Luciu says, "I'm a friend, I'm unarmed. Your enemies don't speak Latin, do they? I'm trying to come to you." He will try to step forward into the regio, using the spell to look for the right place in the boundary to step through.
As you speak and make contact with the soldier, it is as if a passage opens. He eyes you suspiciously. «Who are you? Are you an emissary of the Picts? How did you get in this way?» It is a bit difficult to make out the words. His dialect is as much out of fashion as his armour, but you are fairly sure that you understand him correctly.
Other soldiers turn towards you, standing straight and alert, on guard with weapons ready without making any threatening move.
Luciu says, "I am not a Pict, I am from Sicily. Some strange magic has happened here, that is how I was able to approach this way, I am investigating it. I am a Roman, though not part of a Legion. What do you remember happening here recently? Did you observe anything strange or unnatural?" The little man wonders how much of the truth he can tell them.
[fwiw Luciu has the right look, he actually is Sicilian.]
The rest of the group hear Luciu talking to someone you cannot see, and then, suddenly, he vanishes into thin air, just were the wall joins the turret.
To Luciu, it is a relieving feeling when the entrance lets go, and he slips into another level of existence. The view of the soldiers becomes clearer and the view of the magi behind him disappears. The wall is in better repair, and everything looks the way they ought to be; a better level of existence.
«Sicily, yeah,» the soldier looks and nods approvingly. «That explains the pronounciation. Who sent you?»
You should roll a charm + Presence, I think. You sound too honest for guile, and it does not sound as if you try to go by Roman military etiquette either, but I am not completely sure which skill is most appropriate.
Luciu smiles at the man, and while he's looking into his eyes he casts a spell to look into his mind, to gain a snapshot of what the man's mind can tell him about what he expects, who he is, and just as much information as he can get. Then he looks around, not having to feign wonder, and seeming distracted as a someone might be when seeing something new and wondrous.
Then his attention wanders back to the man, and he says, "Oh, I'm sorry. The effects are most fascinating. Who sent me? It was..."
[pausing mid-sentence to see what happens with the spell
rolls on discord]
You peer into an exceedingly simple mind. It has exactly one purpose in life, to guard this wall and arrest every Barbarian who threatens the existence of the Roman civilisation. You sense a certain anxiety too; recent attacks have been defeated, but they have cut off contact with the next guard to the West. It is good that the guards hold their fort in the East. On second thought, you sense no sense of time so while the last attacks appear as recent in the soldier's mind, you are not at all sure what that means.
"...Guernicus." he says. "You wouldn't know him, he is only a citizen, but he is sometimes consulted on matters such as these, and he sent me to come here and investigate. Can you lodge us? There are a handful more with me, they have not penetrated through the magic anomaly yet, but I can go and fetch them - perhaps I should speak to the Decurion first, though."
The soldier waves the Decurion over. «Decurion! An agent of ... Guernicus; investigating magic anomalies. He just appeared from the Western wall and asks if we can lodge him and his staff.» The Decurion is quick to answer the call, and comes over. «Well?» he asks, looking into your eyes, and you can see an anxious furrow form between his eyes.
Luciu tries to peer into his mind, but can't.
He shrugs. "We were told about strange occurrences on the wall. We are civilians but we help Rome whenever we can. Have you seen or heard anything strange? Do you have space for us to stay while we investigate this strange phenomenon?"
«What are you talking about? The Pict raiders have been fierce lately, but this position shall not fall. Do you have news that I need to learn about?»
(New person, new charm roll, please.)
Luciu says, "Look, I'll show you. When I come back through, I'll be bringing a companion, don't be alarmed."
He steps back to leave the regio. Once on the other side, he looks to Janus, and says, "I found the regio we were looking for. There are soldiers of Rome on the other side, but I explained to them that we come from there, and we are loyal citizens. I need to demonstrate the phenomenon, please come through with me."
He turns back to the entrance, and says, "We are coming through." Hoping that the Decurion will acknowledge and open the path, he will lead Janus through.
"You see?" he says to the Decurion. "It's a strange phenomenon, that could pose a risk to the realm's security."
«You have opened to route to the West,» exclaims the Decurion. «Great news! What else has happened in Corbridge?»
Luciu is flummoxed for a moment. But he remembers his mentor's strict policy of honesty, and even if he wanted to lie, nothing is coming to him.
So he says, "Corbridge... well, a lot has happened in Corbridge. You really don't remember any kind of strange event? When was the last time you remember communicating with another part of the wall? You see, the path was closed in a very strange way, that you should have noticed."
«Nothing strange, no. What would that be? The last attack was fierce, but the brunt of it was further West. We dispatched a division, but we have to stay to defend this patch, and so we do. The route to the East is still open, and everything is quiet there, I understand. From the West we have had no news, so please, let us hear your what you can tell.»
The soldiers turn to listen in anticipation.
«You asked about accommodation. Is there just the two of us? We do not have more than cold floors to spare, but we can house you indoors if that helps.»
Luciu says, "How long has it been since you saw your commanding officer? I can't explain what happened, I don't fully understand it yet, but we didn't see him. Will you let us bring our servants through, to stay here, and wait for him?"
If they agree, Luciu will bring the rest of the group through, trying to explain to the grogs that they are heading into a pocket of living history. He hopes that seeing the asynchronicity will give him an opportunity to tell the truth to the Romans. He also intends to stay awake all night, watching the regio with magical senses active, to try and understand what's happening with time, and if there's a loop, where it begins and ends.
«We have not seen either the Centurion nor the General in Corbridge since the attack this Winter,» he answers. They accept the grogs; and the turret becomes very crowded; you have four grogs and specialists, two magi, and Edwin. That's seven people in addition to the ten soldiers.
«You dress oddly for Roman travellers,» remark the soldiers. «Were have you picked up such attire?»
They show you a barren room downstairs where you can stay the night. The grogs are uneasy, but sit down there to keep out of the way.
The main room where you enter the turret is open East and West, so that heavy equipment can be carted through on the wall, but towards the North and South it is walled, with only narrow archer's slits. There is a floor above. Through the slits you can see a wooded landscape, wet with rain. It only vaguely resembles what you saw outside the regio. The walkway on the wall seem to disappear into the mist 20-30 paces from the turret.
«What are you planning to do next?» asks the Decurion.
Luciu shrugs. "We have more travelling to do. But tonight I want to see what happens here."
[Luciu plans to be awake past midgnight, and asks a soldier to awaken him before dawn. He is keeping watch with Sight of the Sigil and Piercing the Magical Veil active, trying to see if he can learn anything more about the formation of the regio. If not, he will suggest they leave in the morning, resuming the search for the covenant with Edwin's guidance.]
Janus agrees with this course of action.
The night passes without event. Not even with a change of guards. The same ten soldiers keep watch through the night, never do you see a soldier sleeping, or even having a rest. The night is uncomfortable, for the room was not made for sleeping. Sunset and dawn seem to pass like they would outside the regio though.
In the morning, a you are breaking the fast, you see a soldier talk to the decurion, and then leave by the Eastern exit. As he disappears into the mist, the decurion turns to you, and bid you good morning. «Did you find what you were looking for?»
Luciu frowns. "Not yet, but perhaps I will." He hurries over to the mist, and examines it briefly, before following the soldier.