Asrabey irritation at situation is obviously growing. "I don't know what his role in this mess is. That's the whole..." He grits his teeth, the desire to just cut his way through you showing clearly on his face. In the end he throws his arms up in exasperation. "Fine! I don't need to drag this worthless Danoran before the court. He can confess his sins here and now to me, and I will be done with him."
He points his sword at Nathan, "Speak worm, and know that my patience is at an end. Deflect, obfuscate or plead ignorance and I will cut you down."
Nathan pales, and looks around the room for a friendly face, seeing none. "Well there's not much to tell. I'm an astronomer here in this facility, and couldn't help but notice that our factories and shipyards were producing weapons and warships. I disagreed with the military build up and wasn't shy about making by opinions heard. About a year ago I was contacted by someone claiming to be a Risuri agent and I figured that the best way to stop the war from starting back up would be to feed Risur information to help keep the balance of power even. Things just kind of escalated from there. This," he waves his hand around broadly, "is not what I was promised. I was trying to stop a war, not start one."
The fey lord turn back to the Duchess, "Is this true Ethelyn? You wished this war? After all the death and destruction you beheld in the last one? Why?"
The Duchess struggles to rise, but gives up with a grimace of pain, "I've been trying to tell you Arasbey, but you haven't been listening, when my brother began speaking of peace with the Danorans, I consulted a skyseer and they told me of a vision."
A globe spins on its axis, and a steel ship sets off to war on a sail of shadows. The world passes into night, and blackness grips all of Risur as the stars fall from the sky. The king’s eyes turn a soulless white, and he moves as a puppet, his strings pulled by a man who has already died a thousand times.
"I tried to warn Aodhan, but he wouldn't listen and I refused to just sit back and let him lead Risur to disaster."
Asrabey shakes his head and mutters, "Stupid children, that's not the nature of prophecy. What a waste."
More loudly he says, "Goodbye Ethelyn, you've caused more trouble than one mortal has any right to," and begins to more towards you. "Move Risuri. I am done here and have no need or desire for your aid."
The woman takes note of the many things said here today to be included in her report.
Alex steps aside and looks at her escort, "Pass the word, Lord Arasbey is departing and not to stopped or engaged."
Preach was in no mood to try and stop the towering fae, and he made way. He agreed with Alecandra's words saying "Good call, let's hope nobody is silly enough to try."
Turning to practical matters he asked the Duchess, "Your grace are you able to walk? We shouldn't tarry here..."
And Nathan, you best come as well. There are people who wish to talk to you. Then, with a bit of luck, you can go home.
Alsah felt a sense of relief but wondered about this prophecy.
"Lord Arasbey. If you find the need to have a reliable path for communication, please feel free to seek us out. If the courts can't engage each other directly, perhaps we can help sort it out. Until then, best of luck," Bryn adds.
Messer sighed in relief. He had no interest in trying to fight or restrain the monstrously powerful fey, and was just as happy to let him leave on his own. Neither the fortress nor the fleet had stood against him, he didn't see anyone trying now if he was leaving peacefully.
The young woman looks to the Duchess, "Duchess Ethelyn, perhaps you would be so kind as to have your forces stand down? There is little point to more bloodshed between our people."
Asrabey snorts a little at Bryn's comment, "Best that you do not draw the Court's eye. Not all its agents are as gentle as I." With that he heads down the stairs, limping slightly and leaving a trail of blood drops in his wake.
With the fey lord's departure, a palpable weight lifts from the room. The Duchess nods feebly at Alex's request, looking completely defeated, "Yes, yes, of course. Too much has been spilled already."
Nathan on the other hand looks near panic and lets out a nervous laugh. "No, no. You can't send me home. They'll string me up." He clutches at Alsah, "Take me with you. I still be of use to your government."
You have been of enough "use" Danorian. But I believe you will be released into the custody of your cousin. What happens next is up to her. Alsah says coldly.
The vision that was relayed does bother her. But that was for long thought. When she gets the chance, she will prepare herself to see if she can gain some insight into the vision when she sleeps on the return voyage.
The woman watches the powerful fey depart with relief. It was good to not not make an enemy of that one.
She looks to Nathan, "If you do not return, you could request asylum from Risur. Of course, we are not in a position to grant it, but you could be present to those that might consider it. They might also reject it as well, as you are a relation of Minster Jirre."
There was much revealed here at the end of the conflict. And much more to consider, going forward.
Nathan shakes his head, "I'm sure Lya would feel really bad about it, but she'd be forced to the 'right' think. She's in the government. It's not like she could look the other way for family. Not like you could look the other way while I sat quietly in the corner of one of your transport ships while it sails out of Danoran waters."
