• Closed • The Promise

[Elisabeth Black]

Ashan 107, Arc 722,

The docks. It was easy for some to forget the horrors that had occurred there, but Elisabeth knew. Vega had mentioned the dock's collapse, and so had Darius. People she cared about had been affected by the event, which made it important to the young leader. But it wasn't in her capacity as a leader, or even friend, that brought her to the docks that trial - someone else needed help.

It had been an eventful few trials, and even though they were investigating a severe matter, Elisabeth couldn't stop smiling. There were reasons, of course, but she had to let those fall by wayside for the time being so they could focus on the matter at hand.

Raine LeFleur had asked for help, and Elisabeth and Balthazar would do everything they could to assist. It had taken them a bit of time to get started, but armed with the knowledge from the night of the party and their gifted items, the investigation could begin in earnest.

They had partaken of a relaxing breakfast and then headed over to the public library to put together what they knew and go over their information. There were reasons for going to the library first – although they differed between the couple. Elisabeth simply felt comfortable there, using her abilities to pour over whatever books she could to find information regarding the collapse, if any existed.

The one piece of information she did have, courtesy of the Baron Books, was the date of the collapse - 29 Cylus, Arc 718. Elisabeth needed that to enact the one idea she had for gaining information, but there were things to do first.

Elisabeth warmly greeted the librarian, Rose, making sure to stop by her desk and converse for a few moments before heading into the stacks with Balthazar. It was only right to do so as the woman was genuinely interested in helping people and had always treated Elisabeth with kindness.

Being in a library with Balthazar reminded her of their adventure in Viden and the Prime Atheneum. Having him in Viden with her had been a wonderful experience, sharing a taste of the investigator life he craved. She hoped they could go back eventually but knew the mage was uncomfortable in that city. In his view, per his admission to her, he had brought the best part of Viden with him.

When they were ready, the couple made their way to the docks. They planned to start there and then move on to the memorial gardens, but said strategy depended on if they found anything out at the dock. Perhaps information would send them in a different direction?

Terra, Aer, Ignis, Hydra LeFluer – the four missing sisters. Raine had said only nine bodies had been recovered and that she wasn't sure the other four had passed on. It was perplexing, to say the least, but she and Balthazar worked well together. Each had a different way of thinking about things, and usually, that meant a complementary approach.

As for Elisabeth, her starting plan was simple – she would try to connect with one of the lost sisters using her Deathforged Death Forged - For stepping forward and accepting the role of "Death Forged", Elisabeth has taken on an aspect of balance of Scalvoris. Now able to tap in to the past of the island, she can relive the memories of anyone who lived for a substantial amount of time on Scalvoris, so long as she already knows the person she wants to see the memories of and the day she wants to see. ability. She knew the date of the collapse, courtesy of the Baron books, which mentioned the event -. She knew the name of the sisters. If she could experience what one of them did before they died, perhaps they could gain some vital clues to what had happened to the lost four. Raine had mentioned that maybe they hid when the docks began to collapse, which was something Elisabeth could confirm if fortune's good favor was with her that trial.

On the other hand, Balthazar had abilities she didn't, courtesy of Vri. He, most likely, would be able to glean far more information, but Elisabeth wasn't entirely sure how. Her love was also an excellent investigator, so he had that going for him too.

So much to do.

"So," she began, gently nudging Balthazar with her body. "Where do we begin? I can try to see the trial through the eyes of the lost sisters?" There were also other options available to them in the form of their ghost companions – Ira and Haeresis. The two were deceased sisters of the ones they sought, and although their insights would be helpful, Elisabeth wondered if it wasn't wise to wait until the pair had more information to go from before asking the sisters to come forward. She was sensitive to their situation and didn't wish to upset them unnecessarily.

[Balthazar Black]

107 Ashan 722

It was always only going to be a matter of time until the duo looked into the missing ghosts but Balthazar was in no specific rush on the trial they chose to begin investigating. He wanted to write to the others who had been at the party to see if they'd found anything yet, but he didn't. Instead he suggested they take a trip to the library for a few reasons. The first was that he wanted to check out some more books and the second was that he wanted Elisabeth to meet the woman who oddly had the same last name as the missing ghosts. The more he had come to know Rose, the less he thought she was actually involved in the mystery but it was still odd to him.

