Ulrich is going to stand back and let them fight it out.
"Ulrich, come with me." Ulrich has no Mentem score, so has an MR of 0, which Tria easily overcomes, he's compelled to follow Tria. She orders him to follow while walking away.
((Note, if Thera attacks Tria or otherwise interferes with Ulrich following her Tria is within her rights to respond because it is an attack or Thera is depriving a maga of her magical power. Blustering and bluffing was fine, but Tria's calling the bluff. Thera's knowledge of the code is sufficiently high enough she doesn't have legal authority to interfere, and the risk of interfering are extremely high. If she's wrong and this is an imposter, she's not likely to be prosecuted.))
"I do not deny that Tria scholae Bonisagus has the rights you assert, nor that you match her seeming. But many glamours exist which would afford a creature the knowledge and appearance you have shown. You have not proven yourself to be that creature, and your willingness to engage in violence rather than prove your identity only heightens my suspicions. You claim to know of our recent history, are you so surprised that we have heightened our security?
"You are cross? Tell me, how cross would Tria scholae Bonisagus be if she found out that we had allowed her apprentice to be abducted simply because an imposter showed up and insulted one of us until we capitulated?"
(Does she need to display her Aegis token in order to cast that? If not, then Thera will leap to block the doorway and scream "Intruder! Imposter! Guards! Magi, to arms!" If she does, then Thera will do something else)
Thera didn't see any sign of anything being cast. Also, she would probably have to use one of her powers to stop her or Ulrich, can't get past Tria to block the way.
((True, but Tria has actually given up her rights under the Code by failing to identify herself. Difference is, she's so powerful that there's nothing Theraphosa can do about it. We've just been attacked. Thera's suspicion is completely natural, and her original request for identification was almost perfunctory. Thera legitimately believes that this is an imposter attempting to kidnap the apprentice, and Tria's actions have only confirmed her paranoia -- when you're in a clandestine war against Archmagi, the use of passwords and shibboleth is paramount to maintaining security.
She's uncertain enough that she's not willing to risk attacking the maga -- but she's given way too many bad signals here, and Thera feels there's a lesson here, for Ulrich and the covenant as well. Mind you, she's not willing to get squashed to prove the point...))
((Really? She doesn't respond AT ALL to this? Alright, then if Thera can't block the door, she'll leap out a window or something, and raise the alarm. If Tria would really rather butcher our grogs than show her gorram driver's license, then that's something we should know about our "ally."))
"Intruder! Imposter! Guards! Magi, to arms!"
She did identify herself! She indicated she sent a page for Fiona and found she wasn't in. She has a letter from Fiona and the contract and showed them. She has no duty to identify herself beyond those three items.
Thera would know Tria.
Thera doesn't think Tria had to identify herself to get to this point?
Why would she have an Aegis token? A magus has to invite her in. She hasn't run into a magus, yet, on this visit.
She did knock. Thera can't know she knocked or didn't. She is presuming she didn't. That is reasonable.
Ulrich disappears.
"I'm sorry I had to do that, you are interfering with retrieving my property, Thera. It was very difficult to contact Maris through the Aegis, but I managed it. Ulrich is safe for now. Are you going to prevent me from leaving?"
At Le Maison Ulrich appears in a sanctum looking much like Apollodorus's. "Welcome Ulrich, I'm Maris. I apologize for the sudden transport and associated side effect. I am Xenophon's filia. Did he give you any personal instruction?". It looks like she is studying Ulrich intently.". Ulrich gains a warping point.
Alexei storms onto the scene staff in hand, lead here by a grog and servants by the threats of impending violence.
"What is the meaning of this!" he bellows. "Who is...Oh. it's you." he says as he sees the maga and lowers his staff. "What are you doing here? Haven't we talked about not using the Regio entrance?"
"My rights to my apprentice are absolute, the contract gives me the right to come and go in the manner I deem necessary. I know you don't like that I use it, but you have no right to prevent me from using it. You have a right to close it and secure it. I have a right to come and visit my apprentice, Ulrich. I have just reclaimed him, or had him reclaimed by my amica, Maris. I didn't want to inflict that on him, but Thera's actions caused me to act. May I go, or am I to consider myself a guest for an indefinite period of time?" We'll say that Alexei arrived and just barely saw Ulrich disappear.
