EM Event Heckles... The Spymaster? (Royal Investigators) (Ends Saturday 3rd Jan)

[EM Emile Layne]

Heckles... The Spymaster?

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"Skaros!" King Blackthorn's bellowing voice thundered over the courtyard of the castle. "Skaros!"
But no reply came, only an echo. "Skaros… Skaros…"

Blackthorn slammed the door as he returned to his chambers and sank down in the chair behind his desk. He picked up the letter from Sparrow, Duke of Moonglow, and read it for a second time. The message was still the same… the words "J'Accuse" echoed through Blackthorn's mind.

The King got up and marched once again on to the balcony overlooking the courtyard and yelled. "Dupre! Report to my office at once!"

"Sire?" A hoarse but soft voice spoke from behind the King.
"Sire are you feeling ok? Don't you remember Skaros asked for a few days leave to go on a date with some lady? And Dupre, you sent him on an assignment in Trinsic."

"That's right! I did…" Blackthorn stroked his beard, deep in thoughts. "That means you'll have to do it..."

"Sire?" Heckles said with a confused look on his face. "Do what exactly?"

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OOC Information:

King Blackthorn has charged Heckles to lead a Royal Investigators mission.

Sparrow, the Duke of Moonglow, has accused Skaros the Spymaster of leading a mob to kill 3 people. Your job is to investigate these allegations and write a report for Heckles.

1. Visit Heckles at Castle Blackthorn (optional)
2. Find the bodies of the people who were killed. One of them can be found in Moonglow.
3. Investigate the crime scene and interview witnesses. You may be able to find out; the name of the victim, their profession, where they lived or worked, who killed them, and if they were involved in the lynching of Bladderstick.
4. Write a report with your findings.

A partial report will be rewarded with 1 Royal Investigator Point. A Full report will get 2 points and a full report with pictures gets 3 points.

Reports may be posted in the mailbox at the Counselors Hall in Britain, sent to me at [email protected] or posted as a reply to this thread using the spoiler tag.

Working together on the investigation is allowed (in fact, it makes it more fun) but everybody has to write and submit their own reports.

The mission ends on Saturday the 3rd of January. All reports must be submitted by then.


Hint: There may be more bodies than Sparrow wrote about.
Hint: NPCs will usually respond to: name, job, bye and their own name. If you want to ask a follow-up question, use words the NPC used.
Hint: Say 'investigate' to inspect bodies. Sometimes text will appear in the top left of your screen instead of over the body.

 

[R Traveler]

This remind me mutated bears attack few years ago..

 

[Bobar]

Spoiler

The report of Sparrow, Duke of Moonglow, Royal Investigator Sergeant.

Sparrow saw the request for help and visited Heckles for the details, following this he traveled to Moonglow where the first slaying had been carried out.

In Moonglow he found a terrible sight, human remains lat scattered,along with a considerable amount of blood. Nearby he found Julian, a Smiths Aide, who informed me that he had been present when Kirkus was killed. He relates that a huge crowd burst into the store and attacked Kirkus without any warning and without being provoked in any way. At the same time several Smiths Aides were also slain, these undoubtedly innocent of anything other than being there. He states that Kirkus never did anybody any harm. Julian also told me where I might find Nadia, now Kirkus widow. Searching amongst the remains I found nothing, but as to the footprints, many of them could be identified and Sparrow made a list which can be had upon request. (not listed here as over 100 names) He also asked me to offer her his condolences to Nadia on the death of her husband. I also found a copy of Skaros list, As well as the 3 killings of which I was aware there were 2 further names which unfortunately were unreadable with locations in Luna and Britain. It seems that 5 persons in total were noted for assassination. I next visited Nadia who told me that she mourns him, vows vengeance and again stated the Kirkus never harmed anybody. I found nothing to incriminate Kirkus and he seems unlikely to have been involved in the death of Bladderstick.

Found nothing to implicate him, probably innocent.

