The Festival of Choices has arrived at Redreef Shores. The small Barony on the western edge of Darkwater Isle, in the south of the Mourning Isles, has becomes a hotbed of the Faithful of Skald in recent years, and the Hedge Maze of the First Choice is a popular attraction for tourists and religious pilgrims alike. From this upswing in Skaldery throughout the Barony, the Festival of Choices has emerged.

The actual "rules" of the Festival are ill-defined. It celebrates the ability of men and women to make CHOICES. Good choices, and bad choices. One choice that virtually everyone in attendance seems to make is the choice to be absolutely sodden drunk, but that only adds to the convivial party atmosphere teeming in the Barony's streets.

The seat of power in Redreef Shores is the Crimson Keep, a red castle by the water. In one of the rooms of the Keep, Baroness Ember Redreef ("the Bloody Baroness") is currently screaming angrily.

Fortunately, Ember is not where the group has assembled. Instead, one of the guardsmen of the Keep has brought five nobles in to the main audience hall of the keep, where a glass display case has been shattered, and where a number of priceless jewels meant to be exhibited are currently... absent.

"It happened during a shift change, we think," the guard captain tells the assembled nobles. "The guard is... is very busy right now. With all the people... making choices." He's an older man and he sounds so over all of the drunken mayhem currently happening out in the streets. "The Baroness asked if we could find any nobles attending who might be able to help us discover what happened to the jewels... who might have taken them. We do have a few suspects in mind. My Lord, my Ladies, Messere Fiorelli... Will you help us?"

She who made it her goal to free all the children is there, representing House Thrax during Skaldi Gras and upon entering the room, Alarissa listens as the Guardsman explains the dilemma, dark eyes taking in the shattered case. "Well isn't think delightful." Alarissa states flatly. "What steps has the Baroness taken thus far since the discovery?" She inquires of the guard.

As Cahal is brought into the hall his eyes immediately settle on the jewels - or rather the absence of the jewels, the alertness present in his green eyes strongly suggesting that he is entirely sober. "Yes of course." he says when the question is asked before turning those eyes onto the guards, the room itself and then the guards again. "Have the guards all been ruled out?" Its then that he takes the time to consider the other nobles who have been brought in. Most of whom gain smiles of recognition.

"I would be glad to offer my assistance as well," Zoey says with a nod. After a drunken revealer had spilled on her gown she had gone to change, a time-consuming task with all the various ties and fastenings involved in a lady's garments, and one which caused her to miss a not insignificant portion of the revelry. "May I take a look at the crime scene? Perhaps I can find a clue."


"She threw a two hundred year old chair at the wall and shattered it," the Guard Captain answers Kiera, tiredly.



The Guard Captain was actually talking to Alarissa.


After DEFINITELY saying that to ALARISSA, the Captain turns to Cahal. He blanches with the expression of someone who clearly doesn't like the answer he's about to give. "...all but one, my Lord," he says. "I--"

The Captain interrupts himself to motion toward the crime scene. "Of course, my Lady," he says to Zoey. Then his attention returns to Cahal. "I... do have suspicions regarding one of my own, I am ashamed to say."

For some reason, the Wyvernheart woman looks almost relieved at this turn of events. perhaps the young woman didn't know just what she was in for when agreeing to accompanying thea and drake to the festival. she is stone sober if a bit shell-shocked by the whole thing "Were you the last to see the jewels in question?" She inquires of the guard. If not who would have been?"

Mirella's presence here, on this most exciting and Skald-y occasion, may be a matter of mysterious nature. Perhaps she's here to show devotion to the god of Choice, or perhaps she's an acquaintance of Ember's here on a visit, or maybe she's just been traveling the isles on a whim. Whatever the case might be, she's now, and having done a little bit of discreet mingling (eavesdropping on reveler's while carefully sipping measure quantities of wine, that is to say) she's now present and correct at just the right time to do some poking around in the name of investigation. A small nod is given when a request for help is made. She nods, a small dip of her head. "Of course." She frowns then, "Has anyone been acting suspiciously? Dipping away from the revels... lurking... seemingly less intoxicated than other celebrants?"

