Samir goes along with directions and the others, offering no indication of having heard Vilus, and certainly not presenting any resistance. He does, however, keep Vilus's words in mind as they travel. With his satchel tucked into his lap as he sits in the cart, Samir slips the medalion found in that ill-fated inn into his hands. Throughout the journey he keeps an eye on the metal surface, turning it this way and that and looking to identify any changes in its hue and who any such change might indicate.
As the carts arrive, he slips the medallion away and makes to move with the others. His eyes rove across the city of Tensmith, taking in the tiers and the operations going on. He remains quiet in the cell, fidgeting, simply waiting for the woman to return. After all, she is an officer of the law, and as such logic and the truth should be able to bring her around to see reason.
A few moments later, an officer opens the door, and Marshal Lanya stands in the entrance. "Alright, we are ready. Please follow me into the next room."She opens a door directly across the hallway and steps through.
Following her in, you see several officers come in through the door behind you, carrying stools which they set at the table in the center of the room. One stool facing six. Lanya sits down in the one chair, and lays out her papers while the other officers guide you to the six chairs opposite her. "Thank you officers. And let's get those restraints off for now."As the ropes are removed, she faces the six of you and says, "As I stated before, you are here to answer some questions for me about how and why you are in Tensmith. I am Marshal Lanya, and I will be conducting the interrogation. Officer Jarm over there will be transcribing,"she motions to a man in the corner with a blonde, twirled moustache, "Officer Miter will be acting as witness." An older man, orcish by the look of him, and with a large scar through one eye stands beside Lanya with his arms behind his back. "The others will be standing outside this room, ready to act should any of us call out for back up."
She pulls a pair of narrow reading glasses from a breast pocket that look almost comical when juxtaposed with her broad frame, of she didn't look so serious as she shuffled some papers in front of her, glances over a few of them, and places them in a stack to the side. She keeps two sheet in front of her. One of the sheets is fresh and crisp, with a series of questions in ink not yet dried.
"Let's begin. Be aware that by the authority vested in the Hardrock-Berg Smiths by the Ruling Council of Talmouth, we reserve the right to detain, indefinitely, any parties found to be in violation of either civil laws or Section E.5 Hardrock-Berg Smiths policy regarding the protection of private assets, including but not limited to: land, equipment, personnel, and operational information. A detained party has the right request correspondence with any counsellor or aide of their choice to dispute any charges brought against them." She sets down the papers for a moment and looks up. "Now let me be clear here. There is no disputing that you were found trespassing on private land. I am therefore within my rights to toss you in a cell and forget about you. BUT, that is not what is happening for right now. You are not being charged at this current juncture. Not until I ask my questions and get the measure of you.
If you understand, then please state your names for the record, and then answer my questions as concisely and honestly as you are able."She doesn't bother looking down at her list before asking her first question. "How did you come to emerge in one of our tunnels?"
Samir nervously clears his throat before speaking, fidgeting with his glasses. "My name is Samir din Halmynn, from the city of Madurst. My companions and I were traveling to Talmouth when we discovered a cave. We decided to examine the interior, and quickly found ourselves in an unexpected series of tunnels. Eventually, those tunnels led us to the mines here."
Joren schools his face to stillness to hide his surprise.
I was thinking Malachi was the one that would be lying, not Samir! Discovered a cave and decided to examine the interior? Wasn't Samir the one that was so confident that truth telling to the authorities would yield justice back with the unconscious Jon Shep? I am seeing obvious holes in this story. Such as how are we knowing each other or why were we not retracing our steps or why is blood, not our own, on our gear?
But he doesn't say any of that.
"Joren Kryn, of the Dalmodh Plains. We were traveling days underground, unsure of direction. Being attacked by underground creatures at times. With cave-ins, chasms and subterranean lakes blocking our passage at others."
Malachi rubs at his wrists as the bindings are undone, then gives the slightest of bows “Malachi Helder, of Madurst. I thank you again for rescuing us from those endless tunnels.” Malachi shrugs and flips a copper piece through his fingers, looking for all appearances as if he is trying to calm a nervous twitch “They have told you the long and short of it. We are here by chance really.” Well they certainly didn’t intend on setting out for Tensmith when they crossed the Shield Pass, it was a curious sequence of events that have led them here to be sure.
As the group continues to share their names and stories, Malachi focuses his mind and subtly attempts to detect thoughts focused on the Marshal at first, but then moving to Officer Jarm and Officer Miter.