Elisabeth was a little more social with Rose than Balthazar wanted to be and so after the first few trills of them greeting each other, when he realized they'd be talking for at least a few bits, Balthazar went into the rows of books. He knew where certain books were located from his prior experiences in the library and fortunately he wasn't looking for anything new. The library in Scalvoris, at least the Public Library, didn't remind Balthazar of Viden as much as it did Elisabeth. He didn't tend to think about Viden much at all these trials other than to wonder how Scalvoris allied with them. The university was one thing, but did the alliance mean that Scalvoris approved of the way Viden ran certain... things.

Balthazar was reading through a book on woodworking when Elisabeth found him. He was pacing back and forth in front of the shelf he'd taken the book from and reading through it quickly. He had what he needed to start smithing in Haven but forging metal into a blade and turning wood into a good handle were two different things. Magic might act as a substitute for the items he made for himself since he could keep them from decaying indefinitely by supplying them with more ether. However it would not work for the things he made for others. Intricate designs would require more than just skill in smithing. He never thought he'd be as artistic as Robin, but he'd be damned if he couldn't produce a good and comfortable wooden handle for his weapons.

Balthazar took the book to Rose and checked it out before he and Elisabeth left for the docks. He opened the book and read some more of it as they walked. It was not all that riveting but Balthazar wasn't sure what he'd been expecting. The opening chapters of the book were just about the different types of wood. A general summary of the two types, hardwood and softwood, followed by a general summary of their properties and varieties within the type. It wasn't quite that Balthazar hadn't known wood could be different, but he didn't know how wide a variety of wood there was. He never really put as much thought into types of wood as he had into types of metal. It was interesting in a boring sort of way.

"I think my hobby is going to get expensive." Balthazar said to Elisabeth when they reached the rebuilt docks. He could see himself wanting to try lots of different things and the supplies wouldn't be free. However since they'd reached their location and he wouldn't be moving around as much, Balthazar put the book into his bag and turned his attention back to the task at hand. Elisabeth asked him where they should begin and Balthazar looked around the docks. It was a good question. Where to begin indeed. Balthazar could tell without reaching out, that if he did he would be able to feel a great deal of death had occurred here. Probably far too many for him to divide out where the LeFluers had fallen. Probably. Elisabeth had proposed looking at the trial through the eyes of one of the sisters and Balthazar crossed his arms in thought.

"If it works, it could be... unpleasant." Balthazar said to Elisabeth, hoping that she understood she was asking to potentially experience someone's death. "If you think it is best, do it. Otherwise we could probably talk to the harbor master about the collapse." Balthazar suggested, "He might know something about the sisters. Either way I'd rather not involve our guides until we know something new." He didn't want to admit that if Elisabeth peered into the past they might help narrow down the location of the girls deaths.

[Elisabeth Black]

Ashan 107, Arc 722,

They walked in silence from the library to the docks. Balthazar was reading – something he generally didn't do for long because of his mutations – so Elisabeth let him be, using the time for her mind to churn over thoughts regarding the work before them. It was essential to her that they do their due diligence and leave no stone unturned. That meant using all the tools they had at their disposal. She'd go back and search through the entire library if she had to, but first, they would take a page out of Balthazar's playbook and investigate.

Balthazar's voice broke her out of her thoughts, mentioning something about his hobby getting expensive, prompting a soft laugh from her. "There are worse things. As long as you enjoy the work, that's what matters."

They arrived at the docks and found a relatively quiet corner to discuss the next steps. She had offered to try and use the ability granted to her by the Induks, but Balthazar had a concern.

Mentioning that her visions might be unpleasant, Elisabeth smiled and kissed his cheek gently, speaking carefully. "No more unpleasant than seeing your death was, I'm sure. I will be alright. Promise."

She still had nightmares about that vision, given to her by Balthazar because he hadn't known how to tell her of his encounter with Syroa. Elisabeth was always reluctant to mention the nightmares because she knew he'd worry. Balthazar wasn't going to stop being Balthazar, and like it or not, they both got into their fair share of trouble with little to no assistance from other parties. She herself had died not once but twice, so there was little room on her part to talk, but still, she worried.

Elisabeth understood his reluctance for her to engage in unpleasantness, but he did as a marked of Vri, and she was equally up to the task of helping others get closure. That was what Raine and her family wished, after all.

