Imperator Non Inridetur

[LeSwordfish]

Frisky Felid

Spoiler

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"If they're proper hiding something, they probably won't even tell us with all our authority." Annie said, unwilling to name their authority. "Personally I weren't planning on asking, as such."

She tinked her nail against the bottle. "Besides. Got this to finish, ain't I? I'll meet you there in a few."

OOC

Spoiler

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After finishing her drink, Annie will try and find a map or plan regarding which of the stations the headquarters of the food companies can be found on.

[qechua]

Spoiler: Frisky Felid

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Akadia waited for Kestrel to leave before dropping the act. Wiping her hand over her forehead and back through her hair, she softly spoke That guy creeps me out more and more every time I see him, and some day he is going to end up saying or doing something so stupid that all our heads are on the block

Retreating back to the bottle, Akadia took a large swig of the liquid, each gulp seeming to taste ever so slightly better than the last, to the point it was now borderline fit for consumption. Looking through the bottle, she could only see about a quarter of the liquid remaining. Raising it slightly towards Annie, she toasted To unexpected acquaintances... Turning her head to the door for a second, then back to the bottle, she continued ...and psychopathic nut-jobs. Without waiting for a response, she finished the bottle and stood, slightly slower than usual.

I'm off to find something new to wear, which I'm sure will be far more revealing than it needs to be given its purpose. I'll meet you at the shrine when I'm done. Good luck.

[Vexing]

Spoiler: At the Shrine

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Nonplussed, Father Schaff's rage is abated by Quint's display. He holds out his hand awkwardly to the psyker, muttering: "If you've been helped, pilgrim, then be on your way. I won't have you distracting my acolytes further, understand? What's your business here?"

Spoiler: Office of the Arbites

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The "squirming one" spends most of his time shocked silence during Idares' accusation, but when the officer snatches his charm he becomes inconsolable. "I swears it's not, I swears! It's just a charm, sir, to protect me from the ghosts! And I weren't raising no rebellion; I was just trying to save my fellows! If they work for the Coggers, then they're gonna get snatched too! They spaced good men and now their souls are clutching back!" He drops to the floor and clings to the Duke's knees. "I'm a Emperor-fearing man, just like you! Don't send me to die in the pits or under the collars or--" The rest is much the same as his pleas degenerate into more babbling.

Spoiler: Annie

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Whenever the the Gunmetallican finishes her drink, she easily locates a station map pasted up onto one of the many kiosks. The vast majority of the hydro-gardens are tucked away on Platform Secundus (run by the Adeptus Mechanicus), but there's a small independently operated section on Platform Trifectus belonging to the "Goltos Combine". Whatever that means.

[runestone]

The shrine

Gaius moves to back of the shrine and kneels before one of the idols. Safely out of earshot, he discretely activates his micro bead "I am at the shrine, and I will stay here tonight. Quint is here and so is the local head of the imperial cult. Be respectful if you come"

Then he prays for forgiveness for using the idol of a saint in his deceit.

[ArcturusV]

Should he stay, or should he go? The man asked him a question, but also told him to bugger off. Regardless Quint touched the man's hand with reverence, as if it's battle scars were a true, sacred relic, and as he did so, let a little bit of the Warp slip through his body, bringing a slight curse to the man that would not only make him easy to track, but perhaps rile up the ranks of the Imperial Cult and shake some malcontents out.

Spoiler: Rolls

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Using Psychic Stench on him. With my willpower bonus it is actually impossible for me to fail to manifest it. Just rolling to see if the power triggers anything weird.
(1d10)[4]

If it's a 9: (1d100)[82] Psychic Phenomenon
If it's 76+ on the PP: (1d100)[81] Perils of the Warp

And to see how long it lingers: (1d10)[10] days

Quint let go of the hand, muttering a small catechism to the Emperor and those who shed blood in his name. He rose slowly, keeping his eyes down in reference, hands clasped in front of his robes as he backed away from the figure, both because he was about to reek of cleaning chemicals (At least to Quint, who hated that smell more than anything), and in a show of giving the priest the proper reverent distance, far too meek and lowly to approach the Father.

