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GojiBean

Your resident irradiated Kaiju King
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Date: Year 754, 14th Day, 1st Laetal Moon
Time: 5:54am, sun has not yet risen


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Today was the day.

The Highland Flower Festival.

A day to celebrate the wonders of nature’s beauty by collecting as many Highland Flowers as one could manage from the hills and grasslands surrounding the capital city of Valkyom in Cre’ Est.

The streets of the capital were already decorated with hanging lines with floral paper cutouts put together by the community. Windows had flower vases on display everywhere. Flowers were placed around the Central Square Fountain, and some left floating in its water. Market stands and stalls had floral decorations across their tops and sides. And a large floral platform serving as a performance stage was erected in the Central Square where numerous troupes of dangers, circus performers, traveling musicians, and more had come to show their tributes to the glorious beauty of nature.

Tucked safely in bed in her 2nd story room lay one Doctor Lorraine Xe’ Almna, owner and manager of the Almna Apothecary and Clinic. The “Angel of Cre’ Est.”

Her long flowing brown hair was wrapped and tied in a bun towards the top and back of her head to allow for ease of sleeping while her nightgown gently nestled against the curves of her shoulders, chest, and back with the occasional drop of sweat helping it stick to her skin. Being something of a restless sleeper, she’d already half thrown away the covers which were meant to keep her warm. But being on the second story of her home during the beginning of the Summertime months made it plenty warm enough.

Outside of her humble abode, which was located just down the street from her clinic, the early morning hours before the sunrise let drift a soft, ominous breeze.

The scent of death was in the air. Not at all uncommon in this city as there was no shortage of wealthy running through the noble sector. Backstabbing amongst their own, assassinations, thievery. It was all fairly commonplace. Take down one noble and another would pop up to take their place in a never-ending struggle for status and power.

The unwelcome scent drifted through the Cloud District, the northwestern most region of the city which was comprised only of high rise noble dwellings several stories tall. The uneven skyline of the rooftops made traversing them smoothly an impossible feat for even the most agile of runners and climbers. And it also greatly increased the risks of being seen if one was trying to hide in the shadows. One wrong landing on a lower elevation while someone opens the blinds just beside you, and you’re made.

Tonight death had become the now eternal companion for a vagrant who’d gotten lost in the wrong back alley. Teased and beaten to death with his own walking stick, the poor fool lay with his head bashed in at a T-junction in the alleys between the residencies of the Gurthal and Illia families.

In the streets were bloody footprints which vanished by the time they’d reached the open streets. No doubt a small gang of thieves or local rogues who fancies themselves “big shots” and wanted to prove their dominance over the little guys of the Underworld. Not that vagrants truly counted. But what did these miscreants care? Dominance was dominance to them.

But what is dominance?

Few truly understand the meaning of the word and the feeling it brings to those on the receiving end.

“Pathetic.” Whispered a man in an all-black outfit kneeling at the edge of the Gurthal residence’s rooftop.

“I agree. Sloppy and unrefined. I’d wager it’s not even worth calling amateur.” Said another dressed the same way.

The first one lowered a mask which had been over his mouth, revealing his deeply tanned skin and five o clock shadow, and glanced up at his partner.

“What do you think, Bosch?”

Bosch, standing much taller than his companion with far lighter skin and a thicker full beard, removed his mask as well.

“I think it’s those same punks we saw before, Nash.”

“The ones who were roof running the other night?”

“Most likely.”

Nash scoffed.

“Pathetic.”

“You really like that word, don’t you?”

“It fits them.”

“True. So what do we do about them?”

“Nothing. Just keep observing for now. If they cross the line, we’ll take them out.”

“Here’s hoping they cross it sooner than later.”

“You want to get your hands dirty, Bosch?”

“Not necessarily. I’m just looking for some action is all. I’ve been bored with our recent jobs.”

“Well we have a high-level one coming in. We just need to wait for our contact.”

“Who is the contact, by the way?”

“Dunno. Supposed to be a big shot of some kind. Fredo said he knows the city inside out and can point us in the right direction for a big pay day.”

“Well, here’s hoping he shows himself soon. Sun’ll be rising in a few hours.”

“Yep. He’s supposed to be here by now.”

“I’m here.” Came a female voice behind them.

Both men spun around and came face to face with a female dressed in a tight and deeply v-cut black tunic top, a white belt, and charcoal gray pants with deep brown leather boots. She had dark brown hair which flowed to just past her shoulders, and the top of her face was covered by a mask with cat-like slits around her eyes.

“You boys wait long?”

“So you’re the one delivering news of our payday, eh?”

“Yes. The Guildmaster decided to give you boys something more challenging. So here you are,” she said, holding out a rolled up parchment with a red string tied around it.

“Red…”

“Yes. This is a highly dangerous and high profile target.”

“In this city? Now?”

“Yes. In this city. Now.”

“But why? With a festival on the way it doesn’t make sense to be-”

The woman smiled.

“So that’s the game, is it?”

“Yes. The target will be using the festival as cover to get close to their own target. And the target is one of ours. So obviously we can’t just let them have their way. We need you two to find and remove them before they can harm our operation.”

Nash took the parchment and opened it up, eyes skimming the contents.

“Looks good. So they’re in the Church sector, Westman Inn, 3rd floor, 2nd room from the end on the west side of the building.”

She nodded.

“Should we expect anything?”

“A fight. The target likely knows we’re coming for them.”

“And we know the target’s there?”

“Oh yes.”

Bosch cracked his neck.

“Ready partner?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s do this.”

The parchment was tossed back to the girl who ducked into the shadows to wait while the others carefully maneuvered across the lower level buildings towards the Church sector which was clearly visible towards the center of the city thanks to the massive church building and tower scraping the sky and dwarfing all other buildings around it.

It took around fifteen minutes to reach the building across from their destination, but once there the pair knelt down and observed the window for any signs of movement.

“How you wanna do this?”

“Carefully. If he’s looking for a fight, then we can’t use the window. He’ll have it trapped.”

“So the door?”

“No. Let’s check the roof. Sometimes there are hatches leading to the attic space above the rooms. These inns are old. And the ceiling boards aren’t always the most well kept. They should break easy if we really give em a good stomp. So I say we get into the attic space, kick in those boards, and take him by surprise that way.”

“Sounds good. Let’s go.”

The pair made their way to the roof and scanned for signs of an attic entrance. No such luck outside. But the rooftop entryway to the interior stairwell seemed to give them better luck. It was a tight squeeze, but they managed to make it through an in-wall hatch that led to the space which was just enough for them to crouch in. Once positioned over the target’s room, they soundlessly counted down together and slammed their boots through the ceiling and dropped into the room.

Inside, the pair landed on their feet and looked around.

“There’s nobody here!”

The room was completely empty. Nobody had rented it in weeks at least.

“That bitch lied to us!”

“Hold on… Maybe she didn’t. Look.”

There was a single piece of paper on the desk near the window with a recently used quill pen and ink bottle. And on the paper was the word ‘Abort.‘

Abort...

Nash shrugged.

“Look around. There’s bound to be more in here than that.”

The pair turned the room inside out until Bosch stumbled upon another piece of paper folded and tucked beneath the bed mattress.

“Hey, over here.”

Opening the paper the pair read a message.

They’re coming. I don’t know how they found me. But they did. I can’t stay here anymore. You need to get out of Valkyom as quickly as possible. You don’t want to be mistaken for me. Not with those bastards on my tail. Be careful.

“So that’s what it meant.”

“Yeah. Looks like they’re aborting some kind of mission.”

“Who’s “they”?”

“Whoever wrote this.”

