack?

>>521499
Sanctus Scutum specifically states that physical objects pass right through it.

Trasus Scutum might create a displacement shield: things that go in should get warped somewhere else.

The Revenant Mage 2013/07/04(Thu)21:25 No. 521509 ID: 0eef61
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I Trasus to retrieve my sword, but my attunement is on the low side from my flight and I simply end up right behind the Bandit Mage. It is enough to dodge the wave of nails he sends my way, but the sword is still a good ten feet off.

I really must invest in a better teleportation spell than a one-word utterance.

"You're a flighty little bugger, aren't ye?" Safoy snarls, as he pulls his battleaxe into position to take my head off.

Orbus Zephra GGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
(or just Scutum)

Trasus Fuge to get the rest of the way there. Should be nice and firey with low attunement.

The Revenant Mage 2013/07/04(Thu)21:50 No. 521520 ID: 0eef61
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I Trasus Fuge the rest of the way and snatch my blade from the floor. I grind my heels against the carpet to slow down and turn back to my foe.

The Bandit Mage recoils from the flames for a moment, then laughs heartily, hauls back, and throws his skullsplitter at me.
The axe whirls with a terrifyingly audible swooping sound through the fire I have created.

>>521515
Seconding.

Scutum Ferrum!
Quickly!

Trasus Fuge again right back up to his face, with your sword held out in front to impale him, if you can be sure you won't intersect the axe and have time to cast.

If you won't have time to cast, just Trasus to dodge. If you can't avoid the axe but do have time, then just go a bit to the side and try to shank him anyway.

>The axe whirls with a terrifyingly audible swooping sound through the fire I have created.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWekXMZJ2zM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4Q4tirAOmU&t=1m27s

Trasus, just use Trasus. Trasus fuge moves slower, and risking getting hit for the sake of a fire trail is not a good idea.

>>521520
Trasus to your right, away from that guy to your left, so that there's a fire separating you.
counter with a Fulga Fuge.

be aware that he's probably going to send that axe flying back, possibly through you, so try to keep aware of it's position.

>>521520
He's gonna boomerang that with the metal-magnet spell. I say teleport to him with Trasus Obscurus and slice his throat.

The Revenant Mage 2013/07/05(Fri)20:41 No. 521853 ID: 0eef61
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I desperately Trasus to one side, the spell still flickery and weakening from my low attunement.

As it hits the wall behind me, the axe detonates.
Shards of shrapnel go flying all over the room, shredding into my left shoulder and lacerating my back in a half dozen places.

The Revenant Mage 2013/07/05(Fri)20:42 No. 521854 ID: 0eef61
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With a shimmering whistle the axe reforms in the Bandit Mage's outstretched hand.

"Ye've bitten off more than ye can chew, boyo."

you just cast the holy death beam and he thinks some little cuts are going to stop you? Cast a simple Orbus Fuge to try and get him to dodge or block or something to make it harder to dodge a Fulga Ferrum spell.

Hrm. This guy seems to either a ferrum expert, or something with magnetism.
Either way, I suspect he's playing with words we don't have.
Now then. He can attract metal to himself. He can toss it around as well.
I think our next move should be either Santum Scutum, to throw his next strike back at him, or perhaps an Orbus Scuttum for when he next does the axe throw-it seems like the kind of attack scutum would work well against, as it's 'death by a thousand cuts'.
Right now he's goading us. He wants us to attack, perhaps lowering our attunement further, so that we can't defend, confident he can continue to tank our attacks. Gotta be wary for the opponent's strategy in this game.

>>521854
We are not a boy, his great-great-grandfather wasn't even a twinkle in your great-great-great-grandfather's eye when we were dueling redheads smarter than he ever could hope to be.

I really hope that if you actually decide to say that that this doesn't turn out to be your great-great-great-grandson )or however many greats it would have to be) out of some horrific coincidence.

Orbus Fuge doesn't sound too bad, or maybe an Orbus Sanctus would work because it'd blind and stun him good at least, but your hurt pretty bad already we don't need that extra pain of using a holy spell.

Can we even bleed in our current state?

