Investigating the Curious Case of the Spiders
Kyrina
A Simple Merchant of Mirrors
- Location
- England
Investigating spiders doesn't sound that bad. You just need to think logically about the problem. These are frostbite spiders, from Skyrim. Naturally, therefore, they would enjoy and thrive in cold areas. Where in this city would you find somewhere cold that frostbite spiders would enjoy?
The answer comes to you and you would smirk if you had a face. "There is no need for a search, for I..." raise finger for dramatic effect with a beat for tension "have already solved the crime!"
There are no 'ooos' or 'aaahs' or applause. The count merely raises a brow at you. Morlia seems almost terrified of what you're about to say. "These spiders are from Skyrim and Skyrim, as we all know, is cold. Therefore these spiders wish to be somewhere cold. Since it's insulated from daily temperature changes the underground is cold. The deepest place underground is most likely the dungeons."
"Oh... oh divines please don't..." Morlia mutters, staring it what must be horrified fascination.
"As such the spiders must be in the count's basement!" You stab your finder down at the floor in dramatic fashion. Diana lets out a nervous giggle. Lucas' shoulders are shaking and his fist is stuffed in his mouth to muffle his laughter. Freyja and Morlia appear to be considering applying their heads to the walls.
The count glances to his feet briefly. "Nothing living is in my basement. I suggest you investigate elsewhere. Perhaps with the mages guild, they've been complaining more than usual." Well that's a dismissal if you've every heard one. There's just one more thing you need to mention before you go.
"Just one more thing," the count glares but you press on regardless, "if you weren't already aware, witch Melisande of Darkelowe knows how to cure your wife's affliction."
"I would recommend you prove you may be trusted before you presume to offer me your opinion on something as insignificant as the colour of the sky let alone advice concerning my family." You think you catch a glimpse of fang towards the end of his sentence, perhaps a suggestion of scarlet in his eyes. You take his advice and get out of his castle.
"You know your not all that bad, armour daedra." Lucas grins and claps you hard on the shoulder. He regrets it immediately. "Ow~ What are you made of? Obsidian?"
"Order crystal." You answer him quickly. "Okay, since we're being sensible about this I have a plan."
"Oh good," Morlia does not sound impressed, "I suppose we'll sneak into the count's basement? Or perhaps we'll just brazenly walk back in there and wander around his castle all day."
"No, we split into teams. Freyja and I can interview the victims and go over what the guard knows about these attacks. You can take Tenor and Baritone to investigate the afflicted locations in the northern areas and Diana can take Bass and Lucas to do the same in southern ones." Morlia loses her confrontational look in a heartbeat. At least you think it would be a heartbeat if you still had a heart that beat.
"That's... actually not a bad plan." She still does sound a little dubious though.
"I regret getting involved with you people at all. And why would the daedra be a good choice to interview anyone?" Freyja is less impressed with your plan.
"He's easy to talk to," Morlia says, you're shocked but the words are coming out of her mouth and you can't see anyone coercing her. "When he's not being ridiculous anyway." That's more familiar.
"Cheer up Freyja, there's worse jobs I'm sure." Lucas apparently has the same sense of self preservation as a lemming.
"Like arresting you?" Freyja's reply has less bite then you expected.
"Like catching me." Lucas corrects and turns to Diana. "Shall we go then, I seems to remember some overlarge cobwebs around Tibus Crescent."
"Yep!" Bass chirps and waves at Lucas. "I'm Bass, Fast Enough's minion."
"O-kay... can I give you orders?" Lucas says hopefully.
"Nope, Diana's team leader so you only listen to her." You inform him. Bass salutes again then the three of them are off towards the south. "Baritone, Tenor, you listen to Morlia and do what she tells you." You instruct them. They nod like two perfectly synchronised robots.
"Follow me then." Morlia says and starts walking. Tenor and Baritone follow dutifully. "Oh good, minions that do what I say. Just a pity I didn't summon them." You barely catch her muttering.
You turn to Freyja. "So, where do you recommend we start?"
"Start at the guardhouse, compile a list of names, work from there." Freyja says firmly.
"Okay that sounds.... wait, are you talking about paperwork?" Freyja's smirk says everything.
It's... actually not that bad. All that really needs to be done is sifting through a list of 'person x reported crime y' and noting each down for later reference. Easy. Not the horrible bastion of bureaucracy you were expecting.
The interviews are more taxing. Turns out there are lots of people who don't appreciate being reminded that their basements once hosted a den of frostbite spiders. There are also very few that remember anything relevant about before the spiders set up shop. A couple thought they maybe heard a banging noise the night before the spiders showed up. Another couple think they might have seen a shadowy figure around their homes.
Most of the rest slam their doors in your faces after giving you both an earful about the disgraceful response of the guard to their various, often unrelated, complaints.
"Rude." You say to the recently slammed green painted door in front of you.
"Well... that's three quarters of the mages in the city down." Freyja says and crosses the penultimate name of the list. A thought sparks in your head.
"There can't be that many mages in the city." You say. "Proportionally they can't be that large of a group, right?"
"I suppose they aren't the most numerous but..." Freyja pauses, you can see her coming to the same conclusion you have. "It is a little weird that we've been through three quarters of them."
"You think someone could be targeting them?" You ask her and she grimaces.
"It seems likely but... why would someone do that?" Freyja pauses for a moment then her eyes widen. "Sullinus!"