I next visited Isuma Jima and found the site where somebody, and again more than one, had apparently died. There were three piles of gore upon which 2 hiryus were feeding but no identifiable bodies. There were footprints but these were just the Hiryu's prints. I searched the premises and in an armoire found a piece of fabric from the robe of Bladderstick. This would appear to confirm that Leo was implicated in the death of Bladderstick but in this rather murky crime not all is as it seems and I suppose it is also possible that it was planted to suggest that.

Taken by him? - or planted?

I next visited the savage camp in Ilshenar where Irwin the tamer died. I found some blood but no body, in the blood were many prints but these could have been both the killers and/or the savages. Irwin's swampie Ray was nearby seemingly confirming that it was Irwin who was slain here. A group of savages were nearby around a fire which appeared to contain the remnants of a corpse. Listening covertly to their conversation I heard that 'man killed by many men' and 'no savage' . It would also seem that poor Irwin's body has been eaten by them. I found no evidence, either way, about Irwin's complicity in the murder of Bladderstick.

Inconclusive.


Having no actual locations other than the general ones for the other 2 names on Skaros list I travelled to Britain and searched the area. Just over the bridge adjacent to the stables I came across the remains of a traveller, just a skeleton now with the bones picked clean and a fine horse with the name Longfellow on the bridle. There was blood here again but this time in the blood were the prints of birds alone. Also lying nearby were some Vets bandages suggesting the body was that of somebody who worked with animals. As the stables were nearby I visited them to see if anything or anybody could be found there. Indeed there was, in the stables there was another horse called Shortfellow being attended to by Allan the Stableboy. In conversation with him he told me that Antony the Stablemaster owned Longfellow and he had taken him to visit Ed's farm and was expecting him back anytime. I suspect he might be waiting a long time as it would seem certain that the fourth victim was Antony. Allan also gave me the location of Antony's house, so a visit there was next. Close by the house I came across Jeane, she pointed out the house and informed me that Antony is/was a famous horse breeder. Entering and searching the house I again came across a piece of fabric form the deceased Bladderstick's robe. So once again it seems that Antony could have been involved with the death, but also once again it could have been planted. As to Antony's death it appears that my original assumption that Skaros was inciting the Raven King to kill. supposedly on behalf of the King. may have been correct in the case of this death, just birds prints and the skeleton bare of all flesh.

Possibly guilty, but cannot be certain.

Luna came last on my travels and again searching the area, just outside the walls I found yet another skeleton. Nearby were a paladins helm and a Book of Chivalry belonging to George, a Keeper of Chivalry, much blood still remained and again the only prints within it belong to birds. Birds again appear to be the killers of George and picked the bones clean. I found nothing else of note there so i needed more to enable any sort of conclusion. As George was a Keeper of Chivalry it seemed likely that another might know of him. I searched Luna and eventually came across Atreus who not only knew of him but was complaining that he had not shown up for work. If he did show up in his present condition I think Atreus would be more than surprised. However he advised me where George lived and asked me to go there and wake him. Waking him would be a job far beyond my capabilities but I agreed to go so I could search for clues. This time the evidence I found was really damaging to Skaros, in his quarters I came across a journal, mostly about his work but the final entry says it all. He states that he would have liked to go to the execution but as the other Keepers failed to show up he had to stay and work himself. HE WAS NOT EVEN THERE.


The corpse of an innocent man.

 

[EM Emile Layne]

Excellent report Sparrow! 3 points.

 

[Iljian]

Spoiler: Iljian's Report

At the request of his Grace King Blackthorn I travelled to Britain to speak to replacement-spymaster Heckles. Surprisingly, he was not much worse than the others we had before. Heckles told me to investigate several deaths that might have been connected to Skaros and the ravens.

I found a skeleton outside of Britain. It was picked clean of meat and there were traces of bird feet (claws?) in the bloody dirt. It seems as if the ravens had been at it. Next to the corpse I found a rather fine horse, with a bridle tag reading “Longfellow”. Near the corpse I also found bandages of a kind usually used by veterinarians and a pitchfork, apparently fresh from the stable. I ventured there and spoke to the stableboy, who told me that tha stable master, Antony, had been taking out the horse. He also told me where to find his home and that Antony had been going to Edward’s Farm. I went there first and learned that the ravens had been attacking Antony. Apparently he never stood a chance, due to their large number. Edward was somewhat agitated and called for revenge against the ravens. As a next step I investigated Antony’s home. It seems like he was indeed involved in the lynching of Bladderstick. I found a piece of fabric torn from Bladderstick’s corpse. It supports the notion that the ravens took revenge on him for his involvement in Bladderstick’s death.

