It is early in the day, and there is a fresh dusting of snow! The weather is the sort children with proper clothes love to play in, please that need to clear pathways loathe, and most everyone over a certain age fails to appreciate.

While some animals are not suited to the cold and may not be available, there are still plenty of things to see at the Menagerie. People are going about with their families, having romantic morning dates, and shoveling unmentionables if that is what their career has culminated in.

Waldemai has torn himself away from his forge to have a look around the menagerie. His leather cloak protects him against the cold outside just as it protects him against sparks during his smithing.

    Denica is tucked up, bundled up in a good place that allows her to sketch the people walking by. She stops to look up once in a while. Sketch, glance.

At least the shoveling unmentionables has gone to a good cause, the Gray Forest in fact! The Officiator is out for his usual walk of the grounds, dressed in winter apparel to keep the body warm while doing so, with a black and white shepherd at his heel beside him.

Calaudrin likes animals too, okay? Nevermind how grim his expression is. Don't let it fool anyone. He comes trudging down the walkway, looking for animals that haven't disappeared into some protective covering from the cooler weather.

Cybele is wearing silks, despite the weather. Or perhaps because of it. The northern shaman having a certain tolerance for the cold. Their tall staff chiming as they move, a happy sigh exhaled as the prodigal hums softly to themselves, toying with the fresh snow and peering over at various people and/or animals. Surely the people are also on display?

Most people might be here for pleasure, but Halsim is here for business. Conducting an interview with someone at a place of their choosing quietly, the black robe Halsim wears his Inquisition badge as he has a hushed conversation with a man off to the side.

As people go about their strolls, the sun begins to do what it does best. The snow softens, areas on stone paths become slick with ice if they havn't already been cleared, and the magical window to play with snowballs escapes for the day. The snow just wasn't quite thick enough this time, and slushballs just arn't quite as pleasant.

That is when the first shriek goes up. A lady who has found the remains of a gruesome murder under her shoe. The murder... Of a mouse. Not one from an exhibit, but the sort that are typically seen as pests. Most people are unimpressed, and a member of the staff hurries over to clean up the incident. These things happen.

But then there is a second, then a third. They arn't uncovered with as much fanfare, but those are just nearby. More staff spring into action, cleaning up the unsightly remains of the ill-fortuned rodents.

Waldemai looks around at the sound of shrieking, getting a good grip on the hammer he has brought from his forge. When he sees what's going on though, he relaxes and smiles. "Mice," he says. "Get into everything."

    Oh, that's terribly macabre - isn't it? Which means that Denica's curious enough to get an eyeful of one murdered mouse before a member of the Menagerie staff hurries by to take care of the mess. She switches out to a clean sheet of rag paper and starts in with the graphite stick, quickly.

Cybele blinks at the sudden shriek, and though the first mouse-death doesn't catch their attention beyond the immediate - seeing more rodents turn up has the shaman furrowing their brow in confusion. Idly moving along, peering over at the mouse-corpses as they're uncovered, to see if there's a visible cause of death.

...it's not quite a medical examination.

The Officiator, Aiden, pauses to glance around at the visitors. The shriek has the man alerted to the disturbances and he quickly seems to attract the attention of one of the staff, likely asking for reports. He murmurs lowly, "Check all the enclosures. I want a firm number."

Calaudrin looks unhappy when he nearly steps on the body of an unfortunate mouse. "Alright..." He starts and moves his back so as not to crush it. But it's right there in the middle of the path, what is he to do? There's a waving gesture to one of the attendents, but if no one assists him he might just move that sucker off the path. But not before giving the area a firm look over to see if anything /odd/ is going on. More odd than a mouse serial killer.

Aiden waits quietly as he sends off a few staff to ensure things were in order. To those who are coming across the remains of the mice he does offer some explanation, "We have a lot of wild visitors. Unfortunately some of their diets run solely on meat. I'm sure it is merely a case of---Severa No!" The Prince kneels as he tries to prevent his pup from mowing down one of the dead mice ahe found.