He pauses, then smiles slyly, "If you do know my cousin, you might be doing her a favor if your let me 'slip away.' It would avoid a whole lot of complications if I'm not around when she shows up."
Alexandra looks to the others after hearing Nathan out, "I am for returning Nathan to Risur, the information he could provide on Danor's build up as to what led to the Duchess' actions would be a boon to the Royal Homeland Constabulary. If at another point in time that they deem it, those of authority can return him to Danor. Either way, I am sure that he has more value for us than the trouble it may cause."
She looks around to the others to see what they have to say on the matter.
Messer rubbed his eyes, making sure to use the flesh and blood hand. "No good choices here. I'll back your play as best I can." If things went pearshaped Danor would be angry. If it went well it could mean a war avoided. Risks and rewards, trials and tribulations.
Preach rubbed the bridge of his nose, again matters of state way above his pay grade were in play here. Still he ventured an opinion, "I believe your fears to be well grounded Nathan and Minister Jierre has no option but to toe the line, however your cousin Lya Jierre had this to say: 'He (Nathan) wasn't even old enough to fight during the last war and should bear no punishment for whatever grudges the duchess holds. If he still lives please keep him safe.'"
Looking Nathan in the eye he said, "I agree she won't press the matter if you're not to be seen when the island is officially handed back... We should take you back with us."
Alsah snorted
Like there was any other option. Come on, let's go
"It's settled then. Both of them are coming with us. We should probably keep them between us just in case. Alsah and Preach, why don't you stay behind them?"
Sounds like a plan
You escort the Duchess and Nathan from the keep and quickly liaise with more Risuri troops that help to see you safely back to the harbor where you see to the securing of your prisoner and safe stowing of Nathan.
Throughout the day, the Duchess' remaining troops surrender or are captured, and are loaded onto ships, which, once loaded, quickly depart, taking their prisoners back to the mainland. One by one they leave, until only the Impossible remains behind in the harbour.
Near sunset, a steam-powered Danoran warship, the Lux Profectusque, a squatter and slower vessel than the Coaltongue, but sturdier for open seas travel, coasts into the Axis Fortress harbor. Lya Jierre disembarks, flanked by a pair of unusual bodyguards who stand protectively by her side.
The first is a sneering half-elf who carries a pair of elaborately decorated platinum rods, slotted into holsters at his hips. Amid images of roiling clouds and celestial spheres, two golden buttons stand out by each rod’s gripping end. The man’s forearms are massively muscled.
The second, a hulking half-orc, wears a steel helmet with unusually thick protection over his ears, but otherwise has no armor. He holds a thickly-wrapped object, like an overlong walking staff, twice as thick at the top as where he holds it. Layers of white cashmere conceal the object’s head.
When Lya sees you she smiles and asks if she can take back her country’s island. She produces a pair of matching documents, minor treaties that state simply, without any legalese or jargon that Risur condemns the duchess’s attack on the island and will not press a claim to its ownership on account of this particular military event. As government representative, you are empowered to sign on behalf of Risur, and do so.
Lya is glad that you managed to find her cousin, Nathan, though a little perturbed that you lost track of him during all the confusion. Regardless, she is confident that he will turn up and thanks you for looking into the matter. With all the paperwork finished, she asks politely that you make your leave, as not all of her people are as fond of Risur as she is, and she would like to avoid any further incidents. She thanks you again and takes her leave to take inventory of the damage.
With that, there’s nothing left to do but board the Impossible and sail back to Risur.
As they boarded The Coaltongue, Preach said to the others, "Don't know about you but I felt completely out of my depth when it came to all that politics. Still I'm glad we were able to avoid much bloodshed, let's hope our superiors agree!"
I suspect they will not. Not handing the Danoran back will not be received with joy.
She sits, ordering her thoughts
He will be handed over as soon as they know. Politics.
Forty years ago the city of Flint was a second-tier port, mostly a haven for fishermen and loggers. Still struggling to overcome the stigma of having once been the domain of a perilous coven of witches, Flint was prosperous, but played little role in Risuri affairs.
Then the Third Yerasol War ended and the new king declared Flint would be his nation’s seat of industry. Mines in the Anthras Mountains poured iron and coal downriver to Flint’s harbor. Old forests within the city limits were clear-cut and factories erected in their place to build guns, refine alchemicals, and forge steel rails and train cars.