Anyway, this guy has so far used a block and a small dodge without much apparent mobility, so we should try to use larger or more area hitting spells. I think we should throw an Orbus Sanctus at the ground directly in front of him to catch him in the detonation, then follow with an Orbus Fuge at his center of mass if we have time.

>He wants us to attack, perhaps lowering our attunement further, so that we can't defend, confident he can continue to tank our attacks. Gotta be wary for the opponent's strategy in this game.
No, attacking raises our attunement, so attacking makes subsequent defenses better while defensing makes subsequent defenses worse. We need to use an attunement-raising spell like an attack or Trasus Fuge or we will be unable to defend at all soon. He does seem to be preparing for us to attack (and he probably has a fairly high attunement by this point depending on how the pull effected it), but ground-targeting our AoE in front of him should help with that.
Also keep in mind that Sanctus Scutum only absorbs magic attacks, while this guy has so far used only physical ones.

We should be using lightning spells as he likes holding metal.

The Revenant Mage 2013/07/05(Fri)22:36 No. 521896 ID: 0eef61
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"I am not a boy."
I summon a blazing Orbus Fuge. "And you are but a morsel."
I pitch it toward Safoy's feet. As my arm whips round a razor jolt of white pain snarls through my shoulder.
Something unpleasantly sticky is dripping down my back.

He laughs and stands aside, then yelps as the explosion catches him full in the side. The fires lick hungrily at his axe arm and I see his grip wobbling dangerously. It seems the Bandit Mage has underestimated me.

The carpet, still smoking in patches from my Trasus Fuge, bursts into fresh flame.

use a few more Orbus Fuge spells to knock him around a bit and the use 2 Trasus to have him loose sight of you and once you come out of the 2nd one use Fuge Trasus to spearhead yourself forward and see if you can't impale him with you reaper.

I'd like to mix it up with an Orbus Zephra for once. Double Trouble.

go invisible now.

>>521896
I say we try an Orbus Sanctus.

>>521981
I agree with Orbus Santus.

The Revenant Mage 2013/07/08(Mon)00:44 No. 522690 ID: 0eef61
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I push the advantage.

"Orbus Sanctus."

It hurts me. God, it HURTS ME.

Lord, why does it hurt me so much?

My fingers twitch and give as the light pierces them to the powdering bone. It reaches the Bandit Mage. He staggers backward, clumsy, fearful, his arm over his face. Is he screaming, or am I screaming?

My body is a wreck. I am crisping. I am peeling back and I am hollow. I am pericarp. Crust. God. Please. Pity me. Help me.

IT HURTS ME.

it is only pain, it does not do real damage. you know how this works, and actually damaging someone is not what it does.

then throw it at the bandit then.

>>522690
Give him a hug.

Throw it you idiot
Fucking throw it.
You're the one who got your fucking body in this sinned mess. GET IT OUT!

>>522690
best spell ever.. what are you waiting for? throw it at him!

>>522690
Let's not use that spell again after this. I thought you had tried it once before, what the DICK!?

After this throw up an Orbus Scutum to catch your breath.

That didn't happen last time, and I don't think we have been particularly evil since then. Maybe holy burns build up after repeated exposure?

>Lord, why does it hurt me so much?
>That didn't happen last time, and I don't think we have been particularly evil since then.
...well, we did kill a bunch of bandits with that flaming blade of a terrible God, thing.

>>522732
>That didn't happen last time, and I don't think we have been particularly evil since then.

We called him a morsel, which while not totally evil to say implies we see his soul as food. I'm also not sure learning holy magic via eating a soul at the behest of a demon, even if it was the soul of a monster, is the right way to redemption, and there may be side-effects to that.

this is the pain of redemption, accept it.

it's probably so bad now because of overuse and because you're injured. accept the pain and use it to sharpen your resolve.

now throw that ball!

The Revenant Mage 2013/07/10(Wed)10:11 No. 523400 ID: 0eef61
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The orb of light bursts and blazes against the Bandit Mage.

He howls and wavers, nearly falling to the floor. He props himself up with that infernal axe.