Waldemai wanders in the direction of the one fella that seems to know what's going on, or at least to know enough to know who to talk to. "Can I help you out with anything, your highness?" he asks the tall (well, almost everyone's tall to Waldemai) with the gray eyes.

    "Animal nature," the little Thrax princess notes with a grin. Denica packs up her drawing kit, skipping after the Grayson prince that's scolding his pup. "Cousin's Dominic's dogs will roll in dead things, sometimes. No idea why."

Calaudrin points the mouse out to an attendent that comes along and grimaces as the little body is picked up and disposed of. He watches Aiden with general amusement as the young man's dog tries to eat one of them. "Sometimes animals are gross."

Getting the shepherd to drop the mouse was half the battle, because she's eager to nip at him to retrieve it back. "Hey," Aiden says in a firm commanding tone, "None of that." Sterling silver eyes lift to Waldemai, "As of right now, I'm not sure there is anything we can do but ensure our messy eaters.. are cleaned up after. Other birds of prey or smaller predators can sometimes get in. There's really no helping it." He smiles over to Denica, "Ahh yes, I'm actually working with Dominic and the Isles Canines."

Multiple dead rats? Unusual, but nothing to fret about. Halsim simply keeps going with his interview quietly.

Cybele moves over with that customary chime, stepping closer to Aiden, canting their head as they regard him, and the mice. "But if they had been killed by predators, would they not have been eaten? These are just... Dead." The shaman notes. "No?"

Waldemai shuffles his feet and looks around. "Aye," he says. "That's a point."

    "Prince Aiden, yes. Grayson cousin to the Kennex cousin. Too many cousins to count." Pause, pose, smile. Denica's eyes get big. "Animals are gross, yes. So. Uh. Maybe just killing the pests rather than eating them?"

Word finally drifts back to Aiden in the way of a hurrying staff member who whispers into his ear. Aiden's reaction is incredulous, and following on the words of Cybele he does nod, "I had hoped for natural explanations... It seems, we've had a break in at the reptile house." He sighs looking toward the mouse he had taken from Severa's mouth, "Stolen and killed."

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Calaudrin before departing.

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Calaudrin before departing.

"It looks like I'll need better security..." Aiden grimaces, adding, "These were the feeder mice. An unfortunate part of keeping reptiles and birds of prey, among other animals." He shakes his head and tells the staff, "Make sure you collect them... We still have mouths to feed." And then he's frowning. (add cuz on phone)

"Someone broke into the reptile house and killed something there too?" Calaudrin pipes up, looking mildly distracted as he accepts some messengers. Each one has him looking more confused than the rest. He stuffs them into his back pocket with a shake of his head.

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Aiden before departing.

Waldemai asks, "Reptiles? You mean snakes and such?" That's not a nice thought.

Cybele nods, looking over the dead mice, furrowing her brow. "But if they have been dead in the snow, they are frozen. So maybe you can lay them to thaw and let the reptiles eat them when they get hungry?" The shaman suggests. Which may be Aiden's plan all along. Tapping their lips. "It is a very curious thing."

     "The plot thickens!" Denica ducks behind - ah - er, someone taller. Looking in the direction of the reptile house. Scanning for a culprit. "Everyone looks guilty."

Aiden nods, "Yes. I believe some wanted me to start a snake collection here so we have venom antidote... Honestly we don't have too many at present." He hands off the rodent to the staff. He nods to Cybele, "The heat inside the buildings will unthaw them. They won't go to waste..." He grew up a falconer, part of feeding mice to the birds were par for the course. "I'm honestly not sure who would've released them... but then again, bot everyone supports what is done here and it could have been a message of sorts." He shrugs and nods his thanks to the staff.

The commotion gets Halsims attention. He isn't saying anything yet, but his attention is half grabbed by word of events in the animal cages. His interview continues, however.

"People object to the strangest things..." Calaudrin can be heard muttering to himself. He doesn't seem to have much else to do with his time this morning, so maybe it's no wonder that he begins to head in the direction of the reptile house. He's nosy. It's part of his inate nature.