Thousands of immigrants and gold-seeking villagers crowded into shabby flophouses and tenements around the factories, then when those were filled they built new slums on the sides of the city’s steep hills. Smoke and soot poured forth from factory roofs, and criminal elements took root beneath these gloomy clouds, growing strong and feeding on the desperation of a new population of workmen, prostitutes, and orphans.
In places, Flint’s historical beauty still endures, in the governor’s island mansion fortress, high atop haunted Cauldron Hill, deep in the breeze-swaying branches of the Cloudwood, and on the bayou plantations west of Pine Island. The confluence of people from so many stations has inspired great art and technological innovation. But cracks between competing groups are straining the peace, and all it would take are a few disasters to drive the city apart.
Since we last met our heroes:
Two months have passed since the events of Axis island. The party members are commended for their actions and RNC is the hero of the day, its funding secured for the foreseeable future. Still, foiling plots and capturing traitors is what the Constabulary was created for, and soon the excitement fades and everything settles back down to the daily routine of meetings, data analysis and reports. During this time Alex and Juiliet are reassigned and Millicent is attached to the team.
A number of notable events have made the city's broadsheets over the passing weeks:
1. Despite you reporting your interactions with Asrabey's, and relaying the will of the Unseen Court, the Duchess is not executed for her treason. A public ritual strips her of her title, leaving her with only weak magical powers. Now just Ethelyn, she’s imprisoned in the Bridge Tower in Slate.
2. The King has announced his betrothal to Lya Jierre of Danor. To which there has been a fair bit of uproar from the traditionalists. Lya is decades younger than Aodhan, which would be enough to set tongues to wagging, but the fact she is Danoran, has proven to be even more scandalous. (The kingship of Risur is not hereditary, so this will have no real effect on succession, and is very much a political marriage.)
3. Some anti-industrialization protest groups have been emboldened by the recent events and are treating the Duchess as a hero to the cause. Acts of terrorism have been occurring, most prominently those carried out by a woman dubbed “Gale” by the newspapers for her singular ability to fly away from the scenes of her crimes, despite most scholars saying such flight magic is impossible. Gale’s attacks usually take the form of sneaking into factories at night and sabotaging machines so work must stop, or unmooring ships so they drift into the harbor and sink, and for these she has won the sympathies of those who view industry as Danoran meddling. The whole RNC office, including the party, have been devoting most of their efforts to catching this 'Gale', so far with little success.
4. Shortly after the event on Axis Island, tiny tremors began to periodically shake the city, which has no history of earthquakes. Docker poets have taken this as a manifested metaphor of the rifts opening up between the different districts and cultures. Punctuating this unrest, angry protests are periodically marching through Bosum Strand and Parity Lake to denounce cruel treatment of factory workers, and the police have taken to thrashing any of those, protestors and poets both, who make too big a name for themselves.
Today...
It’s just before 11 a.m. on the 1st day of Summer, and the team is at the main office of the Risuri Homeland Constabulary going over leads in the Gale investigation when Assistant Chief Inspector Stover Delft, interrupts.
“Time for some field work, constables. We just received a delightful report about the perfect lead for you. Young woman, identity unknown, jumps out of the fourth floor window at the Danoran consulate, impales herself on the spires of the compound fence, and perishes. Technically half of her is in our jurisdiction, which is good for you because the fence she landed on was forty feet from the window. Seems like our young victim thought she could fly.”
When you are ready to leave, a carriage is waiting to convey you to the Danoran consulate, and even with official seals on its doors to help clear the way, the ride takes nearly an hour. The late spring morning is warm and muggy, and a foul breeze blows a cloak of smog over the normally clear-skied North Shore district. The street that runs past the consulate has no buildings on its opposite side, just beach, but four Flint police officers are trying to block off access to gawkers. A black coroner’s carriage waits outside the consulate gate; the back door is open, and its driver sits on the slab where a dead body should go, looking bored.
Preach was something of an amateur chymist and was keen on the ideals of progress, of logic and scientific rigour. The idea that not only some poor young thing had been deluded into thinking they could fly was an anathema. The fact it had happened in such a public way and in daytime was a nasty shock.
Sounding troubled he replied to the inspector, "We'd better go at once sir, before the scene gets hopelessly muddled. I do hope this isn't the beginning of some Gale inspired fad..."
At the scene of the accident Preach makes his way over to the officers guarding the body and presents his credentials and tries to mentally prepare for a horrendous sight. He asks one of the officers, "Do you know if there are any witnesses?"
The woman has one of her small note pads out and is writing down information given by Assistant Chief Inspector Delft. "Or perhaps... thrown?" She lets out thinking aloud.
She does look to Preacher and asks, "A fad, to gain entry to the Danoarn Embassy and jump from it's highest floors?" She gives an honest shrug.