"That can be fixed. I know a good carpenter" It's not meant to be flippant, and seems more accepting that this is a natural reaction. She glances to Cahal a nod for that questions and makes sure to step out of the way to the side so that Zoey can look over tthe scene. "I would suggest, is the Baroness permits such, that doors be temporarily shut to those leaving, till these things are sorted, so as to ensure that should we not find them immediatly, they are not smuggled off into the rest of the city if they are not already."

Zoey nods and approaches the scene of the crime. She dips her head to the princess before examining it thoughtfully but being careful not to touch.

Zoey checked perception + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 25 higher.

"It happens." Cahal says to the Captain. "Theres always one who happened to join at just the wrong moment or something. I'm sure its just that but we'll have to look into them of course." he looks back to the case, nodding at the others questions before adding another of his own. "Who has the skills to repurpose the pieces? If they were special enough to be put on display like this I cant imagine that they would be easy to sell."


The Captain shakes his head to Kiera. Definitely Kiera, this time. "I was not. The last guard on duty was the one that I suspect, unfortunately. Tamsin Arteaga. She..." The Captain makes a sour face. "She gambles. And is known among the Keep's guard to... rrmm. To be in significant debt."

"Of those who were in the vicinity, the other suspects are Messere Enkil Riverbend, and Messere Randall Janvrin. Merchants, both." The Captain maintains his sober, displeased expression. "Messere Riverbend was the horse broker of Lord Tiberius Redreef during his... contested tenure as Baron." Tiberius, AKA, the guy who Ember started a civil war against to take control of the Barony. "Since the Baroness has been in control, his business has fallen on hard times, and he is... openly resentful. Messere Janvrin is a jewel broker who had unsuccessfully attempted to make contact with, er, House Pravus, to attempt to go into business regarding jewels from the Saffron Chain. Apparently, when he discovered that the Baroness had secured jewels from the Saffron through her own, ah, Pravosi ties, he was... rather keen to voice his displeasure."

The Captain turns to Cahal and Alarissa. "The guards have already barred the door to a nearby public house where all three of these suspects are drinking. If you wish to question them directly, we will travel there anon."

"I am astounded Lord Tiberius is still alive." Alarissa murmurs. There's a nod to the guard at the offer to go speak with the suspects. "When the Lady Kennex is done and if the others present have nothing else in here they wish to look at. I am far better in dealing with people than poking about broken glass."

Mirella checked perception + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 35 higher.

Cahal checked perception + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 42 higher.

Kiera checked perception + investigation at difficulty 15, rolling 40 higher.

Cahal nods at the Captain. "They can wait a bit then." then he steps forward to begin a thoughtful perusal of the circumstances, taking care not to get in anyone elses way. "Shall we compare our observations before going to the public house?"

Kiera checked perception + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 29 higher.

Alarissa checked perception + streetwise at difficulty 15, rolling 15 higher.

Perhaps with a little more basic literacy from her player, Mirella casts an eye over towards the broken case, moving towards it to establish no more proximity with it than is appropriate. She folds her arms around her waist, giving a side-nod to the case. "Looks like that was bashed with something heavy, but the angle looks weird. Like the wielder of the tool wasn't quite skilled enough to keep a good hold of it. Then again, they could have been too intoxicated to aim with more finesse."

"High on dust." Alarissa notes, a gesture with her right toward the case and off to the side. The powder there that seems to have trickled out. How she knows it's dust, is anyones guess, She doesn't seem the type to partake in illicit drugs. "Though telling the difference between drunk and high shall be interesting."

Zoey plucks a torn bit of silk from a jagged bit of glass. "This looks like a good lead," she says. "It is a quality material. If the thief did not notice, they may still be wearing the garment."

"They were selective." Cahal adds. "They could have taken that." he points at a statue that must be worth a small fortune. "or that. Or that." again he points at other very expensive things. "So they must have known they had a buyer for the gems and not the other things. Kind of suggests the gem merchant was involved. Well" he grins, seemingly enjoying himself. "either that or he's being set up on purpose. The guard would surely know how to break glass without mucking it up?"