Waldemai nods at the explanation. "Venom antidote, yes, your highness," he says, looking around and gripping his hammer more tightly. "Hope we won't be needing that today," he mutters.

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Calaudrin before departing.

Cybele considers again. "How many feeder mice are missing? Make sure your staff marks where they are found. In case there's a pattern." The shaman suggests. "This is a very curious thing." They add.

Aiden notes Calaudrin's direction, offering to the Iron Guard, "Feel free to look around, as it's in your right too. Mind--" he sighs, "Let me come along. There are sensitive items that shouldn't be touched..."

Aiden glances back to Cybele, "The entire days feeders were taken."

It is without fanfare that a gruff woman round cheeks and a little bulb of a nose makes her way down the path straight for Aiden. She looks around at the people nearby before leaning in to speak to him in what she may think is a discrete tone. Yet the depth of her voice is one that doesn't lend itself to being hard to hear. "Begging your pardon. I opened up today. We had a few things unlocked that shouldn't've been, thought the night crew had just been sloppy. The mice arn't all of it, you really should come see."

    Denica frowns a little, tugging thoughtfully on a braid. All it takes is someone else to start in the direction of the reptile before she turns and follows Calaudrin. "So, they released snake food. They killed the snake food. Someone hates snakes."

Calaudrin looks over his shoulder to Aiden and replies, "I promise to not touch too many things." He doesn't want to break anything. Something Denica says catches his attention and he makes a thoughtful noise to himself. "Perhaps they want to make it hard to keep the snakes here. Hard to develop an anti-venom when there's nothing around to collect it from."

Halsim doesn't bother to get up. Instead, he gives a concerned glance to the woman who came out. He continues his quiet interview, but he seems at least distracted now.

Aiden regards the gruff woman, "What's this Trudy? More has been touched? I'll come see then." Aiden was heading that way, ohhh the trials of running the menagerie!

Waldemai asks, "Will you be wanting a hand with matters, your highness?" He's got the hammer...Maybe there's some metal that needs beeating.

    "Someone that might use snake venom in their line of work. A poisoner? An assassin? Someone intending to overthrow a monarch?!" You can just hear the exclaimation in that last question. Denica exhales, gathers her self. "So many questions."

Cybele quirks a brow, and happily wanders along after Aiden as though they had received an invitation. Staff chiming as they go, they're really not sneaking. But shamans. Like cats, really.

The Reptile area is as lovely as ever. The reptiles are perhaps less happy than usual, but how many people can really read the subtelty of their moods? There is no sign of anything out of sorts in the area for visitors, beyond little smears where several more mice have been found and cleaned up. Far more here, close to the exhibit, than you encounted back near the entrance. The more inquisitive eyes can see that they are clearly spread out from a staff area that is normally closed to customers, which Trudy lumbers dutifully towards as she leads Aiden - and the inquisitive people following him - towards the scene of the crime.

Calaudrin arrives at the reptile house and pops open the door before stepping inside. He watches the ground to make sure he doesn't step on anything and is careful not to touch things that might be breakable. To Denica he makes another mmhm kind of noise. "I heard there's been issues with that in the past. But then it could just be someone deeply disturbed."

Waldemai matches a snake beady eye to beady eye. "Just you stay right there," he mutters. He's still got the hammer.

     Denica keeps her hands to herself, making sure to avoid touching evidence or stepping in any smears on the floor. Poor little things. She does walk past the snakes, greeting them politely - apologizing to them, even. It seems polite.

Cybele considers the pattern the mice-smears and bodies lie in. Brow furrowed deeply in thought. Giving the reptiles a small waggle of their fingers as they pass by. Watching them with the same childlike wonder as the first time they visited. There are extremely few reptiles in the frozen tundra of the Everwinter, after all.

Aiden checked perception + agriculture at difficulty 15, rolling 4 higher.

Denica checked perception + agriculture at difficulty 15, rolling 2 higher.

Waldemai checked perception + agriculture at difficulty 15, rolling 3 lower.

Aiden follows aside of Trudy and looks behind him at those following... "Not just anyone is supposed to be back here. But... consider this a special tour. Mind what you touch please."