"I'd like to try this first while I'm relatively fresh and rested, and then perhaps we can go talk to people?" Balthazar hadn't witnessed the first time she used the Deathforged ability, but it was likely he would want to stay with her while she did, if only to look over her while in the trance-like state.

Another thought occurred to her suddenly as she considered the names of the lost sisters again. Terra, Aer, Ignis, Hydra. Ignis….Fire. How had she missed it before? The elements! Like the sisters' names at the party, the lost sisters, their names held meaning too: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.

Quickly, she told Balthazar her thoughts on the names, curious to know what he thought. Elisabeth knew she would have to choose a sister to begin with. There was the thought that potentially all the lost sisters experienced something different, and there might be a need to attempt to see through the eyes of all of them, but one step at a time.

"Fintan…" she called softly. One of the decisions Elisabeth had made on the way to the docks her desire to ask the diri if he would be with her as she made her attempt. During her first attempt with the Baron, she had been isolated and hadn't thought to include Fintan, but as time went on and she learned more about what being a Forged meant, it only made sense that he be there with her.

The phoenix alighted onto her shoulder, dancing from one foot to the next, hopping, as he often did. "Is something exciting happening, Elisabeth? Exciting things always happen around you!" Always Elisabeth – never Elisa. Then again, Balthazar never called her 'Elisa' either, or did the settlers.

"Not exciting, exactly, Finn. I will try to connect to someone using the ability the Induks gifted me. I didn't think to have you join me the first time, so I thought I would correct that oversight by having you here with me this time - if you wish, of course. It would mean a great deal to me."

The diri, still happily dancing, bobbed his head excitedly. "Oh, exciting indeed! Yes, yes - let's do this! Shall I stay here on your shoulder?"

Elisabeth considered the question and nodded. "Hmmm…I have a better idea."

Smiling at Balthazar, she gently lowered to the dock. She tapped on her right one as she crossed her legs, gesturing for the diri to sit there.

Elisabeth closed her eyes softly and fell into a now-familiar meditative state, listening to the waves lapping against the wood and breeze dancing against long dark curls, forcing out all distractions. The young woman visualized floating through her mind, calling upon the part of her that was uniquely Forged.

Quietly, she spoke the words of what she sought, laying a hand softly upon Finn.

"Ignis LeFleur. 29 Cylus, Arc 718."

!

Message from: Peg

With her level of both Discipline and Endurance, Elisabeth is able to withstand the maelstrom that she experiences. However, it is clear that this ability can get (and is) overwhelmed and when it does, it is overwhelming. It's like she's in a torrential downpour of rain, but every raindrop is a life. It's a massive amount of information and it literally bombards her. However, she is able to "spot" just one scene as the lives of the unquiet dead tumble around her like she's in a tombola with them, and that is of Ignis LeFleur. Elisabeth is sure it's her and in the blink of an eye that she glimpses her, Elisa seems something enormous and dark above falling down towards her - maybe a beam of wood or some such - and she's sure there's something beneath the woman too, but she doesn't see what. Should Elisabeth try to use this ability again, here, she'll discover something about it - the downpour / overload gets exponentially worse.

[Balthazar Black]

107 Ashan 722

Elisabeth's notion that as long as he enjoyed the work, it shouldn't matter what his hobby cost him caused Balthazar to raise a curious eyebrow. It sounded as if she had never really lived in discomfort. There was a difference between dying, getting hurt in battle, and living in discomfort. Balthazar had been a smuggler in his younger arcs because it seemed the best way to elevate himself from the gutter. Well, that and it was the fastest way to convince Isabella to initiate him. Magic. Magic was the real path out. It was freedom to him and a chain to so many others. Then again maybe it was just the difference between their hobbies that kept her from seeing the expense. Gardening gave them things they could use around the house whereas Balthazar was better and more likely to work on weapons and armor- which they didn't quite need.

Regardless he didn't comment on it because he was still focusing on his reading so that he could tear through the pages at a decent pace. The book was just getting into the parts that Balthazar actually cared about when they'd arrived at the docks and it seemed time was running out for him to just stand and read. He understood why they included long sections about how to properly sand and treat the wood, but Balthazar was primarily concerned with the natural traits that each wood had. Like with metals, he could learn the qualities with transmutation but it helped to know what he was looking for. It seemed, however, that Balthazar was not thinking about that while he examined the list of hardwoods.

