Mariella finds the steward of the covenant.
When questioned he answers, [color=red]I think it is the villagers town council or you masters who ordered the building, I have not sanctioned their use of any covenant funds. I didn’t think of it as such an important matter to inform you. It is a stone building after all it could simply be a wealthy merchant who has ordered the construction of a home.
Mariella grins in wry amusement and thanks the steward for his help. She then hurries off to try and catch Ardeth before she does anything rash. Thinking to herself in amusement about the pride of magi who think themselves the lords of the land but negelct to actually tell the locals who is in charge.
Quiet voice, with a cold smile.
[color=red]Oh, so you don't know me yet... How disappointing.
But this is unimportant for now. Please, indulge a lady's curiosity before I do something we may all regreat. Who ordered this construction exactly? I'd really like to have a nice chat with this person 
[color=red]I shall do as you ask madam. The master mason tries to be as charming as he can and points at the temporary city hall.[color=red] In there you will find one of the village elders who has ordered this construction. He is in there in his office. Any thing else my lady?
My smile widens 
[color=red]Thanks you, kind sir.
And then, I just goes right to the elder. Hum... While quietly muttering an [color=blue]Aura of Rightfull Authority, just because I like it.
The Village elder (Horst who you meat earlier at the trial) sits at a desk covered with administrative work. The entire building seems crowded and poorly lit. As the magi approaches he rises and greets you in a most appropriate way. [color=red]Welcome masters, what an unexpected pleasure. Is there anything I can be off assistance with?
[color=red]Oh, I don't know...
I was just wondering about some strange stone building that suddenly appeared into town, and how the hell could something like this occur without us being informed beforehand.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that we were the lords of this land, and thus, should have been consulted with something like this, if only to say "no problem, do it". But perhaps I was mistaken, and you, or some other elder, are this town's lord?
Horst looks Ardath in the eyes as he answers. [color=red]Yes madam you are the lords of the realm and the construction outside is to make a new and larger town hall. I thought that it where in our right to make such decision by ourselves. If I am not entirely wrong then what you ask of us are taxes and the right to judge major cases every thing else is not regulated. If you wish for more of the day to day errands to go by your chambers then say so and I will do so. We need a larger hall to run all the administration through and a growing town need a grander town hall then this ramshackle building. As Horst speaks to makes a gesture towards the chamber that is really tacky and continues to speak.[color=red] However make no mistake madam we are your loyal and faithful subjects.
Marriane arrives in time to catch the end of the conversation. Seeing that Ardeth is already involved in the conversation she moves to join her saying nothing to demonstrate unity among the mages
A few seconds pass, while ardath stands still, and then, she bursts in laughter
[color=red]Good one, Horst, I'm really impressed 
She then advances closer to Horst
[color=red]It seems we had a slight misunderstanding. You cleverly do raise some interesting points, and I like clever men. Loyal ones, too.
I shall bring this up before my sodales then, and we shall tell you what to do.
Mariella smiles benignly at Ardeth's comments and turns and leaves the building heading back up to the covenant.
When returning to the covenant you find Justus Felix waiting at the grand table in the dinner hall, next to him a servant stands with a shameful look upon his face. Once the magi assemble the Justus starts to speak. [color=red]This servant is Werner and he claims that Mariella told him to let the door open during the night. The most odd thing is however that he can't specify a specific time when this order where given.
[color=red]His mind has been tampered with or we have a doppleganger in the covenant. Have you tried intellego vim to look for traces of magic or should I try?
Regardless that settles it we have someone deliberatly trying to open gaps in our defences they must be identified and dealt with
Justus replies, [color=red]I have scanned his mind and body for traces of magic and there are a few. However as there are no longer active I can’t comprehend them. We need to find a victim that is being targeted with magic used by our enemies. For if I can comprehend the magic we learn a few more things about our foe.
[color=red]So we need to catch someone in the act. We cannot trust anyone except the mages as they may be vulnerable to magical control . Hoepfully the combination of the Aegis and our own Parma magica will protect us. This means that one or more of the magi is going to have to be active around the covenant at all times to spot unnusual behaviour among our followers. We should let those who we have asked about the door being left open that we have discovered it was one of us who ordered the door left open , hopefully that will make whoever is doing it less aware of our knowledge.
[color=red]Yes, this is clearly a problem, especially as this ennemy was able to affect people through the aegis.
Things is, we can't be everywhere, and, although we need to keep our eyes and ears open, this will be difficult. But I may have an idea, I'll need to think about it.
Max, my idea is to use Summoning to invoke very minor magical spirits that may serve as additionnal eyes and ears, telling me if they see anyone outside of the magi use magic.
