After 10 minutes, Allen's sense fades... How much longer will Roberto and the grogs maintain the alert posture?
I trust Allen. The defensive spells have a Sun duration, but I let the sword go out.
How does Allen feel about catching up with Carlos and fetching help? For a solo mission into the unknown, I trust a man with good instincts. We are aware to keep alert here.
Would Roberto have sent Carlos off by himself if Allen's spidey sense was going off? Keep in mind how Premonitions work... He was asked to do something and started getting a bad feeling about things...
I was thinking no... but your choice.
Of course not.
We need to rewind then. I had thought I sent Carlos of as herald, then the cart broke, I sent Allen to catch up to Carlos, healed Pedero, you said Allwn didn't leave yet and his spidey sense was tingling, we adopt defensive posture, I go to send Allen after Carlos again, and now you are saying Carlos didn't leave yet.
So I am confused on sequencing.
Well, you said send him ahead as a herald, how far ahead of time would you have sent him? Within an hour or two of reaching Mons Electi, and just in advance of the party by how many minutes would probably have been enough So, no, I don't think Carlos would have left yet, but that's your call if he'd be sent well ahead of arrival, or separating well ahead of the time where he would need to separate. He might have been in the van of the party putting some distance ahead of the rest of the group, but not tiring his horse, but when the wheels come off, he would have been close enough to hear the commotion and shouts. That's how I saw the scene, when you said you'd send Allen and Carlos to Mons Electi, I just thought they were together, and Carlos hadn't yet separated on his assigned herald duty, yet.
Roberto orders Allen and Carlos to go to Mons Electi for some assistance.
Allen's spidey sense tingles; he tells Roberto.
Roberto belays his orders to Allen and Carlos, and they take up defensive positions.
After about 10 minutes Allen reports his spidey sense is no longer going off. Roberto knows that it isn't infallible, but it's usually extremely helpful.
Sound reasonable? Make sense now?
Maked sense. I hold Carlos back and send Allen for help.
"I have a bad feeling about that, boss, you sure?" Allen says as he starts heading off.
The ability is about avoiding danger, so Allen's communicating that he's going into something he thinks is dangerous...again. It wore off after 10 minutes in defensive positions around the wagon.
Madre de Dios...
[color=brown]Look, we got to get help somehow. Or at least get back on the road as a group.
Okay, we'llb do that then. Pedro! You good to ride? Everyone else, load up the horses with what we can and we can walk along with them. Leave the useless crap. Hopefully I can come back to retrieve my lab equipment and spare weapons.
Load 'em up boys!
((I need a clear idea of what's being taken and what's going to get left behind. If you were carrying lab equipment for real in the wagon, it's probably mostly broken by this point based on the guidelines from covenants.))
Pedro can go on a horse (with some help to mount it) and not worsen his arm. All the other horses, including the two that were pulling the wagon can be converted to pack animals, and everyone can walk. Since it's the end of the journey to Mons Electi, there isn't a huge fatigue penalty.
I am figuring everyone has their personal gear. Carlos has his gutar. I grab my mail (currently wearing the leather, mail is for serious combat). I fill a sack with what I can salvage form the lab gear (no mechanical effect, just my notes, my favorite togs, the jar of guano, etc).
Gonna have to ditch the trunk and extra weapons (the junk trunk we were cracking jokes about).
Grab all the books. Abandon the camping gear and adventuring equipment. And on down the line.
Mundane crap without sentemental value is left behind.
I grab a few ACs (rock from the road, bolt from the wagon, key to the trunk)
With everyone going, Allen's sense relaxes a bit.
About half way there, a mounted party comes the opposite way on the road. They are equipped for serious combat, outfitted in mail.
The crest on the shield seems familiar to Roberto at first, as if he should know who it is, marking him as a magus, but Roberto is drawing a blank ((failed an OoH Lore check, and a Normandy Lore check).
"Greetings, Roberto. I am Rotgiers de Gerberoy. It is good to see a fellow House brother on this road. We are in pursuit of a thief. Have you come across with any magi from Provencal or other nearby Tribunals?" Despite his words, his tone sounds chagrined. Rotgiers changed house affiliation from House Tremere to House Flambeau just a couple years ago, but Roberto doesn't know who sponsored him.
[color=brown]The only encounter I've had since Cinfin that I know of is Valarian, whom I saw a few hours ago on a similar quest. But I tell you this, I bet I am being robbed right now! The wheels fell off my wagon a ways back, and it seems obviously magical. I grabbed my essentials but had to abandon much. I am sure there are looters picking over it right now.