(Spending 1 sorcery point for subtle spell. Focused on Marshal first, but will spend an action to switch to the other two officers as well. Keeping surface level thoughts for now.)
"Silas, Talmouth docks, been traveling with these guys when we became trapped in the tunnels, so we followed them and found our way here. Got attacked by all-sorts along the way, so glad to be out." Vilus visibly relaxes as he holds eye contact with the marshal whilst he speaks.
Interrogation, he wonders what technique they'll use, he knows and has applied most of them himself. The fact that all six are being interrogated at once and by only one interrogator, shows lack of aggression and some inexperience, Vilus assumes they will not be tortured today, unless in experience is the ruse, a false sense of security, he could use this tactic in the future...
Vilus's mind goes in circles with that train of thought for a short while.
When it gets to her turn, Ashley is a mess of thoughts. She wants to stand up and scream at this woman and tell them all about the rat-people and the cultists and that they need to wake up!! But with Joren's cautious warning about one of them might not be who they say they are, she takes pause on that, but doesn't know how to not get into it? She has always lived speaking her mind, to hell with the consequences. And if it was just her, you'd damn well know that's exactly what she'd do. But these were her friends, she cared much for them and didn't want to put them in any more danger than they have already been through. And can you imagine? Just being locked up and forgotten about? The thought made her visibly shudder.
"My name is Ashley, ma'am, and I am from the Smoking Sands. Just recently arrived and am ever grateful to have emerged from one of your tunnels. It was utterly awful down there. I will never go exploring in a cave again."
Marion has been quiet up to this point. And not just since getting picked up by the Marshal. It seems she has been slow to speak for a couple days now. She emerges from her thoughts to sit tall and say, "Marion Sithiche, from the Order of the Blue Rose. I am a journeyman in service to the Blue Lady, in Cambria to test my virtue and my faith as part of our order's tradition. We do apologize for the trespass. Our goal was to surface from the tunnel, and we were not overly selective in where exactly that happened."
Malachi feels thoughts trickle through his mind. (And I encourage the others to resist the temptation to look at this spoiler quite yet, if you are able ;))
Marshal Lanya
"...accent seems right, if a bit thick. He mentions underground creatures... I'll have to follow up on that. Wait, did he say Kryn?
And Malachi Helder, light on details, underlying confidence. Not the one to press.
Silas, from Talmouth? At least someone local I can pull records o-"
Witness Miter
"................................................................................................... lip twitch............................................................................ eyes to the upper left........................................................ glance to her right.................................................................................................................................... nervous manipulator. Staged?.................................................................................... scratching ear.................... creases of disgust around nose...................sustained eye contact................................................. restless leg.....-"
Transcriber Jarm
...from the Smoking Sands. Just recently arrived and am ever greatf- scratch that out- grateful to have emerged from one of your tunnels. Re-ink. It was utterly awful down there. I will-"
Marshal Lanya
"... of them kept the details purposefully vague in response to an open-ended question. One more question should do the trick. Open, and easy, like the first."
Lanya looks at the paper before her this time and says, "How did you end up underground in the first place?"
"Well, you see, after traveling together across the mountains, we came upon an inn." Samir fidgets as he speaks, obviously uncomfortable with the attention but wishing to move things forward and get the marshal on their side. "It was in the basement of the inn that we found a hidden entrance, which in turn led us into the tunnels, and to here."
Lanya sits back in her chair and gives Samir a hard look. "You made it across the Shield Pass? Impressive. It's not your average person who'll even attempt such a feat in winter. So, to make sure I have this straight, you crossed the mountains, found an inn, just figured you'd check out the basement for... for what, kicks? And then when you found a tunnel, you decided you would just check it out? I'm going to need more to go on than that if I'm to believe your tale. I would say your top priority right now should be convincing me you are not dangerous. My job right now is to verify whether you are foreign parties who have tunneled into our operations to work against our interests. Meanwhile, all you have told me is that you are foreign parties, Silas excluded, who then tunneled into our operations. See the probem?"
Officer Miter leans down to whisper something in her ear, and she nods.
Malachi:
That may be the first outright lie. There are no inns near the mountains out in the middle of nowhere, so unless he is talking about the town of Burrwatch... Time for the next stage of the investigation. Miter is right. Marion and Ashley were late to speak, and provided fewer details, indicating less experience or comfort with such interrogations, and that they seem to be following the lead of the more comfortable liars. And the cute half-orc, though first to speak, shows signs of discomfort that are more likely to be genuine than his partners. It'll be those three.