Millicent has heard the recent 'talk' of the masses, off hours she is sometimes in such establishments where she hears talk. That and a friend who was a reporter... the things one can learn by merely listening.
"However it happened, she says with a nod of her head, "Let us hope we can get to the truth of the matter without political interference.
At the Preacher's query she does stop and listen for Delft's reply.
REgardless it is sad that a young person has died. Are we certain it is an accident?
Alsah says as she adjusts her outfit.
It may be this is open and shut. I hope so. So much is going on right now
Messer considered. "Well, the victim is at least one witness, if we decide on what to ask her." he pointed out. Still, they needed to be polite to Danor. Given the, ah, soon to be linked nature of the nation and all.
On arriving, Alsah will cast detect magic and examine the scene carefully
take 10 perception = 16
take 10 spellcraft = 19
As you approach, one of the officers takes a look at his pocket watch and introduces himself as Alfred Bellastair, the officer in charge of the scene.
“We responded to some panicked witnesses, and by the time the first of our men got here the Danorans had taken the victim off the fence and carried her inside. But everyone had pretty much the same story. They heard gun retorts, saw the woman jump out the window, and she landed on the fence. One scoundrel apparently stole stuff off her body and ran away as she was bleeding out. The Danorans wouldn’t let us inside, but I yelled at them that you’d be showing up, and they said they wouldn’t get rid of the body. The guy you're going to want to talk to is their security chief, Julian LeBrix."
He looks impatiently at his watch again,
“You can handle the investigation from here without my men, right? We’ve got better things to do than sit around for another hour while you “special constables” drink up the hospitality of the Danorans.”
Alsah looks wryly at the officer. Her cat peeks its head out of its pouch a looks balefully at him as well.
Are we keeping you from something, Officer?
This is a crime scene, and you will keep it clear until we tell you.
Then she moves to examine where the body hit the fence. It is not likely much could be found but it would eliminate things
The woman moves with the others and watches her colleague's treatment of the constable only doing his job. Putting the man in his place only exacerbates the perception that they have of the rest of the RHC.
She moves to the man, attempting to use a bit of honey to the bitter tea given already, "Officer Bellastair. Thank you for securing the scene. If we could trouble you and your men a bit longer. I assure you, this will not be a social visit to the Danoran Embassy. There are more than enough onlookers to make this more difficult then it needs to be."
Hoping she has, tempered any bad feelings, or at the least not tarnished their good name more then needs be, she turns to the situation at hand.
She does look out to the crowd while others examine the fence. It can be telling to see who shows to such a scene, perhaps even the perpetrator.
Bryn asks the group, "Is it possible this woman was compelled to jump? Is there a way to detect any traces of such magic?"
"Officer Bellastair, since your men were sitting around waiting, that must mean they were able to id the deceased?"
Alsah rolls her eyes, out of sight of the others
Really, we have to beg for them to do their job?
She focuses on the scene
The officer's attitude irritated and disappointed Preach but he felt responding was beneath him. Instead he replied to Bryn, "It might have been possible for a practitioner to cast a detect magic spell to answer that question in the immediate aftermath... Surely one of the Danoran's would know, but whether they're going to tell us is another matter."
The officers bristle at Alsah comment and Bellastair says, "It's your crime scene now, you deal with it." Millicent's attempt to mollify the situation does pull forth a terse concession to remain on scene until you exit the embassy. "But we'll be billing your office for the overtime."
To Bryn Bellastair says, "Never got to get close to the body before the Danorans hauled it away. I'm sure they'd have a better idea of who jumped out their window."
The site of impact smells faintly of cleaning supplies and other then a slight bend to some of the spikes that top the fence, there is little sign of the violence that recently occurred here.
There likely wasn't anything more to be learnt out here so Preach said to the other constables "Lets go see the Danorans and ask if we can inspect the corpse and see if we can find out who fired that gunshot."
When they were ready he walked towards the entrance and introduced himself showing the officials his badge.
40 feet to the window, not counting the drop. It is unlikely she dropped. Was it a running leap? Looks like she did think she could fly.
She follows after Adam
"A forty foot leap is incredible, so far this case seems to defy all logic." replied Preach as they walked.
"Let's head inside so Messer can find out what the deceased can tell us," says Bryn as he starts moving towards the door.
Messer nodded. "It would seem like a solid place to start. Do you know what question you would like me to ask?" 'Who killed you?' was a good one, but the fact that people like him were with the RHC meant that most smart killers wore masks, hoods and illusions. Much of the time the deceased wouldn't know their killer if it was there own lover, in Messer's experience.