Cybele checked perception + agriculture at difficulty 15, rolling 1 higher.

Calaudrin checked perception + agriculture at difficulty 15, rolling 8 higher.

(Everyone) When Trudy opens the door, the issue is immediately clear. Someone went as fell into the side of bin that the mice are stored in. Not only is the thing on it's side - it is bent. Once the mice were loose they must've gone for the crack by the door, most of them at least. There are curiously no dead mice in the room itself, but there is blood. Not a neat trail, little speckles of it tossed all over the place, as if from a struggle. A few other pieces of equipment are damaged as well, though nothing too expensive, as is the metal grate on one of the adjoining salamander enclosures. While the absence of the salamander from the enclosure may initially cause concern, it is soon spotted in a backup cage nearby. Trudy clarifies that quickly. "The only exhibit messed with, and it wasn't even gone. Just sittin' in the room all expectant like."

(For those who passed) This is signs of a struggle, sure. There is evidence of violence, chaos, and even property damage. What is ALSO here that makes absolutely no sense is a half-eaten carrot, which something savaged. It is not only in pieces, but it has soaked more blood into itself than you'd expect from just a casual splattering.

Waldemai sees the bent bin. "Well, I can straighten that out, at least..."

"...Did someone get stabbed with that carrot?" Cybele questions, blinking. The shaman taking care to stay away from the blood, which, well, may be odd for a Mercy.

    "We'll need a carrot investigator..." Denica murmurs, this is her way of agreeing once she sees the carrot. "They'll get to the root cause of this, for sure."

Calaudrin turns and gives Denica a long look for her use of puns. He groans and stoops to eyeball the blood soaked carry on the floor. "Well. This is the weirdest thing that I've seen all week and I've seen some weird things this week."

Aiden looks relieved to see the salamander in a backup cage, though he does frown at the bent feeder bin... His eyes look to Calaudrin, "What does it look like happened to you, Officer Calaudrin? I'm sure you've more experience than I in..." his hands drift forward, "Break ins and the like."

Meanwhile, Halsim is blissfully unaware of anything besides his interview. His notebook still out as he writes into it at his table.

Aiden has rolled a critical success!
Aiden checked wits + investigation at difficulty 15, rolling 83 higher.

Denica checked wits + investigation at difficulty 15, rolling 24 higher.

Cybele checked wits + investigation at difficulty 15, rolling 20 higher.

Calaudrin checked wits + investigation at difficulty 15, rolling 21 higher.

Waldemai putters around with the bin, knocking it back into shape and standing it back up.

Calaudrin looks at the carrot and then at Aiden. "I'm not used to people using vegetables as weapons, I'm sure that comes as a surprise." He sighs and scratches the top of his head. "It looks like someone decided that they needed a snack at some point along the way." He glances to the others to see if they've deduced more, better clutes than dietary information.

"So... The cage door is unlocked but closed. The door shows no sign of forced entry." Cybele opines. "And the carrot was being eaten when whatever went down, went down." A beat. A shrug. The shaman furrows their brow. "Maybe it wasn't a weapon. Maybe it got stabbed against the roof of their mouth or something."

    Is intrigued. Denica steps out of the space after she's peered closely at the salamander. She fetches out her drawing board to make a very quick little sketch of the little guy. "Could be an inside job.

Meanwhile, the Inquisitor out at the tables still gives a nod to his interviewee as he writes into his notebook. Halsim then pulls out some food from a side bag and starts to eat as they continue.

Aiden listens to the individuals who came with him, his head nodding gently from one speculation to the next, taking his time looking at the scene, considering the clues that are before him. He smiles to Calaudrin, "I might be spending far too much time with the Lord Commander." He points a finger at the door to the room, "They used a key. How they had a key, remains unseen. It could have been a staff member or someone who had access to a staff member." He pivots and points to the salamander cage, "They were after the more expensive exhibit, the salamander is of the rare species and difficult to locate. I have no doubt to the right collector, it would be valuable in trade with." He nods to the cage, "It also indicates by the way they entered the cage, that it is unlocked rather than tampered, once again they had access to the keys, but, it was never opened. The salamander got out through the bars... as they are a little damaged from the struggle that took place."