Kiera makes a slow steady circut of the room while giving others space to do the same. Her eye pauses on an picture of the Baroness which has been defaced with a gash through it curtesy of a piece of glass "someone may have been sending a message or simply unable to control their rage at the baroness. Princess alarissa can you elaborate of the effects of dust on a person. similar to intoxication you said. Also, if anyone can sketch, it might be a good idea to get a description of the jewels and make a likeness


The Guard Captain watches the investigators work, standing out of the way. The dust makes him wrinkle his nose. "I've heard stories of Enkil Riverbend being on that stuff," he says, sounding QUITE disapproving. "When the Baroness destroyed his business, he didn't cope well."

The slashed portrait makes the Captain's eyes widen. "Oh, gods," he groans. "I need to get that out of here before the Baroness sees."

"Shall we move on to question the suspects, now that we have mor information?" Zoey asks, looking to Alarissa.

"Swift acting, does not last long. Makes one..." Alarissa searches for the words. "Happy. At east and very happy. Relaxes one in truth. Provided it is the quality dust and not the adulterated kind." Recounting what she does know. The produced silk and other noted clues garners her attention. "More people are on it, than most would realize. There seems to have been some being smuggled through our ward." Disapproving Alarissa who looks to Zoey when she inquires and then to the room at large. "have we combed enough? Can someone write down what has been found so we have a list for the Baroness to reference?"

Cahal says "Sounds like we have things pointing at all of them." before nodding at Zoey. "I think we should."

Mirella remains silent for now, though she appears to be thinking over the clues and evidence discovered so far. She nods to Alarissa. A few moments later, she lifts into her hands a black velvet-bound book that hangs from around her waist by way of a chain belt. A glint is produced from mirrored panels on the inside of the cover as she opens the tome, then as if by magic, a quill is produced, already inked, and set to a page of paper with delicate scritches of black ink. Information noted!

Kiera hms "So perhaps, the narcotics equivalent of liquid courage. That combined with the sashed painting and wild swing do not indicate a professional theif. Let's see what they have to say

"A crime tainted by emotion." Alarissa agree's. "Not necessarily a guard though. I would caution to not eliminate based upon the silk. A guard in a jacket can move about far easier than someone without and have less care to the damage of it and clues left behind. So seeing if there are unaccounted for livery as well." She points out.

Cahal says "It could be all three of them working together."

Cahal adds "Or they could have nothing to do with anything."


The walk to the public house is a short one. The public house in question is called the Death of the Albatross, for some reason. Locals mostly refer to it as 'the Albatross,' and despite its strange name, the Death of the Albatross is a finely appointed pub, suitable for well-to-do commoners and minor nobles alike.

Along the way, the group passes a few people huddled around a small pamphlet that seems to bear the title 'THE NOBILITY OF REDREEF,' and they're drunkenly laughing their fool heads off at whatever it is they're reading.

Redreef guards are stationed at the doors (and a few of the windows) of the Death of the Albatross, and part so that the investigators can enter.

When the group comes in through the doors, the first thing they'll see is an older man striking a young woman across the face.

The older man is wearing a frayed, somewhat grungy-looking red tunic. His black hair is wavy and unkempt, left to grow long from neglect, and male pattern baldness is eating away at his hairline with quite the appetite. His eyebrows are unruly and full of gray, and he hasn't shaved in several days. He's angrily backhanding a young woman with long black hair of her own, wearing a green coat over a red dress. She's probably around twenty years old, and from the hair alone there's a bit of a family resemblance.

Guards inside the pub immediately grab the black-haired man by the arms as he rages. "I SAID I NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!" he fumes, screaming in one of the guard's faces.

"You don't even CARE that you're being accused of a CRIME, you old FOOL," the young woman who he just hit barks at him, her cheek red from the strike, tears in her eyes. "You just want to go out and get more DUST-- I HATE YOU-- I HATE YOU!" She may be a bit drunk.

"Easy, Riverbend," says another man, wearing a blue tunic, tall and thin and blonde, looking unimpressed and annoyed by all of this. "You're certainly making us all look innocent, aren't you? That's what innocent people do, right? Scream and hit their daughters?"

