You can backstep and interrupt, they still want to lead you down separate hallways and will not talk freely at first. They will stall your questions with cryptic comments such as "You shall see soon enough", or "you will know all these things and more in the fullness of time". Stuff like that.
Romulus leads Vares and Inigo down the long corridor of black stone, skulls embedded periodically with glowing eyes that stare out at you, then into the covenant’s courtyard. Remus leads Octavian and Ludovicio down a similar hallway, and end up in the same courtyard but on the opposite side. Alexandro, Carlos, and Javier are left to wander as they will, no one pays any attention to them (it is presumed that they are servants). Alexandro sends Javier with Octavian and Ludo, Carlos goes with Vares and Inigo, and he will wander and explore on his own.
Val-Negra is a massive fortress embedded in the side of a rocky gorge. The Gates, Outer Walls, and the ominous Black Tower are all built in the Moorish style. The interior buildings, what’s left of them, reflect a wide variety of styles as suited the tastes. The place is a mess, a state of perfect disarray. Magnificent edifices of marble, pillars wrought of precious metals, an ivory obelisk, and many other strange oddities built over the ages. All in a state of preserved decay and ruin. Portions of the ruin are covered with strange colored crystal formations that grow upon them, and other portions are covered with overgrowth. There is the remnants of a garden of exotic trees and shrubs, but this area appears to have suffered from recent fire damage and what little remains is being overtaken by weeds and overgrowth.
Still, it is perfectly preserved in that state. You could watch the ruins for a thousand years; they would not crumble any more than they already have, the overgrowth neither advances nor recedes, the garden is never overtaken completely nor does it ever rejuvenate. A state of perfect decay, a metaphoric balance between Creo and Perdo.
There are a few buildings that remain intact, but most have crumbled into ruin and are no longer habitable. Some buildings have collapsed completely, and their foundations dug out into long winding pits that lead into complicated labyrinths that form the habitat portion of the covenant. Some of the pits have stairs, others have only rope ladders and the vines of the wild overgrowth. This style of covenant design might familiar to you if your character ever had a chance to explore the ruins of Calebais (lots of people have by now, it is a famous adventure). Calebais was founded by magi who were apprenticed at Val-Negra.
Octavian and Ludovicio,
Remus leads you down a set of stairs into one of the pits to meet one the other magi. Which basically means he is taking you to meet Abaddon, though he fears to say it outright. [color=red]Val-Negra is a covenant of many members, but only the two are ever present. Vanacastium resides in the Black Tower, and Abaddon watches all from the Chamber of Illusions. I shan’t take you there. He will send himself to meet you.
Which he does. Three of himself. Three different Abaddons come at you from three different directions; one steps forward out of the darkness to confront you, and two others appear to turn a corner around a shadow. The first one is dressed in wizardly robes and finery, the other two are dressed in armour (most likely mindless duplicants under his command, something Erat Caecus warned you of). But when he speaks, all three speak in unison.
[color=green]Aaddon of Tytalus: [color=red]Halt where you stand and withdraw you hoods! Remus, draw your hood over your head and go about your business.
So they made a Wolf into an Owl, eh? Or perhaps a Raven, or more like a Crow! And you, Ludovicio, you have done well and you shall be rewarded 
Inigo and Vares;
Romulus leads you into the Black Tower, and then down some stairs. He is proud to thell you the history of Val-Negra, and speaks of days of glory. His tales are slightly exaggerated but they ring with a hint of truth.
It’s a long story, and there are a lot of stairs…
[color=red]The Black Vale has been a sight of Magical power and activity since ancient days. It was the wizard Delendar that first built a stronghold here as a base of operations to strike at his enemies. It was in the year 715 that Delendar first brought Flambeau here, and he was often quoted as that being the day he was born. He was actually seventeen, for he was born in 698. It was in 712 that his family estates were overrun. As a lad, Flambeau faced a raging efreet when his Gift suddenly manifested. He stripped the jinn of it’s fire, yet he was still injured by it’s sword of brass. He was rescued by his doctor Laberius, his first teacher, but Laberius was assassinated by a band of sahirs that wanted to abduct the lad as an apprentice. Flambeau fought back and managed to slay his share, but he would have been defeated if not for the sudden appearance of Delendar the Destroyer (Latin root “deleoâ€; to block out or destroy, hence “deleteâ€)[color=red].
Delendar tilted the battle in Flambeau’s favor, and the two formed an alliance. Delendar became Flambeau’s magical mentor, teaching him proper magic. Flambeau in turn became Delendar’s martial mentor, teaching him the proper arts of warfare and the warrior. They pair were renowned for many legendary battles, and were feared throughout the land. But came the when Delendar fell.
They had planned to engage their enemy on two separate fronts and catch them by surprise. But it was a trap. The enemy had evacuated the position Flambeau attacked, and Delendar was ambushed by a score of sahirs. Flambeau recovered the body of his mentor and amicus, and some say it is interred in deepest depths of this mountain.
After that, Flambeau traveled amongst the Franks and then throughout Europe, venting his wrath upon the many villainous and cruel wizards that preyed upon the innocent ack in those dark days. They say that Flambeau liberated over fifty villages from the clutches of evil sorcerers and wicked hags.