"Oh yes. Novice Trager was most skilled, knowledgeable in the ways and burning with faith. The Warp Travel is... unsettling. I would hardly imagine to trouble a figure of your station with such matters however."

[Vexing]

Spoiler: At the Shrine

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Schaff's nose begins to flare slightly, and he nods nice and slow. "She's undisciplined. All of them are, and I told her not to wander off. It's not a good time to be out alone, pilgrims or no pilgrims." Dismissively, but with a bit of a snort to clear his nose (oh, futility), he turns his back on Quint. "I'd suggest you get what you came for and then get moving, traveler. Novice Gaius, you're gonna be relieved at the end of your shift by Novice Yrd." He taps his stave for emphasis. "And for Throne's sake, if he doesn't show, you contact the Arbites. Keep sharp." And with that, he stalks off back through the crowd, which seems to be parting around him as he approaches. Curious...

[ArcturusV]

As the Father left, Quint went up to the shrine, and made a small show of bowing before the scroll of one of the saints, talking softly and discretely with Gaius, "... sounds like someone is picking off Novices of the cult," he mentioned, it only made sense with the Father's worries about Novices wandering off alone, and Anna's story about the Ghosts taking the previous shrine maiden. "As well as the Adepts of the Administratum. The Skitarii spaced an entire manufactorium that was taken up in the rightful fervor to the God-Emperor, recently. As well as stories of Ghosts, souls of the dead and gone wandering the station."

Quint made the sign of the Aquilla and muttered a quick prayer to the Emperor, "Keep your weapon close. I am planning on looking into the spacing of that Manufactorium, and the man who may have been responsible for 'inciting a riot'."

[GoodDocJones]

Kestrel stalked off, robes billowing as he maneuvered through the crowd, making his way back to the shrine. He had to admit, spooking She-Who-Shivers was fun and all, but they still had work to do. Pushing himself through the crowd, he raises and eyebrow as he watches it part. Within two steps, they part for him, and Kestrel is suddenly looming over a wrinkled elder with a walking stick.

Kestrel, however, doesn't step aside. Instead, he stops, and waist for the man to go around. It's common practice on Dusk: If you're to earn the respect of the Elders, you have to stand up to them (or, in this case, just stand there looking at them).

[runestone]

The shrine

"Thank you, I will remain vigilant. But ghosts? That sounds like a bad cover story ... or like the work of something truly dark"

He frowns and gives an involuntary shudder as he looks towards the door "But I agree that there is something very strange going on. For a moment, I smelled something unnatural and ... awful just before the father left. Did you notice that?"

He makes gesture towards his micro bead "I have informed the others that they can find me here. Annie and Akadia are together, so they should both know where we are. I suggest you talk with them before you proceed. They were going to some bar ... to talk to the locals, I mean"

"We need to find a way to stay in touch. Since I'm going to be here for a while, we can use the shrine as a meeting place for now, but I really think that we should aim to have a micro bead in each group when we split up. If what you heard is true, then this place is more dangerous than it looks"

[ArcturusV]

"Never doubt the terrors that can be called up by those who believe they know better," Quint warned, knowing that the Adeptus Mechanicus didn't quite have the same understanding of the Warp, and the Mystical as he did. It felt entirely possible that people who had been devoid of the True Faith for so long might have dabbled in something beyond their ken.

"It is dangerous to go alone," and with those words Quint rose, murmuring a last prayer to the God-Emperor and his chosen saints as he went off to look for someone a bit bigger, and a bit more brutish to function as his "guard", just in case.

Surely it couldn't be that hard to find whatever bar they decided to adjourn to?

[Vexing]

Spoiler: Kestrel and Quint

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The 'wrinkled elder' stinks of rotten meat left to decompose in some sort of small pool. He seems aware of this, at least you think that's why his nose is so crinkled up. When you refuse to move aside, he leisurely swats at you with his crippled right hand, veins standing out on his neck as he shouts. "Get on!"