Off to one side of all of this is another woman, wearing a red tunic that's had its sleeves torn off completely. She glares at the guards with hate in her green eyes. She's pale and redheaded and her lack of sleeves reveals impressive, toned musculature. She continues glaring hatefully at the guards even while drinking.

"Well thats nice." Cahal says rather drolly. "Such filial devotion."

Alarissa checked command + intimidation at difficulty 15, rolling 49 higher.

Zoey's fingers cover her mouth reflexively when she sees and hears the strike, but knowing things are different in the Isles than the way she was raised she says nothing.

The scene that they walk into is one that Alarissa was not expecting. Most certainly not father, smacking daughter, guards moving in to restrain one and those upper arms that would make even Victus whistle in appreciation. The look on Alarissa's face is already one of unamusement. The sound of the slap still in her own ears, the Pricness Consort is striding forward. "Sit." It's a single word, sharp and of volume that isn't yelling so much as barked with expectation that it will be obeyed. "This is now how Islanders behave." Says the Grayson born Princess. "Do not make me relay to the Baroness the behavior that her people have portrayed before the High Lords wife and members of the other noble houses of the isles and beyond." Each gets a look, her jaw tight and disapproving. There's a nod to the guards to seperate everyone. "You make of her a poor host."

Mirella keeps herself on the periphery of the scene for now, blending in like any other well-groomed commoner, all the better to eavesdrop among the drunken crowds inside the Albatross. She quietly slides a pamphlet inside her book before closing it silently. As to the man who just delivered the slap, she doesn't seem to pay him much attention, seemingly unshocked by such a thing as he's just done, as if this kind of violence is nothing new to her. Maybe there's the faintest glint of disintered, cold contempt within her gaze, however. Just maybe. A subtle glance slides from the corner of her eyes to the strong-armed woman in red, but it's not a glance that one might notice.

Kiera sighs "Well this starting off well " she notes "Good evening" she notes without sarcasm "I'm afraid will be keeping you a little longer sir" she says to Riverbend "the truth will make this go faster. Could you all explain your relationship to redreef please

Kiera checked charm + diplomacy at difficulty 15, rolling 43 higher.

Between Alarissa's stern approach and Kiera's more sugary one, Cahal decides to keep his mouth shut and just watch how everyone is interacting with them, each other, and the environment. Who's got shifty eyes? How recent are the modifications to that guards sleeves. How drunk is she. How lovely are her bi.. ok no, he's really just interested in the sleeves.


When Alarissa steps forward and takes command of the room, she truly takes command of the room. The black-haired, frayed-tuniced man -- who must be Enkil Riverbend -- stops struggling with the guards and stares at her with his mouth slightly agape. His daughter stares too, as does the blonde man, as does the redheaded woman. All of them are in awe of the Pearl of the Isles.

"P-Princess," the blonde man starts to say, pushing to his feet. "I apologize on behalf of Enkil. Please, allow me to introduce myself. I am Randall Janvrin, and... there seems to have been some kind of grave misunderstanding.

Kiera's words to Enkil make him stare at her for a moment, and then he looks at Alarissa again, like he's resisting the temptation to fly back into anger. "Redreef? You mean the Bloody..." Enkil rubs his face as the guards release him. "I can't think. I need to... I need to calm down. I need..."

"NO, you DON'T," Enkil's daughter says sharply. She looks profoundly ashamed of her father, and her eyes turn to Kiera, still showing a mix of shame and anger. "My Lady... my father was once the personal horse broker of House Redreef. And when Baroness Ember took power, she accused him of cheating her uncle and... she might as well have accused him of stealing from the treasury... she took the family farm as 'restitution,' and all the horses, and... and now..." The daughter's shoulders slump. "Now look at him."

Mirella checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 15, rolling 43 higher.

Cahal leans to softly ask. "Have they been searched?"

"Perhaps a glass of water and a few deep breaths," Zoey suggests to Enkil. "And to take a seat, as the Princess-consort commanded." She looks at the others as well, then to her companions. "Panel questioning one at a time, or split up?"


The guard Cahal asks nods. "Everything short of sticking a hand up their--" He clears his throat to interrupt himself. "My Lord." After recovering from that faux pas, the guard says, "Whichever of them it was, they must have stashed the jewels somewhere before coming for a drink."