Lanya rifles through the stack of papers beside her before pulling out three sheets. She looks over the rims of her glasses at the six of you and says, "Let's switch around your seats. Samir, that end, Ashley, the other end, and Marion to the center. The rest of you are fine where you are. You, you, and you," she says, "Please fill out these question forms with the quills provided." She passes a sheet along to Samir, Ashley, and Marion, none of whom are directly beside each other anymore. Lanya then pulls three quills from a pouch on her belt along with a vial of clear liquid. She unstops the vial, dips each quill, and then distributes them. "And don't worry about the ink being invisible. I'll be able to read it just fine."She adjusts her glasses once more.
The atmosphere shifts. To Vilus, this had started off seeming unorganized, but is now feeling more and more calculated.
(I will private message Samir and Ashley the question sheets they are to fill out. The rest of you are free to act as you see fit and make any checks you want at this time.)
Malachi arches an eyebrow as they rearrange the group, ensuring that those selected to write statements were not sitting next to each other. It was getting interesting, he was surprised they didn’t separate them at the beginning. Malachi was certainly no stranger to getting pinched off the street or questioned. Every now and then a job goes awry, it happens to the best of them, but it usually worked out okay in the long run. But why didn’t the Marshal ask all of them for statements? Malachi glances at Ashley and reaches out to establish a mental connection. (using telepathic speech feature)
Ashley
Ashley, its Mal. Don’t be startled, I know you hate this. They think we are lying about the inn, which means they are not tied to the cult, or at least that part of it. Still not sure we can trust them. What did they ask you to write? Just think and I will hear you.
As Marion, Samir, and Ashley write with the provided quills, the clear ink leaves no visible mark behind. This makes it impossible for anyone to see what the others are writing, or for them to look back on what they themselves have written.
Vilus and Malachi:
Vilus and Malachi realize this may be a tactic to poke holes in their stories. Not only may their allies give differing accounts and varying amounts of detail, but if a story is fabricated on the spot, writing about it in detail without being able to look back on what details one has already given, while being watched AND worrying about what the other two are writing, increases the chances of conflicting details and inconsistencies even within one's own narrative.
One by one, the papers are handed back to Marshal Lanya.
Malachi:
Ashley did not take long to write hers. Probably sparse on detail. I think she'll be the one I single out, but we'll see. First I need to go to the dark room.
She adjusts her glasses once more, gathers the three question sheets, and leaves through the door, saying "I will be right back." Two more officers enter the room as she leaves and stand by the door at attention, keeping an eye on the group. No one moves, and no one speaks as they await Lanya's return. The atmosphere is stifling.
Just when the wait is getting a bit much to bear, there is a knock on the door, and Lanya pokes her head in.
Malachi:
...the hell is going on. Seriously, what the fu- I need a second opinion on this.
"Miter,"she calls, shaking the question sheets at him. "Can I have a word with you in the hallway?" Miter takes his one good eye off the group for the first time since the sat down and heads out the door, closing it behind him. Footsteps head down the hallway a few feet before the heavily muffled sound of hushed conversation ensues. There is a long pause... and then the talking resumes. A minute later, Miter comes back in and says to one of the officers by the door, "Officer Hesk, please escort the genasi out to Lanya in the hall. She has further questions for that one. I'll be taking over here."
The officer he addressed walks over to Ashley and motions for her to stand and follow him.
Joren schools his face to stillness despite his growing frustration.
Malachi, Vilus - are you sensing foul play? Is one of them having a yellow aura? Maybe this charming Miter fellow... if not, let us tell the full truth.
As Miter calls for the officer to escort Ashley out, Joren meets the fire genasi's eyes. He then looks more intensely at Miter, trying to understand if there is something nefarious at play here. He knows it's a tell to reveal that you care for your companions - a tell that can be used against you. He's seen it before with prisoners of war, though watching the questioning by Khirian officers had always made him feel uncomfortable. Dirty somehow.
Now being on the other end of it, he tries to understand if something beyond the routine is happening here. And also what his own friends are thinking.
