At the Danoran Consulate Discoveries
Outside on the Street:
• Based on Anneca’s analysis and her own experience with brief magical flight, she concludes the probability that the woman who “jumped” from the fourth-story window of the consulate must have had similar-type magic. There’s simply no way she could have made the distance without the aid of flight, short of being propelled out of the building from a cannon – even thrown out by someone upstairs would not have given enough force and momentum to travel the distance in her estimation. Furthermore, from the way the spiked fence is not bent or with spikes damaged in any way means she landed on them
directly from above, and not at an arc from the window. She will have to confirm the impact points on the body to be completely sure…but Anneca is fairly sure that will be the case.
• The woman crashed out the window, hit the fence, and then there were two gunshots, each a few seconds apart. When she jumped, she had her arms covering her face, as if to shield herself.
• A man was up in the window after she hit the fence from above, but he looked like he was completely obscured in black, except for something shiny in his hand, perhaps a gun. A moment later he had vanished.
• A man sprinted down the street and then turned down an alley, carrying an armful of something. The witnesses have pointed out the alley where the man had run to.
• A man with a goatee went up to the dying woman on this side of the fence next to the street. She handed him a bundle of papers and folders, then whispered something to him before she died. The man then yanked a yellow pendant and necklace off the woman’s neck before running away.
Inside the Alleyway:
• Willem finds signs of a brief scuffle occurred here, given the boot-prints in the mud and the way a nearby empty crate has been smashed open, as well as a discarded daily paper that was torn and slashed by a blade or other type of slashing weapon. There’s also a strange smell in the air that neither Willem nor Emerson can quite place.
• Emerson finds a fallen piece of fine parchment in the mud. It seems to be a copy of a deed of ownership for a canal barge, marked with the seal of the Danoran Consulate.
Inside the Storage Room:
• Jesselle doesn’t seem to sense that Julian LeBrix is lying in any way, though he does seem evasive and somewhat worried about Gemma checking Nilasa Hume’s body for some reason.
• Examination of Nilasa’s clothes reveals a bail certificate from her arrest in a hip pocket. The document, from the Parity Lake police station house, indicates that she was picked up in a contraband raid recently but released on bail, paid by one “Heward Sechim.” Law requires her to carry the certificate until her trial.
• Also in that pocket is a receipt for a purchase of a dozen items, their names abbreviated, with notes of “16 drams” or “48 drams” for each, valued at a total of “2.450 gp,” signed “D.W.” On the back of the receipt, scrawled in a different handwriting, it reads “Silvo, Deorn Feldman, family wharf.”
• Hidden in a partially sewn pocket in Nilasa’s bodice is what feels like a glass vial. Gemma waits until LeBrix leaves the room before investigating further.
• The vial hidden in a pocket in Nilasa’s bodice is an empty vial, recently used. There is no obvious smell of anything alchemical to it, so it might be the emptied remains of a magical potion or elixir.
• The glass vial that Gemma retrieved does still have a faint lingering aura of illusion magic to it, as there are still a few drops left for scrutiny. After some study on the vial and its properties, Jesselle concludes it was most likely an invisibility potion that Nilasa Hume had recently consumed before her fall and death.
• The bullets from the two gunshot wounds have been extracted. One shot to her leg was not life-threatening. The other shot entered her upper back and pierced her lung. Gemma's estimation of the entry wounds is that they came from long-distance; neither occurred at close range.
• The wound on Nilasa's scalp is not from the breaking of glass like what she suffered on her arms. They appear to be lacerations in a pattern, but as if her scalp was not healed while her face was. Furthermore, the wound has marks of decay as if caused by necromantic energy.
• The pattern of wounds from the scalp now make sense in the context of Nilasa's first statement - her face shows signs of magical healing that closed the wounds upon her face, leaving very faint traces of four parallel slashes there. Nilasa was magically healed, apparently after she died upon the fence.