Riding into Moonglow I met a sobbing woman, Nadia. She lamented the death of her husband, Kirkus. Apparently he was torn apart by a mob, though she did not say anything more that could have been of use in locating the body or learning more details. She vowed that he had never done anybody harm, but after I asked her permission to look around her home I found another torn piece of Bladderstick’s clothes. After a tour around the town I found what I believe was the corpse near the healers. The body had literally been torn apart, with various parts lying around in puddles of blood. Near the scene of the crime I found a book apparently written by Skaros himself. It lists five people, starting with Kirkus (claiming he works at the Mighty Axe in Moonglow and lives with his wife). Target number 5 might be Antony, since its unreadable but pointing to Britain. Furthermore there is another target in Luna, a ninja in Tokuno called Leo and a tamer called Erwin in Ilshenar.

The investigation in Moonglow could be wrapped up quickly. Julian, an aide of Kirkus the smith was there as a witness. Apparently a mob had rushed the shop, killed some of the other aides and then tore Kirkus’ body apart. He did not mention Skaros, but the attackers never asked questions and with the list dropped there it seems obvious that they had been sent there in order to kill Kirkus.

I checked Luna next and found human remains by the southern gate. The bones were picked clean again, just like in Britain. This indicated another attack by the ravens. Nearby was a book of chivalry, owned by George, a Keeper of Chivalry. There was also a helmet, but no other traces of armour. I spoke to Atreus in Luna, who had not yet heard about George’s death and pointed me towards his room. In there I found a journal which was very interesting. According to his own diary, he had not been to the execution of Bladderstick. Instead, he had to be on duty since two of his comrades, Octavius and Ryan had called in sick. So this punishment came upon an innocent, meaning this was just plain murder, not revenge or justice. I found both in the yard but they did not reply to my questions. On a side-note: I saw a raven perching on a signpost.

The next stop was Ilshenar, where Erwin the tamer frequently trained. I snuck into the village by means that I really, really do not want to talk about and found a large puddle of blood near the ridgeback pens. However, this time there were neither bones nor body parts. Nearby was Erwin’s swamp dragon, Ray, abandoned. What was worse though were the savages. Four of them were gathered around a large fire when I arrived. From their ‘conversation’ I could gather that they had eaten Erwin and I could see bones in the fire. They also mentioned many people coming here to kill him. Apparently he was tolerated, but they did not care for his death other than that he became their meal. With the savages eating and burning him I could not find a way to determine where he lives and whether he was at the execution.

The last step was the trip to Isamu-Jima. I found the dojo but inside there was only carnage. Several mounds of gore and bones indicate the death of several ninjas. Even my training could not enable me to determine if one of the mounds of gore was Leo. It seems as if the people that Skaros sent killed them all. Afterwards the local hiryus started feeding on the remains. However, I did find another piece of fabric torn from Bladderstick’s corpse in a dresser.

To sum it up: we have a list, apparently written by Skaros. It names five people as ‘targets’, including locations and further information. The three people listed with legible names and locations have all been killed by an angry mob. The two names not legible in the list have been killed by a large flock of ravens and picked clean. This indicates an obvious relation between list and deaths. All five have supposedly been punished for being part of the lynch-mob at Bladderstick’s execution. However, in at least one instance this was clearly not the case, making the death a common murder. In other cases, the mob appears to have attacked more than one person. This also indicates that these killings might have targeted innocents. I highly recommend the arrest of Skaros and his helpers. There is strong evidence that he has not only taken revenge without proper trial or justice and that he has taken innocent lives as well.

 

[EM Emile Layne]

Great report Iljian. Was wondering when I'd hear from you

3 points also.