The methods used here differ from what Joren would typically see Khirian officers use, but he recognizes the way Miter has been looking at them throughout the interview. The man's one good eye has been hard at work picking out every little movement, every nervous tick, every stutter, looking for emotions, tells, signs of deception, anything really. An imperfect science, to be sure, but still a very useful skill in these situations.
Joren's impression of all three of them, in fact, is that they take their jobs very seriously. There is a high degree of professionalism and focus there. But when Lanya pokes her head in to call for Miter, she seems... different somehow. Like she's been put on her back foot. Did she see something in the answers from his comrades that caught her off guard?
Miter similarly seems different when he comes back in after talking to her. Gone is that intense gaze looking for any hole or crack in the group's composure. And there is concern. Just in the slightest crease of his forehead.
Joren notices Malachi give Ashley just the briefest glance when she gets called out, but he doesn't see panic. That's got to be a good sign, right?
With Lanya out of the room Vikus does his best to concentrate on where she should have gone, peering hard from his slouched position, at the stone walls as if something is going to happen.
As Ashley rises to leave and meet lanya she hears Vilus's voice once again in her mind "remember conflict ain't it, just now. Do what you can, talk, we have your back".
Once Ashley has left the room Vilus stretches his arms up as far as he can and gives a large infectious yawn before burying his chin in his chest and closing his eyes.
As Mal's voice enters her mind, she looks up sharply. She doesn't look at anyone in particular as while she did react to the unwelcome thought, she knew better than to let on what was going on. She does her best to respond..
Malachi
I answered them. She wanted to know why we traveled together, where the entrance of the tunnels were, whether the caves were natural or excavated, and what did we encounter. I tried to answer as honestly as possible without including the rat-men and Razmus.
As one of the officers asks her to join him outside the room, her eyes grow wide and she looks to her friends, unsure what to do. Seeing there is nothing that any of them can do, she rises to her feet, standing ram rod with the anger of the situation coursing through. Vilus's thoughts then enter her mind...she very slightly nods her head and follows the officer.
The officer leads Ashley out into the hall and hands her off to Lanya, who then leads her down the hall and through another door.
Ashley:
The inside of the room is small and dark. The only light is a soft red glow coming from a dim lantern covered by a cloth. That, and a faint luminescence coming off a sheet of paper on a desk in the corner. The sheet that Ashley had written on using invisible- nay, glowing ink. Lanya closes the door firmly behind her, leaving her and Ashley alone in the room. She then turns and leans against the door, arms crossed. Ashley can barely make out her face as her lips begin to move.
"We have a problem. The stories didn't match up. Yours in particular. I am tasked to rule you out as a spy or saboteur, but it seems either you are trying to hide something from me, or your friends are both lying."
She pushes off from the door and walks up to Ashley, towering over her, her voice cold and matter-of-fact. "As we speak, your friends are being separated and escorted to a prison camp. They will most likely spend the rest of their days digging away in their pit until they die, deep under the ground."
"Unless of course,"she leans back, "you cut the bullshit right here, right now. I'm not convinced you're an enemy, but if you want to see your friends in the light of day again, you will tell me what you are holding back. And lest you think I am bluffing, let me assure you, I know about the rats." Lanya places special emphasis on the last word.
Everyone Else:
Miter, rather than sitting in the chair, stands behind it with his arms crossed. He spends several long seconds looking at each person in turn before finally saying, "Okay, there has been mention of worms. Are you referring to gloazworms? Subterranean worms that live in colonies that our miners sometimes accidentally tap into? Biggest hazard they face besides cave-ins. Teeth, tentacles, they like flesh and are drawn to heat. About this big?" He holds up his meaty index finger. The officer still standing by the door visibly shudders.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ashley watches the woman as she moves around the room. Unsure of a whole lot of things at the moment, but Vilas's last words ringing through her mind. As she says the last word, her head snaps up to meet the woman's gaze head on.
Insight 4
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Samir goes along with directions and the others, offering no indication of having heard Vilus, and certainly not presenting any resistance. He does, however, keep Vilus's words in mind as they travel. With his satchel tucked into his lap as he sits in the cart, Samir slips the medalion found in that ill-fated inn into his hands. Throughout the journey he keeps an eye on the metal surface, turning it this way and that and looking to identify any changes in its hue and who any such change might indicate.
As the carts arrive, he slips the medallion away and makes to move with the others. His eyes rove across the city of Tensmith, taking in the tiers and the operations going on. He remains quiet in the cell, fidgeting, simply waiting for the woman to return. After all, she is an officer of the law, and as such logic and the truth should be able to bring her around to see reason.
