Korvin nods. "I have no say as to the forming of an Inn to serve my sisters and brothers of my House. But it is true that Mercere Houses often form where a Mercere Mage takes residence so one might expect an Inn to form here. A new one may form or the existing one may just move to Autun. "
Ulrich, who apparently just missed seeing his dominae when he returned from running errands for Korvin, will be at the dinner.
When he sees Tria, he will greet her with a hug (which quickly becomes awkward and possibly embarrassing)...he had seen other people greet each other with a hug, so it must be okay, right?
Go ahead and roll an ettiquite roll +pre roll, but do not include a bonus for Venus blessing. This is essentially a botch check.
Alexei walks into the dinner wiping his hands on a cloth. It looks like he came in from the field, he gratefully takes a cup of wine and has a seat looking at the new maga at the table. Leaning over to Fiona he asks. "Is this the one that snuck in again somehow?"
Unfortunately, Fiona isn't present, she's still in Loch Leglean. But Alexei does have a note indicating that there was a guest named Tria and a dinner to be held this evening. Apollodorus is also not present.
No Etiquette, what with the whole Sheltered Upbringing thing.
So: Etiquette 0 + Pre 0 + a die roll of 0! Are you serious, bro? Okay, botch check comes up a 4. Um...yeah...this might hurt a little 
Need two more botch dice, since this is a skill he doesn't have.
Oh, right...forgot about that. Second and third botch dice come up 8 and 0.
Um....yeah...he's hosed bigtime.
Alexei looks aroud the table for the giant Fiona and then shrugs his shoulders and addresses the maga once she un-entangles herself from young Ulrich.
"Beg pardon, you're Tria ex Bonisagus then? I am Alexei Von Kroitsau ex Flambeau. If you don't mind, I have some questions for you. I'm sure you mean no harm and perhaps have standing offers of hospitality, but how are you entering the Covenant? Through the lab in the mountain? I'd like to know as I'm trying to establish a bit of security here and it seems there's a secret entrance."
The hand that copped a feel is burning bright red, intensely painful and about twice its usual size... But nothing else is said, for now.
"I have a means of traveling between magical caves, and I'll leave it at that. I had found this cave years ago and had been quietly collecting some of the vis on this side of the regio, until Apollodorus came along, that is. I found it when I made an incorrect turn for my destination at the time. There is a higher level to the regio at the entrance to Iosephus cave. Those not noticing it will walk right past it, unless they know how to enter it."
Alexei figured as much. "Well as you are an honored guest, I have two more questions then. Would you show us then that Regio entrance? We'd appreciate knowing all ways to get in and out, it could become important. And also, pray tell, have you seen Iosephus? He has not left that cave in perhaps a year now."
"Certainly, when I get done with my business for the Primus, I'll come back and show you, but you need to have some capability of granting yourself the ability to breath underwater. I don't have a spell that does that for others.
"I'm not familiar with anyone by the name of Iosephus. I imagine he's the magus that Apollodorus indicated was going to make a lab within that cave? Since Apollodorus told me that, I haven't ventured into it, just as far as the entrance where the regio entrance is."
Ulrich will sit down, hunched over, cradling his hand and trying not to cry until the pain subsides. When (if) it does, he will hide it between his thighs.
Ulrich's head whips back and forth during the discussion, as he tries to take in everything they say (although as often as not, he still looks at Tria out of the corner of his eye). Judging by the look on his face, he looks fairly lost, and has no clue what a Lotharingian is, or who Evard de Tours is and why he would want to move to Autun, or why all the Mercere would want to move here as well.
All the while his hand is throbbing and making it even harder to concentrate.
Eventually, she looks at Ulrich and says, "Ulrich, do you understand the lesson?"
Korvin leans over to Ulrich while others pick up the conversation and whispers. "Do not worry about following the names and places. We can talk about that later if you want to. Instead pay attention to how people are acting here, at this dinner, as opposed to how you see them act when we do not have a guest. Some of use are trying to use Etiquette. A learned skill that comes in useful. A lesser skill is call Carousing or just mingling with people generally over drinks." Korvin pauses " I like Carousing better. People tend to act more normal."
"Hmm, hmm...yes, therein lies the rub, does it not?" Jormungand quips, rubbing his hands together. "The political will to see it through lies not only in exuberance and excitement, but a certain amount of stamina and stubborness. A swordpoint can thrust forward over and over and over again, but true skill lies in the wielder's ability to use the edge in the finest of shaves of the hair." The mage leans forward and cradles his head in his fingers. "If all we have are young, oppressed magi tired of the chafing ropes, Ah fear the release will come too soon, too quick. Unless they have the fortitude and gumption of the original Viking Normans, they would do better to use Philip II's approach and seduce the sons of the fathers. Mmmm... such impressive sons...and daughters..."
"It's still better than destruction, though." Jormungand slowly tears a roll apart and drops pieces onto his outstretched tongue. "More wine, Maga Tria?"
Tria regards Jormangund coolly, "I believe they have the will to see it through, but we shall see in 7 years at the Grand Tribunal. It says something that Murion is coming to gather facts at this time."
"I'm fine, thank you."
If Jormangund is trying a seduction, or even if he isn't, he should probably make a roll... Go ahead and add in all the bonuses, but I want to see them all the components. I didn't make Peregrine do it for Ulrich because Ulrich is her apprentice or an apprentice and that's a bit of a disgusting thought to her. Additionally, there's the teenager thing...
Now if Jormungund want's his back broken...
While I share Tria - and her covenant's - views on vassalage, I think that Jormungand makes a good point here. The Tribunal of Normandy has some peculiar traditions, of which some are not to my tastes either. But considering its history of relatively limited ressources - vis wise at least - I can see that the Vassalage tradition may have been considered as a necessary evil to limit the frequency, and... lethality, of conflicts. A situation that other Tribunals have not encountered as much, nor as long, so far - So I doubt that, for this reason and others, their emissaries will be... sympathetic to the Lotharingians at the next Grand Tribunal. Still, this prospective creation of a new Tribunal seems to be coming as one of the consequence of vassalage among magi, as well as it should incite some in Normandy to rethink the presumed "soundness" of Vassalage, even here, in Normandy.
I would think that Mons Electi is already in a delicate position, being a new covenant. As such, it would not seem particularly wise to consider more than... good neighborly relations with a still unrecognized Tribunal that is even less established than we are...
Ulrich looks at her, then down at his hand. "Yes, ma'am."
Ulrich nods his understanding. He still isn't quite sure what "etiquette" is, although he's heard the word bandied about before, but he finds the concept of "carousing" interesting...people act more normal when they've been drinking? Fascinating.
But as the conversation continues, he finds himself...not really losing interest, as he's certain that what the magi are discussing is quite important, but he finds himself falling farther behind. He tries to make mental notes of things to ask Korvin later, about Lotharingia, and vassalage, and whoever Murion is. But, eventually he is overwhelmed and he finds himself daydreaming (for lack of a better word) while half-listening to the conversation.