How many questions do we get? But Who are you, Why were you at the embassy and where is your home?
Preach replied quietly, "From what I understand it depends on the strength of the scroll, we may only get a couple of questions so we need them to count. Hopefully the Danorans with be able to fill in some of the details but we may wish to verify their version of events..."
The young woman not sepotting anything of note rejoins her colleges, nodding to the officer as she continues past. Looking from the fence to the apparent placed she had 'jumped' from above she notes it all down in her small note pad she had on her person at all times.
Millicent is counting paces as they make their way from the fence to the front door of the building to confirm the approximate distances she follows along with the others.
She looks up to Messer, "Perhaps, asking for a description, in detail, if the events ten minutes prior to her death? Might give detail and context to what happened, unless the questions must be more, defined"
Preach glanced at Messer as he said, "Honestly that sounds like an excellent question, let's hope the spirit is willing to cooperate."
Messer considered. "A great question for the living, but the dead tend to be brief, cryptic and repetitive. I can try asking that, but I can only ask once, and I'm not sure how much she'll be able to convey."
As you approach the consulate gate, a man come out to meet you. He introduces himself as the Danoran security chief, Julian LeBrix, and invites you in.
He walks those party members that wish to enter in through the courtyard gardens into the entry hall of the consulate. Along the way he says, “This is a mess. I took a diplomatic post to avoid having to see blood and death anymore. This business has our people pretty shaken up, none of them ever saw war, and so I hope you can take the woman’s body and go quickly. Better for everyone I think if the consular doesn’t have to be bothered. He has more important things on his mind than a burglary. We have treaty negotiations, trade contracts, and you don’t want powerful men thinking about death when they’re deciding our fates, you know?"
"The woman went by the name Nilasa Hume. She’s been in a few times these past few months and seemed nice enough, she even brought us breakfast this morning. One of our security personnel, Braden, was dating her, but I suspect that she was just using him to case the building."
"This morning, I noticed that she slipped out while everyone else was eating the food she’d brought. A hunch led me to check the consular chambers upstairs, and I found her slipping gold forks and spoons into her pockets.”
LeBrix fishes out a small padded bag from his vest pocket and pulls from that a tiny ceramic egg, beautifully decorated with gems and gold.
"She also had this. It’s worth thousands, and we had it sitting out on display."
"Anyways, after I came upon her, everything happened so quickly. I saw her, drew my pistol. She saw me, and ran. I realized she was about to jump out the window. I thought she was trying to kill herself, so I fired and hit her in the leg. Then she jumped. Flew straight through the glass. My second shot took her in the back and then she fell."
He holds up a forestalling hand, “This all happened within the consulate grounds. I’m within my rights to have taken these actions, though I wish I hadn’t had to. So let's not waste time arguing about my use of deadly force.”
The consulate’s main secretary, watches the group as they come in, but gets back to work when LeBrix tosses a sidelong look at her. He leads you down a hall and stops outside a storage room. Opening the door he says, "We’re all professionals here. It would help me out if you can take the body and leave quickly.”
Inside the storage room, a bloodied white tablecloth covers a body, while a consulate guard sits in a chair beside it, stunned and grieving.
In a quiet but firm voice Preach replies, "Thank you for seeing us LeBrix. We understand and sympathise with your desire to minimise fuss, however a young woman lost her life today in a very public and shocking way. This may well be the simple open and shut case you describe but justice must be seen to be done and the sooner our questions are answered, the sooner we'll be out of your hair."
He then makes some requests, saying "To begin with in addition to examining the body we'd like an opportunity to speak to Braden and anyone else who may have witnessed todays events or have spoken to her recently."
Then he asked, "While it's still fresh in your mind could you please show us the room where the incident occurred? We'd like try to recreate what happened and understand how the devil she managed to land on the railings forty feet away!"
Millicent listens to the story that the Security Chief, Julian LeBrix, lays out for the, and listen and watches for any sign of deceit. She has no doubt that there are layers of truth within but highly doubts the entirety of the story. Not to mention while within their rights to use force as they see fit, morally, using lethal force, shooting, a mere thief was suspect thief.
But she does take all of LrBrix's statement down to refute or confirm as the truth is determined.
She does her part though, and smiles, "Yes, thank you Chief Lebrix. This event is rather disturbing to all of us. As my colleague," motioning to Preacher, "has mentioned, will be as quick as we can, while doing our utmost to seek the facts of this horrible incident.
Bryn walks over to the body, kneels, and moves the sheet to examine the body.
Is there just one pistol wound? Is it from behind like the Chief states?