"Agreed," says Konstiantina, as she limps down the broad steps of the courthouse to the street. "Much as I'd appreciate a cup of mulled wine before your hearth, Marius, I fear our efforts tonight aren't over yet."
Her smile is warm, but her gaze remains inscrutable. "Perhaps the tunnel leads to a warehouse area where the stolen goods are held before passed through the chancery. If so, there may be further evidence there. With prey as powerful as Vernisant, we need our evidence to be as damning as possible to prevent his wriggling free."
As the group walks away from the prisoners, Rose half-turns to them and nods. "Don't worry. I don't break my promises."
Back outside, she listens to Marcus and Konstiantina while looking at the helm. "Could be, and we'd probably do well to check it before the Earl learns of his henchmen being captured. It hopefully won't cost us much to go for it while we still can."
Feeling some lingering cheer over having just fought her first real fight, and the first tangible results, she looks up and, smiling brightly, playfully punches Marcus in the shoulder. "Well, other than coming up with some excuse for what exactly dear Marcus has been doing with all these women for so long, in the dead of night, no less! There'll be rumors for months."
Her smile fades a bit as she looks at the helm again. "That said, Lotti, can you tell what this helmet does, exactly? I wonder what sort of magical power it contains and if it could help us in some way - if only temporary."
As the group starts moving back towards the canal, she notices Konstiantina limping slightly. "Lady Mokei? Do you need some help? You took a pretty nasty fall off that bridge..."
Konstiantina stops to stare soberly down at her left leg, hidden by her voluminous robes of burgundy and stitched golden thread.
She then glances up at Rose with a wry smile. "In truth, I've been telling myself it was a daring leap, purposefully done and bravely executed. But a 'nasty fall' fits the bill just as well. The crate on which I landed gave way, and several boards raked my leg. It pains me, but not enough to prevent me from pursuing Vernisant further. Thank you, Rose, for your solicitude."
Lips pursing, she resumes their walk toward the bridge.
"Well... it was... ah, certainly quite brave, yes," Rose tactfully replies, not quite meeting her eyes. "Though maybe we should go with the subterfuge plan next time to spare your-?"
When she looks up, she sees Konstiantina already back at the front, out of earshot. "I swear; ever get the feeling she's like one of those unnaturally perfect heroes from a story, who need to be protected from their own syrupy sweet noble nature?" she asks no one in particular, shaking her head and grinning despite herself.
Back at the bridge, the barred gate blocking the access to the smugglers' tunnel is both locked and secured with a padlocked chain.
When they arrive at the gate, Rose takes one look at the chain and stops. "Pretty sturdy chain. Think you can handle this, Mirann? You seemingly did well with the safe."
"If you help me check for traps, I can get thru this no problem," grins the woman.
"Well, other than coming up with some excuse for what exactly dear Marcus has been doing with all these women for so long, in the dead of night, no less! There'll be rumors for months."
"Let them wonder," he replies glibly with a shake of his head at Rose's teasing. "I suspect we would all prefer their rumors over the truth."
Watching quietly as Rose and Konstiantina's interaction, Marius draws his hood back up and moves to follow the paladin. "I think it's rather dashing, Rose. Stoic courage in the face of pain and all that. My mentor would have adored her."
+ + + + +
"Lady Mirann, I believe your talents should see us through this little obstacle in no time."
Falling back to let the other woman work, Marius falls in next to Lotti. "So...what did we mess up? I know you're dying to tell me," he grins down at the gnome.
Mirann deftly unlocks both the padlock and the iron gate. Beyond, a bricked, low-ceilinged tunnel extends away from the river. Inside the tunnel it is pitch black, the faint moonlight unable to penetrate the double shadow of the bridge and tunnel.
"I think it's rather dashing, Rose. Stoic courage in the face of pain and all that. My mentor would have adored her."
"Yes, I can certainly see why people like her would do well in the navy. I wonder how our patron got her as a contact," she replies, looking at her. Then she turns back. "Say, I don't think you've mentioned your mentor before. Care to share more? I'd say it's only fair at this point!"
