The Black Shingle Fiasco II: Electric Boogaloo

[YossarianLives]

Kresh looks like he's about to burst a vein. "I've already explained," he screams, waving his arms around like a madman. No one can know that you killed a bloody squad of Templars."

He snarls in your face, spitting saliva. "I forgave your idiotic mistake! Gave you a second chance! And you have the audacity to ignore my orders, question my judgement, and start insulting me! Never, in all my years in the Guard, have I seen such... such..." He seems to be at a loss for words, and instead resorts to an incoherent scream of rage.

When he's finished, he points one finger toward the door. "Get out! Now! All of you!" Sergeant Ketchells audibly gulps, and hurries to comply, tumbling out of the office almost before the Lieutenant has even finished speaking.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

I'm bad at names, I admit it.

[Marlowe]

Avita weathers Kresh's tantrum with a cool, unblinking stare. Yes. This is the way to handle him. Parker, if I tried this, would evade and duck and cover and then get back at us behind our back. But this man--he needs to work his anger out face to face.

When he's finished she drops a smooth, unhurried temple-girl bow. Breathes a quiet; "As you will, sir," and departs the room with as much briskness is compatible with looking in no hurry.

Outside the office; she hands the coverless tome back to Sarim and says; "We shouldn't let our guest see this just yet. Please take this to our room with the other books. I'll be visiting Thaddeus. You can come join me or you can guard Blue-Eyes. She knows what she's doing but it bothers me she's just been left on her own for the whole day and things are about to get more dangerous." Catching Ketchell's eye, she says unironically; "Thank you, Sergeant."

Got him so angry he forgot to ask for my warrant back. Or yell at Ketchells much. Better than it could have gone, really.

Heading straight to Thaddeus's cell, she enters after a single knock (and jangle of keys, but it's just polite), and holding the keys off the dead templar by the ring, holds them out for the gentleman to examine.

"Sir, do you recognize this set of keys? Do you know who should be possession of them?"

[Bartmanhomer]

"Wow that guy a total jerk."

[YossarianLives]

Leaving Kresh to calm down, you head down back down to the cells.

Recognizing you from earlier, the guards respectfully step aside to let you in.

When you unlock the door of his cell, Thaddeus is languishing on the tiny wooden stool. He looks up in surprise, then back down, apparently disappointed.

When you show him the keys, he looks perplexed, then rather afraid. "Where did you get those?" he breathes. "They belong to my housekeeper. The keys to my house."

[Marlowe]

Avita tucks the keys away, rather relieved there isn't going to be some drawn-out exchange over establishing that. "They were found in the possession of some armed individuals who I really think were not planning on calling on you to sell you cookies and cosmetics", she says. And produces pen and paper.

"I think, at this point, you'd better tell us all you can about your housekeeper. For HER sake as well as anyone else's. For a start; how long has she been in your employ, where is she from, and when did you last see her?"

[YossarianLives]

Thaddeus nods, looking down at his hands. "Indeed." A pause. "I can tell you what I know, but I really don't see where it'll get you. Maia Fields is her name, I hired her about three months ago... After my old butler retired." He gives you a meaningful look. "She's local, I think, but I never asked. She was staying with family. I last saw her just earlier today, before you came to arrest me. She was upstairs when you arrived."

[Marlowe]

"Then to compound your existing difficulties you appear to have hired a bodyguard with the situational awareness of a particularly dull lump of Schist*" says Avita, pen scritching. "Since Mister Cogswell swore there was no-one else in the house. Mister Cogswell also seemed uncertain that you were even in the room when standing right next to each other. Well..." Someone has some extremely awkward questions to answer.

"So, how did you make the acquaintance of Miss Fields?"

*It's a rock.

[YossarianLives]

"Yes, well... he seemed a good choice at the time." He shifts gear to a more businesslike tone. "I believe she put out an advertisement in one of the local newsletters. I'm not picky, and she had some prior experience. I visited her house that day, and hired her the very next."

[Marlowe]

"You sought her out; and you know where she lived." says Avita, scritching. "That's good. Learned Sir, she might well be in danger if not already well past the point of being in mortal danger ever again; so we'll be needing her family's address so that if she can be saved we can try. Also, anything you can tell us about your old butler and the circumstances of his retirement?"

[Bartmanhomer]

Coggy uses Detect Magic once again.

[Marlowe]

Avita dips ink, flicks surplus back into the vial with a tap of a finger, and puts a cold iron-shod finger to her chin. "You know...I'm tired and slow right now...but you say "You believe"? So you didn't see the advertisement yourself. Might I ask you how you heard of it? And from who?"

[YossarianLives]

He nods, again. His earlier obstinance seems to have vanished. "Of course, I don't wish any harm upon the girl." He gives you the address, somewhere on the east side of the city - widely considered to be a wretched and unmaintained slum. "Mr. Hollins? He was old, even for a gnome, and, I think, always felt slightly ashamed to be working for someone of my comparatively-low status. He gave me three months notice, and I repaid his years of service with a fair pension. I think he's still living in the city, if you want his address."