He was looking for the woods that mentioned incredible durability because he thought it meant that they would bend well, but that was only because he'd skipped the section on treating the wood to bend it for things like bows. Instead he found himself lingering on the page with a list and properties. His eyes jumped over a few dozen different varieties of wood that he didn't recognize before landing on something he had thought was a metal. Ebony is a wood? His brow furrowed and Elisabeth kissing him on the cheek distracted him for a moment. She claimed that it couldn't be any worse than what he'd shown her and Balthazar shook his head.

How could one death compare to what had happened here?

Before he could voice anything he might have said on the issue, Elisabeth mentioned the names of the four sisters and their odd link to the four elements. If he had as many children as Raine, he might have started naming them that way as well. Still, the timing of it all was a little odd to him. "Unless the four sisters somehow turned into the Induks of the island, I'm not sure what that means for our investigation. It is good to consider moving forward though." The induks were remarkably themed around the elements as well. If it was either coincidence or the serendipity of nature, it wouldn't help them. If it wasn't... he still didn't know what to make of it.

He took a step back and waited for her to use her ability. Well... he peered back into the book and began taking a few steps back and forth so that he could read more about ebony being a wood. Ebony was apparently brighter on the outside because there was a difference between certain layers of trees. The exterior most layers were softer and brighter in color. Supposedly they were the most living part of the tree. The sapwood. Eventually the wood grew harder, and in ebony's case especially, darker in the middle. The book called that the heartwood since it was at the heart of a felled tree.

It was about there that his reading stopped entirely because Elisabeth seemed to have been hurt. Fuego hadn't said anything, nor had Crow, so Balthazar knew immediately that they were not under attack. Whatever the ability had done, it seemed to have had a negative effect. Didn't they always? At least it wasn't just domain magic that hurt. Balthazar moved over to where she was sitting on the dock and he knelt down beside her. "Are you alright?"

[Elisabeth Black]

Ashan 107, Arc 722,

Balthazar and Elisabeth had differing views on the world and sometimes the many things that happened within it. They had experienced vastly different childhoods and lives, and she was acutely aware of that. Ever since meeting the mage, however, there was one thing she had always tried to offer him, more than anything else – understanding. She loved him fiercely and with everything she had, but always with the knowledge that they wouldn’t see eye to eye on everything, and that was okay. Elisabeth’s love was unconditional. It wasn’t a temporary feeling or emotion that turned on a whim. True love was work because all people were imperfect. There were challenges and sacrifices, but it was so worth the effort when one found it.

She always could tell when he didn’t quite agree with her. Sometimes Balthazar was very contrary, and other times he just stayed quiet, but his expression always gave him away. Of course, right then, he was also only half paying attention to her and reading his book, so who knew what was going on in her husband’s mind.

Balthazar shook his head at her assessment of what she was about to experience, but only going through it would show her the truth. Perhaps the lingering shock of seeing him die, something that still came to her in nightmares, waking her out of sound sleep in terror, made her believe what she did.

He wasn’t confident in her observation regarding the names of the missing sisters and a connection to the elements but agreed that it was worth not dismissing. In Investigator-Balthazar terms, that was good enough for her.

Elisabeth lowered herself to the ground and began the ritual, following the same pattern she had gone through to find the Baron. Slow, steady breaths, focusing on the name and date.

But as predicted by Balthazar, the maelstrom came for her.

It wasn’t a slow progression into the storm – that wasn’t in their nature. It hit fast and furious, threatening to consume her mind when it arrived.

Breath in, breath out. Her expression tightened, and heart raced, but she had experienced something, perhaps not entirely similar, but an experience that she could draw from – her battle with Isis.

Every life was a raindrop, and there was an entire vortex. Elisabeth only needed to find one, but it would be a needle in a haystack situation, and she wasn’t sure how long she could hold on. It threw so much information at her that her mind couldn’t keep up, but Isis had taught her to focus on one thing and drown out the rest, or at least try.

Ignis LeFleur. 29 Cylus, Arc 718

Ignis LeFleur. 29 Cylus, Arc 718

Ignis LeFleur. 29 Cylus, Arc 718

I will find you. I made a promise.