In Quint's case, this little street-scene can be easily spied as you trot along in the swell of the crowd, following pasted fliers for the "Frisky Felid"--apparently the only stable bar of any size on Weyland's Gate.

[GoodDocJones]

The 'wrinkled elder' stinks of rotten meat left to decompose in some sort of small pool. He seems aware of this, at least you think that's why his nose is so crinkled up. When you refuse to move aside, he leisurely swats at you with his crippled right hand, veins standing out on his neck as he shouts. "Get on!"

Kestrel easily snatches the man's wrist mid-swing, grinning widely. "You wish for me to treat you as these commoners do? As an invalid? Never! Any man standing deserves to be respected as a man, and," He says, rearing his head back, "A worthy opponent!" With those words, he headbutts the priest twice, smiling all the while. This ought to learn yer, commoners.

[ArcturusV]

... oh Emperor and all the saints...

Quint was aware, it was hard NOT to be aware of, his 'companion' headbutting the father right in the chest. Headbutting... a priest...

He hunched up his shoulders making sure his hood was covering his face as much as possible as he tried to hurry away from the scene of the crime, sliding through the crowd that may have been forming around the brawl, not wanting to get himself caught up in some Skitarii response to another "religious riot", or Arbiters for that matter.

He spied a flier for the Furry Bar, and figured that had to be where the slightly more sane members of his party were, heading off to find the tavern of apparently good repute on the station.

[Vexing]

Spoiler: Kestrel

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Completely caught unawares, you can see the widening of the stench-afflicted elder's eyes as your forehead snaps forward and connects solidly to his chest. Underneath his robes you can feel something a bit more substantial resist your strike, but even so it's not enough to truly cushion the blow. His feeble, halting attempt at bringing his stave between yourself and him is far too slow to be of any real effect.

He gasps and steps back, hand slipping from your grasp as the crowd immediately widens around you. Something completely out of their experience has just happened--Father Schaff has been struck by a strange spacer. Winded and enraged, he cries out and brings his stave around. "Idiot! Heretic! I will have you flogged!" Even wearied by your powerful blow, it's evident that his combat training hasn't dulled by much. His first strike lands home across your right thigh, but the second one goes wide as his breath hitches in his (certainly) bruised chest.

The encircling crowd is in awe, a collective hush having settled over them, quiet enough to hear the faint whirr of ancient machines cycling air high above.

Spoiler: Frisky Felid

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As whomever is still inside is finishing their drinks (Annie, Akadia?), and Quint enters, a small boy pushes himself past the psyker at breakneck speed. "Da'! A crazy man's all shoutin'! He's beating Three-Fingers!" The bartender's face pales immediately and his rag drops from nerveless fingers.

[GoodDocJones]

Completely caught unawares, you can see the widening of the stench-afflicted elder's eyes as your forehead snaps forward and connects solidly to his chest. Underneath his robes you can feel something a bit more substantial resist your strike, but even so it's not enough to truly cushion the blow. His feeble, halting attempt at bringing his stave between yourself and him is far too slow to be of any real effect.

He gasps and steps back, hand slipping from your grasp as the crowd immediately widens around you. Something completely out of their experience has just happened--Father Schaff has been struck by a strange spacer. Winded and enraged, he cries out and brings his stave around. "Idiot! Heretic! I will have you flogged!" Even wearied by your powerful blow, it's evident that his combat training hasn't dulled by much. His first strike lands home across your right thigh, but the second one goes wide as his breath hitches in his (certainly) bruised chest.

The encircling crowd is in awe, a collective hush having settled over them, quiet enough to hear the faint whirr of ancient machines cycling air high above.

Kestrel took the hit in stride, growling happily at the rush of battle as he is struck on the thigh. That's going to bruise a bit. Still, his words give him pause, even as he takes another swing at the elder. "What for?! This is the highest respect you can show someone on Dusk! I'm only showing my deference, your grace!"

He says this even as he throws a punch.

