((Yes. Now it is colored 
))
"House Tremere prosecuted the war. House Guernicus tried to mediate. House Tremere assassins killed the Guernicus representative to the peace talks."
This only confirms Isen's suspicions about Marcus betrayal. Although, of course, one can't neglect the possibility of a deliberate lie to sow distrust.
When the man confirms his house, Isen almost teleports out at once. It feels more and more like they're walking into a trap, and the fact that the guernici engineered Diedne's fall doesn't mean the Diedne were innocent. Yet this is exactly what fiona sought, and he can't abandon the others like this, not when it seems there's still a chance.
Yet he likes this less and less, and frowns quite a lot.
Isen is shocked and surprised.
That's quite a news to drop. Do you have any proof of this? This is dire news.
It is certainly possible, since the documents they have are ultimately from Xenophon (JL: I'm assuming this, correct me is I'm wrong), who could have set up a conspiracy to defeat House Tremere's ennemies. It could also explain why his body was never recovered. Yet it seldom clings with the guernici's actions and power.
This also looks like they got who did what confused: It's the Ex Misc representative that didn't make it to the peace talks. What is happening here? Yet, Jacques is handling this well, better than Isen would, so he'll let him do the talking, mostly.
(Oh please, don't do me you're doing the ages old tremere villains bit! 
I love 5th Ed Tremere! And found cool that you had made them a-little-the-good-guys :-/)
((Sorry about the change in text color. I'm not sure how that happened.))
"It was in a letter from the Primus of the time to our Primus. The Diedne and Guernicus representatives were ritually murdered to facilitate a powerful ritual weakening both our Houses." He pauses, sensing some confusion or missing information, "Or so I'm told."
((You may have to help me out on how much we know. If we do not know it then ignore it. Does Jacques know about the Rituals that Guernicus did to curse Diedne? ))
Jacques appears thoughtful. Hmmm. If that were true than Guernicus would have been destroyed along with Diedne. They are very strong. Perhaps stronger by weakening the other Houses. Jacques thinks a bit more. Have you ever heard of the Duresca Scrolls?
((Jacques was there and knows there is a Ritual of Thoth that could be used against Mons Electi.))
The man guiding them brings them to where Marcus is being held, he doesn't have time to answer the question about the Duresca scrolls or forgets about it. Marcus is in his cell and is speaking with two other men who are standing outside of it. Conversation ends as Jacques, Tranquillina, and Isen approach, but it isn't a forced or cut-off ending.
"Now that everyone is together. What game is afoot? You speak of House Guernicus as if they were guilty of the war with Tremere. They provided us with much valuable information. It was only when the Tremere cast their curse that we began to fall."
((Is the person talking the one who guided us or one of the two outside of Marcus' cell?))
((Yes. I'll be using different colors to denote different characters.))
And you speak as though Guernicus were cursed along with your House. So you know the effect of this curse. You have felt the effect of the curse. If Guernicus were cursed with you, as you have told us, then they would also have been destroyed by Termere. Do you agree?
"I'm not going to answer that, and instead ask another question. Are you saying that House Guernicus wasn't destroyed? You brought up the Duresca scrolls, but these were clearly fabrications meant to discredit House Guernicus after the Sundering."
That is two questions. Jacques smiles. For the first one. No. Guernicus is quite fine and quite powerful. There power is political in that they control the Code and the Judges. As for the second question, let me tell you a story. It will be incomplete I'm afraid because I am a warrior and not a scholar. He leans closer to the man and says sotto voce, Some might say I'm a bandit but I'm telling the story so I'm a warrior.
There was a great wizard named Apollodorus of Jerbiton. As I understand it, he pasted his gauntlet at the end of what we call the Schism war. At some point, studying in Constantinople, he made a discovery about the Duresca scrolls that they might not be false. Of course he could not go public with this but began to do deep research into them and House Guernicus. When the Inner Council of Guernicus became aware of his studies they tried various means of discrediting him. Finally, they put a price on his head. For in his long research he uncovered things and events by House Guernicus that seemed to lead to a conspiracy to weaken the other Houses of the Order by various events. Tremere and his House is broken by some mysterious group of wizards. House Tytalus accused of worshiping demons and broken. House Flambeau lost it's command structure and is disorganized. He saw a pattern. Any House that was or tied to better organize itself fell upon a calamity. Jacques pauses to emphasis this last point. All of this had Guernicus hand in it. At this point there are only two well organized houses in the order. Tremere, who are only powerful in their home of Transylvania, and Guernicus who are powerful in all portions of the Order.Apollodorus lived a very long time in hiding. He finally found a Covenant in a hill in France near the ruins of a previous Covenant. He gathered some magi and slowly taught the secrets he had learned. He is gone now. Guernicus' chief Hoplite was used in the attack the night he disappeared. That same night the primus of Flamebeau was killed and those of Mercere and Tremere were attacked. That was not long ago. Jacques pauses again. But that is just a tale told by a warrior fears he might be a prisoner. It all may be a lie or even some of it. I can prove none of it here. But Guernicus is still a House in the Order and they are still strong and that part is true.
And now I'm rather parched. Is there any ale or beer here?
((Yes. Jacques is leaving some things out.))
O_O
Absolutely not!!! The curse was cast by the guernici, we have proof of that. They wanted to destroy you, since your power made you a threat to their plans. No curse was cast on them, and they are more powerful than ever, having suffered little loss in the war, whereas the Tremere were greatly weakened by their it.
After jacques has made his speech
I'm beginning to place it. The guernici managed to give the appearance of neutrality, so as to avoid the ravages of war, whereas the other houses destroyed themselves. Think about it. If they had stood against you, or against the Tremere, they would have had to fight, but that way, you destroyed each other while they stood on the sidelines.
"Proof? What proof do you have? Not that it matters, we are likely stuck here. Our best Corpus experts suspect that we will feel the ravages of all the years we missed once we return to the world. We've spent 30 years nurturing ourselves and gathering allies. When we saw that they were being attacked, and attacked by Hermetic magics, we were concerned that the Tremere had found us. My suspicion is that you've been taken in by Tremere lies, the best of them do their best to control and shape the flow of information in such a way as to put themselves in a positive light."
Jacques nods. As do the Guernicus, my friend. As do the Guernicus. So we can not offer you proof that you might accept yet still the question hangs in the air...If as you have said, the Termere cursed both Guernicus and Diedne, why were only your House effected? Is it possible that it was only cast on your House? Yes? And if so why would your friends lie to you?
"Magvillus is reputed to have a 20th or 30th magnitude Aegis text, we entreated to get a copy to protect some of our covenants, but they denied having such a powerful Aegis. Even still, they were not at war, caught away from their Aegides like many of us were."
((Just before this second trip to the Magic Realm, didn't Fiona and Marcus rescue a couple of the Diedne magi and bring them back? Or did they only go back as far as the Blacksmiths? I'm trying to remember if we have any data on this quick-aging suspicion.))
An Aegis might work if the curse targeted a place or person rather than a House. But I do not know how it worked other than a Guernicus telling us that it required a human sacrifice.
We will get no where like this. You are the proverbial Blinded man who asks a passerby to describe the world but will not believe what is said. Just let Marcus out and we will be on our way.
Jurgen and Captivius are at the blacksmith. They are not Diedne magi.