[color=red]We should also try to investigate this through mundane means. This spy will certainly communicate with the outside, and, even if he doesn't, he may get sloppy over time.
By the way, I've uncovered what the new building is. Funnily enough, it's an idea of Horst and the other townsfolk, which thought they could construct a new town hall without informing us. The man cleverly argued that they didn't want to bother us with such trivial matters, but will if we ask them to. Impressed by his quick wits, I did not chastise him, especially as the point is a good one, and a new town hall was indeed needed.
Thus, we'll have to decide both what to do about it, and what we want our degree of involvement in mundane affairs to be.
[color=red]I agree we need to decide what decision making we reserve for ourselves. We are not particularly skilled as managers of a village and business . I suggest we follow the model of most noble lords and allow our steward to run our lands but get regular reports on the status of the business in the village , and check the books .
Day to Day business matters should be for the steward however matters of long term policy or substantial investments should be approved by the mage council first.
On the magical influence of our employees I wonder if they are being influenced while outside the Aegis but then continuing under the influence when under the Aegis that would probably be easier to do and the Aegis does not cover all of the settlement
[color=blue]Ardath: Work out the details for the summoning and I roll the dice and determine the result. If you have some internet resource that can roll for you then do that instead.
Justus Felix looks troubled and then asks the other magi. [color=red]What in this covenant is our foe looking for? Is it the murdering of us or is it some other goal? If someone had wish to slay us then we would probably all be dead. There would be little problem if our foe can control the minds of other to have one of the covenfolk stab us to death. We do what we can to increase our security. Perhaps it would be a good idea to hold some covenfolk here within our aegis for the entire time and let some pass in and out from it. If we do that we can observe who has misty eyes and if someone who never leaves our covenant has them we know that the foes magical abilities can penetrate our aegis. Any other suggestions for increasing our security?
[color=red]I think we are being studied. As you say Justus if whoever is behind this wanted us dead at this time they would have tried . Although that assumes their mind control is that effective. A suggestion to a servant that I ordered a door left open is one thing, making them kill oneof us would require a lot more control. Wards to prevent mundanes entering our sancta would increase our safety but reduce convenience.I intend to introduce some defenses to protect myself at night. While awake I fear no mundane assassin.
This mind control power seems strong for a hedge wizard and is not what I would expect from local shapeshifters although some other local tradition may have the power. I have some thoughts but as yet I have no evidence .
Mariella will set up a RECO 10 spontneous ward vs mundanes around her sancta before going to sleep every night
[color=red]I agree with mariella on the fact that the steward should run day to day matters but send us regular reports. The more important decisions should be left to us, however.
You both have strong points about the aegis and spies...
I think that these persons, whoever they are, are trying to gather both information about our strength and weaknesses and arcane connections to us, in order to destroy us if they intend to. This means at least potentially hostile intentions. We also mustn't forget that we were assaulted. I intend to take revenge for this, and we should nonetheless prepare to defend ourselves. I don't want us to be vulnerable to anyone.
Letting some covenfolk inside the aegis is a really good idea, as it should at most make them harder to influence by our ennemy. I also think the grogs should patrol by teams the covenant by teams of two: This should make them harder to control, and our opponents will have more difficulties finding one of them alone. More safety to us.
There's a question that's been bugging me, however. Why this door thing? Is it a warning? Did something enter? Did something go out?
Hum... How many aegis token do we have? Are they all accounted for?
Protecting our sanctums against mundane intrusion is also a very good idea. We'll have to work more on this. [color=black]I intend to ceremoniously cast a Ward Against the Curious Scullion (Reco lvl 10, Covenants p104, casting total (15 + stress die)/2.) at the entrance of my sanctum, in order to bar it. I'll quietly take my time and engrave the circle in the floor, so I won't destroy it by crossing it.
The real problem is that we're reactive here, and thus on the defensive. We need to do something to turn up the table. Maybe we could devise some kind of trap, although I fail to see what could work as bait. Hum... Maybe another forest trip?
[quote="Mad Max"]
[color=blue]Ardath: Work out the details for the summoning and I roll the dice and determine the result. If you have some internet resource that can roll for you then do that instead.
I take all my time to inscribe a circle dedicated to the type of spirit I want to summon, with mystical carvings describing the type of entities I'm searching for. After burning some incence, I then meditate, focusing my mind first of the teaching of Kalesh, then on my intended target
My applicable Scouring totals:
Presence 2 + Summoning 5 + Ad Fons Lore 0 + Aura 3 + Penetration(rego) 2 = 12 + stress die.
I'm trying to summon a minor spirit (might 0-5) attuned to the magical aura (In fact, this is my "default" summons). As I'm just scouring the area, I have little control over anything else, and will have to make do.