[Vexing]

Spoiler: Kestrel

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"Are you mad?!", Schaff roars as your fist easily breezes past his stave. Whatever else he's about to say is cut off as your fist impacts his chest again. He doesn't appear as rattled as before; rallying, he coughs and booms out a command. "Stand down, fool! Arbites!" The crowd begins to disperse and chatter loudly as the ring of boots on steel plating echoes in the distance...

[LeSwordfish]

Annie stood up sharply. "That'd be our friend. One of them, dunno which. Where, kid?"

[qechua]

Akadia made her way through the crowd, nervousness kicking in. She was alone, in a crowd of thousands, and was somewhat regretting drinking that, whaterever it was, way too fast. She continued walking, feeling every set of eyes watching her until she became aware of people all moving in one direction. Her senses perked up, in the distance she heard someone shouting, nay, commanding something, but couldn't hear what. On the plus side, nobody was looking at her anymore, they all wanted to find out about the commotion.

She just about reached a storefront when she saw a pair of Arbites, fingers on the ear as if listening on a micro bead. Seconds later, they were moving off towards the racket. Little concern, they were obviously after Mr Shouty, whoever that was. Entering the shop, she began looking through the clothes and rags on offer.

[runestone]

The shrine

Gaius hears the commotion outside, and goes to the door to see what's going on, but stays inside, tending the shrine as he has been commanded.

[Idares]

Spoiler: Office of the Arbites

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The "squirming one" spends most of his time shocked silence during Idares' accusation, but when the officer snatches his charm he becomes inconsolable. "I swears it's not, I swears! It's just a charm, sir, to protect me from the ghosts! And I weren't raising no rebellion; I was just trying to save my fellows! If they work for the Coggers, then they're gonna get snatched too! They spaced good men and now their souls are clutching back!" He drops to the floor and clings to the Duke's knees. "I'm a Emperor-fearing man, just like you! Don't send me to die in the pits or under the collars or--" The rest is much the same as his pleas degenerate into more babbling.

Tirantine peels the weakling off his legs. "Compose yourself man, your no use to me gibbering. Ill be the judge whether you were instigating or not. What ghosts are you talking about? And who has been giving you these charms?"

[GoodDocJones]

"Are you mad?!", Schaff roars as your fist easily breezes past his stave. Whatever else he's about to say is cut off as your fist impacts his chest again. He doesn't appear as rattled as before; rallying, he coughs and booms out a command. "Stand down, fool! Arbites!" The crowd begins to disperse and chatter loudly as the ring of boots on steel plating echoes in the distance...

"A bit," Kestrel confesses with a slight shrug, rubbing the spot where the staff smacked his thigh, "But, not at you hitting me. That was a fair shot and everything." He shrugged it off, and looked over to the crowd of Arbites making their way towards them. Now, Kestrel wasn't about to go around thumping them (Well, not all of them, even on Dusk that was considered poor taste), so he just watched them, crossing oak-tree thick arms over his robed chest. "So," He said, looking to the priest, "I'm guessing that's not how you show respect to an elder here?"

[Vexing]

Spoiler: Kestrel

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The stink of rotten flesh seems to grow even stronger as Schaff's lips curl with anger. "Oh, really?" Pushing their way through the crowd, two Arbites officers arrive in response to his earlier summons. Schaff gestures to the two of them, coughing slightly as he does so. "Take him in and question him; I refuse to believe that someone could be so idiotic as to strike a priest." His eyes narrow considerably as he takes in Kestrel with a long, slow look. "You have my blessings if he should resist you. Idiot knave." He slams his stave on the metal flooring as the two officers slowly move to Kestrel. "Hark, citizens and spacers! The Emperor and his chosen are not mocked!"

Spoiler: Frisky Felid

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The child's eyes light up as he nods excitably at Annie. "'Course I can! He's out on the walkway to here, can't miss the crowd. If we left now--" He's interrupted by a swift cuff from the bartender, who's scowling at the boy. "Mikael, get behind the counter and stay there." He glances up between the newly entering Quint and Annie, shaking his head. "I don't want any trouble. If he's a friend of yours, get out, and stay out until it cools down. I've no desire to kiss the void, me or my boy. You understand?"