“Fuck. I hate it when things get complicated.”

“Me too. For now let’s get out of here. If the target’s gone then there’s no sense sticking around. Let’s report it to her and see what’s next.”

”No.” Came a deep male voice.

The pair jumped to their feet and spun around, and the color drained from both of their faces.

Standing in the darkness in the back of the room they could make out only the silhouette of a tall male figure. But they didn’t need to ask who it was. The glowing red irises piercing the darkness made it clear.

“Wh-wh-what are you doing here?!”

No response.

The figure drew a dagger from behind his back which also had a a subtle glow; That of a light forest green around a liquid-like black core in the blade.

“What are you doing?! We’ve no fight with you!!”

The men backed away as the red-eyed figure stepped into the light.

”You two picked the wrong target.”

Their screams echoed into the night air. And the time anyone had come into the room to check all they found were the bloodied corpses left behind and the window open with the shakes gently flowing in the breeze as the sun just barely began to peek out over the edge of the horizon beyond the building skyline.

Morning had come to Valkyom.

And it was a morning marred by not one, but three deaths on what was supposed to be a festival of life and beauty.

Doctor Almna had been called by the local authorities to examine the bodies and give a cause of death. And as she knelt by each one and gave them a thorough examination, she took a deep breath as she stood up and sighed.

“Doctor?” A guardsman asked.

”One blade wound each here at the base of the neck. It severed the Vagus nerve which paralyzed the victims. Officially the cause of death in such cases is organ failure.”

The guard noted it down.

“Any ideas who’s behind it?”

Doctor Almna glanced at the wounds again. The subtle shredding of skin around the wounds told her the blade was very subtly serrated. Such small serrations were rare in blades due to the complexity of the craftsmanship required to make them. She’d seen them employed only once before, but...

”Unfortunately, I’ve no idea.”

“Thank you doctor. We’ll take the bodies for preparation of a ceremonial burial this evening once the festival is over.”

Doctor Almna nodded and made her way towards her clinic. As she did so she passed through the market which was bustling about the news of the three deaths. Over and over again she heard that people were fearing some sort of political foul play. Maybe it was the beginning of some kind of big assassination plot against the King and Queen? One such plot had been broken up about five months ago by unknown players. Was it happening again?

Once she’d arrived at her clinic and greeted her staff, she went to her quarters and sat down at her desk staring at the ceiling.

”Your body isn’t ready for this.” She whispered to herself.

Looking out towards the window and the sunlight peeking through the blinds, she took a deep breath.

”Why did you do it, Kyero?”

Never before had the light of the sun seemed so dim to her before… Or so foreboding.
 
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The Wandering Knight
Date: Year 754, 14th Day, 1st Laetal Moon

As the morning sun rose over the tops of the various buildings of the town, the wandering knight rode slowly into town looking around. He had just finished a job, guarding a caravan making its way into Cre'Est for the flower festival. Thankfully, this meant that he had enough funds to last him a week or two before needing to head onto his next job. He could only hope that this would allow him the time to enjoy the festival. Though instantly, he chided himself. He had been loose with money once in the past but he preferred to hold a tight purse. He began considering his purchases and as he continued to think, he decided that it may be appropriate to purchase some of the overpriced festival food but anything beyond that was a copper too much.

He continued riding as he examined his surroundings. The entire city seemed covered in flowers. It truly was a beautiful sight. It was even more astounding given its location. He had been to quite a few villages in other kingdoms barely wealthy enough to afford basic supplies while this city seemed wealthy enough to afford a special festival. He could understand it though, even at the capital of Vielbrand, festivals were seen as a way to build support and good rapport with the civilians.

Bathomare took that moment to snort and shake his head. A head pat soon followed. "Worry not, friend. I'm sure we will find some food for you shortly." Ever since his dismissal, Bathomare had stood by him throughout his journey across the various kingdoms serving faithfully since the day he had been given to him during his time in the royal guard.

Of course, time would only tell if once again, Bathomare would rescue him once again.
 
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Finding purpose was a fleeting thing for the former Veilbrandian honor guard. One day he would find himself trudging through the wilderness, the next dismantling a hideout of deserters turned highwaymen through a few well-placed blows and non-verbal threats of further violence, and after all of that was said and done he would be left without purpose once more. At least, until he found himself on the road northwards again, and a fair wind blew a smattering of excited whispers of an upcoming festival his way through the weave of traders and travelers. Valkyom, the capital of Cre'Est, would be a city of lights and magic for a night, where drink and festivities would be plenty. To Turin, this meant nothing. The food and drink of the land proved to be too savory for the knight and kept reminding him of what a proper Veilbrandian meal would look like. A light sandwich, a scone, and a few cups of tea, preferably of the Thistleroot variety that Lucerina always liked to have, and that he would never have the chance of tasting again.

The reason as to why he went to Valkyom was simple: he was looking for work. Hoping for the same type of work was unrealistic, and probably out of his reach considering his new condition that prevented intelligible speech, but maybe something else would pop up? That was his hope at least, after all, Veilbrand simply wasn't safe for him to walk through anymore. He could only imagine how large the bounty on his head would be if anybody went out of their way to hunt him down. Not that he wouldn't be able to defend himself, but if somebody really wanted him dead, it wouldn't take much to slay him whilst he slept.

After a few days of arduous travel on foot, Turin finally made it to Valkyom. The city stood before him, but unlike the proud and colorful image he had in his head, the decorations seemed to be faded, stained with the scent of blood and iron. The way a shadow hung over the gate guards on that bleary morning over the city could have only meant one thing: terrible murder had taken place the night before. As he approached the gates, one of the men stopped him.

"Sir! What is your business in Valkyom?"

Silently, he pointed to one of the streamers still hanging from the walls.

His eyes narrowed, looking up and down the faceless armored man, eying his weapons. Of course, most travelers would have their weapons on them at all times, it would be suicide to have one in the large swathes of land that aren't as populated and regulated as a city or town would be, otherwise known as bandit country. However, the man's suspicion still piqued at the knight's obvious foreign origins. It was safer to be sure. "Well now, is that so?" He said suspiciously. The other guard jostled him. Enough was enough, there wasn't any need to inconvenience the traveler any further.

"It's fine, you're free to go in and enjoy the festival. Just don't interrupt the investigation."

He held up a single finger and reached behind himself with his other hand. The other guard nervously issued an order to stop moving, but Turin continued anyways, halberd at his face, and revealed a small notebook and a metal pen buried inside. At this, the guard lowered his weapon as Turin quickly flipped through the pages and began to trace words onto the vellum.

"Was there a murder at the festival?" He wrote.

"Yes, there was. How do you know?" More frantic scribbling.

"Same way at home. How can I help?"

One guard looked to the other, then began to look Turin up and down. The once well-kept armor, the orange cloth that dangled from his shoulders, the choice of weaponry, all indicated he was a foreigner. He was definitely on the list of potential suspects. Even if he didn't do it, it'd be good to have the captain have a closer look at him.

"Follow me, stranger."

Turin nodded quietly and followed him in through the gates and through the streets, keeping his head low. The flowers were not his to enjoy. The festival was not his to celebrate. These were not his lands, and he was a stranger seeking solace.
 
