I don't think Boxing Day was a thing back then, and even if it did, it is a strange English custom none of our characters have ever heard of.
As for Carmen's voice, imagine a woman that isn't a guy playing a woman as a sex freak.
:mrgreen:
That was just a little good natured ribbing. 
What's with that guy upstairs? He needs to have his ass kicked.
And how did we wind up here (in this thread)?
Vara sits across from the man, Valgravien, I presume? Gunnvara ex Mercere, I have a letter for you she says holding the letter out.
Valgravian steeples his hands together. "Well, that is about what I could have hoped for. If we are lucky we might get the materials back in time to perform the rite next year." He turns his attention to the messenger "What do you think? Any opinion on which of them might have absconded with our supplies?"
Vara is not particularly informed about any missing supplies, or who even took them. "I couldn't speculate. I don't read their mail, I'm not sure what supplies were supposedly taken or when, and besides its poor form for Redcaps to share what they learn on their travels with other covenant. Are you going to want to send a reply?"
Valgravian considers this "Probably, if you don't mind spending the night so I have time to compose a response?"
"Not an issue, the general policy is to stay for two nights anyway. Although I think everyone would like an expedited response." Vara responds.
Valgravian nods and returns to his meal.
One of the covenant companions sitting next to you smiles. "Any gossip you'd like to share? I can trade."
Not a lot of good Gossip. I heard rumors one of the Grogs is a Cathar fleeing persecution. And that his wife is currently having an affair with the priest. The entire thing is bound to end spectacularly. I've heard whispers of people gossiping about me. Its all supremely overblown. Do you have any?
"Well, Pinky has a new boyfriend, and I hear he is a fairy. Not like, as in, you know, like Pinky, but a real faerie. I've even heard it set up residence in the covenant while the ageis was down. Someone told me that Robert knocked up Fleur, everyone knew it was her blood onth when she was here and, well, but I suppose you would know more about the truth of that. Oh, and one of our grogs, Kethers, came into a lot of money, apparently some 'aunt' nobody knew about died and left him a lot of money, but Kethers was born and raised in the covenant, so whoever this aunt is, she's not a blood relation."
"That aunt sounds suspicious. Probably a con or Faerie, or Demon."
"Yeah, it seems a lot of stuff slipped in while the ageis was down. I'll be glad when they get that back up."
"That's not good. Do you need a loan? I'm sure you could pay it back fairly easily, and if you have any vis sources at all you could easily get some good terms. Wait, is that what this letter was about? Did someone steal Vis for the ritual? Vara responds as some details click into place.
"I think that there was something about that, a couple weeks ago Valgravien was fuming and storming about ordering all the mages to search the covenant, and then wrote some letter that he seemed to be fuming about. But I thought it was all straightened out, at least all the mages seem to be going back to their research. Is it not straightened out?"
No idea. I would have thought that sort of information was shared throughout the covenant. Well, probably rude to speculate. Regardless, you should probably straighten out the issue with the Aegis.
He shrugs "Throughout the covenant if you are a magus I suppose. The rest of us it can be pretty hit or miss."
Well, its probably getting about time for me to turn in, and let you to get handling whatever has gone wrong. I assume to have guest quarters?
"You are spending the night? I'll see to it right away, I was under the impression you were only staying a couple of hours. I swear some magi would forget to feed themselves if their stomachs didn't take care to remind them."
Yeah, they would do that. I was going to let them compose a response. Vara says while getting up.
Your lunch companion hurriedly shoves a couple more bites of food in his mouth and gestures for you to come with him. He takes you over to the guest quarters, speaks with a couple of maids, one of which you notice has jewels in her hair, doubles back to another part of the covenant to retrieve a key then escorts you to your room.
Gunnvara doesn't find the jewels too odd. She figures its likely rude and not that odd for a covenant. Left overs after conjuring some for an item seems like the likely case. "Do you know where the maid's jewels came from?"