The MR blocks the enhanced sense, but not the spell. The spell remains active, and when a speaker with MR blocks the enhanced sense, the caster detects the absence of feedback from the spell. Thus the spell still remains active upon the caster, such that when a new speaker speaks, the caster either detects the untruth, or again, senses that MR has blocked it in that particular instance.
Point is, as long as the spell stays up, she's got an audible indicator whether anyone speaking to her has MR > 17. And with The Discerning Eye at 0 Penetration, she's got a visual indicator whether anyone she looks at has any MR at all.
Laetitia doesn't suspect Fiona of lying to her, if that's what you were thinking. Laetitia wouldn't have expected to penetrate Fiona's MR. The spell still will be in effect the next time anyone else speaks to her, until she drops the spell. I'm confused, because it seems like you're saying that anyone else in the vicinity with a 17+ MR will make the spell automatically fail. In which case the spell would never work when Glaukopis is around.
For further clarification-- Just because Fiona's Parma blocks the spell from giving Laetitia any indication of whether or not FIona's telling the truth, doesn't mean the spell won't still let her sense the lie if a covenfolk with no MR runs up and says "Fiona is a devil worshipper," or (what she's actually looking for) that she won't sense the absence of feedback when some innoculous covenfolk who shouldn't have any MR at all speaks to her.
She had the casting token at the time she cast the spells, so the Aegis doesn't interfere with it.
Sure someone could run up, but I can't imagine a group of magi actually having a discussion of this magnitude within earshot of covenfolk, I'm thinking that such discussion would happen within the privacy of a magus' sanctum or the council chamber. All the magi are here in the council chamber, and all have related events (except Fiona). None of what they say appears to be a lie, or a carefully crafted CrIm (or any other TeFo) spell designed to defeat detection spells employed by Quaesitores. The spell is still ongoing, because Laetitia has a casting token. As soon as Laetitia departed Coeris, however, that casting token was rescinded.
If Laetitia wishes to interview covenfolk, she can, and it is reasonable, given that she hasn't been able to penetrate any of the Magas' or Magi's magic resistance.
Fiona heaves a sigh of relief. [color=blue]"Thank you for that. I would have been surprised if that would have been a valid charge, but it's nice to hear it from one more learned in that area than I."
Fiona will tell her who cast which ward (I don't think it was ever said who did which, merely that "Faileas" did not do any of the warding).
[color=blue]"No, I have not had the pleasure," (the last word sounding very sarcastic), [color=blue]"of having any formal knowledge of the Infernal. It merely sounded...well, it sounded the way I expect Infernal chanting to sound, if you know what I mean. And my Talisman is made of good, sturdy Scots pine."
She will lead Laetitia to Faileas's sanctum, where she will describe what happened, pointing and indicating what and who was where
Yeah, I just figured I'd link to the beginning of the sequence in question and Arya can read what happened instead of me rewriting everything like I did last night.
But yeah, the brimstone and maybe the humming are noteworthy. And the "mater" thing...that still bugs the living daylights out of her.
"I do know precisely what you mean, and that is what piques my interest. Mundanes think wizards must wave around wands to cast magic spells; in actuality only Verditii are so limited. We think Infernal rites involve the smell of brimstone and scary sounding chanting. What do you think are the chances that our uneducated expectations are accurate?
"Someone, or something, gave you an elaborate, theatrical show, full of hackneyed and unimaginative stereotypes." Laetitia brushes her hair back and tucks it behind her ears, revealing her own slightly pointed ears. "Does that bring anything to mind?"
Once at Faileas' sanctum, she will cast Restore the Faded Threads, and Impression of the Faded Sigil (Acute Sense Mastery).
IIRC the Magic version of that spell won't reveal Fae effects (which is stupid, IMO) so she will then fatigue herself to spont a Faerie-aligned InVi to detect traces of Faerie magic.
Casting of Restore the Faded Threads reveals multiple traces. She directs, and all the magi and maga comply casting a spell so Laetitia can take note of each individual sigil. Returning to the sanctum, she finds the traces of two sigils that are unrelated to any of the present magi. Furthermore, all the sigils have give the impression of how brimstone feels, although three castings it appears quite muted, as if it were disguised somehow. Those three castings also share a component consistent with Faileas sigil [hadn't thought far enough ahead to consider what Faileas sigil would be], when Laetitia describes them to the assembled magi.
Is that descriptive enough without being overly descriptive? I think so...
The Fairie version should be effective, but isn't showing anything. Laetitia seems to think that perhaps the brimstone thing is perhaps the real deal...
Laetitia works a spontaneous version of Restore the Faded threads, and the larger circle surrounding the summoning circle appears to be the product of infernal magic. It is the longest two minutes of Laetitia's life. By the end of the exposure she becomes violently ill and vomits. Any subsequent activity is at Tired level (-3) or you have to wait 3/4 of an hour to recover fully.
[For the record, in the future, when going for a spontaneous effect, make sure you line out the base, range, target duration[1], etc. In this case, it wasn't as big a deal, I just had to look at the actual spell to dig it up. If I have to come up with all that stuff, then you have to suffer my interpretation of your intention[1]. None of that applied in this instance, except duration, which I held constant, so I was able to work the spell quickly. In both the Fairie aligned an Infernal aligned versions, Laetitia was able to get to 3rd magnitude effect. Sometimes a momentary spell along these lines might prove useful, or in this case beneficial
[1] The duration was held to be diameter, as the general spell listed in HoH:TL is presented. If it had been shortened to momentary, Laetitia would've had a quick blast and been free of it.]
[color=blue]"So you suspect that Duncan wished us to believe that he was using Infernal magic, as opposed to Hermetic...or some other kind of magic?"
[color=blue]"Are you all right, sodalis?" Fiona sounds concerned as she moves next to Laetitia to help her with...whatever (even if it's just holding her hair back). [color=blue]"Do you want me to prepare something right quick to settle your stomach?"
I would have outlined guidelines if I'd had my books, but I'm at work IIRC Impression of the Faded Sigil gives information about the spell effects (it's for matching the spellcasting to the caster, not just indicating that magic was used).
She will leave the room and take the time to recover, and let Glaukopis relay her thoughts as she feels too ill to speak.
"To the best of our knowledge it is Infernal magic. Regarding what happened with the books-- the catalog is an arcane connection to all the other books; it could be used to locate the books, and hopefully, the infernal creature who was here."
The owl bobs its head. "That is what the maga hoped. She is unrealistically optimistic sometimes... As she has just been reminded."
L is grateful for Fiona's aid, but won't accept any drink from her unless she is willing to suppress her Parma long enough to state "I am Fiona Follower of Pralix" while Laetitia has Ear of Truth active.
[color=blue]"I will be back directly," Fiona says before she heads back to her old sanctum. (hopefully I can do this) She grabs a couple of leaves of medicinal herbs, grinds them up, and prepares a quick basically herbal tea – Int 1 + Medicine (Apothecary) 4 + die roll of 1 (followed by die roll of 8, so 16) = 21.
She comes back and offers the drink to Laetitia. (I'm assuming "follower of Pralix" is another way of saying "ex Misc"), so she will repeat the words with her Parma suppressed momentarily.
The catalog & the case it was in was stolen, which is how the books were stolen from the library in the first place... The catalog is not in Insula Canaria's possession any longer.
IIRC Impression of the Faded Sigil gives information about the spell effects (it's for matching the spellcasting to the caster, not just indicating that magic was used).