He notes the carrot with the tapping of his foot, "Whoever came in here liked carrots... someone large to make the dent in the mice feeder." He walks around and points to the spray of blood, "From a superficial wound. I've been in enough scenarios to note that the amount of blood here is trace... small wounds. The lack of any outside when we came in, suggest the person also knows how to bandage or at least, it wasn't deep enough to bleed profusely." Aiden then concludes, "They were interrupted in the theft of the salamander, and the mice, were... unintended in their release. That still doesn't explain who has been in here." A look to Trudy, "So, Trudy, please find out who all has their reptile keys accounted for. It'll take time I know, so find a few who have all their keys accounted for and get their assistance."


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While the recent losses of ships seem to have been confined to Isles' flagged vessels in the close promixity of Arx, there have been two noticable losses after which may or may not be related. A prison ship sailing from Maelstrom with many of the shavs captured during the operation against the Gyre was lost at sea, never reaching its destination and presumed lost by causes unknown. That, in Thrax's mind, is unfortunate, but the second loss is more personal.

Prince Dominic Thrax's personal longship is found adrift in the Bay of Thrax. Iron guard docking with the ship find an extremely disturbing scene- the entire crew seems to have been torn apart, with it difficult to identify who was whom among the tattered rags and badly chewed bodies. Some of Dominic's warpigs on board were slain, with the position of bodies and the human corpses suggesting a brutal fight, and a few of his largest pigs were roaming free and immediately attack the Iron Guardsmen boarding, cutting the mad pigs down. While it is difficult to be certain with the condition of the bodies, Prince Dominic Thrax seems to be among the dead.
**********************************************************************


Waldemai looks impressed at the summing up. "Anything for a smith, your highness?" Apart from fixing the bin, that is...

While everyone is busy examining the scene of the crime, it can be easy to miss things going on around you. Perhaps that is why the small figure shrugging themselves out of the snow outside and into the building isn't immediately obvious. Or maybe the crafty thing is just sneaky. With a red bandana on around her neck, Tiny Tom the Stoat comes into the scene of the crime as thought you all owed her something for simply being there. The carrot - crime scene evidence as it were - is scooped up in her mouth. She looks around at all of you, then starts trotting out at her little stoat pace as if nothing was amiss.

Aiden looks to Waldemai, "Maybe a better locking system... though I'm not sure that would have necessarily ... stopped the one who--" he's interrupted mid-sentence by a messenger who arrives with ill news. The letter is opened and a few more follows in it's wake. "Excuse me friends, there has been more bad--" he pauses again, this time because he notices a Stoat with a red bandana, "Hey- you... Where did you come from?" Nevertheless, messengers keep arriving for the prince.

Calaudrin looks up at Aiden from where he kneels on the ground. His mouth twists into a grin of patented amusement. "I think you have been spending too much time with him." He quips teasingly. Then the stoat comes into the room, takes the carrot and leaves with it. "That's Sparte's damn weasel." A finger is pointed at the creature as it just leaves with the evidence.

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Aiden before departing.

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Aiden before departing.

    "Tiny Tom --" Denica adds a moment later, "-- is a stoat."

Waldemai looks twice at the little critter. "He's got a bandana...Someone must have dressed him." Shucks. He puts the hammer away.

Cybele peers at the stoat, giving it a little wiggle of their fingers. "Hello, Tom. Is that your carrot?" The shaman doesn't expect an answer. But they're idly following after the stoat, anyway. "What happened to the person who bled on it?"

Crow - Thraxian Steward arrives, delivering a message to Aiden before departing.

Aiden is distracted by the flurry of messengers, though he does spare Calaudrin a wane smile, because before too long he reaches for Denica and murmurs into her ear. The rest, maybe the others can resolve in the meantime, his gaze flicking to the stoat.