The light clings and burns.
It is good.
It is divine retribution.
It doesn't hurt anymore.

>>523400
It would be a terrible idea to throw an Orbus Infernus at him right now. ...Or would it?

(It would.)

>>523400
Are you alright, Creator? You don't sound normal.

He is stunned, again. Keep attacking. No more Sanctus spells though! At this range we can either go with Orbus Fuge or Fulga Fuge. Alternatively we could use a Trasus Fuge lance forwards with the rapier outstretched to skewer his head/neck, if you're up to the physical exertion at this point. That would probably be the most damaging choice, but we'd need to be sure it would kill him. Being close to him is dangerous.

>>523409
It's untested, so yes. We don't even know what sort of spell it is. It could be a defensive spell for all we know. We can use spells we've seen other people use IF our attunement is in the right position for optimal power, like we did with the Orbus Zephyr in the fight against Astrea.

I think we should give the Bandit Mage one chance to surrender before we go for the kill. Just make sure that he knows that this is his one and only chance to walk away from this confrontation alive.

Im surprised Spidrift hasn't flown to his masters aid already, maybe he is just blinded by bloodlust.

>>523423
It's a formal duel. He can't interfere.

>>523409
>a terrible idea to throw an Orbus Infernus at him right now

Only if your preferred mathod of death is via exposure to an matter-antimatter annihilation.

The Revenant Mage 2013/07/15(Mon)21:25 No. 524807 ID: 0eef61
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With one Trasus Fuge I am upon him.

"Submit." My blade is at his throat. "Submit, and be judged."

He shakes his great scarlet mane, trying to clear his head. He blinks the light from his eyes and stares defiantly up at me.

"When we're both together again in Hell, boyo, there's where I'll best you."

>>524807
I can't tell if that was a refusal? Regardless, was the bounty for bandits wanted dead or alive, or just dead? I hope you are not sparing his life just because you don't have the nerve to kill him anymore, Creator. I think you have used Sanctus too much regardless. After this, we need to make some Infernus spells, to steer you back towards normality.

Oh well, regardless, we can use him to end the battle before any of our allies get hurt. Tell him to order his men to stand down, or we will kill him where he stands then slaughter his men anyway.

"you can look but you wont find me, hell isn't the place for me"

Tell him that if he orders his men to stand down and submit, that they will be spared for now. (though they will probably be charged and hanged later for banditry) He seems to not care about his own life, but he might care about his underlings lives.

>>524827
Seconding this. If he surrenders we will allow his men to surrender with him.

Cut off his beard as the ultimate sign of Victory.

>>524807
Going to Heaven, you want to best me when we're dead? Drop the bandit act and try to redeem yourself.

The Revenant Mage 2013/07/15(Mon)23:19 No. 524840 ID: 0eef61
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"Yield," I say, "and we will spare your men and allow them trial."

His eyes shine beneath his heavy brow. "Next time you find yourself dealing with desperate men," he whispers, "try to find something better than justice to sway them."

"Drag them down with ye, boys!" he howls, his voice reverberating through the keep. "Last man on the other side buys the first round!"

>>524840
Please kill him now, so you can aid your allies. Perhaps you can see if eating a mage's soul will get you anything. Don't eat the seed, of course.

>>524840
Well, we gave him a chance to yield. Kill him. Don't eat the core of his soul. If the story is true, they he'll be on his way to judgement.

...Hrm...How bad exactly is the crime for banditry?
According to Viking Mage (the axe, the beard, the whole glory after death thought) here, it's better to die then to try and turn things around, they're past the point of no return.
We can offer, perhaps, something better-we can offer Redemption. If they follow us in the quest to face Anisirious, instead of going to their graves fighting us, it would be making them into a mirror of us. We may have damned ourself, but we can turn ourselves around.
With this, we will end what would be a senseless slaughter, and perhaps even fund ourselves with the bounty money from their slain companions.
I'm not sure if Viking himself will appreciate that sentiment, but it might just work.

kill him. tell his men what you told him. maybe at least a few of them will surrender.