It's now that Mirella emerges from her shadowy lurking, moving across the room to confer with Alarissa should the opportunity present itself, so as to whisper an accurate, succinct report of something the petite commoner just overheard. Then she'll subtly wander over to anyone else who seems interested in hearing what she just said.

Her right hand rises, cutting off Randall. "Yes, the Bloody Baroness. Your leige. Legal and rightful ruler of Redreef. Be cautious what you speak further, it can be construed as sedition and there is no protection of being made a thrall to allow you to keep your head." Alarissa warns. She listens to Enkil, dark eyes swiveling to the woman. "And now he fails to adapt Mistress, a failing of his own person. He failed to produce proof and testimony from those who could speak for him and whether he was or was not guilty of the charge levied against him. A charge which the baroness no doubt, would not level so lightly or so easily." Her chin lifted a fraction. She looks to Zoey and nods. One each, look to the eyes for indications of dust, which you would not get with alcohol. Less color in the eye and more black. See which fabrics match."

That spoken quietly to Miriella and Cahal, Kiera and Zoey. Though she pauses to listen to Mirella and her words. To the rest though, she turns. "Sit, each of you, at the four corners. There are questions, you will answer and answer truthfully. It would be a shame to make the wrong choice this day."

"In that case." Cahal says thoughtfully to both the guard and the group. "Might I suggest I, or a small number of us, search the route between here and the scene? The jewelry must have been abandoned or handed off somewhere. I reckon any one of you can question these folks just as well as I can. Except maybe." he tips his jaw towards the Tamsin.

Mirella checked perception + investigation at difficulty 15, rolling 51 higher.

Kiera catches mirella eye as she remarks to Zoey "My experience says to separate suspects but these three have such a rapport i'm nearly tempted to let them together"she answers Zoey quietly


The tall, blonde Janvrin is put into his place by Alarissa, and he sits right back down, lowering his gangly self into his seat.

Enkil Riverbend and his daughter sit as well. Tamsin Arteaga was already sitting, and so sitting she remains.

Enkil's daughter is mostly just glaring at Enkil, but the other three exchange looks with one another, like they're all waiting on tenterhooks to see what this group of investigators might choose to do next.

Mirella wanders back over to Alarissa now, sparing a small look at Janvrin before leaning over to whisper to the princess, low enough not to be heard by the man. "He's tall, isn't he? Tall enough that he would have had to swing downward at a different angle to break that case."

"The place is not that large. They will still be in earshot of each other, and should they hear something they do not like I am certain we will know it," Zoey replies quietly to Kiera before approaching the only one not wearing red. "Good evening, Mister Janvrin. I am Lady Zoey Kennex, and I have a few questions to ask you."

Kiera pose hms "I'll go with you"kiera offers to Cahal "The Princess and Lady Kennex seem to have things in hand here


Janvrin bows in his seat somewhat, not wanting to stand up and risk Alarissa's ire again. His eyes are blue and clear and bright. "Lady Zoey," he says, in a smooth, sober, assured tone of voice -- a jeweler by trade, he has experience talking to noble customers. "My name is Randall Janvrin, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." His eyes drift down to her locket, and her wedding band. "Iridescite," he says with a nod. "Quite well crafted, as well. My compliments to the craftsperson."

People are going to go see if the jewels might be stashed. There's a wince from the Princess but she nods "Take guards with you. Watch yourselves." She warns the three before turning her attention to the room. Zoey takes tall and blonde and that's fine with the Princess. She opts to let father and daughter stew as she starts to make her way toward Ms. Muscle. As she sits a polite space across from the woman, she adjusts the lay of the alaricite hand onto her lap, taking her time. Oh she's taking her time and letting the woman stew. A glance to the womans eyes and stays looking there.


Tamsin Arteaga's green eyes are vivid and perhaps a bit fogged over by drink, but not by dust. "Your Highness," she says, nodding her head once, deferentially. She seems incredibly angry, but not angry at Alarissa. It's probably pretty understandable -- her fellow guards just accused her of a crime! Tamsin doesn't seem to have much to say, though, and is content to sit in grumpy silence.