"What's the chances that he'd be targeted next?" You say. It's got to be pretty low, right?
You can't believe you just said that. That was the worst possible thing to say.
[ ] What do?
And to make up for Saturday's short update have a huuuuge one for today.
The answer comes to you and you would smirk if you had a face. "There is no need for a search, for I..." raise finger for dramatic effect with a beat for tension "have already solved the crime!"
There are no 'ooos' or 'aaahs' or applause. The count merely raises a brow at you. Morlia seems almost terrified of what you're about to say. "These spiders are from Skyrim and Skyrim, as we all know, is cold. Therefore these spiders wish to be somewhere cold. Since it's insulated from daily temperature changes the underground is cold. The deepest place underground is most likely the dungeons."
"Oh... oh divines please don't..." Morlia mutters, staring it what must be horrified fascination.
"As such the spiders must be in the count's basement!" You stab your finder down at the floor in dramatic fashion. Diana lets out a nervous giggle. Lucas' shoulders are shaking and his fist is stuffed in his mouth to muffle his laughter. Freyja and Morlia appear to be considering applying their heads to the walls.
The count glances to his feet briefly. "Nothing living is in my basement. I suggest you investigate elsewhere. Perhaps with the mages guild, they've been complaining more than usual." Well that's a dismissal if you've every heard one. There's just one more thing you need to mention before you go.
"Just one more thing," the count glares but you press on regardless, "if you weren't already aware, witch Melisande of Darkelowe knows how to cure your wife's affliction."
"I would recommend you prove you may be trusted before you presume to offer me your opinion on something as insignificant as the colour of the sky let alone advice concerning my family." You think you catch a glimpse of fang towards the end of his sentence, perhaps a suggestion of scarlet in his eyes. You take his advice and get out of his castle.
"You know your not all that bad, armour daedra." Lucas grins and claps you hard on the shoulder. He regrets it immediately. "Ow~ What are you made of? Obsidian?"
"Order crystal." You answer him quickly. "Okay, since we're being sensible about this I have a plan."
"Oh good," Morlia does not sound impressed, "I suppose we'll sneak into the count's basement? Or perhaps we'll just brazenly walk back in there and wander around his castle all day."
"No, we split into teams. Freyja and I can interview the victims and go over what the guard knows about these attacks. You can take Tenor and Baritone to investigate the afflicted locations in the northern areas and Diana can take Bass and Lucas to do the same in southern ones." Morlia loses her confrontational look in a heartbeat. At least you think it would be a heartbeat if you still had a heart that beat.
"That's... actually not a bad plan." She still does sound a little dubious though.
"I regret getting involved with you people at all. And why would the daedra be a good choice to interview anyone?" Freyja is less impressed with your plan.
"He's easy to talk to," Morlia says, you're shocked but the words are coming out of her mouth and you can't see anyone coercing her. "When he's not being ridiculous anyway." That's more familiar.
"Cheer up Freyja, there's worse jobs I'm sure." Lucas apparently has the same sense of self preservation as a lemming.
"Like arresting you?" Freyja's reply has less bite then you expected.
"Like catching me." Lucas corrects and turns to Diana. "Shall we go then, I seems to remember some overlarge cobwebs around Tibus Crescent."
"Yep!" Bass chirps and waves at Lucas. "I'm Bass, Fast Enough's minion."
"O-kay... can I give you orders?" Lucas says hopefully.
"Nope, Diana's team leader so you only listen to her." You inform him. Bass salutes again then the three of them are off towards the south. "Baritone, Tenor, you listen to Morlia and do what she tells you." You instruct them. They nod like two perfectly synchronised robots.
"Follow me then." Morlia says and starts walking. Tenor and Baritone follow dutifully. "Oh good, minions that do what I say. Just a pity I didn't summon them." You barely catch her muttering.
You turn to Freyja. "So, where do you recommend we start?"
"Start at the guardhouse, compile a list of names, work from there." Freyja says firmly.
"Okay that sounds.... wait, are you talking about paperwork?" Freyja's smirk says everything.
It's... actually not that bad. All that really needs to be done is sifting through a list of 'person x reported crime y' and noting each down for later reference. Easy. Not the horrible bastion of bureaucracy you were expecting.
The interviews are more taxing. Turns out there are lots of people who don't appreciate being reminded that their basements once hosted a den of frostbite spiders. There are also very few that remember anything relevant about before the spiders set up shop. A couple thought they maybe heard a banging noise the night before the spiders showed up. Another couple think they might have seen a shadowy figure around their homes.
Most of the rest slam their doors in your faces after giving you both an earful about the disgraceful response of the guard to their various, often unrelated, complaints.
"Rude." You say to the recently slammed green painted door in front of you.
"Well... that's three quarters of the mages in the city down." Freyja says and crosses the penultimate name of the list. A thought sparks in your head.
"There can't be that many mages in the city." You say. "Proportionally they can't be that large of a group, right?"
"I suppose they aren't the most numerous but..." Freyja pauses, you can see her coming to the same conclusion you have. "It is a little weird that we've been through three quarters of them."
"You think someone could be targeting them?" You ask her and she grimaces.
"It seems likely but... why would someone do that?" Freyja pauses for a moment then her eyes widen. "Sullinus!"
"What's the chances that he'd be targeted next?" You say. It's got to be pretty low, right?
You can't believe you just said that. That was the worst possible thing to say.
[ ] What do?
And to make up for Saturday's short update have a huuuuge one for today.
