Chateau Malchance, Quartier Marchand, Port-a-Lucine; March 24th, 770
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Darius wrote:"Did the priests have anything else in common, Captain?" he asks. "Where did they disappear from, and at what time?"
"As near as I can tell, all disappeared from Ste. Mares des Larmes, and all of them disappeared at night. They were seen at the evening meal, were missing by morning, and their beds were unslept in." Cedolin ran his hand through his hair again. "Otherwise... Lecanu and Vaillant were quiet, scholarly men, of the sort that almost never leave the Cathedral basements and instead focus on their research. They disappeared on the first night. Warden Grenier was one of the more radical preachers, originally from Darkon. He dissapeared yesterday."
Tomas Eisenwald wrote: "...look, what I mean is, I'm not going to let you kids go skipping into danger without a solid reason. I promised Charles I'd look after the people living here, and I never break a promise." Tomas holds his hands on his hips, "Ever."
Nicolas wrote:Nicolas sighs and drops his cigarette in the dregs of his coffee. "Laudible Herr Eisenwald, but I think your battle is lost before you have even begun." He says glancing around at what are undoubtabely a few faces full of youthful outrage.
"Too late, Tomas!" Remy chuckled darkly. "The only way anyone here is going to stay safe is if you throw them out of the house with a ticket to Lamordia. Indeed, if the train tracks weren't broken, I'd have half a mind to recommend it. As it stands, there's no guarantee that staying at home will be any safer than investigating with well armed comrades." The pale professor reached for the teapot, and was preempted by Favonius, who filled cups for everyone at the table.
"Well, I am biased, after all," Lessard said wryly. "After what happened in Muhar and the buried city, I flatter myself to think I have a point."
Nerit wrote:She finally turned to Lessard and said, "I am fine, Prof. I was merely upset at the newspaper. Do you really think they have any idea what they're talking about? No, they do not. It is not that easy to catch someone as fiendish as this. If he really practiced 'black sorcery' that could afflict an entire capital, I doubt they'd be able to catch him, or even know who he was!" Nerit glanced back at Cedolin, pointedly, and for a moment there was a flicker of not anger, but fear.
Lessard raised his eyebrows at the outburst, but nothing more. "As a faculty member and potential suspect, you can hardly expect an unbiased opinion from me," he said. He folded his hands on the table, regarding Nerit with a mildly curious expression.
"The nobility and much of the Council believes that only a group of powerful mages would be capable of the destruction witnessed," Cedolin replied to Sister Doherty, stiffly. "The University is the only area with the resources and the people. The artifacts being in their hands when they were stolen has been considered further evidence against them."
"Hmm, well, it is hard to argue with that." Lessard took a sip of his tea. Cedolin frowned at how blaise the professor seemed about the matter, but Remy just shrugged slightly. "The University is patronized by very many illustrious mages," the professor said, twirling the ring on his right hand.
Lia wrote:She shrugs in Cedolin's direction. "No offence intended to you, sir. You have given every impression of being a stalwart man. But not all your superiors have proven themselves to be such over the course of the years."
"It is my duty and honor to serve the Lord Governer and his nobly elected advisors," Cedolin said in response. His expression said he did not want to discuss anything further on the subject, either out of offense or fear that he'd put his foot in his mouth.
"Thank, thank you for your, your dillegence," Richard told him, sincerely.
Nicolas wrote:Glancing across at the captain he asks "So how quickly can you arrange the letter of introduction?"
"Right here and right now, if someone would give me a pen and paper." Cedolin said, checking his pockets for a writing implement of some sort.
"You can use mine, Captain." Prof. Lessard said passing the gendarme the pen he used to grade with, as well as a sheet of paper. Remy usually had something to write with at hand. It was the sort of thing he did.
"Thank you, Professor." Cedolin said. Quickly and neatly, in a hand that was obviously used to writing reports on a daily basis, Cedolin wrote out the letter of introduction to Bastion Pineau. All it said, simply, was that you were helping Cedolin in the investigation, and that Cedolin would appreciate any aid the Bastion could show. It was brief and to the point, but it would work.
"There you are. This ought to let you see the Bastion, at the very least." Cedolin said, passing the paper back across the table. Satisfied, he picked up the cup of tea that Favonius had provided and took a large gulp.
"Have you considered that this might be some kind of purely internal issue in the clergy?" Prof. Lessard said. He frowned a little. "Maybe it has nothing to do with this general madness, Cedolin?...Cedolin? Cedolin!"
The captain of the gendarme was not paying attention to Remy any more. A horrified look crossed Captain Cedolin's eyes, and he leaned forward in his chair, dropping the tea-cup as he wrapped both hands around his throat. It fell to the floor and shattered, sending dark liquid and porcelain shards spinning across the floor.
Cedolin began to cough. A hideous, wracking sound, moist and astonishingly painful to listen to. For a moment, nothing happened, then from Cedolin's open mouth a glob of blood fell onto the kitchen table. It was followed by another, and then blood began to pour in a steady stream from the hapless gendarme captain.
Heal Check to help Cedolin.
Perception Check to try and figure out what happened to Cedolin.