A few moments later, an officer opens the door, and Marshal Lanya stands in the entrance. "Alright, we are ready. Please follow me into the next room." She opens a door directly across the hallway and steps through.
Following her in, you see several officers come in through the door behind you, carrying stools which they set at the table in the center of the room. One stool facing six. Lanya sits down in the one chair, and lays out her papers while the other officers guide you to the six chairs opposite her. "Thank you officers. And let's get those restraints off for now." As the ropes are removed, she faces the six of you and says, "As I stated before, you are here to answer some questions for me about how and why you are in Tensmith. I am Marshal Lanya, and I will be conducting the interrogation. Officer Jarm over there will be transcribing," she motions to a man in the corner with a blonde, twirled moustache, "Officer Miter will be acting as witness." An older man, orcish by the look of him, and with a large scar through one eye stands beside Lanya with his arms behind his back. "The others will be standing outside this room, ready to act should any of us call out for back up."
She pulls a pair of narrow reading glasses from a breast pocket that look almost comical when juxtaposed with her broad frame, of she didn't look so serious as she shuffled some papers in front of her, glances over a few of them, and places them in a stack to the side. She keeps two sheet in front of her. One of the sheets is fresh and crisp, with a series of questions in ink not yet dried.
"Let's begin. Be aware that by the authority vested in the Hardrock-Berg Smiths by the Ruling Council of Talmouth, we reserve the right to detain, indefinitely, any parties found to be in violation of either civil laws or Section E.5 Hardrock-Berg Smiths policy regarding the protection of private assets, including but not limited to: land, equipment, personnel, and operational information. A detained party has the right request correspondence with any counsellor or aide of their choice to dispute any charges brought against them." She sets down the papers for a moment and looks up. "Now let me be clear here. There is no disputing that you were found trespassing on private land. I am therefore within my rights to toss you in a cell and forget about you. BUT, that is not what is happening for right now. You are not being charged at this current juncture. Not until I ask my questions and get the measure of you.
If you understand, then please state your names for the record, and then answer my questions as concisely and honestly as you are able." She doesn't bother looking down at her list before asking her first question. "How did you come to emerge in one of our tunnels?"
Samir nervously clears his throat before speaking, fidgeting with his glasses. "My name is Samir din Halmynn, from the city of Madurst. My companions and I were traveling to Talmouth when we discovered a cave. We decided to examine the interior, and quickly found ourselves in an unexpected series of tunnels. Eventually, those tunnels led us to the mines here."
Joren schools his face to stillness to hide his surprise.
I was thinking Malachi was the one that would be lying, not Samir! Discovered a cave and decided to examine the interior? Wasn't Samir the one that was so confident that truth telling to the authorities would yield justice back with the unconscious Jon Shep? I am seeing obvious holes in this story. Such as how are we knowing each other or why were we not retracing our steps or why is blood, not our own, on our gear?
But he doesn't say any of that.
"Joren Kryn, of the Dalmodh Plains. We were traveling days underground, unsure of direction. Being attacked by underground creatures at times. With cave-ins, chasms and subterranean lakes blocking our passage at others."
Barn(Paladin1): Damian_May's Ereworn Under the Shadow | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest | Nivi(Rogue5): Erik_Soong's Netherdeep
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Quyen(Adept1, ba5ic): ConstancePhokas' Nentir Vale (Discord) | Seri(Druid1): Hunter_Orien's Saltmarsh
Xarian(Fighter3): Luna_Dust's Marks on the Map | Ophelia(Sorcerer2): BillM's Icewind Dale | Shin(Wizard1): Culuril's Strixhaven
Malachi rubs at his wrists as the bindings are undone, then gives the slightest of bows “Malachi Helder, of Madurst. I thank you again for rescuing us from those endless tunnels.” Malachi shrugs and flips a copper piece through his fingers, looking for all appearances as if he is trying to calm a nervous twitch “They have told you the long and short of it. We are here by chance really.” Well they certainly didn’t intend on setting out for Tensmith when they crossed the Shield Pass, it was a curious sequence of events that have led them here to be sure.
As the group continues to share their names and stories, Malachi focuses his mind and subtly attempts to detect thoughts focused on the Marshal at first, but then moving to Officer Jarm and Officer Miter.