"My! Quite impressive indeed," Rose says, blinking over how it took the other woman mere seconds to get through.
Noticing the tunnel extends into darkness, she withdraws a lantern from her backback. "So... I suspect some of us can see without light. But does anyone object to me using this to see as well?"
"That said, Lotti, can you tell what this helmet does, exactly? I wonder what sort of magical power it contains and if it could help us in some way - if only temporary."
"If you think that's wise - all it'd take is one early riser to say they saw you wearing it though and then suddenly all anyone wants to talk about is how the museum was robbed and some strange folks from out of town were seen brazenly wearing stolen artifacts and if you put two and two together then..." She lets her voice trail off and raises an eyebrow.
"So...what did we mess up? I know you're dying to tell me," he grins down at the gnome.
Lotti's eyes crinkle as she smiles and pats the man gently on the hand. "I think everyone did quite well, don't you?" Her voice is soft, and the patting stops for a moment as she stumbles slightly and grabs Marius's hand to catch herself. "Oh dear me," she softly sighs before continuing in a more conversational tone, "Hardly any blood shed and everything was over before I could blink. I don't know what else we could have hoped for."
"Well done, Mirann," says the paladin from the rear of the group, nodding soberly to the mysterious lady as she undoes the lock as if it were but a loose knot.
Standing behind Rose, she can't help but notice how the woman had started forward, instinct of some sort compelling her to act, before she'd checked herself. But Konstiantina's expression doesn't change; she simply narrows her eyes for but a fraction of a second before pressing forward.
"If nobody objects, I'll take the lead. That way the lantern won't ruin my night vision, and I can provide a moment's warning before we are attacked."
Unless anyone protests, she sets forth into the tunnel, blade held at the ready, eyes glimmering as she peers into the murk.
Beyond the gate, the tunnel extends for 30 or so feet away from the canal, then forks to the left and right. Beyond the intersection, the stone dressing falls away, and the passages seem dug directly into the earth and reinforced with wooden beams. The air is still and musty, laden with moisture, dust and fungal spores. It tickles one's nose, and the impulse to sneeze is almost overpowering.
To the left, Konstiantina can see the entrance into a roughly carved chamber packed with crates and barrels. To the right, the passage seems to veer further south.
"Crates and barrels to the right," whispers Konstiantina, her form hugging the wall so that she's not outlined against the light behind her. "Going to head that way. Slowly."
So saying, she creeps toward the roughly carved chamber, taking her time, listening intently after each step, and seeking to divine whether they are alone below the earth's surface.
If they are open, Mirann peeks thru the contents of the crates as they pass by.
"Say, I don't think you've mentioned your mentor before. Care to share more? I'd say it's only fair at this point!"
"Oh, are we already sharing secrets? Very well. The short version is I came to the Phalanx an angry young man embittered by a country that was unwilling to fight injustice. Field Marshal Vaerli took me under her wing and taught me that those who seek to build a better world are all around us, but it pays to keep your cards close to your chest--[/i]'never lose that spark, Marius, but you don't need to beat your chest about it'[/i] is what she used to tell me." Marius shrugs. "She was brought me into the Ebon Wing's fold and made me who I am today."
As the group moves into the darkness the noblemen hovers near Lotti, trying to look like he's not hovering. Her stumble has him concerned.
Konstiantina does not hear anything beyond the faint noises that the party makes as they creep into the tunnels, although at some point she does startle a large rat that bolts through the entrance tunnel.
The lids on the crates are loose, and Mirann finds them empty as she peeks inside, with only stray bits of packing straw left on the bottom. Quite a few of the crates and barrels bear the scaly gar mark.
Rising from her wary posture, the paladin gazes keenly across the gloom, trying to make out any other exits or the extent of the cavern.
"Oh, are we already sharing secrets?"
"'Already'? Come now, surely you didn't...?" 'Forget?' Rose mentally finishes, searching Marius for some tone of sarcsasm or humor. They'd dicussed her own mentor only hours prior, after all? But set against what seemed like a somewhat troubled history, it was hard to gauge. Or was he simply playing the part for the sake of secrecy?