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Inka Ve' Lie
Date: Year 754, 14th Day, 1st Laetal Moon

On this beautiful day, the flower festival was blooming, to say the least. Inka Ve Lie would be up bright and early to look around. She was very excited, she got to see many different kinds of flowers. If she was lucky, she could even find one she hasn't tried to use in a poison before. Getting up out of bed, Inka did the usual morning routine. After she had done that, she picked out a nice outfit for the festival and started to look for her satchel. That satchel contained everything she needed. Her books, her coin pouch, poison and dagger for emergencies. And just for today, she brought along with her a notepad with a pen, for writing down recipes and also if she found a new flower she can write it down and see if she can research on it later. Also she brought with her a smaller pouch for putting some flowers in. She didn't intend to get a lot of flowers, since she could go out whenever she needed them. With all her things packed, she headed out to see the festival.


Even if she was up quite early, Inka was still able to spot quite a lot of people walking around and starting to open their shops and what not. But when she saw the city covered in flowers, she was amazed to say the least. She stood there for a while, just taking in the beauty, until a man carrying a bunch of boxes, a shipment of products she presumed, yelled at her to move. "Sorry sir!" Inka apologised to the man and started to walk leisurely around. She was walking around, taking in the sights around her. Until she stumbled upon a flower unknown to her. She took out her notepad and started to sketch the flower, making sure to write down important details about it like it color, shape, and what not. After she was done with that, she plucked the flower and put it in her small pouch. She didn't really think much mind about taking the flower since there was a bunch of them placed in the city. There was a few more unknown flowers that she spotted and she repeated the same process to those flowers. After walking around for quite a long time, she noticed that the city had gotten a lot busier.

Inka decided to take a break and head to a tavern before heading out the city's library. She checked her satchel and saw she had her money with her. She checked if she had enough for a quite snack and maybe a drink, which she did, but she wondered if she could get it for cheaper. She headed over to the tavern and found a table and seated herself. She turned on her charm and called over a waiter. She order and chatted with him while waiting for her order. Once it came, Inka asked for the bill and the man went out to get it. He handed it over to him, and her plan seemed to work. She only had to pay 10 Copper. She gave the money to him and she ate and drank in peace, while reading her book. Once she was done, she headed out and walked towards the city's library.
 
The guards led Turin to the scene of the crime at the inn where the two men had been killed, waving off another guard who had begun approaching with a hand on his sword. Their bodies still lay where they died, skin ashen from the loss of blood and faces of panic and pain etched in their features.

The guard turned to Turin.

"We received a brief examination of the bodies from Doctor Almna earlier this morning. Both men were stabbed here," he knelt down and pointed to their neck/shoulder area which each had a single, identically placed stab wound with subtle tearing of the flesh not natural to a smooth blade.

"Their Vaguun nerves were-"

"Vagus nerve, sir." Interjected another guard.

"... Vagus... Their Vagus nerves were severed which paralyzed them and led to organ failure. At least this is the cause of death as reported by the doctor. If you see anything in the room other than the one half-smudged bloody footprint there which clearly belongs to the big one there, feel free to speak up."

archur archur

In her quarters at the clinic, Doctor Almna took notes on the bodies she found and ran over the report of their officially listed cause of death.

"A single stab to the Vagus nerve causing paralysis and organ failure." She whispered.

She leaned back and toyed with the feather of her quill pen, tickling her lower lip with it as she stared at the ceiling.

"At least it was relatively clean. But it wasn't quick."

She leaned forward and jotted down a note in her notebook reading: Angry.

"Why were you angry with them?"

Suddenly, there came a knock at the door.

"Come in."

A redhead nurse opened the door and gave a stuble bow.

"Apologies for the interruption, Doctor."

Doctor Almna smiled.

"Not at all, Ilene. What can I do for you?"

"Cheyanne just reported that we've encountered a bit of a snag in our supply of herbs. The trader lost the shipment to a bandit raid two days ago. We just found out about it."

Doctor Almna took a deep breath.

"I see. That means we'll be low on Cse'Tua Paste for at least another two weeks."

"Yes, ma'am."

Standing from her chair, she offered a smile and walked around the desk.

"I'm pretty sure there are some herbs that serve as substitutes for what we need. I'll need to double check though. Can you watch the clinic while I run to the library to read up on the local flora?"

"I thought you knew everything about the local flora, Doctor?" Ilene said teasingly.

Doctor Almna chuckled.

"Well, I'm only human after all."

"No problem. I'll keep an eye on things here."

"Thanks, Ilene. I shouldn't be long."

With that, Doctor Almna left the clinic on a course for the library with a bit of pep in her step.

kakemha kakemha
 
Inka Ve' Lie
Date: Year 754, 14th Day, 1st Laetal Moon

The city library always amazed Inka, it looked to fancy and big. When Inka stepped into the library, she immediately got to work on finding the books she needed, and maybe some she wanted to read. Of course, she also looked around at the different books that were sitting on the shelves. She scanned the shelves and got the books she needed and piled them in her arms. Books about the flowers she saw, added to the pile. Books about different herbs, added to the pile. Books about the properties of both herbs and flowers, added to the pile. Basically any book related to poisons, flowers, and herbs, she added to her pile. She also had a lot of hopes that she could come up with some new poison recipes with the flowers and hopefully the books can also awaken her brain a bit so some new ideas could flow inside her. When she felt like she had enough for now, she decided to look around for a relatively empty table, since she has a decent amount of books and it would be helpful if she could spread the books out as well. The stack of books was very tall. It was tall enough to cover Inka's entire face, so anyone that saw her would see a slightly hilarious sight. A short, slim 15 year-old female holding a stack of books almost half her height, looking frantically for an open table. Inks was also doing her best to not run into anyone, but whenever she had to abruptly move, the stack would sway and she would have to balance them again before they fell over.

She was still looking, at this point, her arms and legs were starting to get tired and was about to give in. Inka was now slightly frantic to find a table of at least a clean surface where she could set down the books, to give her arms and legs a rest. She was walking straight, not noticing her the people around her, then she felt like she hit something. She felt herself falling and she was bracing for impact. She fell on her bottom and the books fell on and around her. Some of them opened to random pages, so she and the books both looked like a mess. She was lucky her satchel was closed, if it wasn't maybe her own personal items would be on the floor as well. "I-I'm so so sorry!" She deeply apologised to the person she bumped into. The impact of the books, she assumed that she was going to get some bruises, she had always been pretty frail. She frantically was starting to pick up the books, so she wouldn't be more of a bother to the person in front of her and other people using the library. Inka was a little to scared to face the person in front of her, scared that it could be a big strong man or something of the likes.

GojiBean GojiBean
 
As Doctor Almna entered the library she had to stop and marvel at the sight of it. No matter how many times she visited, it was just like the first. Wall after wall towering almost two stories high with mobile ladders on wheels so people could reach the top. Each one containing thousands of volumes on topics ranging from music to classical theater to medicine and other educational material for all ages. The library had just about everything anyone could ever want. And the more amazing part was that the librarian always seemed to know exactly where everything was.

Doctor Almna could barely imagine keeping mental track of so many books and topics.

But in the middle of her wonderment, she felt something bump into her from the rear.

"Oh!" She gasped.

Turning around she saw an adorable young woman sitting on her rump amidst a pile of books which-... Which were exactly the kinds of books she'd been hoping to get her hands on.

"I'm sorry, dear. Here, let me help you." She said whilst kneeling down and beginning to gather the volumes.

"May I ask where you found these? It's been a while since I've visited and I'm sure the arrangement has changed since then. But I'm looking for volumes just like these." She said while offering the girl a hand up with a smile.

kakemha kakemha
 
Inka Ve' Lie
Date: Year 754, 14th Day, 1st Laetal Moon

Seeing the woman help her, Inka was shocked and relieved. Relieved because it wasn't a mean that would beat her up, and shocked because the woman held herself with such grace and poise. While they were trying to clean the pile of books on the floor, she heard the woman ask a question on where she had found the books.