Meanwhile, Mirella's opened her book again and is meticulously scritchy-witchy-witching some neat text down onto paper, keeping the scribing on the down-low as much as possible. More notes for Ember!

Mirella checked wits + streetwise at difficulty 15, rolling 14 higher.

Mirella checked wits + streetwise at difficulty 20, rolling 29 higher.

Kiera checked wits + investigation at difficulty 25, rolling 36 higher.

Cahal checked wits + investigation at difficulty 25, rolling 28 higher.

Grumpy silence. Alarissa can handle that. She's married to one who indulges in that enough. A smooth of her skirts or smoothing the parts that need to be smoothed, and plasters a neautral smile on her face, she lets the silence ride for a few moments more before starting to ask questions of the woman. The usual ones of where was she, why is her uniform like -that- instead of how it should be. Who does she -think- actually did it, firing off one then waiting for an answer, asking another, wait for an answer. She pays attention on the side to father and daughter from the corner of her eye.

Cahal heads out with Kiera and Mirella, making their way through the crowds until they are back where they started. "I think we should attempt to track the suspects." he says "In case we can see or hear something helpful."

Cahal checked luck at difficulty 10, rolling 5 lower.

Mirella checked luck at difficulty 10, rolling 24 higher.

Kiera checked luck at difficulty 10, rolling 4 lower.

Zoey smiles warmly and nods to Janvrin before taking a seat across from him. Her fingers trace over the compass rose locket as she replies, "I will be certain to pass that along." She tucks rebellious curl behind her ear and tilts her head just so before she begins her line of questioning. She asks about his evening, his business, and how much he knows about jewelry to get him started. Then she asks about his relationship to the other suspects, his honest feelings about the Baroness, and of course whom he thinks did it and why.

Zoey checked charm + seduction at difficulty 15, rolling 48 higher.

Kiera blushes sevenshades of red as she returns from a foray down one particular alley and fr some reason can't look Cahal in the eye eye "No jewels" she says and then in a much lower voice "unless of course you count the.. nevermind

Mirella follows Cahal and Kiera on their chosen path, keeping a streetwise eye open for trouble as they navigate through backstreets and alleys. Offering suggestions as to their course every now and then, the small woman makes her as inconspicuous as possible, remaining silent until she needs to speak in quiet tones to her noble companions. When they come across the gem laying glinting upon the ground, she nods down towards the glitter and murmurs quietly, "Calderan bloodstone. They come from the Saffron Chain."

Alarissa checked command + manipulation at difficulty 15, rolling 49 higher.

Cahal tips his head back at Kiera's blushing and laughs loud enough that he probably draws attention there way. "How about you Mirella. Did you find any /jewels/?" When the bloodstone is lifted a bit later by Mirella he's more somber, although he's trying to restrain a grin that keeps sneaking back. "Huh. Good eyes." He quickly starts scanning around. "I'll see if I can learn anything from anyone nearby."

Cahal checked charm + empathy at difficulty 15, rolling 64 higher.


"It's the Festival of Choices. I chose to show my arms off." Alarissa's dealt with Ember before; dealing with Tamsin is what it must have been like to deal with Ember when she was fourteen. Tamsin responds tersely to questions. She doesn't waste words. She's polite enough, but not in any rush to go on at length about anything. What Tamsin tells Alarissa is that she was on duty at the Audience Hall, guarding the display. It was slow. Not many people wanted to come look at jewels when they could go drink or fuck or smoke haze or make other choices. Riverbend and Janvrin both came in separately, and when Janvrin saw Riverbend snorting some dust off of his hand, Janvrin smacked Riverbend upside the back of the head mid-snort. The two of them started arguing, and Tamsin broke it up and dragged them both out. Tamsin doesn't know who did it. Just that it wasn't her, and the others can go to hell for even implying it was.