The storm pummeled her overloaded mind, forcing Elisabeth to use all her focus on finding the lost daughter. She didn’t feel her fingers digging into her legs as she struggled, or even when Balthazar noticed her distress and leaned down to see what was going on, speaking to her. Breath in, breath out.

She just needed to hold on one more bit. Ignis was there; she knew it.

And suddenly, she was! For that fraction of a second, she saw something enormous and dark above falling towards Ignis. It was hard to tell - maybe a beam of wood or something similar – and something below her, but Elisabeth didn’t have enough time with Ignis to decipher what. As quickly as the moment came, it was gone again.

Something inside Elisabeth wanted to stay within the swirling mass of unquiet dead, but her time with them was over – for now. She needed to make her way back to Balthazar, using him as a way to find her way back.
Her eyes snapped open, and Elisabeth gasped, hand finding its way to Balthazar.

After taking a few more deep cleansing breaths, her gaze found its way to his, needing a moment to calm herself before telling him what she had experienced.

“There were so many, and it was like they were all trying to tell me something. But I found her, just for a spilt-trill.” Elisabeth explained the scene as she saw it and every minor detail she could remember about it but was well aware that there might be something in her description that Balthazar would pick up on and ask her about. Had she overlooked something?

Upon trying to rise, she found herself unsteady, but she had a thought. “Perhaps we can talk to the harbor master and see if anything sounds familiar?”

Suddenly grateful she had decided to make her attempt first, while she was well-rested, Elisabeth filed away what she had learned about the experience. There was an intense desire to try again, but withstanding the storm a second time, she wasn’t quite sure what that would do to her. If she were to try again, it would have to be a different trial.

[Balthazar Black]

107 Ashan 722

Elisabeth didn't respond when Balthazar asked if she was okay and the mage's immediately thought was to do something which would force her to abandon the vision. Her nails were digging into her legs and her breathing was abnormal. Whatever she was looking for, it wasn't worth the damage it would do to her. He made that decision on his own and prepared to shock her with a small burst of electricity. Not quite a full bolt of lightning, just a little... spark. Something to shock her back into their world and out of her vision. No one had ever tried it on him, but he was curious to see if it would work and he was worried about what would happen if he didn't try.

He began to generate the sparks between his fingers, mixing fire and wind into lightning, when suddenly Elisabeth's eyes snapped open, she gasped for air and her hands reached out. Balthazar dispelled the lightning with more speed than he'd conjured it and his hand found Elisabeth's arm, helping to pull her up to her feet. He gave her the time she needed to gather her breath and calm her mind. He didn't ask questions because he knew she would tell him what he needed to know. All she needed from him for now was help standing and an ear to listen to what she'd found.

"We should have known that would happen." Balthazar said when Elisabeth mentioned the rush of the dead that had threatened to overwhelm her. Far more than their target had died that trial and far more than their target were probably still wandering Idalos. "Take your time, from here we rely on our experience, not powers." He listened carefully as she described the scene to him and various different theories came to the mind of the mage. Based on what Elisabeth had described, Ingis was probably somewhere beneath the dock when it collapsed. It didn't tell them anything about her sisters. No hint as to whether they had been together or not when it happened... only where Ingis had been.

That was fine. They could find them each, one by one. They would begin with the one who Elisabeth had chosen- Ingis. Balthazar set his book in his satchel's side pocket and crossed his arms in an effort to help dedicate his focus to the current problem they were facing. They had information, but not a lot. Certainly not much more than they'd started with. They knew roughly where she'd died and now they knew for sure that she was dead. "I think we can deduce that Ingis was beneath the docks when they collapsed, but figuring out why could be just as important as finding her." Balthazar suggested, based on what he head heard. Elisabeth reported Ingis seeing something large falling towards her but still having something beneath her feet. Sand, probably, or whatever soil was beneath the dock.

"How many people do you know who go beneath a dock for any reason other than to hide something?" Balthazar asked Elisabeth, somewhat rhetorically. He was explaining the reasoning behind his deduction. Elisabeth had suggested they visit the harbor master and Balthazar saw the sense behind it, but he couldn't help but wonder a little longer about Ingis being beneath the docks when they collapsed. He wanted to look there. He wanted to see if he could divine anything with his abilities. There were so many dead. So many killed in this one place that the stain of death was almost too much to decipher, but he could try. More importantly, if he focused on the area beneath the docks where they believed Ingis could have been, Balthazar might have been able to figure out if anyone was there with her.