Thaddeus smiles dryly. "Sorry, just a bit of a habit, that. I was just scanning the paper, and saw the advertisement." He pauses. "Er, as you may remember I've had... reasons to suspect someone may be after me. Do you know who it is?

[Marlowe]

"It is a worthy and scholary habit; Learned Sir, to acknowledge the possibility of error in everything. But one you need to watch when making statements such as this," says Avita, scritching down the address. "And I'll be wanting Mister Hollins's address too, if you please. We do not consider him a person of interest but there's others who might. He needs be warned."

She looks at Thaddeus sadly. "And before I make any attempt to answer that question; I need to ask you couple more. Firstly, a few days ago I asked you about the events of a certain dinner party you had with Captain Parker about two weeks ago. Under the circumstances I don't blame you for not telling us the whole truth to a bunch of scraggly killers knocking on your door out of the blue, but circumstances have altered and it might be very important if you could tell us anything that you can remember about that night-" her eyebrows raise. "-including things you don't remember, if you take my meaning."

"Secondly, I'm going to have to ask you what Miss Field's religious views were; as far as you're aware."

[YossarianLives]

Thaddeus merely nods in acquiescence, and agrees to write down his old butler's address - an house not far from your current location.

When Avita makes her next request, a multitude of emotions flash across his face: surprise, unease, fear, anger, confusion, before eventually settling on apprehension. "I can do that," he says quietly, takes a deep breath, and launches into it. "That was the evening of a very important meeting with Laelth. We were going to negotiate the terms of our agreement, hammer out the specifics. Things were going well. I arrived slightly early, we ate dinner and-." He pauses mid-sentence, looking thoughtful. I've just remembered. Halfway through our meal, that servant of Parker's - I can't remember his name - barged into the dining room, and just stood there, listening. Like we couldn't see him standing in plain sight." Thaddeus inclines his head. "Most peculiar. Anyway, we finished our meal and retired to Parker's bedroom. We decided that would be the best place for the meeting to take place. You see, I may have... glossed over the process earlier, but with our limited means, magically contacting Laelth was always... an undertaking."

"There is a type of ritual required. A blood sacrifice, and a willing soul to channel the energies through." Thaddeus scowls, as if remembering something unpleasant. "...It was always me. Parker always loved to be in control." He looks around nervously, then resumes speaking in low and urgent tones. "You must understand, what happened that night after we entered Parker's bedroom is... foggy. I remember muttering bits of the required incantation, and I certainly remember being stabbed with a bronze ceremonial dagger dating back to the ancient Ka'kyte! But after that? Almost nothing. I have a vague recollection of writhing on the floor, of someone screaming, and a ghostly figure floating above me." He shakes his head apologetically. "I'm sorry that's all I can tell you."

The last question leaves him looking rather stumped. He thinks for a minute, stroking his chin, before speaking up. "I can't say for sure. She mentioned visiting the Temple of Saint Cuthbert a handful of times, but I also know she paid some allegiance to Pelor. We never discussed the matter at length."

[Marlowe]

Avita's pen scritches. "I see. This ritual; would you be able to perform it again if you had too?
I've no intention of asking you to do so and I'd advise you against trying it, but the possibility is intriguing."

She breathes softly on the parchment, drying the ink. "This little plot of yours seems to put you
through quite a bit of trouble. Was it you that came up the original idea? Or did Parker talk you into it?"

[YossarianLives]

Thaddeus shrugs. "I could try." He pauses for a second, then hurries ahead to answer the next question. "Yes, well," he says testily, it was Parker's idea. But I was happy to go along with it, and I don't resent him. He tried to do what was best for this city."

[Marlowe]

Who would have thought that Parker would be such a Dom? Well, I might have. If I'd ever had the slightest interest in his private life, thinks Avita. And she stands up and carefully folds the paper.

"Thank you for being more co-operative; Learned Sir, and if anyone's listening to me-"fat chance"-I'll try to put in a word in for you. Now it seems I have yet more people to see-" some day off "-so I must leave you for a bit." She drops the shallowest of bows. "And as to your...question I can tell you that we've seen no sign that the followers of the Saint of the Cudgel are trying to kill you. Everyone else, however..." She turns to go. She's not here to give Thaddeus information. "Well, stay out of trouble."

She leaves the cell and makes sure that it's locked behind her, then looks around for guards.

[Who else is around?]

[YossarianLives]

Thaddeus just nods quietly, and goes back to staring at his hands. You close the cell door, and lock it, shutting him in near total darkness.

The two guards, a pair of gnomish pikemen, are still on duty outside the prison tent. A motley collection of the compounds inhabitants walk past: labourers, soldiers, administrators, but none spare more than a glance in your direction.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

I'm assuming Coggy and Sarim are also with you, in the addition to the traitorous guard.