Randall Janvrin, meanwhile, is immediately charmed by Zoey. He goes on at length about his business, to the point that Zoey might actually regret having asked... he's clearly a guy who takes a little too much pride in himself, especially when he's trying to show off to the beautiful noblewoman. He's a jeweler and had hoped to make a splash by being the first jeweler on Darkwater Isle, where Redreef Shores is located, to sell jewelry made with the new things from the Saffron. When the Baroness commissioned this display for the Keep, he was annoyed, yes, because he lost his chance to be the first, but he has no problem with Ember, since business has remained strong. He admits to getting into an argument with Enkil Riverbend in the Audience Hall, and yes, MAYBE Tamsin the guard had to ask them to leave, but he seems to be trying to make it sound like he didn't get thrown out on his ass by a guard while he's trying to impress Zoey. As for who did it... "Maybe Enkil went back and threw a fit? I don't know how drug addicts' minds work, my Lady. I decided to walk to the Albatross and have a drink to calm my nerves. The guard, Enkil, and his daughter arrived later. In that order, as I recall."


When Cahal looks around to see who might aid them, he finds it in the most unlikely of places: he almost trips over someone laying on the ground. The man on the ground is apologetic: "My fault, my Lord, a bit too much of the rum," he says, without being able to get up. He's a very strange kind of drunk. When asked about the stone, the drunk hums for a moment, and then says: "Thought I heard some clattering and skittering over to the left of me, while I was laying here. Sounded like someone dropping a bunch of things. Could have been jewelry. Heard a woman's voice swearing and picking it up. D'you think she might want it back?"

Cahal crouches down besides the drunk. "I'm sure she will. Do you remember where?" He frowns briefly at the drunkards posture. "Are you sure you are alright?"

Is Mirella smiling just a touch as she follows Cahal and Kiera? Maybe. Kiera's joke about jewels was pretty funny, after all. Either way, she doesn't butt in while Cahal questions the drunkled fellow on the ground. She's on the lookout for an ambush right now.


The drunk on the ground motions over in the direction of where Mirella found the bloodstone. "A bit over that-a-way, it sounded like." When asked if he's all right, the drunk nods, sort of. "Oh, that's very kind of you, my Lord, very kind. A bit too much rum and the old legs go out sometimes. A bit of a lie-down and I'll be good as new."

Cahal looks back at Kiera and Mirella. Mirella is protecting their backs so he asks Kiera. "Could you look for the rest? He said they dropped a bunch of things."


"Oh, I heard her gathering it all up, my Lord," the drunk notes. "Shame that she apparently missed a piece. I hope you're able to get it back to her. She sounded quite upset about something. But that's the Festival of Choices for you, my Lord. Not every choice makes people happy."

Kiera nods "Sure I can do that?" kiera replies easily enough carefully picking her way back along the path, looking for hiding places

"Is that so?" Zoey says in reply to Janvrin's final statement. After taking a moment to thank him and carefully disentangle herself from the conversation, she approaches the Riverbends and addresses the daughter. "I do not believe I caught your name, Miss, but would you come with me a moment?"

Kiera checked perception + investigation at difficulty 15, rolling 39 higher.


Kiera's searching doesn't turn up jewels... but her expert investigation still finds quite a few hiding places, including one of them where a small pouch of silver had been stashed away. It doesn't seem connected to the missing jewels, but finding silver is always nice.

Though she's still keeping a look out for one of those pesky ambushes, looking around narrowed-eyed and occasionally patting the umbra at one hip, Mirella does raise her voice just enough that the drunk can hear her. "You didn't see her? Alright. What about her voice? Anything odd about the accent, the way she spoke? And was she shouting at anyone? Did you hear any names?"


Riverbend's daughter stares at Zoey for a moment, caught by surprise. "Huh? ...of course, my Lady," she says, standing up to walk toward Zoey. Her father has his head in his hands, fingers threaded in his hair. "My name is Hadassa Riverbend..."


"Sounded angry, she did," the drunk tells Mirella. "Nothing odd about the accent. Local, I should think, my Lady." The drunk doesn't realize that Mirella isn't a noble. "Didn't hear any names, and only heard the one set of footsteps. But she was fuming about something. Money, I think."

"And I am Lady Zoey Kennex." She gestures to the chair she wishes the younger woman to take. "Please, have a seat, Hadassa."