(Spending 1 sorcery point for subtle spell. Focused on Marshal first, but will spend an action to switch to the other two officers as well. Keeping surface level thoughts for now.)
"Silas, Talmouth docks, been traveling with these guys when we became trapped in the tunnels, so we followed them and found our way here. Got attacked by all-sorts along the way, so glad to be out." Vilus visibly relaxes as he holds eye contact with the marshal whilst he speaks.
Interrogation, he wonders what technique they'll use, he knows and has applied most of them himself. The fact that all six are being interrogated at once and by only one interrogator, shows lack of aggression and some inexperience, Vilus assumes they will not be tortured today, unless in experience is the ruse, a false sense of security, he could use this tactic in the future...
Vilus's mind goes in circles with that train of thought for a short while.
When it gets to her turn, Ashley is a mess of thoughts. She wants to stand up and scream at this woman and tell them all about the rat-people and the cultists and that they need to wake up!! But with Joren's cautious warning about one of them might not be who they say they are, she takes pause on that, but doesn't know how to not get into it? She has always lived speaking her mind, to hell with the consequences. And if it was just her, you'd damn well know that's exactly what she'd do. But these were her friends, she cared much for them and didn't want to put them in any more danger than they have already been through. And can you imagine? Just being locked up and forgotten about? The thought made her visibly shudder.
"My name is Ashley, ma'am, and I am from the Smoking Sands. Just recently arrived and am ever grateful to have emerged from one of your tunnels. It was utterly awful down there. I will never go exploring in a cave again."
Marion has been quiet up to this point. And not just since getting picked up by the Marshal. It seems she has been slow to speak for a couple days now. She emerges from her thoughts to sit tall and say, "Marion Sithiche, from the Order of the Blue Rose. I am a journeyman in service to the Blue Lady, in Cambria to test my virtue and my faith as part of our order's tradition. We do apologize for the trespass. Our goal was to surface from the tunnel, and we were not overly selective in where exactly that happened."
Malachi feels thoughts trickle through his mind. (And I encourage the others to resist the temptation to look at this spoiler quite yet, if you are able ;))
Marshal Lanya
"...accent seems right, if a bit thick. He mentions underground creatures... I'll have to follow up on that. Wait, did he say Kryn?
And Malachi Helder, light on details, underlying confidence. Not the one to press.
Silas, from Talmouth? At least someone local I can pull records o-"
Witness Miter
"................................................................................................... lip twitch............................................................................ eyes to the upper left........................................................ glance to her right.................................................................................................................................... nervous manipulator. Staged?.................................................................................... scratching ear.................... creases of disgust around nose...................sustained eye contact................................................. restless leg.....-"
Transcriber Jarm
...from the Smoking Sands. Just recently arrived and am ever greatf- scratch that out- grateful to have emerged from one of your tunnels. Re-ink. It was utterly awful down there. I will-"
Marshal Lanya
"... of them kept the details purposefully vague in response to an open-ended question. One more question should do the trick. Open, and easy, like the first."
Lanya looks at the paper before her this time and says, "How did you end up underground in the first place?"
"Well, you see, after traveling together across the mountains, we came upon an inn." Samir fidgets as he speaks, obviously uncomfortable with the attention but wishing to move things forward and get the marshal on their side. "It was in the basement of the inn that we found a hidden entrance, which in turn led us into the tunnels, and to here."
Lanya sits back in her chair and gives Samir a hard look. "You made it across the Shield Pass? Impressive. It's not your average person who'll even attempt such a feat in winter. So, to make sure I have this straight, you crossed the mountains, found an inn, just figured you'd check out the basement for... for what, kicks? And then when you found a tunnel, you decided you would just check it out? I'm going to need more to go on than that if I'm to believe your tale. I would say your top priority right now should be convincing me you are not dangerous. My job right now is to verify whether you are foreign parties who have tunneled into our operations to work against our interests. Meanwhile, all you have told me is that you are foreign parties, Silas excluded, who then tunneled into our operations. See the probem?"
Officer Miter leans down to whisper something in her ear, and she nods.
Malachi:
That may be the first outright lie. There are no inns near the mountains out in the middle of nowhere, so unless he is talking about the town of Burrwatch... Time for the next stage of the investigation. Miter is right. Marion and Ashley were late to speak, and provided fewer details, indicating less experience or comfort with such interrogations, and that they seem to be following the lead of the more comfortable liars. And the cute half-orc, though first to speak, shows signs of discomfort that are more likely to be genuine than his partners. It'll be those three.