Then came the day he met Trianoma, and her presence was such that he agreed to help her form the Order of Hermes. He met with Bonisagus and the other Founders to learn the secret of Parma Magica and to author the Oath and Code. Soon afterward, Flambeau returns to Val-Negra and brings his new followers with him to establish a Covenant after the model of Durenmar. At first it was still just a series of caves, but under the guidance of Apromor it grew into this mighty fortress. He isn’t the one who created the Black Tower though. It was Delendos, who created it with ritual magic as a memorial to his fallen master.
His tale is longer than this, with many more obscure details and such. But just as he gets to that last part about Delendos creating the Black Tower, you reach your destination.
All the way at the bottom of the Black Tower.
The Iron Door.
All the while the group made their way into the Black Tower Ludovico held his tongue and played along. All the while the bubbling rage within him was kept in check, the magus giving polite nods and following 'protocol' with the others.
The sight of Abaddon himself however is too much. The soft flames and light generated around him, the shield of Ordobos, flare up blazing like a bright bonfire and shedding heat and destruction around him. When he speaks he points an accusing finger towards the wizardly Abaddon with wide eyes and voice thunderously loud and thick with his anger.
[color=red]" YOU! You would 'reward' me? You who thought to dump me in the wilderness with a broken Mind and Will? You thought I could never find you again and take revenge! Well I am here, String Puller, I am returned! And this time I am prepared for the likes of you! Your flesh-seemings here will not stand in my way! Your blows shall be answered, so help me High Olympus, I swear it! Hear me Hades! Hecate! I shall break his painted room of ghosts and they shall in turn play his own foul games upon HIM!"
As he nears the end, speaking the Gods, he raises his hands up and gestures with them both as he swears.
[OOC: Pausing to give a dramatic moment for Octavian / Abaddon to react to Ludovico's blowharding. 
]
Perhaps now is the time that I should mention that there is a really powerful Aegis covering the covenant.
I forgot.
Is the point of that being you think Ludo's entourage or at least a large part of it would have had to wait outside? 
LOL. It is rather humorous now that I've written the post already. But a valid point. The question is how much of them are barred, and whether or not he could have resummoned them himself into the aegis or not. Preferabbly without being too obvious about it. 
The point is that I forgot about the Aegis 
Not sure how to deal with it, so I am open to suggestions. I was mainly thinking abbout your casting penalty, and you reminded me of the spirits.
How big is the penalty? - Part of the point of spirits is their powers are non-rolling effects. So they still just spend might and use their powers, though one could argue that the penetration should be reduced.
So you could for instance take a fire spirit into a cathedral and not worry about botching or casting penalties keeping you from lighting the place up due to the dominion, because you don't roll anything. You just spend might points and light the place up, though with reduced penetration.
The only advantage the aegis has is it may be able to keep them out, at first encounter, though as I said... they could arguably be resummoned within the aegis. I'm not certain if it would reduce the penetration of their powers however?
That, and here is a question for the troupe at large, if you are talking about a spirit oriented mage... is not allowing their spirit entourage to accompany them 'as usual' a 'deprivation of magical power'? Just something that has occured to me as we have travelled and everwhere we have gone Ludo seems to have run into people not wanting him to have his spirits around. But anyway... not material to the point at hand.
I had mentioned a long ime ago that it is a level 100 Aegis, but I will hand wave it and simply say that Romulus and Remus gave you Aegis tokens when you came in. It is the proper and polite thing to do.
I just looked it up. It says that the penetration for magical creatures is reduced by the same ammount. So it affects the spirits as well.
(OOC: the discussion about Aegis, I remember 4th edition that spirits or other creatures with Might cannot enter without permission of those that hold rights of the aegis. They can still try but are reduced in their Might score by the aegis. If Erat spoke true about the aegis being 20th magnitude I highly doubt Ludo's spirits can do anything and would just be obliterated when summoned ).
Octavian ignores the Tytaloi blowharding as the Aegis has likely weakened him. "Greetings master Abaddon. I am Octavian of Tremere as you already know." He offers politely.
Ludo's invocation of Hecetate and Hades, are these meant to be Chthonic invocations? I think they would count. Just for academic fun, what is the best penetration total you can muster? For your spirits?
Octavian, Abaddon adresses you directly. [color=red]Please calm your friend. He is being rather rude and ungrateful.
"My apologies master Abaddon but he is not my friend nor am I his keeper." He says apologetically. "If his conduct brings displeasure, I will not oppose you revoking the invitation extended to him."
[color=red]I shall not, for I shall keep my word and reward him as I agreed. His ignorance is not his fault.
"Indeed. He claims it is yours."
[color=red][b]Ahahahahahahaha!!! But of course he blames me! He will blame anyone but himself. As well he should, for if the world does not give you what you want, then you should shape existance to better suit your tastes.
But tell me Ludo, what do you remember?[/b]
Abaddon and his duplicants are still speaking in unison, and it is kind of freaky.
"Existence is whatever one makes of it. It matters not what possessions you have or covet nor the perceptions of others. You can escape both but you cannot escape yourself without forever being lost."
Abaddon suddenly flies into a rage, as you have violated one of his obscure rules. [color=red]I was not speaking toyou Tremere! Nor do I care for your esoteric philosophical musings! How dare you speak in the place of another when he was given a direct question? Did I ask "Octavian, what does Ludo remember?". No! I asked Ludovicio, and only he has the right to respond!!!
He bows his head apologetically. "My apologies."