• First Question’s Answer: ”I was…killed. Murdered. Murdered by that terrible man who found me…I was too slow, too long. Found me the man did and his face was smiling at me, but it was a false face, a face of death. Turned…to…shadow. The shadows moved and I ran for the window, to freedom, but he was always there! How did he do that? Slashed…my face…with his cruel talons. It hurt so much, so very very much, and I could not see, but I did not stop. Then I…hit…and flew with my charm…I was free! The air rushed about me and I felt I could soar to the very clouds! But…it was not enough…and I fell…and…hit again. Ohhh. Pain, so much pain and I knew what had happened to me…OHHHHHHhhhhhhh!”
• Second Question’s Answer: ”There is little time now. Something is coming. I was on a mission…on a mission for Her. I will not betray Her now to you, greycloaks, not even after what has happened to me, but know that what She tasked me to do was for the good of Risur. For the good of the poor and oppressed, my brothers and sisters and kinsmen of Flint that choke and weep and die under the gloom of this terrible ‘industry’ that plagues them. How could I stand by while so many of my friends and worker-kin suffer so from the wicked? How is this the future promised? So I did not stand idly by. I joined. I acted. I duped Braden, and learned the workings and patterns here, and was patient to enact my plan. And so I did, and found the evidence I was sought to seek, so that She could undo their foul plans. Their secrets would be revealed by my hand! But then…He…found me and…and…” There is clear anguish then, and for a moment Jesselle fears she will go back to wailing on her death as she did from the first question. But instead she looks with desperation on her ghostly face right at Jesselle and pleads, ”No time left, but I implore you if you have any decency – protect my adopted father! Protect dear Heward! I fear He that killed me and those besides will murder him as well for my discovery! Please! I beg you, do not let him come here before his due time…I could not bear it! Please…they come…I cannot tary…I must…”
In the Receiving Hall:
• Staff confirm that Nilasa arrived right as the consulate opened at seven o’ clock to bring pastries (including a popular Beran cookie-pastry called brigaderos) and make coffee for them. They only knew there was a problem when shots were heard upstairs, and Nilasa had disappeared while they were all having breakfast.
• Security staff relate to Tobias that the shots were heard and confirm it was Julian LeBrix who was already upstairs, while other staff seem to recall LeBrix heading upstairs after the shots were heard. Still other staff seem confused by the details, but breakfast was amazing!
• Braden shares that Nilasa’s favorite tavern was the ’Thinking Man’s Tavern’ in Bosum Strand District, and she had several friends and acquaintances there. He had been there once with her, but his Danoran heritage made him uncomfortable with the patrons there.
• Braden shares that she worked in ‘Sechim’s Alkahest and Alchemicals’, a factory in Parity Lake District. She also lived there and had a room, the factory owner being close to her like family. To his knowledge she was an orphan and had no real family in Flint.
• Tia recalls Nilasa was speaking briefly with a foreign doctor in the lobby when it first opened, an Arrovian native from the Malice Lands with proper Danoran credentials, seeking traveling papers to Ber. Tia seems willing to share the doctor’s case file with Tobias…perhaps if he is free for dinner at some point in the near future?
• Tia gossips that Consular Methan du’Nadria had a guest in the basement meeting room at the time of the consulate’s opening, an early meeting for the consular that he setup directly. She saw the consular shortly after the shootings and the ruckus outside (suggesting he was not involved in the incident upstairs), but didn’t see his guest – she remembers him because he had a Risuri accent, but was otherwise pretty nondescript.
Display Gallery:
• In the middle of the gallery room, not far from where the overturned pedestal that held the ceramic egg on display, a fine embroidered rug was seemingly moved there. Underneath it are bloodstains.
• A brief but effective look at the consular’s closed door as Tobias briefly distracts LeBrix reveals the door’s fine lock was picked (presumably by Nilasa Hume), given slight markings on the lock and wood around it. Given that it is a very fine lock, Fethryth reasons Nilasa must have had time to pick it.
At the House of Blue Birds Hostel Discoveries
As the ledger is examined, they see following entries about the doctor:
* Full name is Doctor Wolfgang von Recklinghausen
* Place of Origin is not listed
* Paid-in-full through 7 Summer.
* Primary Contact is Doctor Barnaby Camp, resident and local surgeon of North Shore
* A policeman of officer rank named Roger Porter visited the hostel earlier, inquired with the staff about the Doctor and went through his room, taking a small bag of items from there. He then bribed the staff to say nothing about it and left.
