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Jeremy is ready with his spear for something to jump out at them, and then he'll hesitate, because this is just a test, and the threat may not actually be real, so he'll have to internally debate whether or not to stab at the surprising threat, and if he hits it then maybe they'll fail the test because they're supposed to know that it's a test, and the guild doesn't want anyone who can't tell when it's time to use a certain level of appropriate force, but then maybe the guild is taking this part of the test seriously, and they're accounting for participants using lethal force, and if he doesn't strike with everything he has, they would decide that they don't want anyone who isn't ready to act when it's time to act because he's overthinking this and oh god this test is so challenging what do I do.
Anyway, he's ready.
The door opens to reveal a bathroom with what seems to contain a depressing lack of traps. Tiled in blues and greens, this large room contains several large porcelain tubs, a pipe suspended above each. A bench with several holes in it lines one wall with a curtain to separate it from the rest of the room. The footprints lead to one of the tubs, but do not return.
Arrgh, that's ruined the easy trail thinks Zandora.
Zandora looks around to see if there is any indication of what direction the newly-clean murder went.
The tub is wet still, with a touch of soot still around the plug hole. There is a partially cleaned away bloody handprint on side, likely where someone used it to support themselves to climb in.
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Hmm. How big is the print? Is it the size of my hand (a petit female hand) or was it bigger? How much bigger?
Zandora keeps looking as Shada examines the new clue.
The hand is humanoid - four fingers and a thumb in a roughly humanoid arrangement - and, while blurred, definitely isn't bigger than Shada's hand.
Zandora examines the room for exists, and finds the door to be the only one - unless someone was very, very small and took one of the latrines. A glance down suggests they would have to be very small, as a solid iron grid is firmly embedded in the passage.
Wet footprints do lead to the single door out, but the hallway outside is carpeted - any moisture was no doubt absorbed quickly by the thick material.
Zandora asks Shada to wait, then returns to the shop area to buy a sketchpad and a pencil.
She returns and they trace what they can of the hand, so they have the size and are able to compare it to an actual person.
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His lizard brain working as hard as it can, Jeremy tries to work things out.
"So, the killer was dirty, so it came in here to take a batch, and then it left, but since they're clean, we can't follow their footprints anymore?"
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”It would seem so, yes.”
Zandora is, with a few minutes of work, able to magically copy the smeared handprint onto the paper. It takes a little longer than it might have done as the blood is, in fact, an illusion, but it's the image she sought to copy and Zandora is able to do so.
There is no obvious path on this floor, but you do know the two other people present had rooms up here. There is also the dead woman's room to check, and Ured Malachek's bedroom as well most likely.
Zandora says
Okay, let's check the dead woman's room and Ured's room first, in case there are additional clues there that we can piece together before we confront anyone. So far we have the murder weapon and a bloody handprint, so I think we have part of what we need.
Shada nods. She's comfortable following Zandora's lead.
It doesn't take long for the group to find the empty bedroom (room 16).
The bed is messily made, and it's clear the rooms inhabitant had better things to do than be neat. A drafting bench covers one wall, with several designs and models scattered across and a lamp shining light down. A bedside table with several books finished off the room, one sat open.
Zandora looks at the open book to see what it was about.
As she reaches for the book she says
I'll check out the books. Maybe check out the drafting bench and see what she was working on? That's a possible motive... stealing someone else's ideas, or she stole from someone else... or, not sure, but possible relevance? ... she trailed off lamely.
Shada does as she's asked, and begins looking at the work on the drafting table.
Intelligence to examine the work:
Unless it involves ways to break someone's neck with one's bare hands, she's probably at a loss.
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The drafting tables are complex and in great detail. It seems to design the most efficient runes and inscribed spells with the least amount of materials with no drop in efficiency, but the details about which materials are best, which shapes are more effective and which materials most conductive goes over Shada's head.
Zandora looked through the books, and found the one that is open is a diary. The page it is open to reads, I'm scared. Valera is so angry with me, I'm afraid she's going to stab me in the heart, just like she said she would.
Interesting, this entry seems to incriminate Valera, but it was written in a different handwriting than the rest of the book, which *could* mean someone is trying to frame Valera. Another clue, perhaps.
Tracing the entry lightly with her finger, she copies it from the book to her notebook with imbue magic as well so that they have the evidence handy in case an opportunity comes up to compare someone else's handwriting.
She looks over at Shada.
Find anything?
Shada only finds the plans and scale models for magic items on the work bench, the basic idea of which seems simple but the execution of which is worryingly advanced.
"Nothing I really understand. Seems to be some sort of gadgeteer."
Zandora nods.
Okay, onward.
She heads out, intending to check Ured's room.
Ured's room is labelled as such, and the door directly south of Azana's. A large, circular bed dominates this room, with a variety of cabinets and chests littering the area around it. The only exit is the door to the east.
