Per 0 + Intrigue 2 + die roll of 0...um...not good. Checking for botch: Die roll of 7. So, a grand total of 2. I'm guessing not good enough.
If Fiona sees him start to draw his sword in time, she will yell, [color=blue]"Brione, no!" in French. She will then say through Ivor, [color=blue]"Brione, these men are our guests...even if they don't behave as such. We will not treat our guests like this. If you disagree,than you can wait outside until you calm down."
Brione isn't about to disobey the Maga. After threatening with the sword and seeing if they flinch he lowers it but first makes sure to point it menacingly at the one who spat on him. He then steps back away from them, but stays in the barn. He'll do his best to ignore them but keeps the sword out and ready.
Ivor takes up position between Brione and the men, keeping his eyes on both. His enormous sword is out and in front of him, as if to emphasize he won't brooke any interference with Fiona's directions. In Scottish, to Fiona, he suggests that Brione be given the duty of double watch tonight, outside the barn.
[color=blue]"That is an excellent suggestion, Ivor. And have him put his sword away...he'll not be using it in here, unless he's actually attacked. Which, I trust, won't happen." She shoots a quick, meaningful glance at the leader and the newcomers at this last bit.
In French Ivor says, "Maga Fiona requests you take a double watch outside. We don't know if anyone else is coming 'for the storm." He throws out some animal skins and blankets for Brione to stay warm outside.
Brione scowls but nods. "Very well. I'll keep an eye out. If those louts give any trouble, I'll come running." he takes the offered skins and blankets and wraps one around him and then takes a watch outside.
A few hours into watch, as the storm becomes nearly intolerable, but before Brione has been relieved a group of about 20 men on horseback come upon the barn. They call ahead to Brione in a friendly manner, but in the same unintelligble language. They are quite close, visibility is poor.
Fiona tries to make out what words she can as she looks out the window. When she sees the horsemen, she will head outside. (Btw, everybody still has their spells on? If they've gone down, she will have recast them after sundown if applicable).
[color=blue]"Salve, strangers!" she calls out in her most confident manner (and in Latin). [color=blue]"What dire circumstances bring you out in such miserable weather?"
Brione stands bolt upright at the sight of the men and hurries to the barn door and waves to Ivor.
"Tell m'lady that there's a score of a armed men on horseback. They're peaceful now but they called out to me, I think they think I'm with them, but I have no idea what they said."
Brione waves at the men but says nothing to them.
One man rides up to the front, and in noticeably Hermetic Latin says, "Why, we are coming home. What are you doing here?" Your spells have been recast, it's about 20 minutes past sundown. It's dark and difficult to see clearly through the swirling snow. At about this time 3 inches of snow have fallen on the ground, but the wind is picking up.
[color=blue]"We were paying a call on our tenant and are waiting out the storm in his barn. If you'd like, you can join us in the barn until the storm lets up and you can continue on your way home."
"I thought you'd been informed. He's now one of our loyal covenfolk. It's not possible that he was ever your tenant, as it is his land, and he sold sheep to Apollodorus. It seems he's had a problem with security lately, and had taken us up on our offer of assistance, since you proved to be so ineffectual. Of course, he'll fulfill any obligations outstanding, we would expect nothing less of him."
((Alexei will not like it when he hears what this guy just said!))
[color=blue]"Aye, he did show us the note that you so thoughtfully affixed to his door. I'm not convinced that he made his decision of his own free will. I find it...interesting that he was offered protection by the very people that were raiding his farm, and that his family has...well, let's say they're nowhere to be found. Until such time as we're convinced that he made his decision of his own free will, and his lands are no longer within our reach, then he will continue to be under our protection." As she speaks, Fiona keeps a firm grip on her talisman and tries to appear as forceful and determined as she can. (btw, am I going to need Penetration on her Aura of Ennobled Presence, or do we want to go with what she rolled earlier, if it's at all necessary?)
(also, I'm not sure if "tenant" was the right word...don't think it's "vassal" either...gah! I hate not knowing what word to use!)
"What we do to mundanes can't be adjudicated by the Tribunal. However, what can be judged is that you're invading the lawful covenant of Atsingani. We have sent word by Redcap that we are declaring this farm to be the site of our new covenant, and the barn you are outside of is our temporary council. Will you stand aside and allow me to enter my home? You are, of course, welcome to be our guests." As he says guests, his point is emphasized by the display of several men armed with crossbows. The Aura of Ennobled Presence is active, however, this isn't a matter of leadership or even you convincing him, at this stage, yet. Since this probably affects the species projected, this would be a spell that bypasses Parma.
Okay, just want to make sure I'm not acting on bad assumptions here. I'm fairly certain that Paul-Henri's farm is within our Hermetic territory, as it took (I think) half a winter's day to get there, and we're most definitely not Cursors...so it should be no problem for our Cursor to make it here and back in one day within one month of Summer Solstice. Also, while it may be true that what he does to mundanes is generally outside Tribunal jurisdiction, stealing the source of our vellum could be construed as depriving us of our magical power, which is Tribunal-adjudicatable. So...as I see it, he's on shakier legal ground than we are - one for stealing our sheep that are prized for vellum, and one for placing an Aegis on a structure within our demesnes and claiming it as their temporary council, and for trying to start a new covenant on our territory. Although...now that I think of it, we could try to get them ruled to be our client, since they're on our lands.
Anyhoo...want to try a Code of Hermes roll to see how full of it I am. Int 1 + Code of Hermes 3 + die roll of 7 = 11. 12 if this counts as her specialty of "Political Intrigue".
Also, does Fiona get a good enough look at the speaker to recognize him (even if by description)? Int 1 + Order of Hermes Lore 2 + die roll of 3 = 6.
Both covrenants have a legal case. It's going to be messy. Paul-Henri is barely within their sphere of influence, too. However, there was little reason for them to contest this before, as Apollodorus was respected, that changes as starting a covenant is a politically bold move.
As far as the depriving of magical power, you have developed sufficient knowledge that depriving of magical power is extremely narrowly defined here to exclude mundane items such as food. Parchment, in this case, probably has arguments on both sides. As with modern litigation, if it gets to trial both sides tend to lose.
For example in 1113, a supply caravan to Lapis Crudus was raided, where the raiders took most of the food. Vis and glassware (used in labs) were left alone. Tribunal is coming up in 6 months, and this can be tried there, as to whether this interferrence with parchment production is interference with magic. Also, their seisin (singular or plural) must all be within the half day of the cursor.
Fiona does not recognize the man speaking. He's hooded and heavily cloaked against the elements. "I give you my word that you and your covenfolk will be allowed to depart unharmed once the storm breaks. You will be our guests, and I extend to you Hermetic courtesy, such as I may under such difficult conditions. The only exception is that I ask that your men give up their arms."
Welp, looks like I know what Fiona's going to be doing this season. Iirc, next Tribunal is coming up Spring of 1221, right?
Fiona does a quick mental tally, her men and theirs, and decides that even before you figure in the crossbows her band is out-manned. She nods to her men, then addresses the (presumed) magus before her. [color=blue]"Fair enough, as I asked my guests to surrender their arms when they arrived at our barn." She smiles at him. [color=blue]"And may I have the pleasure of knowing who my host is, so that I may properly thank him next time we meet?"
"Ahh, certainly, my manners have escaped me. He dismounts, as does everyone else, their crossbows are all pointed down, but still in their hands, "I am called Jacques, and I'm a follow of Flambeau. I'm not familiar with all of Apollodorus's new associates, and you are?" He extends his hand to you.