Cahal scratches at his beard as he thinks on this. "Well. This means we're on the right path anyway. If she was angry and fuming and clumsy some others might remember her." He straightens and moves over to the others and then in a voice cast low enough that it shouldn't travel to the drunk asks "Should we search him?"

"Thank you for your answers." Alarissa gestures for Tamsin to leave, go find another place to sit. Because the woman's not going to stand. There's a gesture for one of the not in trouble guards toward the father with the expectation that the man will stand and come over to her and here, Alarissa waits.


Hadassa sits. She seem intimidated by the noblewoman, looking like a student being brought to the headmaster's office. Janvrin seems disappointed that his time speaking with Zoey has ended, meanwhile.

Tamsin stands walks to the bar. She briefly speaks with the bartender, who has been not really worthy of notice this entire time; the bartender declines to give her anything else to drink, because she hasn't paid off enough of her tab.

Enkil stands when the guards rouse him from his stupor, and walks on shaky feet over to Alarissa's stable. He looks dissipated... like someone who, under normal circumstances, is getting high on dust from sun-up to sundown. He looks ashamed of himself, sort of, when he feels Alarissa's gaze upon him.

Kiera comes to stand by cahal weighting the bag in her hand as she looks the drunk over with a carful eye "Thank you for your help. Are you sure you'll be alright?


The drunk seems quite cheerful for a man who's unable to get up from the ground. "Just having a bit of a lie-down, my Lady, and I'll be good as new."

And boy does Alarissa's gaze look disapproving. The pursed lips and disappointed gaze. The same one that Astrid gets now and then when six year old wild child behavior clashes with the expectation of manners that a noble child should have at that age. There's a gesture for him to sit and giving him a moment to stew under her withering look, here too again does Alarissa set into questions. Nothing regarding what was before Ember took over. It is of this night, of where he wass, what was he doing, how much dust had he does, asking fo rhis versions of what happened within the room. She's no inquisitor, this is for sure. But she peppers him with questions and swiftly.

Alarissa checked command + investigation at difficulty 15, rolling 30 higher.

Mirella pats one hand on the hip that lies on the same side of her body. She looks finally to the funtimes fellow who just called her a Lady, then nods absent-mindedly. "Sleep is a good idea." Then with casual interest, "What's your name, anyway?"


The drunk lying on his back purses his lips, thinking on that for a bit. "You know, my Lady, I don't remember. A bit of a lie-down, and I'm sure it'll come back to me. But, that's the Festival of Choices for you..."

Zoey's approach with Hadassa is a gentle one. She speaks in calm, reassuring tones as asks about the young woman's life since the incident of which her father was accused, whether that was when his habit began, how she is dealing with things and how she feels. Once she has gained her trust she asks about her feelings toward Ember, the Saffron Isles, and eventually asks about the night's events, including how she knew where to find her father.

Zoey checked charm + diplomacy at difficulty 15, rolling 31 higher.


When Alarissa peppers Enkil with questions, the man has difficulty keeping up. He admits to being a heavy dust user, but it sounds like he's in denial of just HOW heavy it is. His memory of the night isn't great. He remembers going to see the jewels with his daughter and getting into a fight with Janvrin, and the rest of his account of the night is either incoherent and hard to follow, or just blank in his memory entirely. He doesn't know who did it. He doesn't know much of anything, really. He's snorted half his brain away. He keeps apologizing.

Over with Zoey, Hadassa still has her guard up, until the Kennex noblewoman's gentle approach settles her down. She relates that her father's been doing dust all day and all night more or less since the beginning of Ember's reign. The Baroness took the family horse farm and turned a rich family into a destitute one almost overnight. When Hadassa's mother, Enkil's wife, passed away, the dust use only increased. Hadassa knew to find her father here because the Albatross is the only pub that still serves him; the owner knew him from years ago and cuts him a break, doesn't charge him for cheap drinks. Hadassa herself seems quite bitter about the family's situation -- their only income is what she makes, working as a groundskeeper in a nearby arboretum.

Whenever the group returns to the Albatross, Mirella writes down neat and clear notes about what happened on the jewel hunt. She makes two copies, handing one to Alarissa, and another to Zoey.

And Mirella will also take down any details that Alarissa and Zoey might wish her to record, if asked.