* The cleaning woman (Mia) noticed Roger Porter seemed injured because of wrapped bandages stained black, and smelled like burnt oil or grease.
* A rag containing a light cleaning oil as well as a dull black oil-like substance was found in the Doctor's room. The substance is unidentifiable without an alchemist's lab.
At Sechim’s Alkahest & Etchings Factory Discoveries
Inside Sechim's Offices:
* Heward Sechim confirms he is the unofficially adopted father of Nilasa Hume, and verifies she used to live at his living quarters section of the factory.
* Heward is saddened but not shocked when told Nilasa had been murdered - his uncle is the famed Skyseer Nevard Sechim, who had a vision of her death several weeks' prior.
* He believes Nilasa, already a stout traditionalist, had been radicalized by Hana "Gale" Soliogn after the events of Ethelyn's Rebellion in Spring. He believes she made contact with Gale and joined her cause directly, and was working some mission upon her behalf which got her killed.
* A search of Nilasa's room turns up nothing of interest; she had not lived there since the beginning of the year.
* Heward confirms he posted bail for Nilasa the week before at the Parity Lake police station, after she had been picked up with two known criminals who were friends of hers.
* He confirms Nilasa was a frequent patron of The Thinking Man's Tavern' in Bosum Strand, and had many friends there, including Barb the barmaid. Heward himself visits there every week with workers from his factory.
* He confirms the story of his guards about the foul-seeming strangers (see below), and relates they were trying to buy cases of alkahest (acid) illegally from him, but he refused. He says they smelled like burnt engine grease, but couldn't determine why.
* He confirms the substance on the rag (see above from the House of Blue Birds section) smells similar to the strangers, but cannot confirm what the substance is without a full analysis with his alchemical laboratory.
* He speculates that the Danorans owning deeds to lake barges is nothing unusual, as the barges are the primary means of transport of raw materials and finished goods from Parity Lake to harbor via the Stanfield Canal. Furthermore, Danorans own minor interests in a great number of Parity Lake factories.
* He relates that Uncle Nevard is dying, and journeyed up to the Cloudwood shortly after his vision of Nilasa's death in order to see the Heavens more clearly. The Skyseer strongly believes there is a strong need to have true visions to help the Risuri people before his death. Heward asks the constables to find and help him.
* He relates that Uncle Nevard knows Gale, and could possibly arrange a meeting with her under the right circumstances. Heward himself wants Gale to stop putting impressionable youth like Nilasa in harm's way for her terrorist aims.
* He does not seem too concerned with notions of his own life being in danger, trusting to his skills and the loyalty of his men to protect the factory. Heward does allow the constables to protect him or provide a special protection detail if they would like, as long as it does not disrupt his work or that of his factory.
Outside with the Factory Guards:
* Guards show genuine loyalty and respect for Heward Sechim in how he treats and works with them. Because of this difference in philosophy, other nearby factory owners are hostile to Heward, as are the off-duty Parity Police that guard their factories.
* Guards relate that foul-seeming strangers came twice to bribe or intimidate Heward on something, though he refused them twice. The second time the guards trailed the men but lost them near the Nettles.
At Doctor Barnaby Camp's Offices Discoveries
* Barnaby Camp relates that "police officer" Roger Porter came earlier to see him, interrupting one of his classes. He inquired about Doctor Wolfgang von Recklinghausen and his association with Camp, including other contacts or whereabouts.
* He confirms Officer Porter seemed injured and in pain with both a limp in his right leg and bandaged around the lower chest; he noticed Porter also smelled like burnt oil for some unknown reason.
* Barnaby Camp confirms Doctor von Recklinghausen as an accredited doctor, surgeon and chiurgeon from Arrovia in the Malice Lands. He noted Wolfgang came from family wealth and had a wife in Arrovia, though rumors were that he lost both in the past year.
* He is an academic acquaintance of Wolfgang, and sponsored him during his stay in Flint. He confirms Wolfgang was seeking passage to Ber, using the Danoran Consulate's treaty with Ber to gain entrance.
* He relates Wolfgang may have had another female acquaintance in Flint, but did not know whom.