Tiny Tom doesn't respond to the other people present. They arn't trying to catch her, and she clearly doesn't feel very threatened by Cal's finger pointing. She is heading somewhere with that bloodied mangled carrot, because she is headed right back out of the reptile exhibit with her prize. Clearly, the stoat has a plan for that bloody carrot.

he murmurs of the Grayson Prince cause Denica to tilt her head to the side, leaning in to listen. And pale. And flush. And she looks as though she might scream. Thrax do not cry. She blinks hard at Aiden, shakes her head, and she leaves. Immediate and without any farewells.

Cybele follows the stoat. Giving a curious look at the exchange between Grayson and Thrax. Still, they leave it be for now. Chimes ringing as they move. The Stoat has a plan, after all.

Aiden doesn't try to stop Denica, furrowing his brows after her leave and debating doing the same. Though, he is the Officiator here and he has responsibilities and duty unto the end. His sterling silver eyes flicker back to Tiny Tom. He clears his throat and looks after to see that Trudy went to go see to the arduous task of seeing who had keys, following almost numbly after Cybele...

Waldemai says, "Let's see where he's off to. Maybe he's heading home to mama."

"She." Cybele gently corrects Waldemai. "She is a very nice stoat, I am given to understand." Humming gently again, as they move along.

Waldemai mutters, "Judging from the blood, nice means something different up here than it does down in Southport."

Calaudrin watches as the stoat makes with her escape. Of course she ignored his finger wagging, everyone does. It's a curse. He sighs and straighens, getting to his feet. He begins moving after the stoat, "Might as well..." He mutters. Though he looks a little concerned as Denica runs off like that.

Tiny Tom doesn't go very far. She gets as far as Aiden's dog, waiting faithfully at the entrance to the Reptile exhibit. Tiny Tom stops and stares at the dog as though sizing them up. She then suddenly spits out the carrot and chitters at the dog in a tiny bossy little tone, hopping side to side before pushing the carrot at the dog once, then a second time. She runs in a circle and chitters at the people following her, pointing at the dog with one paw like the dog is defective before nudging the carrot at them again.

Aiden checked command + animal ken at difficulty 15, rolling 57 higher.

"Oh, that's clever." Cybele declares. "She wants the dog to track the trail of blood by scent." Clapping their hands together. "Do you think your companion is up to the task?" They inquire of Aiden.

Aiden follows the others, his eyes a little misted up in fact. From carrot's to utter distraction. Of course when he hears Severa bark and wag her tail at the stoat, Aiden slowly clues in on what is needed. "Severa, find," he commands simply. She's not a blood hound, but she was still a shepherd and she was being trained by the Prince, whom, apparently knows a just a bit about animals - otherwise he wouldn't be the Officiator right.

Then Halsim sees a dog. And A stoat. And a Carrot.

A few whispered words later, and Halsim is standing up, heading over to the sight casually as his notebook is put away.

Aiden follows the others, his eyes a little misted up in fact. From carrot's to utter distraction. Of course when he hears Severa bark and wag her tail at the stoat, Aiden slowly clues in, since Cybele practically declares what is needed! Good to have Shaman around. His eyes turn toward her, murmuring, "Can you teach me to do what you do?" Then to the puppers, "Severa, find," he commands simply. She's not a blood hound, but she was still a shepherd and she was being trained by the Prince, whom, apparently knows a just a bit about animals - otherwise he wouldn't be the Officiator right. ((EDITTED POSE)

Waldemai still has his hammer, and is willing to follow the dog where she leads them...and yes, "Least I can tell a boy dog from a girl dog, although the same cannot be said of stoats."

Severa wags her long tail, thudding it on the ground as her bum starts to wiggle from the excitement of being tasked to play a game! Games were fun! Whether she understands or not, is neither here or there, because she is sniffing in the bloody carrot's direction. She's young yet, so she might just play with the carrot a little.