"Well, I could show you where I got them." Inka paused. "Or you could share the books I got, I may or may not have almost wiped the shelves clean." She joked around, laughing a little at the end.

Inka had gotten most of the books around her that the woman hadn't grabbed, she didn't want her to do clean most of the mess she had caused. Before standing up and starting to carry the books again, she brushed some strands of her black hair out of her face and dusted off the skirt she was wearing. She then picked up the books once again, but since the woman she bumped into had some of the books in her hand, Inka was able to see above the stack of books. She then realised that she hadn't introduced herself to the woman, she spoke softly, as to not cause a big disturbance in the library once more.

"I'm Inka, by the way, Thanks for your help." She thanked the woman.

She contemplated saying her full name, but decided against it. She didn't need another person shunning her. Her mind then started to wander, and settled on the question, 'Why did this woman need books like these?' The way the woman held herself, Inka instantly thought she was of high-class. And if she was of high-class, why was she here alone or better yet why was she here at all. She had figured the the high-class people just sent people out to do their errands for them. Her mind was going in all different directions before she brought them to a halt and decided to ask the woman a question.

"Would you like to help me find a table and I can share the books with you?" Inka asked and smiled sweetly at the woman, awaiting her response.

GojiBean GojiBean
 
Doctor Almna's smile never wavered as the girl spoke. If anything, it grew slightly.

"A pleasure to meet you, Inka. My name is Lorraine Xe' Almna, and I'd be happy to share a table and these volumes with you."

She helped lead the girl over towards the lobby seating area and grabbed the first empty table she could find, pulling a seat so the girl could set her books down and sit down right away before sitting herself.

"You've got quite a large collection with you dear. May I ask what it's all for?"

kakemha kakemha
 
Inka Ve' Lie
Date: Year 754, 14th Day, 1st Laetal Moon

Inka took note of the woman's name, 'Lorraine Xe' Almna'. If her theory was correct and she was from a high-class, she was pretty sure the library or someone would have a record of her family name. She followed Lorraine to the table and set down the stack of books gently on the table. She took a seat and let out a sight, she was happy that her limbs could finally rest. But that didn't last for long as she sat up, and started to lay out the books, seeing what she had swiped off the shelves. Hearing Lorraine's question, she responded while continuing to lay out the books.

"Well, I was planning on researching some new flowers I found at the festival. And hopefully I can make a new recipe."


The last part was said with glee, making new recipes was she passion, she loved the thrill of the experiments, whether it would turn out good or bad. She knew the risks of the practice, but didn't mind it much, since she had such a knack for making poisons. She then directed the same question back at Lorraine.

"How about you? Why do you need all these books?"

She was curious, not many people would go looking for books like these. It was even evident on some of the books, they were dusty when she picked them off of the shelf. From she had heard, the schools around here didn't even teach the different properties of herbs and flowers. But then again, this may be false. Inka never actually attended school, she learned everything she knows from observing real people and all the different books she had read over the years. After a few more seconds, all the books she had brought were laid out neatly. She then took her notepad out and flipped to the page of her new flower entries.

GojiBean GojiBean
 
"Me? Well, I'm a Doctor, actually. I came to confirm whether or not some of our local flora can substitute for one or two items we won't be receiving in our latest shipment due to... Well, bandit issues."

As the girl explained her desire to make new recipes with flowers, Doctor Almna couldn't help but chuckle softly to herself.

"My, my. A new recipe with flowers?"

She glanced at the titles of a few of the books.

"And a few books on herbs as well, I see. Do you by chance practice the art of medicine yourself?"

kakemha kakemha
 
The Wandering Knight​
Date: Year 754, 14th Day, 1st Laetal Moon

It didn't take long for something to appear awry to the knight. It started shortly after he had entered town. He began by heading to a local tavern, The Hillside, that he had frequented when working caravans out this way. However, the owner, who he knew somewhat well informed him of bad news. A murder had occurred in the town on the eve of the festival and it appeared malicious intent was involved. He didn't know much, but it was enough for the old training as a royal guard to kick in. Murders around festivals and holidays often had a root cause. Even if it was just crime of passion. And from what he could gather the guards would be overworked providing security for the festival to properly investigate the situation. The knight was sure that whatever happened, the case seemed like it could use another pair of hands.

To begin with, he checked in with his sources in the town. Overtime, his travels had led him to create some friends and contacts within the more, seedy parts of various towns. His contacts informed him of fellow who could give him some information on the murder. At least he could prove if the murder was domestic or if there were larger forces at play. He could only hope for the former.

As he walked up to the figure, he noticed the cloak the figure was wearing. It definitely wasn't shoddy and the cut and style appeared to show the figure had some money, even if enough for a normal middle class citizen. Already, he could tell this was unordinary. Normally, people wouldn't go to such great lengths to hide the information without something more going on.

He walked up to the man, and decided to start without introduction. Most of these types preferred to keep things brief. "I hear you know about this case?"

The man turned and glanced around making sure no one was listening in. They shouldn't have much fear of that, this area of town seemed relatively deserted. "Listen, I can't tell you much. It's already a gamble just being here. All I can say, is this murder isn't what is seems. I can guarantee a major player is involved."

"A major player? If you know anything you should divulge it now."

"Listen, I don't know much ok? Whispers here, whispers there....All I know is are the methods and people involved. A kill like this means professionals and whispers on the streets say this was no accident. Everything points to somebody with the money and desire to pull this off. And that's all I know alright? I'm doing you a favor just telling you this much you know?"

"That's fair my good man. Here's your payment." There goes a few days of work...Soon enough, the man was gone and the knight slowly made his way back to his horse.....

"Well Bathomere, it appears we'll have to get information the old fashioned way. Come, the locals should know something more about this murder."

It didn't take them long to reach the more busy streets. He tried to find locals drinking and relaxing rather than the store-keeps, who used banter as a way to attract business. He approached one fellow enjoying a roll "Sir, a word if you wouldn't mind."

He paused and glanced up. Even under the cloak some of the armor seemed to glisten through as the man's eyes widened slightly He was an older and portly fellow. "Hello, stranger. What can I do you for? I ain't causing any trouble."

"None of that, my good man. Just in town for awhile providing security. Just wondering if you'd heard anything about the murder."

"Ah that old thing? Don't know much about it myself. Listen, murders happen quite often here in the capital. The size of the city means these things are bounds to happen. i'm sure you folks will take care of it and justice will be delivered swiftly."

"Indeed, well, thank you for your time my good man, and you will notify someone if you hear anything?"

"Sure, sure..."

With that, the man once again began eating...

He sighed as he continued on before spotting a lady doing the wash outside.

"Ma'am, if you wouldn't mind? Do you have a moment?"

She seemed focused before but turned towards him and she glanced up.

"Hello! What can I do for you?"

"Hello, I was wondering if you had heard anything about the murder last night?"

At that comment, she seemed to shrink into herself.

"Please sir, I don't know nothing about that. I just been doing me wash sir. You wouldn't be hurting a woman would you kind sir?"

Well that was unexpected but certainly a tell.

"There is no danger miss. I'm here to ask around regarding the murder, that's all. Do you know anything about it."

"I don't know nothing sir. I've just been doing what we always do around these sorts of things. Stay inside after dark."

"Hmm a good policy ma'am. I know the guards are working hard to keep you safe ma'am. You stay safe now."

She nodded before hurrying inside with her basket of laundry. He decided to let her go as he didn't want to scare her too much.