Spoiler: Office of the Arbites

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"The ghosts are from the old refinery group that got spaced. They was listening to some quill-pusher who had the fire of the Emperor in him, and the Skiitari dropped in on 'em. There was some sort of fight broke out, and then the Coggers spaced the whole damn bay to the void!" He looks incredible fearful as he relates his tale. "Th-The charms is just made, Officer. Some of the other workers started wearing them and saying that they protected you from the ghosts. It's their sign, see?" He gestures to the crude metal arrowhead. "It's the arrow of the Emperor, and it points toward a righteous soul. None of the boys wearin' it have been snatched or struck dead."

Spoiler: Akadia

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The small shoppe you've ducked into has a fair amount of clothing, sold or salvaged or sewn, to offer you. The dark eyed man running the place grunts noncommittally at you as you enter, shrugging over to his loosely stacked wares. His grey skin, long hair, and peculiarly bony form attest to a life lived in the low gravity of the stations.

[LeSwordfish]

Annie filed that away for later, but threw up her hands. "We weren't never here. Come on, spooky"-this to Quint-"let's see if we can't calm things down."

She left the bar and headed, not to the fight, but to a good vantage point over the crowd and the disturbance. She wanted to see who else was watching.

OOC

Spoiler

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Awareness test (1d100)[63] vs thirty-something. Looking for anyone paying particular attention to the incident

[ArcturusV]

Quint sighed, reaching up to his sinus, rubbing it slowly as Annie approached him. His shoulders slumped down, "... I had really hoped to avoid getting a reputation out of this..." he muttered to Annie as she came by and shooed him out. No, now someone had to know that he was with that neanderthal, headbutting priests. Thanks to Annie. After he had worked so hard to make a clean get away.

Regardless he tagged along, walking away from the fight glad he was going to miss this one and at least be out of the Arbiter Sweep range. His eyes scanned the building crowd around Kestrel and Old Father Schaff.

"I had hoped to cause a more low level disturbance, to see how this place responded to pressure," he told Annie as he walked with her, "Gave him a little curse, where anyone near him will smell the most foul of warp spawned odors. I figured a few days like that, it might send a ripple down, tell me how the locals respond to strange things or sudden lack of effective leadership. At the very least, it wasn't going to harm anyone, beyond the sanity lost to living with a horrible stench for an extended period. Really shouldn't have though. Overstepped, let the fact that he was... unpleasant... get the better of me."

"... this seems a bit too much though." He shook his head, "... should we arrange to spring our..." he paused, thinking of the proper word, "... compatriot," he settled for something more diplomatic, "once the Enforcers take him?"

Spoiler: Checking

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Guess I'm throwing Awareness as well:
(1d100)[44] vs my untrained Perception total of 16. I'm made slimmer rolls before, but I doubt I'll get anything.

[qechua]

Spoiler: Clothes shop

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Briefly looking at a few of the stacked items, Akadia looked over at the shop-keep and spoke with the trademark charming smile and attitude of a woman trained to negotiate

Good day, I was wondering if you could help me? I'm looking for some work clothes, something where it doesn't matter if they get a bit dusty and torn. I've been asked to look into your food production problem
Akadia cut herself off, as if speaking some secret
Sorry, I'm not supposed to say that, I'm much more of a technician than a spy, it turns out! Akadia let loose a small giggle as she finished the sentence. Anyway, if you could help me get something cheap and cheerful, it would be very much appreciated. she concluded, paying particular attention to keep her upbeat performance going until the end, despite the rapid onset of the earlier drink

Spoiler: Charm test

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Charming the shop keeper
(1d100)[48] vs 36 (or 31 if he doesn't count as void born, given the physical description and location, I'm guessing he's used to them)

[runestone]

Gaius activates his mircro bead again "I'm still at the shrine, but there seems to be some disturbance outside. Annie, do you know what's happening?"