She decided not to pry. "Ah, never mind. She sounds like a fine teacher who'd get along very well with a certain patron of ours." Rose blushes slightly as she remembers being admonished by Martella Lotheed with the exact same 'keeps your cards close' words just shy of a week ago. Unsure what else to say, she simply resumes walking to their destination, wary for any unseen danger.
-----------
Moving up behind Konstiantina, Rose regards the evidence."...Problematic. We do not have a permit to search any grounds, but this pile will be gone by tomorrow if the Earl is competent. Seems like that leaves us with three options: Leave it alone and risk losing it as evidence, move it somewhere ourselves so that the Earl can't dispose of it, which costs a lot of time, or get the guards involved and hope they're dependable enough to quickly remove and hold on to it. But that would be admitting tresspassing on our end, whish I assume the Lady magistrate will not like."
She peers further down the dark tunnel by lantern light. "Personally, I say we leave this behind for now and just continue first. We probably have some leeway to make a choice. "
"Let's examine this room carefully before moving on," says Konstiantina. "We might find some incriminating evidence yet."
Whatever used to be in the crates is long gone, and Konstiantina's search fails to uncover anything else, and even Rose's keen eye cannot spot anything more of interest.
Following the other branch of the tunnel leads the group to a solid-looking wooden door reinforced with iron. There is no keyhole or latch on this side of the door, and it seems firmly barred from the other side.
"We could break it down eventually, but that seems a trifle inelegant and it would be a shame to admit defeat so readily. I wonder if there was a crowbar on the barge..."
"Trying to enter this is a huge shot in the dark, especially breaking it down by force - they'll be ready for us. Who knows what we're walking into and how many men they have back there?" Rose looks around for another way through, but doesn't find any.
"That said, we could try the trick from earlier. Maybe Lotti can impersonate Miss Knar, and raise some hell over how last week's payment wasn't good enough? I doubt she has the magical talent to deduce this helm has magical power making it worth hundreds, if not thousands of gold. She'd probably think she was being cut a bad deal. Maybe they'll open up for her... and hopefully they're too unfamiliar with her crew for the rest of us to pass. They allegedly never met this new fence on the other side, after all."
The door is set into a stone framework. No sounds can be heard beyond it, not even when one presses their ear to it. It also seems exceptionally sturdy.
After spending the rest of the night at the Erallan manor, you secure an appointment with Senior Magistrate Joleana Tantriano in the morning. She greets you with genuine pleasure, offering you tea and getting straight to business.
"You move fast, I'll give you that. I wasn't expecting to have four pirates in jail the same day I deputized you. Well done." She rifles through some notes on her desk. "We have confirmed their identities as the suspected ex-Navy deserters. They will remain jailed until their trial, but at least one of them has made a full confession, although their leader remains somewhat stubborn." She regards you over her glasses. "You must have made quite an impression."
Opening a drawer, she withdraws a large, solid-looking wooden box, which she unlocks with a small key that she wears on a chain around her neck. "I shall pay you the bounties as agreed - fifty gold coins for each pirate, and seventy-five for their leader, plus a twenty-five gold bonus for your speed and resourcefulness to make it an even two hundred and fifty." She withdraws rolls of coins wrapped in cloth that she places on the desk, then closes the box, locks it, replaces it in the drawer and leans back.
"Now, tell me. What else have you uncovered, and do you happen to know what hippopotamuses eat? I have to say, I was not expecting that in my jail this morning."
"Now, tell me. What else have you uncovered, and do you happen to know what hippopotamuses eat? I have to say, I was not expecting that in my jail this morning."
"Not deputies--at least not yet," Marius replies with a smile. He inclines his head in thanks at the payment. "I realize that what I am about to say could be dangerous, but I believe it to be true. We have uncovered a number of hints pointing to the Earl Vernisant as the mastermind behind this scheme. The short version is that the Earl has been using the canal pirates to acquire cheap goods which he turns around and sells at inflated prices at the chandlery he--hmm, co-owns with Neffrey Adimare. We were able to uncover some documents to that effect," he gestures at for the others to take it from there.