He returned to his horse, going over what he had found out so far. It seemed like these sorts of crimes were happening at some regularity in the city. That a major player of some kind was involved in the murder. And that the townspeople appeared to either be afraid of the crimes though not knowledgable about the reasons, or just uncaring. Whatever was happening, he could say for sure that it appeared the local guards had lost the trust of the people. Sure they felt free to do business outside. But no one seemed to trust the guards much either as a force where one could report crimes and information or as a force to keep you safe on the streets at night. Something certainly was going on....
 
Inka Ve' Lie
Date: Year 754, 14th Day, 1st Laetal Moon

Hearing that the woman was a doctor, Inka was impressed to say the least. She admired them, they had the power to save people's lives. Although Inka thought it was quite ironic that she admired doctor's when the poisons she makes, would probably give doctor's a run for their money or just a massive problem to do deal with. And when she heard that their shipments wouldn't be coming and and they needed to see if they could find substitutes, Inka thought she might be able to help.

"I could maybe help you find some substitutes." Inka offered.

When Lorraine asked if she practiced the art of medicine, she considered lying and saying yes. Never in her entire life has she heard of a doctor and a poison maker being friends or getting along ever. Maybe she could find a way to evade or deflect the question, but since Lorraine asked so straightforwardly and so kindly, Inka didn't want to lie to her. But she thought it was necessary to lie so she could get along with the Lorraine. So she tried to evade the question until she couldn't anymore.


"Umm, not medicine. Quite the opposite actually," Inka answered.

She hoped Lorraine wouldn't pry any further and just think it was a hobby of her's that she liked to research about flowers and herbs. But girls or even people her age, didn't show any interest in this topic, they usually would rave about the newest dress the bought and the likes. Inka then reached for a book containing a description of different flowers, and started to flip through the pages, seeing if any of them matched the sketch or description she had put down on her notepad. She then spoke to Lorraine.

"I must say miss, you look quite young. I'm impressed you're already a doctor." Inka commented while her head was looking down at the book, still trying to find a match to the flowers she was looking for.

GojiBean GojiBean
 
Lorraine smiled.

"Many thanks for any assistance."

As Inka revealed that she did "the exact opposite" of medicine, Lorraine's smile faltered for but the briefest moment before returning to full glory.

"Ah, I understand." She said quietly.

She contemplated asking about it further. But after a moment to think on it, she declined. Instead, she chose to address Inka's latest inquiry.

"My mother was a Doctor before me, and my training started at a very early age. So I suppose it's only natural for me to have become one so early in life. I never wanted to do or be anything else. So that helped too." She chuckled.

Looking at the book while standing almost shoulder to shoulder by Inka, she observed the sketches carefully as they went by page after page.

"During my studies I created a concoction I call Cse'Tua Paste, which the nation of Cre' Est only recently officially adopted for wide spread distribution. The normal ingredients call for a single Tsirel Root, a stem from a local wildflower called Ehru'lo, and a single leaf from the Sur Mint plant. The Tsirel Root is what I'm hoping to replace. So if you know of a good herbal substitute with the same properties it'd be much appreciated."

kakemha kakemha
 
Inka Ve' Lie
Date: Year 754, 14th Day, 1st Laetal Moon

Inka took note that her mother was a doctor as well, it would make her search on Lorraine a little bit easier. She thought it was nice that Lorraine had a nice relationship with her family, of that;s what she thought at the moment. Inka was flipping through the book, and she felt Lorraine looking at the book, so she started ti flip the page a little bit slower. Inka read books pretty fast, especially now that she was only scanning for the information she needed, so she slowed down so Lorraine could also read along with her. She was throughly impressed that she had made something that was widely spread within Cre' Est, Inka could never dream of doing that. Hearing that she needed a substitute for Tsirel Root, Inka started racking her brain for herbs and such that had similar numbing properties. That's when she found a herb that could maybe work.

"Try Fer'we. I used it in a recipe once and I remembered that they had similar numbing properties." Inka suggested.

After Inka had suggested trying Fer'we, the found the page that matched one of her sketches. Her eyes looked so excited, and she was. She loved learning about new ingredients.

"I found it." She said to herself.

She then started to recheck and add information about the flower into her notepad.

GojiBean GojiBean
 
Mayumi Sora Banner.png

Date: Year 754, 14th Day, 1st Laetal Moon
Time: 4:33am


While most were in deep slumber, some ways outside the capital city of Valkyom…

Three lean figures bolted in different directions from an unseen predator, rustling bushes in their bid to flee. The wind was a gentle thing that night, but still it was nigh impossible for the untrained eyes to spot the pair of bright greys that were deadlocked on the fleeing figures. Perched atop the branch of a tree, high enough to keep their targets within sight yet low enough to keep out of their targets’ sight, as if waiting for something. Then at the speed of a lightning flash, the eyes took on a dangerous glimmer and the pupils within the iris shrinked leaving striking silver orbs amidst the pitch black canvas that was the forest.

A heartbeat later, simultaneous cries and stumbling to the earth beneath feet could be heard.

His presence gave him away before the sound of his panting did. He towered over the smaller figure with a thin sword aimed at its neck.

‘Is he a child?’ The man wondered upon closer look, seeing how small the figure was.

Before he could ponder any further, the small figure hit him in the chest with an elbow, ducked under his weakened sword grip, and turned around unsheathing a long dagger in the process. The poor man was not given the chance to recover the breath that was knocked out of him as the dagger went through his chest and back out within a second.

The corpse fell to the base of the tree (not before being used as a polishing towel for the dagger), slowly staining the ground beneath it red.

A weak but piercing shriek signals the job done. The long dagger was flipped around and sheathed in a holder on a pale lean thigh as a sturdy wooden bow was picked up and slinged across her back. With her weapons all checked and put away, Mayumi stretched herself out and let loose wavy silver hair from a ponytail tied at her nape. She had taken her time with this hunt having completed a couple of others earlier that night already. They had realized too late when she was upon them. Even if they did come to a conclusion earlier, their fates had been sealed the moment she took on their bounty. The young adult was not arrogant, she simply knew where she stood compared to her targets.

“Sora.” She called softly.

A gloved hand came up, as a golden eagle swooped down and landed on it. A short cry from Sora told Mayumi that her surroundings were clear and that she could journey without having to be too cautious. Thus at a moderate pace, the archer would make her way back to the proprietor of an inn to collect her payment as well as food for herself and her winged companion.


Present Time: 5.54am, sun has yet to rise

Sora had gone hunting after being fed. It was good practice for him and saved her the trouble of buying/hunting more meat for him. Now resting atop a tree branch right outside the city of Valkyom, she munched on the turkey sandwich she had picked up while observing a handful of women picking flowers upon spotting one they deemed good enough every now and then. Having spent the prior years alone, Mayumi briefly recalled this event; if she were not wrong she believed it to be called ‘The Highland Flower Festival’. She had always observed people picking flowers for the event. While debating between observing the festival or taking a quick nap, she sensed an all too familiar feeling.

Gulping down the rest of her sandwich, she leaped off the branch and landed on the earth in the middle of a bunch of startled women without a care. She casually made her way back into the capital city unnoticed by guards, quickly disappearing into the crowd to get a grasp on the situation. It was for the best for her to be aware of the latest happenings should it be a ‘friend’ after her tail once again.

From her point of view, the city was a messy heap of people. Her skin crawled at the thought of having to go back into that crowd just to celebrate this festival. Putting on a brown hooded cape that covered her outfit, she entered an inn and bought yet another sandwich, this time chicken flavored. This city sure made good sandwiches during festivals. Settling at a table near the bar counter, she ate her sandwich and listened in on conversations around her.
 