Alexei lets out an exasperated sigh. "I wouldn't dream of depriving you of your apprentice or additional time. Servants came and roused me claiming murder and kidnappings were going on. Look, things have been quite a mess lately, coming and going the way you do is bound to cause problems! Just...understand that will you please? And use your discretion...please." after seeing Ulrich disappear. "Well it looks like that's resolved." he has a bemused smirk on his face at the final sight of the young man. "He could probably use some church by the look of him. Is everyone's hot blood cooled off now? Am I still needed here? If not I bid you good day."
"I did. I identified myself to the guard you have positioned at the entrance. He let me go on. I fetched a page to send for Fiona, that I was responding to her letter, but was told she was gone. I asked where Ulrich was, and was told where I could find him. I found him with Thera. Thera is a devious creature and is trying to concoct some story that I'm an imposter. I attempted to satisfy her with these documents." Tria shows the contract between her and Apollodorus for Ulrich's fosterage and Fiona's letter to Tria. "Alexei, i'm well aware of what has happened. Maris and I are quite close." ((No, not that kind of close and there's nothing in her voice to suggest that kind of closeness.)) "If Apollodorus did to Ulrich what he did to Maris he's in some element of danger. I had been travelling and when I returned to Le Maison I found this letter to me, Maris explained what had happened, and I came to retrieve Ulrich."
Alexei gives a cursory examination of the letter already knowing it's all in order before looking at Thera. "Where is your master anyway?"
"Tria, I'm sorry that you were detained. Ulrich is safe with you now, please take good care of him and may he benefit you. I also hope Thera that we count on your support and friendship in what will likely be difficult times ahead, yes? Appollodorus I'm sure would have counted you as an ally, I very much hope, recent events notwithstanding, that we can still count on that."
"Let Fiona know, whenever she returns, that we can pursue some arrangement regarding Ulrich in the future. For now, though, I think he best stay with us at Le Maison."
Tria leans in close to Alexei, "A piece of advice? Someone needs to go through Apollodorus's lab notes and find his high level Aegis spells. A 10th magnitude effect should be sufficient. Your fourth magnitude effect is ineffective. I was able to contact Maris without a token, and Maris was able to transport Ulrich to Le Maison."
Maris pauses for a moment and appears to concentrate.
Tria begins to leave, but pauses for a moment before turning back to Alexei. "Maris tells me that young Ulrich was studying a book called Peering into the Aether, may we borrow that book so as to continue his studies for the rest of the summer? We will be happy to lend a book of comparable depth of knowledge at a season of your convenience."
"Certainly, we wish his studies to be succesful. If you wait a bit I'll have Helmut find the book. I'll extend then your invitation for a book in return to the covenmates." in response to her whisper regarding the Aegis. "We're already looking into that, we found excellent books in his study, his spells are beyond some of us, but we'll get this. Thank you."
Alexei sends Helmut off to find the book she was requesting.
While waiting for Helmut to retrieve the book she says to Thera, "Oh, and Thera, addressing your web of confusion, as to how I would feel if someone impersonated me and you let it happen is a moot issue. I am who I say I am. I tackle situations as they occur and don't spend time mired in complex plans. There was a time when I craved complexity, but that has long since passed. But would I be upset? Sure. With you and Mons Electi? Initially. And then I'd hunt down the vermin who stole my apprentice and kill him and await vindication at Tribunal. But I have more skin in this game than any of you can imagine. You would be victims of this thief as much as I would, being angry with you would just keep my from my goal."
After receiving the book from Helmut, she wraps it carefully in a cloth."To keep the water away." she says explaining her actions. "I must return to Le Maison now, poor Ulrich is probably very confused. Let Fiona know I'll be waiting for her letter."
Thera relaxes somewhat. "Well, it is certainly not the lesson that I was trying to impart, but I suspect it is a lesson that will stay with him. Whether the covenant learns the lesson meant for them, we shall see -- these defenses are quite inadequate against the sort of ruse I suspected was being perpetrated. Even now, we have done nothing to actually address the question of impersonation."
"That is a problem not easily solved, what with the prohibition of scrying."
Laetitia sends out word by Redcap that she's looking to trade an excellent quality, high-level text on Terram, for an equivalent quality text on Vim or Mentem.
Are you doing it the lazy redcap way where they charge you a finders fee, or are you going to do some legwork yourself?