Zandora starts searching through the cabinets and chests, looking for anything that could be a clue or a motive, like indications of a relationship, a favorite, or a rivalry.
The various chests and containers contain...valuables. In one there is a shining cup of white gold, inset with gems and gold filigree. Bottles of some kind surround the cup.
In another there is a suit of armour polished to a mirror shine. In the next a sceptre, currently in three sections, which when assembled would be two meters tall when assembled.
All of these items in the veritable dragon's horde are covered in a humming haze of force. The message was quite clearly 'look, do not touch.'
There are no personal items or documents in the room, and the bed is an usual construct, more nest than anything else and built into the floor. If there is something beneath it then it'll require pulling up floorboards to check.
Shada stands in the background, waving her hands in aggressive motions that resemble attacking the air. She's obviously got some nervous energy worked up.
She glances around at the floor while she does, looking for anything out of the ordinary.
1/2 Int = 17:
Well, unless you see anything, this doesn't look too promising. If we find out the parties involved were fighting over a specific item, we can always come back.
Shada doesn't see anything, or at least nothing related to the murder, that would be of interest.
You're aware that the two potential suspects are up here, in there rooms, along with a third room you haven't seen yet. You can also investigate more on the ground floor, talk to the Guildmaster, or consider the information you currently have.
Zandora considers the evidence that they have found so far, seeing whether it all matches up or something seems out of place.
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There aren't any obvious papers in the room, but some of the chests contain notes on the items. While most of them seem to be in code of some kind what you can see does not match the Guildmaster's writing, assuming he is the one who wrote the notes here.
The handprint does, indeed, match up to the shears. On closer inspection, you note that the shears have been damaged, and the pin holding them together is loose.
Zandora goes to talk to the guildmaster, asking him if he has seen any disagreements or rivalries, past arguments, love triangles, or anything that might be a motive for murder.
(also +10 if impressed by title / +10 if attracted)
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You find Ured at the front of the shop, behind the counter. "Ah, welcome back," he said, listening to the questions. He paused for a moment, considering.
"Hmm. Well, Almena and Azana were quite friendly, but recently were having something of a tiff, I think. There was some damage to the garden by an invention gone wrong, and Almena takes great care of the garden. Azana and Valera rarely interacted, and were cordial from what I saw, but I understand there was some frustration over excess water. Valera is not a fan of it, for her own reasons. None of them have been lovers in the past, to my knowledge. None of them have been my lover, either. I would not consider any of it a motive for murder, but then, as I would like to think I am not a murderer I am not sure what one would consider sufficient motive."
Zandora thanks him for the information and suggests to Shada that they take a look at the garden. Perhaps the damage was the motivation, especially as the murder weapon was garden shears.
The journal entry about Valera also sounded more out of place than ever, considering they rarely interacted.
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Yes, I agree. It does seem quite possible the shears are a double-clue, so to speak. The murder weapon and also related to the motive. To the garden! And afterword, perhaps we can interview Almena."
The rear yard is primarily several shades of gravel, carefully arranged and swept into intricate patterns forming around some raised beds with small trees, flowers and herbs and centred on a small pond with wooden benches. A door back into the house, bound with brass, is one way out and a crystal building to the north is the other.
On closer examination some of the trees are looking a little...scorched.
Fire damage? This is strange.
She moves forward to examine the trees more closely, then if she finds nothing she moves on to the crystal building to take a look.
It looks like something exploded in the recent past. The gravel has been cleared, the walls repaired, but trees take longer to repair apparently. It seems like magic has already been used to heal some of the worst of the damage, but there is still some significant singing.
"Maybe one of the gadgeteer's magic gadgets went awry?"
Yeah, I think you are right. We should ask Almena about this, since she cares for the garden. Let's take a look at the crystal building since we're here though.
The crystal building is full of plants, the door unlocked. Trapped heat rushes out along with the smell of growing things inside. There are a vast number of herbs, berries, flowers and other plants on several shelves inside the building, and no other obvious exits.
Zandora looks around to see if the garden tools are stored here, or any other items like perhaps a notebook that has writing in it, even if it is plant growth formulas.
If not, she closes the door and heads back to where the suspects are.
A pair of gloves have been shoved inside a large plant pot. Although still wet the bloodstains that someone tried to scrub out of the material are quite noticeable.
Zandora retrieves the gloves.
Strange. We have a handprint in blood, which matches the murder weapon that we found... but also bloody gloves as though they were used and no handprints were left. Curiouser and curiouser.
This is starting to look like a frame-up.
Zandora suggests that they go in and question the people now, or check out the third room they haven't look at up there.
The garden stuff seemed real... no steps directly to a handprint, no obvious fake entry in a journal. The other stuff we got... maybe fake. With all of this I am almost wondering if we were being misled even back at the body. Should we take another look there... see if there are any other wounds? ... Or do you think we should go straight upstairs?
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"Let's try talking to Almena first. The body isn't going anywhere. We can backtrack later if needed."