Lotti places the ledger from the chandlery on the Joleana's desk, "conveniently" letting it fall open to the same page she had talked the others through after their "investigation". "Could you be a dear and read me these figures for what the Zephyr Sign has been paying for supplies over the last two years? I'm afraid my eyesight isn't what it used to be, and I'm certainly no accountant, but I can hardly believe that the price for salted meat and pinewood would have risen so dramatically - and at such a similar rate too." She clasps her hands together and gives the magistrate an innocent smile that crinkles her eyes shut. "And before you ask, I don't think dear Neffrey had anything to do with this since the poor fellow doesn't even own the chandlery anymore." She looks meaningfully at the deed protruding from underneath the book, then back up at Joleana.
"Finally," says Konstiantina, "we have this enchanted helm that was formerly property of the local museum. The curator told us that the Earl confiscated it for his own goods, only for us to find it amongst the bandits' belongings as part of their payment."
The paladin sets the helm down on the desk. "I'm sure the curator would testify as to this fact."
"It gets even worse when you consider what he does with the criminal money. He throws parties to 'buy' the loyalty of the population, as well as make crude forgeries of lineages *highly* suspect to be true, such as that he would stem from Iomedae," Rose adds, sitting down in the corner, legs crossed.
"I'd imagine he may very well be attempting to garner enough favor that the people would overlook even more blatant criminal acts in the future. With his actual supposed Lineage from General Arnisant, we'll need to carefully pick when and where to use this evidence to make the general public see the truth. We were hoping you, as an experienced judge and citizen of this town, would have some advice for us on the topic."
She frowns a moment, as if forgetting something. "Oh, um, on that note, I don't know what to feed a hippopotamous either, though I'm sure Miss Knar would tell you? I highly doubt she wants her beloved pet to starve to death."
"The Earl also took a magic scabbard from the exhibit, but we found no trace of it," adds Mirann, filing her nails.
The magistrate doesn't smile at Marius's joke, although a small twinkle in her eyes shows that she appreciates it. As he and the others continue to lay out their findings and suspicions, she frowns, leaning forward to examine the ledger and the deed.
"You are quite correct, these figures are irregular. I will not ask how you have acquired this, but I hope it wasn't through any illegal means." She leans back in her seat, rubbing the bridge of her nose under her glasses. "These are very serious accusations. We can make a solid case for the fleecing of the Navy and even for attempted bribery, but the piracy connection is only supported by circumstantial evidence."
She places her palms on the desk, leaning forward with a cold, thin-lipped smile and an almost predatory look about her. "Ahhh, but I do love a challenge. I will start drafting the formal documents to begin an official inquiry into the Earl's conduct. We will also interview everyone you have named, and gather their statements on the matter. This will take some time, and I do not recommend that you make any of your findings public just yet. We will need to be careful, and strategic, about how and when we reveal this." Her smile widens and warms a little as she regards you. "I am very grateful to you for such fearless digging into the muck of corruption in our town. I will take care of things from this point forward, and while I cannot promise a satisfactory outcome, I will do my best to shine a light on those guilty, and see them punished to the full extent of the law."
She leans back again, winking at Rose. "Meanwhile, you might as well enjoy one of those parties, I believe the next one is tomorrow. Birthright Day, or some such nonsense."
Konstiantina bows her head gravely. "You have our thanks as well, magistrate, for being willing to take on such a powerful opponent. Please let us know if we can help further in this matter."
Rose chuckles. "'Birthright day'? Oh, this should be interesting. I wonder if my stomach can take the sheer amount of ego brandishing no doubt fully on display."
Just as it seems the conversation is over, she speaks up one more time. "By the way, your honor, If I might ask you something? When last we parted, you mentioned that you'd like to give us advice on interrogation and recognizing falsehoods, or something to that effect, but didn't have the time then. So... is there any chance you'd still be willing to teach us how to do so? Such a skill would be highly valuable to all of us, and I cannot think of a better teacher than a seasoned judge. I'd be honored to receive even basic pointers."