Turin Tya'Velis

The knight knelt down at the body of the larger victim as the guard kept talking at him. Apparently, their "Vagus" nerves were severed, whatever that meant. Turin was no doctor nor man of science, and he had the feeling neither were the guards. This Almna character apparently didn't have the common sense to explain what she saw in the layman's terms, so effectively, he had little evidence asides from "They died from getting stabbed in the neck, and ended up paralyzed." Whether or not it was the severing of the nerve that lead to them being paralyzed or something else was beyond the evidence he had just from looking at the bodies.

At least it was a start.

"If you see anything in the room other than the one half-smudged bloody footprint there which clearly belongs to the big one there, feel free to speak up."

The knight considered doing something to imply he was mute, but he decided against it. Why waste their time? He was sure they'd figure it out when he started writing to them. Notepad in hand, he began to personally inspect the bodies. The cut was just between the collarbone and the ear, placed too perfectly and cleanly to have been a coincidence. However, as he continued to look at the bodies, one thing stuck out to him: Why make this difficult, potentially nonlethal if incorrectly performed, cut? Both of these men were sturdy stock, at least one of them was, and there was a singular clear sign of conflict in the room, the bloody footprint. Why not just slice open their windpipes and be done with it? It'd be easier to do, faster, and require less skill to perform. Not only that, but why were the cuts ragged? A dagger or knife doesn't make that type of cut unless you wriggle it around a whole bunch while going in and out, which would imply a long fight or a sloppy stab on an incapacitated target, but neither man had any other relevant wounds, as far as he could tell.

Whoever killed these men had to be seriously skilled, or a deranged serial killer, or both. They were clearly prepared, this was the place they wanted to kill these men at. An enclosed room meant very little space to retaliate, draw weapons, or move, and the window would probably be a decent getaway. He took out his notes and began scribbling down his findings.

1) Both victims stabbed in specific spot in neck, not across the throat
2) Ragged cut wounds, non-traditional knife or improvised implement (missing)
3) Victims apparently paralyzed, no other relevant wounds to investigation


He stopped writing for a moment to conduct one final investigation. A single finger reached fingertip deep into the wound and swirled around the decaying flesh. After a moment more, he pressed it against the page he took his current notes on and wiped off the excess on the body. He didn't believe for a moment that whatever the hell they severed paralyzed these men. As far as he knew, people didn't work like that, being able to be extinguished as easily as putting a cup over a small fire, there had to be some sort of poison. The only way he knew he could observe this was to simply watch what color the blood ended up being when it dried up on a controlled surface.

After his investigation, he stood up and turned to the guard who had directed him to the scene and began writing out his findings. This meant he stood stock still, pen furiously scrawling for a moment before he approached.

"Murders seem to be a message. Hard cuts in the neck rather than the windpipe make no sense. Bring me to the doctor who gave the report."

GojiBean GojiBean
 
Lorraine Xe' Almna

Lorraine focused on the turning pages until they reached Fer'we, which Inka pointed out was a root with similar properties to Tsirel. Taking in the information on the page and nodding in satisfaction that it would do the job after a brief review of what she remembered from her past studies she stood from the table and gave Inka a small bow at the waist. As well, Inka seemed genuinely enthusiastic about whatever flower she'd located as well given her scribbling notes down about it, and Lorraine didn't want to intrude any longer on her personal study.

"Many thanks again, Inka, for helping me identify a substitute. I'll go check the market to see if anyone's selling Fer'we. If you ever want to talk about herbs and remedies, feel free to drop by the Almna Apothecary and Clinic at any time. My staff and I are always up for a healthy discussion on the subject."

With that she took her leave of the library and headed to the market. She recalled passing an herbal stand or two during her brief visit earlier when she had to pass through on her way to the bodies this morning. Such an ugly sight on the morning of a festival.

With it still in full swing today and flowers still hanging from many windows, door frames, streams of string run between oil lamp posts, over and between signs, and in open windows, she had plenty of beauty to admire on her trek to the market. Part of her wanted to stop and enjoy the view. She seldom had time for festivals, after all. Ilene was her top nurse. So she'd be fine for a little while longer running the clinic, right? Certainly she would. Lorraine deserved to indulge at least every once in a while.

... "Maybe next year."

With a quiet sigh of resignation she marched to the market where she managed to find exactly two herbal stalls, one of which sold the Fer'we root. It wasn't quite the supply she'd been hoping for. This late in the morning as the afternoon was approaching it was only natural some of the stock would be drained. And while it wasn't much, it was better than nothing. Her patients would need Cse'Tua Paste eventually. And while two weeks was a long time to wait for their next shipment she had worked with this little of a supply for multiple herbs before. And she'd do it again.

Paying for the amount she knew she needed, and no more than that, she loaned a fine woven basket from the vendor to carry them on the promise of a return of said basket. Given that it was labeled into the weave that it belonged to the vendor, there'd be no easy time stealing it for any would-be thieves unless they were handy in the craft of sewing and removing such intricately woven labels.

But only just as she reached the point where her clinic came into view, she was asked to halt by one of the local guards.

"Doctor. May we please request a moment of your time?"

"Greetings, sirs. What can I do for you?"

"We have added one to our investigation who wishes to speak with you about what happened this morning. Could you please come with us? It shouldn't take too long."

"May I drop these off at my clinic? It's the building just there." She said while pointing to it.

The guards looked to themselves and nodded.

"Very well. We'll wait here."

She gave them a bow, which they returned, and once she'd dropped off the herbs with Cheyanne at the front desk she came back and followed the guards back to the scene of the crime. The bodies were beginning to smell a little bit now. But it couldn't be helped. She didn't understand the protocol down to its finest details, but she knew enough to understand that bodies generally weren't moved until after the investigators had what they considered to be a strong understanding of the underlying motive and a plausible list of culprits to identify and pursue. Something like that. Perhaps she was remembering that incorrectly? She'd have to ask. Given how frequently the city guards called on her for such grim examinations it would do to know more about their protocol.

But for now, she was brought before a man wearing a dense set of armor and an orange cloth dangling from his shoulders. He's not from here, is he? She thought. Even more interesting is that he stood as silent as a tree while holding a notepad and pen.

"This is Doctor Almna. She gave the report on the bodies earlier this morning. Mind your manners, and let's be quick. I'm sure you understand she's a busy woman." One guard said to Turin.

kakemha kakemha archur archur
 
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Turin Tya'Velis

While he waited for the soldier to verify where the location of the doctor was, Turin spent the next few minutes scrawling down a few questions that he had. It had been what had felt like only moments later, the doctor herself appeared with the guard who he realized had gone to go and grab her. He would've accepted directions to find her, but this was just as good and cut away extra time that would've been devoted to walking back to the murder scene.

"This is Doctor Almna. She reported on the bodies earlier this morning. Mind your manners, and let's be quick. I'm sure you understand she's a busy woman."

The former honor guard pulled her into a stern handshake, and in a singular motion, left his notepad in her hand and stared at her blankly, barely moving to gesture her to read it.

I am Turin Tya'Velis. I am mute. Below are my questions for you. Answer them in any order you wish. The previous page contains some notes related to the scene. Please hand me back this when you are finished with it.

- Can we be sure that the stab to the "Vagus Nerve" was the thing that paralyzed the victims?
- Why would the killer stab a difficult-to-hit area and not slit their throats?
- Do you have any idea who could irrelevant question
- Can you tell me about any other important nerves in the region that was cut?
- Are these men native to the city or the region?
- dDP Does this town sell chalk and slate?