"What I do?" Cybele murmurs, back to Aiden, quirking a brow. "I can teach many things. I pair Novitiatives with Mercies whose temper will match them, and ensure they learn the most. I try to do well, as it is very important." Considering. "But I do not think that is what you meant." Still, happy to let the dog and stoat lead the way, and to step aside for the professionals. Professional Animal Person, professional investigator, professional hammerer. "It's easier." Cybele agrees with Waldemai. Watching and waiting, for now, looking a little expectantly to Severa and Tom.

Aiden glances over to Cybele, though rather than speak outloud, he steps up to her and murmurs something a little more privately in ask.

Severa is a well trained animal, they get right to it. They snort at something in the scent, whining a little before sniffing again and seeming more sure this time. Turning, they sniff the air and slowly find the trail. Tiny Tom bounds along behind the dog in the sort of round-about way you might imagine a child trying to be stealthy to use. She goes from spot to spot, dashes into not yet fully melted piles of snow, runs through plants and even up between Cal's legs before they reach the destination of Severa's faithful tracking. Another supply room, in the Ungulates section of the Menagerie.

The stoat runs up between Cal's legs and he jumps and dances around like an overstimulated monkey. When it goes again, he regains his composure and exhales. "I'm out of here, I have things to do." Then he's off, grumping away. Sometimes he's a little bit of a grouch. A little bit.

3 Iron Guardsmen leaves, following Calaudrin.

Waldemai stalks along after the dog, hammer gripped tight for some constructive hammering when they gits where they's going.

Cybele murmurs quietly to Aiden as they move, then gestures to the supply room. "There's likely a culprit inside. Dead or in a lot of pain. If they are alive, I will do my best to help them."

Seeing *blood* on the carrot, Halsim frowns slightly. Then, the dog sniffs and starts to track, "What's going on here?" Asks the Inquisitor, his badge showing in front of his robe as they follow the dog. At least he isn't interrupting. Once they hit the supply room though... "Huh?" Halsim starts taking a look around.

Aiden looks a little disappointed when the Iron Guardsman leaves, "Officer---" but then the man is gone and Aiden looks to Waldemai, "I hope you can use that hammer for more things than crafting..." He nods to the Cybele and the group near the supply room with his puppers making a bark or two at the door. Halsim's interruption merely has him respond, "Good day Inquisitor. I had a break in." He moves to the supply room, drawing out his set of master keys, moving up to the lock but testing to see if it was opened first...

Unlike the area in the reptile area, this one is properly locked. Things seem in order. Not that it is difficult for Aiden to get the door quickly opened. What you see inside the supply area is... Just that, a supply area. Food and feed for the various animals in this part of the Menagerie, nothing at all out of the ordinary. Severa, once the door is open, follows the trail up to a small area for carrots. This is, perhaps, not the culprit you were looking for.

In contrast, Tiny Tom seems to have found just what she was after. She runs up the side of the bin and body dives into the carrots, proceeding to attack and savage them one by one with her tiny stoat teeth. If nobody interjects, soon all of your carrots will be... Carrots with tiny savage bite marks in them. Much like the ones on the bloodied carrot.

Cybele has rolled a critical success!
Cybele checked wits + animal ken at difficulty 20, rolling 44 higher.

Waldemai checked wits + animal ken at difficulty 20, rolling 10 lower.

Aiden checked wits + animal ken at difficulty 20, rolling 10 higher.

Halsim checked wits + animal ken at difficulty 20, rolling 0 higher.

"Hey! Get out of there! Those aren't yours!!" Aiden grouses down at the stoat with a movement to shoo her the heck out! Objections! Yes!

Waldemai looks angry. "All that because the little beastie wanted a carrot."

"The dog follows the strongest scent." Cybele notes. "And maybe Tom also recognises a scent. The person who took the carrot took it from that bin. And visits it frequently, if they have left their scent here."

Sparte GM Roll checked dexterity(3) + brawl(1) at difficulty 15, rolling 1 higher.

Upon being told to stop fighting the carrots, whom Tiny Tom appears to hate VERY much, Tiny Tom manages to throw a carrot at Aiden. It isn't going to hurt Aiden or anything, but the point is made.

Aiden checked dexterity at difficulty 15, rolling 4 lower.