She finishes with a polite bow as a show of respect, waiting to hear her answer.
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Magistrate Tantriano, who had already set out a fresh sheet of paper and had her pen poised to start writing on it, stops and watches Rose in puzzlement for about a second before bursting into laughter.
"Ah, my dear, you are precious. It was a jest, although I will admit that my sense of humour is somewhat dry. Still, if you are truly interested then I suppose I can spare half an hour to go over some basics." She puts the pen down and stands up, arching her back to work out the kinks, then begins to pace. "Now tell me, do you now what 'bias' means?"
Over the next half an hour, she gives you a crash course in some basic skills of listening and observation, as well as developing self-awareness about what each individual considers believable or not, or what they want to believe, based on their personal values and biases.
As the group exits the courthouse, the other pedestrians seem to be mostly headed in one direction, and with purpose, as they chat excitedly about the upcoming celebration. Many of them seem to be wearing their best clothes, and carry little blue and green flags.
Following the crowds to Ridonport's main square, you find it transformed. A wooden stage has been erected, its sides covered with blue and green fabric, and food and drink stalls ring the edges of the square. The crowd is still pretty sparse, but thickening by the minute as more and more people arrive in the square. Here and there are familiar faces - Cincia, Rasvelg, Neffery.
Next to the stage, a tall man in full battle regalia paces from one side to the other, back straight and gaze fixed on the horizon. His polished armour positively sparkles in the weak sunlight and his hair is meticulously combed back. Banners with Iomedae's sunburst sword, the Vernisant coat of arms and the Lion of Taldor hang at the back of the stage from tall wooden staves, moving slightly in the breeze. Armed and armoured guards form a perimeter about 20 feet away from the elevated construction, encircling it completely and not allowing anyone to get close to it.
The man stops his pacing and turns to face the crowd, then nods to one side. As a quintet of brass and percussion starts playing an rousing fanfare, loud pops are heard and plumes of green, blue and gold sparkling smoke are released from the side of the stage. Earl Vernisant strides through the smoke and ascends to the speaking platform as the crowd bursts into applause and cheers.
He pauses with his back to the audience as the approving noise washes over him, then he turns with a flourish of his immaculate white cape, opening his arms and giving a slow nod.
"My city! Hear me. We stand here to today in recognition of greatness: of Taldor’s institutions, of Taldor’s people, and the greatness of Taldor itself! Yet our grand empire would not have shaped the world as we know it were it not for sacrifice — the selfless heroism that inspired our neighbours to unite against a common threat, when evil itself threatened to snuff out civilization as we know it. Yes, I speak of the great General Arnisant, my direct ancestor who faced evil head-on and gave his life so that we might live our own. Yes, in Taldor, we respect tradition because it’s what made us strong and keeps us strong, and I stand before you today as a living testament that General Arnisant’s legacy of selfless and impeccable service lives on, for the glory of Ridonport," the earl pauses as the crowd cheers wildly, "and of Taldor itself! This is our birthright, and today we celebrate our heritage proudly!"
The quintet plays a cheerful tune as the guards motion for applause and the crowd cheers. Vernisant frowns with pensive concern before motioning for silence and continuing. "Yet! There are those who hate our traditions, who loathe what Taldor stands for, and who disparage Arnisant's sacrifice that bought us our freedom!" The earl motions for patience as the crowd boos angrily. "Yes, I too was angry when I learned someone might despise Taldor with the same blasphemous hatred that the Whispering Tyrant leveled at our empire when he drew upon his foul magic and attempted to tear out General Arnisant’s heart - just as even now some in Taldor wish to shred institutions as sacred as primogeniture that have made us strong! And," he notes, raising his hand before leveling a pointing finger at the spot where Rose, Marcus, Konstiantina, Mirann and Lotti are watching, "they infiltrate our ranks even today!"
The crowd starts turning and following the direction of the pointing finger as confused and angry mutterings are being heard.