GojiBean GojiBean
 
Lorraine gasped when she was suddenly pulled into a handshake and blinked several times when he left his notepad in her hands. Looking at it and reading through it, she used the back of the pen to tap her lower lip.

"Well, Turin. It's a pleasure to meet you." She said somewhat shakily given the rather awkward situation she found herself in.

"Hmm... Yes, as far as our current understanding of the nervous system goes the Vagus Nerve is what caused the paralysis. It's part of a massive chain of nerves leading into the torso. So if it goes, then almost all nerve communication from brain to torso goes with it. As for why the killer would stab such an area? My best guess is that this was personal. The killer wanted them to suffer the paralysis and the slow death that followed. Do I have-oh, nevermind. Um..."

She looked at the ceiling, tapping her chin with the end of the pen a few times before looking back to the notepad.

"Given the angle, it's highly possible that the blade severed the Brachial Plexus as well. It's what connects the brain to the arms and hands, and it would have all but instantly paralyzed their arms as well making it impossible to fight back conventionally. I'm no detective, but this seems to back up the idea that this attack was personal."

She knelt down and looked closely at both bodies for a second before standing up striaght.

"I believe they are native. But given that Cre' Est is eclectic and cultures mix quite frequently here, it's hard to say for certain if they're from here or not. But they dress closely enough to traditional Cre' Itian garb that I would guess they're native. And... Chalk and slate? Yyyyyes? I believe we have a shop or two in the city which sells them. I can't remember exactly where though, so I'm afraid I can't help you as far as direction."

She turned to the guards.

"Have either of you seen chalk and slate?"

"I believe I saw someone using one in the Western end of the market once. But that's about it. Sorry."

She turned back to Turin and held the pad and pen out for him.

"Hopefully this was helpful in your investigation. Is there anything else you need from me?"

archur archur
 
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Luther Xa'Hearthstone

Date: Year 754, 14th Day, 1st Laetal Moon

Walking at a calm and steady pace, Luther made his way towards the entrance of Valkyrom. It was almost noon and the bright sun above him shined at full power, the weather was dry and hot, as expected during summer. Apparently unaffected by the climatic conditions, Luther kept walking the road to the city, carrying with him a leather backpack with some supplies that remained from his journey. It has been almost two weeks since he parted from his village, bringing with him basic camping tools, a few food rations, and his scythe that he used to harvest the wheat. The scythe was merely for good luck, it was something his father gave him after he broke the fourth one in his first month of working in the fields. A 5 feet long high-quality scythe with a sharp steel blade.

Standing before the main gate, he approached one of the guards to ask for indications. The letter he received didn't specify where to go exactly, just that they needed him to join a group to catch some thieves. That's basically what he understood.

"Mister guard, excuse me, do you know-" Luther said while reaching into his backpack to take the letter, but was cut half sentence.

"Yeah, the festival. Go straight and turn right, there are plenty of signs. Enjoy your stay" Said the guard in a monotone voice.

"No, that's not what I mean I-"

"Oh right, one of the merchant travelers? Same way, go to the biggest builder, the tavern, there you can register and receive your stall" The guard pointed in the direction he was talking about. Luther tried to reply again but the guard shited his attention to another person, a heavily armored man with a menacing aura approached the gate. "Sir! What is your business in Valkyom?"

Luther decided to keep walking and ask someone else. The streets were extremely crowded, decorations and flowers adorned the buildings and houses. The positive energy was flowing around the alleys, the smell of different kinds of foods made his stomach growl. It wasn't the first time Luther visited Valkyrom, but the last time was when he was a small child, and not during the festival, so the sight of all this was amusing to him.

"You prick get out of my way!" He heard a man carrying a bunch of boxes almost crushing a little girl

"Sorry, sir!" said the girl

"You need some help?" Asked Luther to the man. The way he was carrying all those boxes was perfect if you wanted to get a hernia. His words distracted the man and almost fell dropping all of his stuff, but Luther came quickly and picked all the boxes on top with one hand and used the other to grab the man by his shirt, preventing an accident. "Are you okay? Gotta be more careful carrying things like this. An old man in my village once told me 'when you're in a hurry, got to go slow. Stress running make your feet grow mushrooms!'"

"Ehem. Yeah, I'm fine. It's just those dam kids always getting on the way" Said the man, a relatively old and short man with a long beard. He seemed a bit embarrassed but tried to play it cool to keep his pride intact. "Well, I could receive some help. You seem like a strong young man, take this" The man said as he gave Luther the rest of the boxes, Luther placed three of the boxes in his left hand with an open palm, two under his right arm, and surprisingly, one over his head. None of that seemed to be a bother for him.

"By the way, what are in these boxes?" Said Luther, turning his eyes up to the box over his head.

"Plants, herbs, fruits, potions, etc. I travel around the world collecting medical and alchemical supplies to sell in places where is hard to find. I've been gathering many different herbs for this festival, the market during these days is amazing!" The man said while rubbing his hand.

"I see... I know a bit about plants, I see a lot of them in the forest. My mother used a lot of them to make medicine for me and my siblings" Was at that moment that Luther remembered why he was in Valkyrom to being with. "Right! Do you know anything about a recruiting being made to take down thieves?"
 
Turin Tya'Velis

He nodded in understanding as he found most of the answers he was looking for. Interestingly, it seemed she did have something to say related to the scribbled-out question he initially had. He figured it was stupid to ask her directly "Do you have any idea who could've done this?" but in an investigation, any question is a valid question. He penned a little slower than usual, taking the time to fully articulate his thoughts.

These are interesting findings, more so that you and this city trust a stranger to an investigation.

Your trust is not misplaced.

I have come to the conclusion that the murderer is an "artistic" serial killer or a vengeful assassin. If this were done for money, it would've been done swiftly and efficiently. This was done efficiently for somebody who had this in mind, to begin with. The cuts implied a blade made to sever nerves, and the technique implies skill and training beyond your average killings.

More questions.
1) Do you have any idea who could have wanted these men specifically dead?
2) Where is the nearest guild bounty board? It should be confirmed this is not a bounty.
3) Have there been any reports of similar murders?
4) Are you personally affected by these events? Any personal relationship whatsoever to this?

I apologize for any invasive questions. If you are in need of my assistance or my mace, you will find me looking into an easier alternative for communication, and/or at an inn.

GojiBean GojiBean
 
Lorraine Xe' Almna

Taking his notepad and reading through the new list of questions, she considered them very carefully before responding.

"Unfortunately, this city regularly invites such killings. So there's no telling who would want to kill these men, or why."

Turning towards the other guards, she cocked her head slightly to the side.

"By any chance, do either of you know where the Bounty Hunter's Guild and board are located? I thought the Guild was at the corner of Market Street and Regulus. But I think that building was recently torn down, wasn't it?"

One of the guards blushed seeing Lorraine's long ponytail slide a bit further to the side revealing more of her neck.

"Um... I uh, I think that's where it was. Yeah. You?"

The other guard shook his head.

"Nah. The Bounty Hunter's Guild moved a month or two ago to the very edge of town on the East end. Got a big new sign over the door sayin' Hunter's Lair. Can't miss it. Their board should be right outside."

Lorraine smiled sweetly.

"Thank you, gentlemen."

The first guard blushed while rubbing the back of his head as Lorraine turned back to Turin.

"I've only been called to check these two bodies, and one other about a week or two ago. But the killings were very different. So I doubt there'd be a connection to this one."

Looking at the final question on the list, her eyelids grew a little heavy and she took a short breath through her nose.

"As a Doctor, all these killings weigh on my heart to some extent. But I know they won't stop. This city too regularly invites violence with its wealth and the promise of opportunity for many walks of life, both benign and otherwise."

