Vibria turns and looks at Bernhard, mouthing [color=red]"I know" before turning back and glaring daggers through Gemma. She doesn't think she'll kill Gemma after all (at least, not on purpose) - Vulcanus would never forgive her for that. But she will pay. And she tries to fix the image of Gemma and the infant in her mind.
Esteban has a fleeting temptation to lie about his name, but swallows it. "My name is Esteban de Barbastro," he replies with pride. He does not volunteer his House, lineage, or covenant affiliation.
Gemma's cheeks color. "Oh. My apologies, I had thought you both magi. I'm afraid you'll have to wait here, Señor, as the studio is warded against mundanes." (Perception + Folk Ken EF 17 will pick up that she's being dishonest.)
She drops one of the acorns back into her pocket. "In that case, we should get on to business, maga..." She looks expectantly at Carmen, tossing the acorn up and down in one hand.
((For some reason, I'm picturing her standing either in or just before the door. Is it possible for Vibria et al to carefully move to where they have a better view into the room behind her? Dex 0 + Stealth 0 + die roll of 6 = 6.))
(you gotta give me a little space in time on weekends, Carmen will prodly introduce herself)
Carmalita Maria Diana Perez of House Flambeau. And what might your name be?
The stairs come up into this room and there is no door separating it from the landing, just a railing along the staircase to prevent falling down the stairs; there is a door on the other side of the staircase landing (which is the one Gemma entered through), and two doors on the other side of the room (one of which has a sanctum marker on it). The two doors opposite are closed, but Gemma left the one behind her ajar....
"As I said, I am Gemma." She pauses as the very noisy invisible pair blunder past her (Carmen and Esteban both hear it easily, as well), and she sidesteps them as they pass by. Without missing a beat, she continues smiling at Carmen. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Carmen. I hear Andorra is lovely this time of year." She then shakes her head in annoyance and turns to the two cloaked figures, and speaks in German: "Congratulations, Bernhard, you've finally met a woman who is more conspicuous than you are. I'm sure the two of you will be very happy together." She turns back to Carmen and Esteban and returns to Latin. "Now why don't you tell me where Anselm is? I would have expected HIM to be the one blundering about, drawing attention to himself like a lamb in a shul on Pesach."
Esteban didn't come close on the Folk Ken roll.
He feigns indignation. "You were right the first time, fool woman! You mistake Esteban de Barbastro for a mundane? The insult! The indignity!" (Imagine all this with a highborn Spanish accent, it sounds better.) "Tell your master his servants are in need of training! First you say you have received no word of our coming, and then you call me mundane?!"
Pre + Guile for the performance: 7, not so great.
OOC If you look at the timing of my last post, it's just a few minutes later than Ryu's. In fact, Ryu's post was not up yet when I started composing mine, and I didn't know it was coming.
Esteban's intent was to make a scene and distract attention. Does that help conceal the invisible elephants? I guess I'm asking the SG to rule on whether Esteban's diversion comes in time. If not, I'd rather he keep his mouth shut than make a fool of himself for no reason.
((Okay, it took three or four re-readings, but I think I have a better feel for the layout then I did a few minutes ago. If the antechamber is a square, with the entrance to the south, she came in from the north door, and two more doors on the east and west walls (one of which has a sanctum marker on it). Based on what you wrote, it sounds like the answer to my question of "Is it possible for Vibria et al to carefully move to where they have a better view into the room behind her?" would be "No," in which case Vibria wouldn't blunder past her, but rather wait, listen, look, and try to take a better opportunity when it comes up.))
It won't help them-- Gemma saw them before she heard them (Faerie Eyes!). Hearing them just made it difficult for her to keep pretending she didn't know they were there. He can still try to cover for them if you like; it will take Perception + Folk Ken against an EF 15 to be able to tell that she is only pretending not to notice the invisible people.
((I really don't like arguing, but I didn't say Vibria was going to force her way, or try to make her way past Gemma no matter what. I asked if it was possible for Vibria to carefully move to a better vantage point. Since the response makes it plain that it wasn't possible to do so means that she wouldn't have blundered past Gemma, but would have stayed where she was. That doesn't mean that she doesn't know that Vibria is there (that whole faerie sight thing that Vibria still hasn't clued in on yet – when Ludwig made his comment, I honestly thought he saw feet sticking out from underneath 
)
But, yeah, that's my position.))
There was room enough to maneuver, you just weren't very stealthy. Her "sidestep" was not any kind of quick dodge, but a subtle making-more-room-for-you motion.