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Rose freezes when the group is suddenly called out by the earl in the open.
Then, her shock makes way for a boiling rage. ”I’ll handle this,” she says, cold fury lacing her tone. ” This will be his greatest and last mistake.”
Not wasting any more time, she jumps on top of a nearby crate to make herself visible to the people, throwing back her hood to reveal her face and blonde hair for all to see. Unflinching, in a defiant posture, she raises her voice and speaks with the exact same fire she had back in Oppara, only this time directed at the Earl and the crowd.
”You, ” she begins, pointing at the Earl with the finger of damnation itself , ”A vile criminal such as yourself DARES speak of Taldan virtues? Of sacrifice, service and selflessness as you spit on each and every one of them!? While comparing yourself to an actual great hero? You are nothing but a charlatan one who has abused his power to cover for his acts of treason against you! But no more ! ”
She turns to the crowd and gestures over them with open hands. ”Good people of Ridonport – no, of Taldor – this man deceives you on all fronts! I stand before you on behalf of Count Zespire – The iron Gar. He is a *true* hero, who relentlessly chased river pirates all the way from here to the River Kingdoms. He exemplifies service to each of us! And how does Earl Vernisant treat him for his? He secretly robs his ships coming through here with a crew of thieves, then sells those stolen goods to the navy for insane, ever growing prices – which he then taxes you for! Yes – it is both your own AND stolen money that he uses to buy these very feasts! He directly supports piracy under your very noses!”
Pointing to the Earl, she continues. ”This man, he claims to care about our history. And you know how? By abusing his position as a noble to remove artefacts from your museum – which he then GIVES to his bandits to pay for their services! These relics that once protected our soldiers, who paid for our freedom with their lives hundreds of years ago, just like general Arnisant himself, deserve to be treasured, yet he discards them as mere copper!”
”And selfless? Set against all this? I don’t even know where to begin.” She shakes her head solemnly. ”I know this is a lot of take in, but ask yourself why he’s doing this - seeking this confrontation on a festival day. Why would he and risk damaging his reputation out in the open? I’ll tell you why – it’s because he’s trapped! He has no choice!”
She pierces the Earl with an adamantine glare. ”Why? Because he knows we caught his bandit lackeys yesterday – imprisoned at this very moment! He knows the evidence is already with the magistrate, and he knows his men talked! He knows that we have credible witnesses ranging from Magistrate Tantriona herself to Chandler Neffery, Shipwright Rasvelg and Curator Raviamo who can ALL verify our claims! So he knows - he knows the law will come down on him soon. Yet he speaks now, hoping his *undeserved* popularity with you will shield him from his many heinous acts against our proud nation!”
Then, she briefly smiles. ”But you know what *I* know, Vernisant?” she asks him directly. ”I *know* this desperate plea of yours , as desperate as your forged lineage in the museum, is doomed to fail. Because these people,” she gestures over the crowd, ”Are righteous!”
She raises her voice higher. ”You are right to fear them, as they don’t suffer criminals to lead them! No amount of your bribing will ever change that *true* Taldan spirit! They took care of your predecessor for *just* forging his lineage seven years ago, while YOUR crimes go SO much further! *They* are not afraid of you , and to these heroes do I ask: Will you continue to lead your lives blind to his extortion, or will you rise against THIS Tyrant, just as our ancestors defended our lands before!?”
The crowd begins murmuring in confusion as Rose holds her speech. Some of them are taken in by her passion and some key words like "piracy" and "forged lineage", and turn dark glares towards the Earl. Others seem to have trouble following the convoluted financial scheme that Rose exposes and are frowning to themselves as they try to make sense of it. The name-dropping of four influential figures in town seems to go over well, and many citizens begin to look around, searching for those named.
Vernisant himself seems taken aback by the intensity and volume of the accusations, but recovers quickly and sneers. His voice is once more heard above the din, no doubt magically amplified.