She looked up at Turin with a weak, mournful smile as she handed his notepad back to him.

"I thank you for your time, sir Truin. I must return to my duties at the clinic now, but I wish you a fruitful investigation." She said with full bow at the waist.

With that she gave Turin and the guards a small wave and turned around towards the stairs.

archur archur
 
Inka Ve’ Lie

Date: Year 754, 14th Day, 1st Laetal Moon

After about two hours, Inka had decided that would be enough for now. She could always come back at a later date and books would still be there. She had also come up with some initial poison recipes, but she would still have to refine and try them out before she could actually use them. She put all her personal belongings in her satchel and closed it. She then started to gather the books, and since she knew they were quite heavy, she decided to just ask the librarian if she had the time to put them away. Inka didn’t want a repeat of what had happened with Lorraine. She had also decided that her research on Lorraine could wait a bit. She walked over to the librarian’s desk and placed the stack of books on the table.

“Sorry to bother, but could you put these books back on the shelves for me? I’m in a bit of a rush.” Inka asked the librarian politely.

The librarian nodded and with that Inka was on her way out into the city again. The beauty and bustle of the city is still what Inka loves to watch everyday, but right now she couldn’t stand around since it was quite busy. She was walking, looking around at the sights and different shops to see, when she felt a chill up her spine. She just dismissed it assuming she was just a bit cold from the light breeze and didn’t give it a second thought. She felt it again, but this time her eyes were covered and she was suddenly pulled into a dark alley nearby.

Inka was so taken by surprised, she didn’t even scream for help when she was pulled into the alley. She was then harshly pushed against a rough brick wall, she knew she would get cuts and blood almost immediately from the sharpness of the wall. At this point, her eyes were uncovered so she could see, but now she neck was being squeezed so hard that it was cutting out her air supply quite quickly. And the grip was so tight, that you could already see the redness on her neck and the bruises were already starting to form. Inka knew she had to act not if she wanted to keep her life. With the man distracted on trying to choke out Inka, she reached into a hidden pocket in her satchel that she had placed her dagger in, and started to grasp the dagger. She also opened one of the vials of poison she had and dipped the blade into it. She wasn’t aware of which poison she had chosen, but it could be figured out that it was a poison that paralyzed the opponent and killed them slowly by affecting their heart rate. She was starting to loose consciousness and knew that it was now or never. She held the dagger tightly in her hand and swung it at the the man’s vagus nerve, since it was the most convenient place to swing for Inka. When she hit in in that area, he still had a grip on Inka’s neck. At this point Inka had lost consciousness so she didn’t know what happened next. But she knew her poison acted quite quickly, so the man couldn’t have gotten far since he was gonna be paralyzed.
 
Luther Xa'Hearthstone

"Recruitment? I don't know what to tell you, I've been out of the city for a while," The merchant said while scratching his beard "I'm still trying to catch up to the latest news. Did you know two people were killed last night at the tavern? There's a bunch of guards investigating. I even saw Doctor Almna in there. That must be serious"

"Doctor Almna? I'm not from Valkyrom either, I just arrived today. I received a letter a few weeks ago about this recruitment, and after my village got attacked by bandits I decided to answer the call" Hearing that name and by the how the merchant referred to her, Luther thought that Doctor Almna sure would be an important person in the city. He also wondered how common were murderers in Valkyrom. The merchant then stopped walking

"We're here. You can place the boxes on the floor. Do it carefully!" Before Luther was a 2 store building with a wooden sign outside with a drawing of a plant and a bottle. It must be his store. He dropped and piled the boxes smoothly. "Well, I guess I have to thank you for your help, you were indeed very useful. And those types of jobs are usually emitted by the mercenary's guild or bounty hunter's guild. You can take a look in those places for more information"

"Oh, I see. I'll go there then"

"Wait, give me a second" The merchant went to one of the boxes and took a cluster of colorful plants. He handed it to Luther "Take this as payment, I don't like to have debts with anyone, you helped me after all. You can make a good tea with its leaves, just remove the root, it's a powerful hallucinogen that would make you dizzy and your eyes mix the colors. I once ate the root by accident and my dog was green. I passed out after a couple of minutes"

"Sir, you don't have to... but thanks. I'll accept this gift" Luther gave a brief bow to the merchant and walked away. It always felt good to do a good deed.

After almost two hours of walking, and being lost 75% of that time, Luther managed to find his way to the mercenary's guild building. The inside looked like any other bar, with wooden tables and chairs around the place, and a grim atmosphere. The curtains hanging over the windows reduce the amount of light available in the place, and most of the customers were wearing a set of dark clothing and some kind of hood or mask that hid their faces. On one of the walls, a big board with several pieces of paper a parchment received most of the attention in the establishment.

"Wow, these people look cool" Thought Luther. He decided to walk towards the counter to talk to the worker cleaning a cup and asked about the recruitment. "Excuse me, do you know anything about a recru-"

"Easy work BOIISS!!" Luther was interrupted (again) by the sound of a slamming door opening and a loud shout from one person. The man, also wearing dark leather clothing sat beside Luther and smashed the table, placing two gold coins "You know what to do! Gimme that ale!" The worker behind the counter, a swole man with a perfect jawline and haircut, let out a sigh of defeat at the behavior of the new customer.

"I supposed the job went well, right?" Asked the worker, placing a cup full of dark liquid on the counter.

"Heck yeah! Just a butler that got laid with the wife of his boss, the common shit" The mercenary then grabbed the cup and in a quick motion drank the whole thing. "Fuaahh! That's the good shit. But that's nothing compared to my next job, some noble wants to kill his brother's daughter, the payment is triple than my last job. This is the information I got"

...

Luther, overhearing all this, couldn't help but take a glance at the paper containing the information about the target: A blonde girl, small in size, usually wearing blue dresses was going to attend the festival. This situation was awkward for Luther, the man was talking about killing people like it was nothing. Luther felt bad for the girl but there was nothing he could've done to help her.

"What you looking at?" Spat the mercenary to him

"Eh, ah? What? No, nothing, just curious"

"Right, weren't you asking me something? This asshole interrupted you" Spoke the worker to him.

"Yeah, I was curious if you know about a recruiting happening. Give me a second" Luther took his backpack and dived his hand into it, trying to find the letter he received. He placed the plants the merchant gave him and other of his belongings over the table. The worker raised an eyebrow when he noticed the plant

"Hey, I've seen this plant. I don't remember the name but I know this makes an awesome tea. Some people say it could restore your vitality"

"Yeah, some gave it to me as a pay-"

"Let me see" The mercenary grabbed one of the herbs and place it completely on his mouth, munching it, and swallowing it. "Beh, it tastes like piss!"

"You barbarian! It is supposed to be used for tea, you can't eat them like that!"

"Sir, I think you made a mistake..."

"What? You have plenty of those, don't you? Wanna fight me over a piece of weed?" The mercenary stood up, standing with his arms wide, looking as dangerous as he could.

"No more fights here! I've had enough of your shit." Said the worker

"Bah, pussy. Anyway, I don't have time for this, I'll finish my job and then visit the brothel" The mercenary left the establishment and took a cup of ale from one of the tables on his way out.

"Sorry about that, The Shanker might be problematic most of the time, but is a very efficient mercenary, one of the best at his job." Said the worker to Luther in an apologetic way.

"Oh, don't worry, I was just trying to warn him about the plant. The merchant told me that the root is bad, and he ate all of it"

"Ha! That's karma then. Deserved. Anyway, what were you asking?"

"About a recruitment against a group of thieves, you know anything about that?"
 

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