[Marlowe]

"Such a lot to do today", mutters Avita to herself, and then turns to Cogswell casually. "You looked like you took a few grazes going out that window. Mister Cogswell. Do you mind if I took a look at your hands...?" she says genially, stepping close.

And then she abruptly grabs him by both wrists and raps out; "Sarim! You! Restrain him! He's been lying to us."

[Bartmanhomer]

"Such a lot to do today", mutters Avita to herself, and then turns to Cogswell casually. "You looked like you took a few grazes going out that window. Mister Cogswell. Do you mind if I took a look at your hands...?" she says genially, stepping close.

And then she abruptly grabs him by both wrists and raps out; "Sarim! You! Restrain him! He's been lying to us."

"What in the name of Nerull are you doing? Get off of me this instant!"

[Marlowe]

Avita clings onto the gnomes wrists doggedly. "GUARDS! ASSISTANCE PLEASE! RESTRAIN THIS GNOME!"

[YossarianLives]

For once, the traitor guardsman looks eager to help. He runs forward and grabs Coggy roughly by the other wrist, nearly lifting him off the ground. The two guards at the prison tent exchange glances, then hurry over, drawing the truncheons at their hips.

"Now, now," the first chastises. "What's going on here?" He turns to Avita, inclining his head in respect. "Not that I don't trust your judgement, ma'am, but what is this man suspected of?" Nearby, people stop to watch the commotion. Some cluster closer, trying to get a better look. At the evocation of Nerull's name someone screams, and others mutter discontentedly.

Spoiler: OOC

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Is Coggy going to struggle?

[Marlowe]

"He's an Accomplice after the fact to Treason, consideration shown to possible misprision. Can also be charged with Giving False Information to Guard Officers through Malice or Mental Incompetence directly hindering the course of a capital investigation, and I'm not sure but swearing loudly by The Foe Of All Good and Hater of Life in a public place might count for anything from "Reckless Endangerment of his own Person and Incitement to Riot" to "A quick trip to the gallows", says Avita, clamping both hands on one of Cogworth's and bending it back.

"At the very least he's lost his "walking around free" privileges. Sir, could you get some manacles? He's an Eldritch Channeler. Doesn't need weapons to be dangerous; but he needs his hands to cast."

[Bartmanhomer]

Coggy didn't struggle and he remain silent.

[YossarianLives]

The eyebrows of the two guards steadily rise higher, eventually disappearing beneath their helmets. "Indeed!" exclaims the first, draws a set of manacles from his belt, and claps them on Coggy's wrists. "Kind of you to arrest him so close to the brig." He grabs one of Coggy's arms, and pulls him toward the last empty cell. "Come with us, please." Together, the two guards guide Coggy into the prison tent, unlock one of the cell doors, and toss him roughly inside. A moment later, the door slams shut and locks. They turn back to the party, dusting off their hands and smiling smugly. "You'll have to fill out some paperwork, of course, detailing your evidence and the charges against him. Make sure you give that to one of the scribes within a couple days, or we'll have to release him." He winks. "I'm sure we don't want that." They take up their positions at the door again.

The inside of Coggy's cell is small, dark, and dirty. Only a little light seeps in through the door's bars, and there is no furniture save for a pile of hay and a chamber pot.

Outside, the crowd begins to disperse, most continuing on their way. But others stand still, some clearly outraged, others frightened.

[Bartmanhomer]

Coggy is trying to escape his cell.

Open Lock: (1d20+2)[13]

[Marlowe]

"Forms?" says Avita. "Forms? I've been writing everything out longhand!", and promptly starts scribbling in the blanks, not mentioning the business with the Templars but mentioning Coggy's somewhat underwhelming assistance during the search of Thaddeus's house, and of course the crucial conflict of testimony.

She finishes the statement with; "While Mister Cosworth's offenses might seem minor and possibly the result of skewed perception rather than malice, the fact is they have cost a investigation of capital significance time that can never be regained, endangered lives, and he at the very least he needs be held until he might explain himself before a court."

"Openingly calling on the name of Nerull does no favours either."

She files the form, and turns to the traitor Guardsman. "Well, thanks for some help from you at last. You have a name?"

[YossarianLives]

The guardsman look impressed. He smiles, and compliments Avita's record keeping, before returning to his post.

Suddenly, the traitor looks slightly sheepish. He takes a step back, shrugs, then mumbles: "Dirk. Dirk Mekevly."

[Marlowe]

"Dirk Mekevly" repeats Avita, stepping a step closer to him. "What exactly were you told to make you attack us in our room?"

[YossarianLives]

The traitor, Dirk, gulps. "It was that gnome fellow," he grunts, not meeting your eyes. "Young. Skinny. Olimar, I think?" Dirk shakes his head. "He came up to us at dinner, claimed that you were enemies of Pelor and the city - but that we couldn't prosecute you lawfully. Captain Parker was on your side, and would never let your corruption be exposed. I feel like a bloody fool for believing it now."