In German: Nein. Pretty women don't trust other pretty women, especially Huren like Gemma. The two of them together would just turn into eine Schlacht von Katzen. Entertaining, but not productive. He pauses and looks at the tower. Though it's possible one would kill the other, which wouldn't be a Totalverlust.
Carmen smiles. Well, that disqualifies me then. 
The pretense is obvious it seems. Just act like you are shopping for magic items. We need a flying carpet and a couple of Swords of Quality. I think Estaban is best suited for it. I will back him up, let him do the talking but being ready with firepower if things go sour. Vibria and Arachne will infiltrate the place.
Who all do we have with us here? Roll call?
Carmen, Oscar, & Armado here. Carmen runs the distraction with Estaban, Oscar and Armando are grogs and will wait outside in case we need backup.
That was in German. If Carmen speaks German we have a serious problem. 
Bernhard looks less happy than usual. I go with Vibria. I did not segle to Fengheld on that schmutzig ship to sit on stones.
She doesn't. She just had a hunch as to what you were saying :mrgreen:
((actually, I mistakenly thought it was his accented Latin and realized my mistake when I reread the post))
Vibria is ready to be invisibled and go all sneaky-sneak. Or try, anyway. Actually, we have a Blanket of Invisibility, which would cover three, if they don't get too fresh.
Also, do we have a map, or was that just something that Vulcanus showed us before we left? If so, Vibria would like to look at it to get a better feel for how the place is laid out. Where people might be. Where treasure might be. Where Gemma might be. Where Gemma's treasure might be.
((Any chance that Vibria will pick up on Ludwig and Bernhard have been talking trash about Vibria more-or-less behind her back to her face? Per 0 + Folk Ken 0 + die roll of 4 = 4.))
You do have a rough, hand-drawn map. There is a grand foyer, a receiving area, and storage in the first floor; kitchen, dining hall, and servants' quarters on the second floor (half the second floor is open to the grand foyer below); third floor has the studio, mundane artifacts collection, Gemma's office, and a small sitting room that is the antechamber to the staircase leading up to Caduceus' sanctum; Vulcanus has never been higher than the third floor.
With a roll like that, she doesn't get anything from Ludwig (fightmaster can roll a Guile for Bernhard).
Vibria has, however, met Ludwig before, and she certainly has gotten the impression that the little goblin dislikes her, though no moreso than what she's used to, being Judged Unfairly.
OK, to summarize:
- Carmen and Estaban are going up to the door. Oscar and Armando will be trailing them to the door (magi travelling without an escort would be odd), but will wait outside politely.
- Stealth Team: Vibria and Bernhard will be under the Cloak of Invisibility, Arachne can turn herself invisible.
Ludwig looks straight at the invisible Arachne and snerks, "That trick, for you usually work?" in broken Latin, before turning to the two under the invisibility cloak. He stares right at them as though the cloak isn't there, and says to Bernhard in German, "Hey lunkhead, take off your shoes." He scowls at Vibria and Arachne, and points at the womens' feet. "Boots noisy, feets quiet" he grunts in Latin.
The face team knocks. A few minutes later, both the double doors open simultaneously, being opened by servants, while a smartly-dressed butler stands in the center of the foyer, hands clasped behind him and wearing a professional demeanor. He doesn't ask questions and doesn't even look very closely at the two magi before inviting them in. "Apologies for the wait. We were not expecting any customers." The stealth team has no problem sneaking in through the doors as soon as they open.
"Your men may wait here," the butler says, opening a door underneath the stairs, into a formal sitting room opening just off the grand foyer.
"The master's business is conducted this way," he intones, and then leads Carmen and Esteban up the foyer's grand curving stairs, to a landing on the second floor, where a central staircase leads up to the third floor. As they go up the second flight of stairs to the third floor, Carmen notices immediately that these stairs, while in the same physical place as the ones she looked down at earlier, have not a speck of dust on them.
The stairs lead into a sitting room with a familiar-looking balcony... but the scenery outside is lush and verdant, in full summer bloom, quite unlike the early spring outside the tower. "You may wait here. The mistress will be with you shortly." The butler bows and disappears back down the stairs.
This sitting room is clearly a sanctum antechamber; there are three doors (all of which are closed) and one of them has a prominently-displayed sanctum marker.
If Arachne, Vibria and Bernhard wish to trail the other two closely, I will need Dex+Stealth rolls, otherwise let me know if you want to wait and follow along at a conservative distance.
Vibria's driving this thing. She does her best work under blankets, after all... 
Vibria scowls, but bends over to slip off her boots, grumbling to herself about how cold the ground is.
They will follow close enough to slip through the door behind them, but not so close as to risk stepping on their heels. Stealth roll: Dex 0 + Stealth 0 + die roll of 3 = 3.
Vibria also looks around intently, looking for anything [strike]valuable[/strike] out of the ordinary or that might be a concern. Per 0 + Awareness (spotting things of value) 4 + Keen Vision 3 + (die roll of 1, followed by a die roll of 10) 20 = 27.
glower 
There's no trouble getting into the front door of the tower before Esteban and Carmen. I was asking how close behind you would follow after you're inside the tower.