"Hmmm." Halsim quietly invokes as he listens. "Interesting. I imagine you know who has access to this room, Your Highness. Should be easy to call for your people and screen them." Halsim gives a nod to the dog as he finishes.

Carrot. In. Face. Bounce! Yes, Aiden gets a carrot in the face for his efforts and sighs with a rub of his hand across the ridge of his nose and cheek. "These need to feed the animals that live here, ... If you wish to be part of the Menagerie, you can be. But I don't tolerate stealing, on any level. Including from you-" finger waggle to the stoat.

After chiding the animal, Aiden looks to Halsim, "Mm, yes. The keepers of the ungulates would have the key, but not the key to the reptiles. I try to keep the areas managed by selected crews... So it narrows the field down considerably who would have access to the bins here."

Crow - Thraxian Steward arrives, delivering a message to Aiden before departing.

It takes a little while for Tiny Tom to savage every carrot in the bin, but there arn't a lot of carrots. Really, there should probably be more carrots than there are. Once she has got in the prerequisite number of bites for each carrot to be 'defeated' Tiny Tom abruptly loses interest. She hops down and dashes out of the supply area to get up to who knows what other mischief.

Cybele considers. "We're dealing with someone who would have an idea of what the animal was worth. We have a stoat who has savaged a carrot similarily to the one that clearly left someone bloodied. And we have a number of dead mice, who were in a person's clothes, I should think, after they fell into a barrel of feeder mice." Cybele suggests. "So I think perhaps Tom interrupted the break-in, and chased off the thief, who spends a lot of time here. Possibly also stealing carrots."

Waldemai shrugs. "If you figure out who it is, I can whack them on the head." Sherlock Jr. he is not.

Halsim looks to Waldemari, sternly. "There will be no whacking of anyone on the head, citizen, unless in self defense or you are given leave by myself." Halsim frowns slightly, before he looks to Aiden. "I can arrest suspects. I defer to you for finding them."

Crow - Thraxian Steward arrives, delivering a message to Aiden before departing.

Waldemai lowers the hammer, grumbling. "Didn't really mean it that way."

Aiden looks over to Halsim, "I will have the schedules reviewed of who was working and ask for them to speak with me. I should think, someone, is going to bear injuries. At that point, I will turn the thief, over to your hands. I have no tolerance for theft-" he reiterates again, "With so much else going on, I have no need of this." Messengers continue to interrupt him, taking reports, before he clears his throat, "If you excuse me--" he goes to lock up the supplies and ruffle Severa's head, "A Prince has left this world... one that I dealt with often. I must go... and properly mourn. Mercy for the evening, for this thief... and I might have to speak with you again-" this to Cybele, "About the stoat. Thank you all for your help."

"A Prince? Another attack?" Halsim suddenly looks to Aiden with concern, before he starts to head out himself, going for the nearest Iron Guardmen.

"Oh." Cybele furrows their brow deeply. "I am sorry for your loss, Prince Aiden." Bowing their head. "And you may call upon me at any time. I live in the Badger, with Lady Lailah Bisland." The shaman explains. Wrinkling their nose. Looking after Halsim. Then to Waldemai. "I am sure your bonks would have been just and right."

There is no more to be done right away, with the suspected culprit not present and no further evidence to uncover. The rest of the day at the Menagerie goes relatively uneventfully, a simple pleasant affair interrupted by staff members trying to scrub the mouse bits up off the pathways. Darker, sadder tidings require address elsewhere in the wake of the tragic news trickling in about the Thraxian Prince.

When the schedules are reviewed and the clues crossed, you find but one person who fits all the criteria. A portly man that was working in this area, with access to this storage unit, that has a bandaged hand. They initially complain of an attack by a wild rodent, but when investigation shows them with keys they should not have on their person, they confess. "My brother... He owes a lot of money. This gap-toothed man with a big smile knew about it, and he offered to settle my brother's debt if I got him the salamander. I... When I got attacked I panicked and I couldn't go through with it. I never even touched the animal, I swear I didn't. Please, please, I need this job..." His fate is for another day. This case is closed.