* Barnaby confirms the script recovered from Nilasa's pocket (see above at Danoran Consulate) is likely the script from an apothecary's shop, listing various compounds of medicinal or recreational nature. He also believes the final cost is much too high for the herbs and compounds indicated.
At North Shore Police Station Discoveries
* The sub-commander confirms there is no Roger Porter at North Shore, and assumes the man is an imposter.
At Parity Lake Police Station Discoveries
* Nilasa Hume's arrest record is obtained, confirming her incidental arrest while two of her friends she was staying with were arrested for petty burglary charges.
* Both associates of Nilasa, Ford Sorghum and Travis Starter, were remanded to imprisonment at Goodson's Estuarial Reformatory.
At The Silver Swan Inn Discoveries
* Tia Jedeau's Danoran Consulate file on Wolfgang von Recklinghausen is reviewed and committed to memory by Tobias Utegg:
Doctor Wolfgang von Recklinghausen, native of the Malice state of Arrovia, recently a tribute-state of the Danoran Republic. Late 30’s in age, from an Arrovian family of repute. A doctor and surgeon with credentials in Arrovia, Danor and Risur, all seemingly in good order. Also a noted martial scientist and accomplished swordsman, with published papers in the Jierre Sciens d’Arms war academy of Cherage. Had a profitable practice in Arrovia at one time as well as a marriage, with notations that both had been dissolved in the last year. Desiring to travel to Ber, which Arrovia has no standing treaty with but Danor does, which is the stated reason for Recklinghausen’s visitations to the consulate since arriving to Flint several weeks ago. Desired port in Ber is mentioned to be Reo Pedresco, for the purposes of teaching modern surgical and chirugeonal methods to aspiring Beran doctors. The file lists Doctor Barnaby Camp as his primary Risuri sponsor, as well as the ‘House of Blue Birds’ as his temporary residence while waiting for his traveling passport papers to be approved. However, the file also lists a second Risuri sponsor – a Professor Lynn Kindleton of Pardwright University in the field of anatomy and biology.
* Anneca detected a Mysterious Man was spying on the dinner conversation of Tia Jedeau and Tobias Utegg, and in turn she disrupted his clandestine ploy. That action led to the fleeing of the man, with the constables in pursuit.
* Anneca and Tobias chased the man to an unfinished mansion tower, where he revealed himself as Grannan Telbor, a former R.S.S. spy turned alleged assassin and arsonist. After imploring Tobias to close the case on Nilasa Hume, he faded away in a manner that could not be explained.
At The Thinking Man's Tavern Discoveries
* Barb the barmaid confirms her long-standing friendship to young Nilasa Hume, and is deeply saddened by her murder. She confirms the romantic relationship between Nilasa and the Danoran security guard Braden was a ruse, though Nilasa did not let on she was doing it for any sinister purposes.
* Barb relates that Nilasa had recent dealings with three different groups of patrons in the tavern: Hennet Rinus of "The Professors" group, Jered Lawman of "The Band" group and Griggs MacBane of "The Sailors" group.
* After success in a philosophical inquiry by "The Professors" to see how the constables would answer, Hennet relates that Nilasa asked him to help her write letters in Crisillyiri style to impress a man from that country.
* Hennet states the man is Monsigneur Morgan Cippiano; Nilasa was interested in acquiring something illegal or illicit from Morgan and his associates. It isn't known what it was, other than something important to Nilasa's cause.
* After success in a personal inquiry to "The Sailors" to swear an oath on finding Nilasa's killer, Griggs relates that Nilasa asked him about the reliability of a Deorn Feldman, a known smuggler from Pine Island. Griggs was not impressed with Deorn's reputation or skill.
* Griggs relates Deorn was working for a local Pine Island petty crime boss, but that after a serious conflict where several crime factions wiped each other out, a new outside crime syndicate has come into power, with Deorn Feldman working for this new group.
* After narrow success in goading Jered Lawman of "The Band" to entreat with them for the betterment of the people, Jered relates Nilasa Hume was on a mission for Gale against the Danorans, though he doesn't know precisely what.
* Jered relates Nilasa was also working to bring in the "goods" to fight the "usurpers" if needed; she was to deliver these "goods" to a Cloudwood bandit leader named Renard Woodsman, though when and where was unspecified.