((Okay, so it was possible, but Vibria blew it. Got it. Too subtle for Vibria to realize what Gemma did, or did she move in such a way that Vibria realizes that she's not as invisible as she thought she was? Per 0 + Awareness 3 + die roll of 8))
Now that's she's in the room and (as far as she knows) out of the way, Vibria is going to look around, look for what all's in there...especially that bow of Vulcanus's that we're supposed to be after. Per 0 + Awareness 3 + (die roll of 1, followed by a die roll of 4) 8 = 11. 12 if her specialty of "Spotting things of value" comes into play.
The EF is 15, and it would be Folk Ken, not Awareness. Waaaay too subtle for Vibria to have noticed.
It's a fairly simple bedroom and office. There's a desk with a few ledgers, a bassinet, and a small bunk beside it. There's another door leaving this room, but the door is locked-- and as Vibria is trying the handle, she hears Gemma's voice call after them in German (Vibria is getting used to the sound of German now!), and distinctly hears the name Bernhard spoken. (Note: Vibria is just overhearing the dialogue in my previous post.)
I don't believe I know an Anslem. But interestingly, you know who I am. How is that?
And as for the matter at hand, though I do have my hear set on a flying carpet, you mention that you have other devices involving magical transportation. What do you have to offer, and what are your rates?
Carmen is acting obtuse and playing coy, as if nothing is out of the ordinary and Carmen has no idea what Gemma is talking about.
Com -1, Guile 3 (playing coy), die roll 1d10=1, then 1d10=5, equals 13
:mrgreen:
She can toss in Confidence for a 16 or 19, if it has any productive effect
Gemma smiles. "Of course I know where he went when he left Fengheld, and two of his covenant-mates showing up with Anselm's cousin is far too much a coincidence. So either you're being duped, or you're well aware that your people about to blunder into Caduceus' traps and you're just a very good actress. Now, you can either drop the act and accept my aid, or I can summon magi here to throw you all out before anyone gets hurt. Either one works for me."
Bernhard shakes his head as he listens to the next few comments, then pulls the blanket off both himself and Vibria. At this point it will just get in the way of his undrawn axe when this all goes to hell. And it's going to go to hell, because it always goes to hell. He doesn't even bother to respond to Gemma. His main concern now is figuring out a way to kill her without hurting Vulcanus's son.
Then shall we invoke a Parlay? What help do you have to offer? Who took our flying carpet and how can we get it back.
Holy Shnikes, a conundrum...
See, Carmen's first loyalty is to the covenant, tracking down who raided us. The issue with Vulcanus & the bow, this is important but the covenant comes first. She also has not drawn the same conclusion about the child, nor does she know any one has drawn any conclusion. Lots of kids have blue eyes. Especially when they are German.
She keeps mentioning a flying carpet because that is one of the items that was stolen. And because we really need one. So if Gemma knows who took it and how to "get it back", well...
The moral conflict is visible in Carmen's expression.
And who is Anslem? Perhaps I know them by another name?
She makes a tsking noise. "Verditius screens for a certain level of intelligence in their apprentices. It seems Flambeau are less discerning. Think it through with me, now. How many cousins does Bernhard have, that left Fengheld for Andorra, who have a rivalry with Caduceus, who left me for a dull and foolish Flambeau after he got me with child? If that thought process is too complicated for you, I'll narrow it down-- Bernhard's mother has only one sister, and that sister had only two children, only one of whom is male, or a member of the Order, for that matter. Still too complicated for you to figure out?"
(A Perception + Folk Ken against Ease Factor 6, and a character will realize, based on where her eyes move and how they glint with anger while she speaks, that Gemma believes Carmen is Vulcanus' new woman.)
Per +1, Folk Ken 2, die roll 1d10=4
equals 7
You speak in contradictions. I think you mean Vulcanus, and I don't know why you simply don't use his Hermetic name when speaking amongst magi who may have never heard his vilgar name. But Vulcanus hasn't been dating anyone that I know of. If you are referring to me [size=85](hard glare)[/size], then I am afraid you are sadly mistaken. The only man I have been with for the past few years is Estaban here, and it is more of a romantic friendship at this point. We haven't done anything physical yet. Oy, I haven't had had any action for much longer than that even! (looks at Estaban) We have to fix that. This winter. Vacation. Valencia. None of your chivalry bullshit. If mamma don't get no play, then mamma will find a new playmate.
A non botched Folk Ken roll will reveal that Carmen isn't being serious, but she isn't not serious either.
And don't let the blonde hair fool you. I am the smartest b*tch you're ever gonna meet. Flambeau is the Enlightened House.
So you are not fooling anyone. I have no facts proving who broke up with whom. All I know is Vulcanus came to us, answering the call of distress from the Knights of Seneca, he came to us a sad lonely man and has no clue he has a child. You need to inform him, and you need to make sure he has access to visit his child. Fathers have rights. Love is love and if your love is over, then that just is what it is. But you have an obligation as a parent to make sure this child knows who his father is.
Back to the matter at hand. What do you know about our flying carpet?