"What utter nonsense! You are right to talk of desperation, for it is you who is desperate! You accuse me of stealing, but it was YOU who broke into the Chandlery, robbing the very businesses that sustain Ridonport!" He addresses the crowd again. "How could anyone believe these strangers, with these absurd claims? They are guilty of the very crimes they throw at my feet. Me, who has sacrificed so much for the well-being of Ridonport and its inhabitants!"
You can spot Neffery a little ways away, looking a little alarmed at the mention of the Chandlery and his own name. Taking a deep breath, he visibly steels himself and shouts over the crowd.
"That is not what happened. They didn't break in and, erm, it was I who suggested that they search the building. The, um, financial activity of the establishment has been suspect to me for some time now." He avoids Earl Vernisant's death stare and gives you a weak smile. Clearly it took a lot of courage for him to speak up like this.
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The dancer hops up on a bench to better face the crowd. "To expand upon what my fellow said, the Earl is stealing from the museum, and using other people's donations to pay off pirates! He claims us of stealing what we had permission to take, when he is not only stealing from the navy, but Taldan heritage and your community!"
She brushes some of her bangs behind her ears and under her headscarf before continuing. "The curator, the," a smile, "lovely Miss Raviamo, where are you, there, that woman," she gestures at the curator, drawing the crowd's attention to her, "informed us that the Earl took a magical helm and scabbard from the museum for his own use, and upon arresting the river pirates late last night, we found the helm in their possession! On their word, they claimed the helm came to them thru their employer! Given their ready admission of theft, why would they then lie about where they received this helm? It is a clear and direct link to the Earl, he is obviously their patron!"
She turns back towards Neffrey, addressing those concerns now. "And now the Earl claims we are responsible for his crimes at the chandlery, how could we be responsible for the Earl's 'creative bookkeeping' when we've been here one day, and the same ledger has been in use for years! All we're guilty of is doing a favor for Neffrey, the man whose business the Earl has been defrauding!"
Otherwise a well-mannered and timid woman, Cincia is now incensed at the news that her precious historical artifact ended up into the hand of river bandits. "He said that he was taking it for study! I worked really hard to obtain those items!"
Magistrate Tantriano also speaks up. "A ledger was turned in for our investigation, and we will examine it with the utmost care, you can all rest assured of that." Her voice is firm, and she watches the Earl with a sharp expression, not taken in by his posturing.
The Earl waves his hand dismissively. "My estate was robbed, the helm was stolen! And I had no idea that the chandlery's financial operations were not in order, I will launch a full investigation into this!" He singles out Neffery in the crowd, and shakes his head at him in disappointment. "I bought the club from you as a personal favour, and I am dismayed that you would repay my generosity by resorting to such underhanded tactics. No doubt, out of jealousy."
However, quite a few people are directing angry looks at the Earl. They seem to be rather upset about the idea of museum assets being removed, more than anything else.
Trying to rally himself, the Earl hurls out another accusation your way. "You cannot possibly believe these vile lies! Let us not forget that these scoundrels shed the blood of Taldor's own navy, striking down our nation's finest!"
A booming laugh echoes in the square, its source the half-Ulfen shipwright, Rasvelg Coalbraid. "'Our nation's finest', ha! Good one! I happen to know every single true Navy man and woman, and none of them were in a fight last night, so if these people attacked someone, it wasn't anyone who's part of the Navy. I did point them to a nest of pirates, though."
The magistrate adds, "And those pirates are currently in our custody in Ridonport's jail! It is true that they were part of the Navy until a few months ago, but no longer. Three of them discharged for theft and the fourth a deserter. And all in better shape than they have any right to be, so I don't know about any blood being shed."
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Konstiantina rises up beside Rose on the crate, hiding the wince as the sprain in her ankle twinges, and instead turns to stare out over the crowd at the distant Earl.
"People of Ridonport." Her words are not impassioned, are not thrown out, but rather are spoken with firmness and authority. Her jaw is set, her eyes blaze with conviction, and her hair, heritage of her divine ancestry, gleams golden in the sunlight.
"My name is Konstiantina Mokei, and I am a paladin of Sarenrae. She has blessed me with her favor and gifts. And I tell you now, with my goddess as my witness, that my companions speak the truth."