Lanya rifles through the stack of papers beside her before pulling out three sheets. She looks over the rims of her glasses at the six of you and says, "Let's switch around your seats. Samir, that end, Ashley, the other end, and Marion to the center. The rest of you are fine where you are. You, you, and you," she says, "Please fill out these question forms with the quills provided." She passes a sheet along to Samir, Ashley, and Marion, none of whom are directly beside each other anymore. Lanya then pulls three quills from a pouch on her belt along with a vial of clear liquid. She unstops the vial, dips each quill, and then distributes them. "And don't worry about the ink being invisible. I'll be able to read it just fine." She adjusts her glasses once more.
The atmosphere shifts. To Vilus, this had started off seeming unorganized, but is now feeling more and more calculated.
(I will private message Samir and Ashley the question sheets they are to fill out. The rest of you are free to act as you see fit and make any checks you want at this time.)
Vilus crosses his arms and slouches in the chair a bit, showing signs of disinterest in the proceedings.
Malachi arches an eyebrow as they rearrange the group, ensuring that those selected to write statements were not sitting next to each other. It was getting interesting, he was surprised they didn’t separate them at the beginning. Malachi was certainly no stranger to getting pinched off the street or questioned. Every now and then a job goes awry, it happens to the best of them, but it usually worked out okay in the long run. But why didn’t the Marshal ask all of them for statements? Malachi glances at Ashley and reaches out to establish a mental connection. (using telepathic speech feature)
Ashley
Ashley, its Mal. Don’t be startled, I know you hate this. They think we are lying about the inn, which means they are not tied to the cult, or at least that part of it. Still not sure we can trust them. What did they ask you to write? Just think and I will hear you.
Samir blinks at the instructions but does as asked, moving to another seat and then doing his best to fill out the sheet given to him.
As Marion, Samir, and Ashley write with the provided quills, the clear ink leaves no visible mark behind. This makes it impossible for anyone to see what the others are writing, or for them to look back on what they themselves have written.
Vilus and Malachi:
Vilus and Malachi realize this may be a tactic to poke holes in their stories. Not only may their allies give differing accounts and varying amounts of detail, but if a story is fabricated on the spot, writing about it in detail without being able to look back on what details one has already given, while being watched AND worrying about what the other two are writing, increases the chances of conflicting details and inconsistencies even within one's own narrative.
One by one, the papers are handed back to Marshal Lanya.
Malachi:
Ashley did not take long to write hers. Probably sparse on detail. I think she'll be the one I single out, but we'll see. First I need to go to the dark room.
She adjusts her glasses once more, gathers the three question sheets, and leaves through the door, saying "I will be right back." Two more officers enter the room as she leaves and stand by the door at attention, keeping an eye on the group. No one moves, and no one speaks as they await Lanya's return. The atmosphere is stifling.
Just when the wait is getting a bit much to bear, there is a knock on the door, and Lanya pokes her head in.
Malachi:
...the hell is going on. Seriously, what the fu- I need a second opinion on this.
"Miter," she calls, shaking the question sheets at him. "Can I have a word with you in the hallway?" Miter takes his one good eye off the group for the first time since the sat down and heads out the door, closing it behind him. Footsteps head down the hallway a few feet before the heavily muffled sound of hushed conversation ensues. There is a long pause... and then the talking resumes. A minute later, Miter comes back in and says to one of the officers by the door, "Officer Hesk, please escort the genasi out to Lanya in the hall. She has further questions for that one. I'll be taking over here."
The officer he addressed walks over to Ashley and motions for her to stand and follow him.
Joren schools his face to stillness despite his growing frustration.
Malachi, Vilus - are you sensing foul play? Is one of them having a yellow aura? Maybe this charming Miter fellow... if not, let us tell the full truth.
As Miter calls for the officer to escort Ashley out, Joren meets the fire genasi's eyes. He then looks more intensely at Miter, trying to understand if there is something nefarious at play here. He knows it's a tell to reveal that you care for your companions - a tell that can be used against you. He's seen it before with prisoners of war, though watching the questioning by Khirian officers had always made him feel uncomfortable. Dirty somehow.
Now being on the other end of it, he tries to understand if something beyond the routine is happening here. And also what his own friends are thinking.