If you're dogging their trail going up the stairs, with a roll of 3, you will need to spend a Confidence point to avoid giving yourself away.
Awareness would be to spot something concealed or suspicious (and Vibria doesn't see anything amiss); to gauge the value of things that are out in the open will take a Bargain roll.
Carmen is silently taking tactical notes; where the exits are, how many fighting men are about and how they are equipped, what in the vicinity is flamable, arrow slits and murder holes, and etceteras.
Estaban will do the talking, but I think Andrew is mia again (forum frustration?), so if need be Carmen will play the part 
No, not really dogging their trail. Probably about three or four paces behind.
Okay, Bargain would be Int 1 + Bargain 4 + die roll of 2 = 7. Or 8 if her Specialization of "Treasure" applies.
...Aaaaaaand here you have the problem with Verditius.
The tower is beautifully constructed; its shape is octagonal, with each side perfectly facing each cardinal and ordinal direction. There are a pair of servants whose job is to open both of the front doors at precisely the same time, but there are no armed guards in sight, and absolutely no mundane defenses whatsoever. Everyone knows curved staircases should always go up clockwise to favor right-handed fighting by defending knights, but the grand foyer has two staircases, and not only is one of them counterclockwise, but they're both so wide a whole battalion could march up to the second floor unimpeded. And, flammability! This guy receives magi in a room full of overstuffed velvet-cushioned furniture? AYFKM? This guy's an idiot, plain and simple.
That's close enough that it will take a Confidence point to avoid giving yourselves away...
And as the stealth team tries to follow the lead team up the stairs to the third floor, all the invisible characters need to make Quickness+Athletics check (EF6) to avoid the butler coming back down the stairs, without drawing attention to yourselves. If the Qik+Ath check fails, you need to make a Dex+Stealth check (EF9) to avoid detection. There are 3 botch dice involved: You're trying to avoid detection, you're sharing space with allies you can't see, and even when barefoot, marble stairs are slippery.
...Oh my god. That chandelier hanging in the grand foyer is made of diamonds. #1: how impractical, #2: what a show-off, #3: WANT!!!
There's also a candelabra in the ---OH MY GOD IT'S A DIAMOND CHANDELIER, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF CARATS OF DIAMONDS SUSPENDED A MERE TWENTY FEET OVER MY HEAD, DIAMONDS!!!
Marked off.
Qik 1 + Athletics 0 + die roll of 9 = 10.
It's a good thing she's invisible and no one can see her o-face when she sees that. She will glance over when she can, and start planning how to get the chandelier off the ceiling without damaging it.
Carmen and Esteban are alone in the antechamber for a few minutes before a vision of beauty enters. It becomes immediately apparent why Vulcanus, after initially seeming to find Carmen attractive, started ignoring her whenever Vibria was around: he obviously likes tall, physical women.
Gemma is tall, with a powerfully built yet utterly feminine figure. Coppery red hair falls over her shoulders in artful waves; her skin is so pale she almost appears luminescent. She is muscular in a way which suggests that she is quite capable, yet her curves are inviting and appealing. And yet, just as Vibria's beauty incites anger and resentment, this woman's beauty is inspiring and endearing-- something about her makes people tend to want to care for her and shelter her, even though it is obvious that she can look after her own needs. (+5 Presence and Venus' Blessing, and a good amount of Charm and Leadership, for determining how your characters might react to her.)
She is wearing a baby-sling, and the towheaded child within has eyes the exact shade of blue as Vulcanus'.
"I'm so sorry I did not greet you at the docks; we were not expecting customers. And a thousand apologies about the thunderstorm, too-- Caela* gets carried away sometimes, I would have told them to be on the lookout for your ship had we known you were coming." She runs a hand through her hair, and smiles charmingly. "I'm Gemma, Venditor for Caduceus of Verditius, and item broker for the covenant of Waddenzee. What can I do for you?"
*Carmen has heard of a Norse weather witch named Caela Ex Miscellanea. If rumor can be believed, she is incredibly gifted, and completely insane.
((Vibria is too caught up in her own issues to note the similarities between herself and Gemma, at least for now. Later, when things have had a chance to calm down and she's had time to reflect, she may make some connections.))
Vibria's eyes widen when she sees the infant, and her mouth drops open in dismay. He doesn't know! she realizes. She's letting him think she had a son by another man! That bitch!
Her eyes then narrow and she flexes her fingers as she starts to wonder how good this Gemma's resistance is against fire.
Venus' Blessing means nothing to Carmen, but Presence +5 is pretty impressive. And if Estaban starts gawking Carmen will be sure to elbow him in the ribs :mrgreen:
Dropping by was a spontaneous decision. My friend here got so tired of my yammering on about how slow and long sea travel is, he made a sracastic comment about getting me a flying carpet. I took him seriously on it, and told him that I knew just the spot. I first heard of your covenant and the services your magi trade several years ago, when I served in Ultima Thule during the Trollsynir Wars.
Don't know if you have one on hand, but I'd like to comission one. There are a bunch of miscellaneous minor items we may also be interested in. What do you have in the way of enchanted armaments?
((OOC: Ultima Thule is part of Carmen's backstory, where she served as a Junior Warden of the Antares at Centurus Ares and participated in their wars against some magical trolls)