[Vexing]

Spoiler: Scene of the 'Crime'

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Provided Kestrel doesn't struggle, the Arbites are actually quite responsible with their arrest. One of them approaches, mag-lock in hand, while the other covers the assassin with a hefty maul. Once the lock is clasped about the feral fellow's wrist and clamped securely to the officer's metal bracer, they push through the rapidly dwindling crowd off to their headquarters on the other side of the Gate. Schaff scowls all the while, his deep-seated anger and embarrassment roiling off of him in almost palpable waves--a compliment to the very foul Warp-spawned odor wafting from him.

The workers and bored layabouts are already making themselves scarce, hardly wanting to be within eyeshot (let alone stave's reach) of the bitter Father or the Arbites.

Spoiler: Annie and Quint

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Given that the main body of the crowd is already diligently trying to get anywhere but here, it doesn't take an especially trained eye to spy the few figures that drift out last. These watchers are perhaps a handful of the seething mass of humanity, no more than six or seven in number. Dressed in a mix of working gear and hab-fatigues, the only thing that condemns them in your eyes is the focus of their gaze on Schaff and the retreating officers, and that a few of them sport crude arrow charms made out of scrapmetal.

Spoiler: Akadia

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"No worries girl. We'll set you up with whatever you need, if you're going to set about getting more grub on the table." With an indulgent shake of his head and a low chuckle, he sets to picking through the piles himself. "Something sturdy enough to last a few weeks without patching...where are you goin', missy? Cogger labs or Goltos?" Sorting through heavy-duty coveralls and tunics, he spares a wink for his tipsy customer. "Or is that another secret, hm?" He certainly seems to be in good humor.

[LeSwordfish]

"Bird-boy's got 'imself arrested."

Fixing her eyes on one of the arrow-charm people, Annie moved to follow them through the thinning crowd, trying to make herself as unobtrusive as possible.

"If you can make it easier to follow people, spook," she muttered, "I want to follow those bastards."

[qechua]

Spoiler: Clothes shop

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To be honest, I'm not quite sure. Akadia answered, dulling her cherry tone slight and adding a slight mix of self concern It was a bit of a rough warp trip here, and it's scrambled my thinking. To top it off, my 'liaison' took me straight to the port bar, the Frisky Feline or something, and told me to drink the local brew to shake off the warp effects. I don't know what it was, but he just kept piling them down, started getting a little provocational with some of the other patrons. I took an opportunity to leave and, last I saw, some Arbites were heading in his direction in a bit of a hurry.
Pausing for a second, Akadia picked her voice up again, removed the worry from her face and began smiling
My initial contact was a representitive of the Adeptus Mechanicus though, so I'm guessing they want me at whichever facility they are more proud of. Do you happen to know which one that is and where I can find it? I doubt they'll be sending another liaison to find me.

[Idares]

Spoiler: Office of the Arbites

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"The ghosts are from the old refinery group that got spaced. They was listening to some quill-pusher who had the fire of the Emperor in him, and the Skiitari dropped in on 'em. There was some sort of fight broke out, and then the Coggers spaced the whole damn bay to the void!" He looks incredible fearful as he relates his tale. "Th-The charms is just made, Officer. Some of the other workers started wearing them and saying that they protected you from the ghosts. It's their sign, see?" He gestures to the crude metal arrowhead. "It's the arrow of the Emperor, and it points toward a righteous soul. None of the boys wearin' it have been snatched or struck dead."

Whilst staring intently at the paniced thug Tirantine calls to the low ranked arbite. "Take him away and bring the other one."

Once the thug is seated the Duke leans forward onto the opposing chair whilst standing. "Well well, seems your in a lot of trouble fellow. Your little friend broke easily. He tells me you're the guy to talk to about these Riots. Seems you know the instigators and the origin of those... trinkets. So? Who are they and where did you get those trinkets?"

He turns his back and walks to the corner.

"Be careful what you say, after what I promised your ruffian friend, he said he'd be more than willing to testify against you in the Conspiracy of Treason Trial. "

Spoiler

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(1d100)[78] vs 38 Decieve (+10 of Underworld Peer?)