Insight: 19
Barn(Paladin1): Damian_May's Ereworn Under the Shadow | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest | Nivi(Rogue5): Erik_Soong's Netherdeep
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Quyen(Adept1, ba5ic): ConstancePhokas' Nentir Vale (Discord) | Seri(Druid1): Hunter_Orien's Saltmarsh
Xarian(Fighter3): Luna_Dust's Marks on the Map | Ophelia(Sorcerer2): BillM's Icewind Dale | Shin(Wizard1): Culuril's Strixhaven
Joren:
The methods used here differ from what Joren would typically see Khirian officers use, but he recognizes the way Miter has been looking at them throughout the interview. The man's one good eye has been hard at work picking out every little movement, every nervous tick, every stutter, looking for emotions, tells, signs of deception, anything really. An imperfect science, to be sure, but still a very useful skill in these situations.
Joren's impression of all three of them, in fact, is that they take their jobs very seriously. There is a high degree of professionalism and focus there. But when Lanya pokes her head in to call for Miter, she seems... different somehow. Like she's been put on her back foot. Did she see something in the answers from his comrades that caught her off guard?
Miter similarly seems different when he comes back in after talking to her. Gone is that intense gaze looking for any hole or crack in the group's composure. And there is concern. Just in the slightest crease of his forehead.
Joren notices Malachi give Ashley just the briefest glance when she gets called out, but he doesn't see panic. That's got to be a good sign, right?
With Lanya out of the room Vikus does his best to concentrate on where she should have gone, peering hard from his slouched position, at the stone walls as if something is going to happen.
As Ashley rises to leave and meet lanya she hears Vilus's voice once again in her mind "remember conflict ain't it, just now. Do what you can, talk, we have your back".
Once Ashley has left the room Vilus stretches his arms up as far as he can and gives a large infectious yawn before burying his chin in his chest and closing his eyes.
As Mal's voice enters her mind, she looks up sharply. She doesn't look at anyone in particular as while she did react to the unwelcome thought, she knew better than to let on what was going on. She does her best to respond..
Malachi
I answered them. She wanted to know why we traveled together, where the entrance of the tunnels were, whether the caves were natural or excavated, and what did we encounter. I tried to answer as honestly as possible without including the rat-men and Razmus.
As one of the officers asks her to join him outside the room, her eyes grow wide and she looks to her friends, unsure what to do. Seeing there is nothing that any of them can do, she rises to her feet, standing ram rod with the anger of the situation coursing through. Vilus's thoughts then enter her mind...she very slightly nods her head and follows the officer.
The officer leads Ashley out into the hall and hands her off to Lanya, who then leads her down the hall and through another door.
Ashley:
The inside of the room is small and dark. The only light is a soft red glow coming from a dim lantern covered by a cloth. That, and a faint luminescence coming off a sheet of paper on a desk in the corner. The sheet that Ashley had written on using invisible- nay, glowing ink. Lanya closes the door firmly behind her, leaving her and Ashley alone in the room. She then turns and leans against the door, arms crossed. Ashley can barely make out her face as her lips begin to move.
"We have a problem. The stories didn't match up. Yours in particular. I am tasked to rule you out as a spy or saboteur, but it seems either you are trying to hide something from me, or your friends are both lying."
She pushes off from the door and walks up to Ashley, towering over her, her voice cold and matter-of-fact. "As we speak, your friends are being separated and escorted to a prison camp. They will most likely spend the rest of their days digging away in their pit until they die, deep under the ground."
"Unless of course," she leans back, "you cut the bullshit right here, right now. I'm not convinced you're an enemy, but if you want to see your friends in the light of day again, you will tell me what you are holding back. And lest you think I am bluffing, let me assure you, I know about the rats." Lanya places special emphasis on the last word.
Everyone Else:
Miter, rather than sitting in the chair, stands behind it with his arms crossed. He spends several long seconds looking at each person in turn before finally saying, "Okay, there has been mention of worms. Are you referring to gloazworms? Subterranean worms that live in colonies that our miners sometimes accidentally tap into? Biggest hazard they face besides cave-ins. Teeth, tentacles, they like flesh and are drawn to heat. About this big?" He holds up his meaty index finger. The officer still standing by the door visibly shudders.
Ashley watches the woman as she moves around the room. Unsure of a whole lot of things at the moment, but Vilas's last words ringing through her mind. As she says the last word, her head snaps up to meet the woman's gaze head on.
Insight 4