Her words ring out over the crowd, unhurried, each dropped into the silence like a stone into a well. "The matter is being deliberated by the magistrates. No legal accusations have been brought. We did not choose to make this festival a court. But the Earl did, and now he must suffer the consequences. His crimes will be judged both by mortal law and divine justice, and I tell you that he shall be found wanting."
On the stage, the Earl sputters. "Pirates in Ridonport? Preposterous! Why, the very suggestion is a personal insult to my administration and these fine citizens' upstanding moral fiber! You bullied some false confessions out of some unfortunate, down-on-their-luck former Navy men and women! Forced them to lie and spread false accusations!"
As if struck by a new thought, he draws his sword and levels it at the group. "My people, let us not forget the lessons of Mendev's third crusade, when invading demons infiltrated the heroes' ranks to spread misery, misinformation, and misfortune! So too do these strangers, these menaces that spy on us and try to turn us against one another, hoping that we might destroy each other. We must stand together to be strong!"
Magistrate Tantriano speaks up again. "Cool your breeches, Earl. These people were acting lawfully and under deputation papers granted as part of the ongoing investigation into the local piracy incidents."
Cincia also chimes in. "Speaking of history, they seem to appreciate it a lot more than you do! They are scholars and gentlepeople!"
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Lotti does not hop up on the already-full crate, but uses the space created by her companion’s ascents to reach a wider audience on the ground. ”Pointing a sword at an old woman?” she asks, letting her voice quaver a bit more than strictly necessary. ”Throwing around baseless accusations? Young nobles these days - no respect for their elders or their constituents. I don’t know how he thinks we could be responsible for these troubles that have been eating away at Ridonport for so long. Do...” She pauses to lean forward and whisper loudly at another old woman in the crowd. ”Do you think he’s going senile already? I thought he had at least another decade...”
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The combined weight of all the evidence and arguments seems to finally sway most of the crowd, and the people turn angrily towards the stage. Shouts of "Crook!", "Fraud!" and "Thief!" are heard here and there. A group of young people starts a chant, which quickly picks up and is soon shouted from hundreds of throats: "Ver-nis-OUT! Ver-nis-OUT!"
The guards close ranks in front of the stage and prepare to defend the Earl as he descends hurriedly from the stage, shouting back at the crowd, although his words cannot be heard above the clamour and noise. Unwilling to face an angry mob, they herd Vernisant towards the edge of the square, where a gilded and emblazoned carriage awaits, the horses stamping nervously as they pick up the tension that fairly vibrates in the air.
Some of the people closest to you turn to clasp you on the shoulder or shake your hands, thanking you for capturing the pirates and having the courage to face down the corrupted Earl. Both Neffery and Cincia make their way towards you, beaming with joy and relief. Rasvelg doffs his cap in your direction and turns to leave, while Senior Magistrate Joleana Tantriano ambles over with a crooked smile. "That was well done, my friends. You have the gift of oratory, and you certainly managed to get the people of Ridonport on your side today. See me at the Courthouse before you leave, will you?" With that, she turns to leave as well, weaving through the crowd that is now beginning to disperse.
When the crowd definitively turns on the earl, Rose breathes a long, shaky sigh of relief. Then, she smiles at Konstiantina next to her. "I know I'm supposed to worry now about whether or not we overdid it, and what consequences this will have down the line. But frankly... in this moment, I don't give a damn. Time to celebrate, no?"
She takes a few moments to enjoy the glorious sight of this sleezeball being run out of his own town, then jumps down.
"Great job, everyone! I daresay all of this couldn't have gone any better! Feels like I could have sat this last bit out - Like Marius," she adds with a wink.
Rose accepts the felicitations of their allies and nods to Rassvelg as he leaves, but when Cincia withdraws she stops her. "Wait, Miss Raviamo. Before we forget..." She produces the helm from her backpack and hands it to her. "We found this with the pirates. I'm afraid we didn't find the scabbard, but we trust you'll take good care of this, no?"