The Revenant Mage 2013/07/17(Wed)16:20 No. 525109 ID: 0eef61
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With a punching stab through the neck, I quickly end the Bandit Mage's life.
He keeps his defiant grin to the end.

The Revenant Mage 2013/07/17(Wed)16:20 No. 525110 ID: 0eef61
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"Bring the justice of God to his followers," I say.

What? No. I don't say that. From where did that thought intrude?
I feel heavy.
I clear my head.

"Astrea!"
The Advocate Mage turns to my voice from her windblasted position above the battle.
"If they resist, destroy them. But see how many will surrender."

"What if they do neither?" she asks, as a laughing Layla sweeps past her.
"Neither?"

"They're running for their lives, Rev!" Layla calls, corkscrewing back into the courtyard.

>>525110
Oh, so I was right, but the symptoms of overuse are more overt.

Hmm. This isn't the same situation as when we had Spidrift let those fleeing men go. Last time we were just taking out a few bandits along the road so that it'd be safer. This time we were supposed to clear out this entire place of bandits. If they run, they're just gonna come back under a new leader... but the leader won't be a mage this time.

I say leave that decision to Calidore. He knows what the town would want.

>>524807
>"When we're both together again in Hell, boyo, there's where I'll best you."
"Your grudge will never know resolution, for I am already dead. Forgive me."

>>525110
"Layla, you are the fastest of us. Head the survivors off, and herd them together for judgement and interrogation. It is likely that one of them knows what Words of Power the Bandit Mage used against me."

Ask Calidore? He's the guy that will give you full info on the requirements of the bounty.

If the bandits still remain a problem and our journey takes us back to this city a second time after we turn in the bounties, we can try again with hopefully more success.

Hrrrm...How to gather them?
Ok, Sanctus seems to be a double-edged sword here.
On the ONE hand, it's made of goodness, and can be a barometer of such. On the other hand, it either makes us act with a 'holier than thou' flavor, or it gives us the guidance of God...I think for now we should assume the first one, Reverend-I mean Reverant!
Anyhow...Of the five of us, Calidore's ice magic is probably the best suited for penning them in, while Layla can focus on bringing back the runners, Spindrift can assist. Astrea can help herd/calm the bandits, and we can see what precisely the bounty's conditions are. I still would like to grant these men a chance at redemption-if for no other reason than perhaps to see the look on Savoy's face when about half his men show up instead of the whole bunch.

Of course Sanctus is a double edged sword. Just as demonic magic leads you to to your innermost darkest self you might rather deny, holy magic leads you away from individuality entirely into the divine gestalt. This is generally why we advise treading the middle road. Those who become completely self absorbed can no longer control themselves, but those who become completely selfless can no longer control themselves either. The middle road is the only way for you to stay you, no matter who you are.

The Revenant Mage 2013/07/22(Mon)14:28 No. 526339 ID: 0eef61
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"Calidore!"

The Thrillant Mage rises from the fray, his saber leaving a streak of crimson through the air.

"Do we spare them?" I ask. "What says the bounty?"

"The lion's share was for the Mage," he replies. "But you'll be rewarded for the others. Fifteen Lira apiece."
"They're running."
"We'll catch them. They're brigands all. They deserve no quarter."

>>526339
Very well then. We will trust the judgement of the man who knows the situation best.

>>526339
do they not deserve redemption, as you do?
send them a message. shout after them that they are given a second chance, but next time they will be butchered where they stand. try to scare them with some fireworks for full effect.

Everyone deserves a chance for redemption, however many never actually take it. It's more likely that those men would reestablish their banditry in another location than that they would reform. This is one of those situations where there's no perfect choice. You can spare them and hope that they will repent. Or you can hung them down, and thus spare those that would be victimized by many of them in the future.

Send Layla to run ahead to herd or bind them.
Send Astria to use her winds to knock them off their feet.
Send Calidore to collect suitable evidence of the Mage's death.
Keep Spidrift by you to help you limp along.

After this, we should find out if the Brigand Mage's soul is powerful enough to be worth eating.
I really think we need some sort of healing word, and I doubt Layla knows any.