As for myself, I am headed for Mons Electi. Two of my men suffered injury when the wagon crashed. Their care and safety is my primary concern.
Rotgiers seems openly surprised by your willingness to share your misfortune, at first, but then proceeds to commiserate."Our Tribunal is beset by bandits, brigands and thieves, I tell you. Valerian is helping us. I wish we could help you, but we haven't wainwright with us. If you are for Mons Electi, then they should be able to help you. The mighty Alexei" at this the men of his party laugh a bit whereupon he gives them a quick stare to silence them, The mighty Alexei von Kroistau is the Imperator of Mons Electi and should be able to assist you in matters great and SMALL. If we see looters around your wagon, we shall endeavor to scare them away." He says the last bit halfheartedly. They don't seem to be in a hurry to move, or make any room on the road to pass by, except single file, between their party. 10 men on horseback, dressed in mail. Montverte is nowhere near here, in fact, it's about equidistant east-to-west of Dragon's Rest and Confluensis, and a bit further south. (Take a look at my google map)
I'll spell it out. There was a bit of fox hunting going on, and Roberto and his crew were the fox(es).
Roberto is not going to sqweeze meekly by. We can stand aside and let them pass, or they can stand aside for us.
Rotgiers doesn't budge. And his men seem to tense up.
Would Roberto have been at the last Tribunal gathering at Le Maison. Been aware of the Tournament?
OoH Lore check of 6...might help.
He was there, but even if I recognize this guy as a super bad ass, it won't matter. The strong only respect strength. Indeed, the more bad ass he is, the more embarassing it would be to show weakness.
And Roberto is Reckless and Overconfident.
Ain't gonna squeek by like a bitch (pardon my language, but you have tapped into my inner cholo 
)
Roberto will be magnanamous and step aside. And wait. He will not take a submissive posture.
Carlos has seen this before, and wished Roberto wasn't such a hard ass. But he tenses up, and whispers to Alberto...
[color=blue]despereta ferras...
("awake the iron", battle cry of the Almogavars, letting Alberto know to be ready in case shit hits the fan).
Rotgiers' men shift around as if spreading out a bit. One man, near Rotgiers happens to glance down the road to the south and then leans the mage and says something. Rotgiers is still for a long moment, staring at Roberto. Then then gives a short command to move on and troop form up quickly and head north.
Ten minutes later the sounds of a large group of horses are heard coming up the road from the south. They are moving at fast trot that one would use to cover distances at speed but are easy on the horses. They are not very organized as their ranks tend to mingle and men and horses jostle each other. They are lightly armored and equipped with various hand weapons but all have crossbows. The exception is the leader who is dressed in forest green and armed with a long bow. The man beside him has a banner on a spear. Green field with ten yellow stars, a mount at the bottom with three serpent heads forming a rough triangle.[1]
As the come up to Roberto hand his men the leader pull aside to allow roughly half of the men to go by, dismount and take cover in the woods ( 1 man in 5 holding horses). The leader looks a littler perplexed at Roberto but dismounts and greets him.
Greetings. I am Jacques ex Flambeau from Mons Electi. I assume that you are Roberto Rodriguez. He looks around. I understood you had a wagon. As he speaks a large crow lands on his shoulder.
[1] Peregrine_Bjornaer will do better than me. Vert, semy of mullets and in base enarched three demi-serpents or
[color=brown]Two wheels "coincidentally" fell off the wagon. Two of my men got scraped up pretty bad, one of them broke his arm. I salvaged what I could and had to abandoned the rest. At first I suspected Tytalus magi, but now I am not so sure. Rand into a couple of real jerks, one named Valarian of Gurnicus who was just a pompous ass, and another named Rutabega of Tremere, er, Rutgier of Flambeau. He almost picked a fight with me. I was about ready to kick his ass when he backed down and moved on. So, my lab equipment is trashed, my weapons and adventuring gear are probably being looted, and my ace blacksmith is out of comission for the next several weeks
So, how's your day been? 
Yes. I heard Rotgiers was on the road. Him and Valarian are ripe bastards who give us no end of trouble. Jacques waves to what Roberto would figure is a Sargent and a wine skin is offered to Roberto and his men.
We can go back up the road to check on your supplies but I would guess that your assessment is correct.
Will a horse bear you?