"Yes. We should talk to the harbor master. I'm not sure it'll be the same as the one from the collapse but he might be able to help us narrow down locations. We can't be sure the new docks are aligned exactly like the old docks, but if we figure out exactly where the old docks are I should be able to determine how many people were with Ingis when she died- and who it was." Balthazar agreed. "Though if it overwhelms me as it did you, we should go to the Elements about it. There might be troopers who worked in the relief effort who can give us a more accurate picture of what happened."

[Elisabeth Black]

Ashan 107, Arc 722,

He was being kind, and Elisabeth knew it. Balthazar had tried to warn her about the potential backlash from using her ability in that location, but she hadn't understood. Now, she did.

Gently rubbing his arm, she gave him a weak smile. "You knew. You tried to tell me, and I was being stubborn. I'm sorry. Won't happen again. I'm fine." Of course, she wasn't okay. Balthazar would know she wasn't okay, but Elisabeth – again – leaned into her stubborn nature. There was work to be done, and she refused to be the reason they slowed down.

Balthazar reviewed what they knew and what her new information told them. There was one addition she wanted to make, though. "Hiding something, or hiding from someone or something." His point had been good, but she wasn't entirely convinced Ignis had been under the dock. Was it conceivable? Of course. Likely even, but they needed to make sure. What if there were structures on the docks and Ignis had been in one of those?

"I agree that the why is likely as important as what happened. Whatever happened might have caused the girls to seek shelter, and under the docks was the only place."

They needed information and seemed to know where they had to go to get it. "Even if the harbormaster isn't the same one from that event, there are things he might know that would help us."

Giving Balthazar a soft smile, despite her weariness, Elisabeth took a few steps towards a group of people on the docks, beckoning him to come with her.

It didn't take long to discern that they were looking for Erik Ki'Ufnaj – a biqaj name if she had ever heard one. Elisabeth didn't ask others about his tenure as harbormaster, deciding it was just best to do that with the man himself. When she brought up the dock incident, an elderly gentleman did mention that the man's wife had died in the tragedy, making Elisabeth reconsider their approach briefly.

The group pointed them in the right direction to find who they sought. As they walked, Elisabeth swiftly verbalized her thoughts to Balthazar succinctly. "We will need to be careful with him." Elisabeth thought to say more, but as a seasoned investigator, she understood that he would quickly sort out why she felt that way. The couple were similar but diverged widely in how they dealt with people. It was a strength, though, because they complimented each other's skills, each being stronger in different areas.

After stopping and asking one more group regarding the whereabouts of the harbormaster, the pair finally caught up with him as he spoke to an older sailor near the end of one of the docks.

"Erik Ki'Ufnaj?" Elisabeth asked, smiling softlyDisarming Charisma (Socialization Capstone)

Through time, patience, and working alongside others, Elisabeth has developed the ability to attract, charm, and influence the people around her in a subtle manner. Her method of gentle persuasion, coupled with an ability to connect deeply with people and make them feel comfortable, often catches individuals off guard and unaware. Some would even say the ability makes her dangerous...

Because of this ability, people are almost always willing to share just a little more with her than they would otherwise, whether it be a secret or an opportunity they might not have offered to another. Elisabeth must establish a friendly rapport with the individual first, however, through a quick conversation at least.

For pc purposes, this ability doesn't change how a pc feels about Elisabeth or how they view her for pc interactions. She can't make someone like her if they dislike her or force them to tell her anything.. "We were told you are the harbormaster?"

He regarded the pair with a curious expression and nodded. "Aye. What can I do for you?"

Elisabeth took a beat to regard him, making some quick decisions about how to approach the man. "My name is Elisabeth, and this is my husband, Balthazar." That was decision number one. Both she and Balthazar had considerable reputations, but for first impressions, she wished the man to look at them simply as a married couple. If he figured it out on his own, well, there wasn't much she could do about that.

"We were hoping you could help us track down some information regarding the dock collapse disaster? We are trying to help someone find closure and think you might be able to help."

Every word out of Elisabeth's mouth was intentional, and she knew Balthazar would riddle that out. 'Helping someone find closure' was not a lie – they were – but also, it told Erik in a subtle way that the pair weren't just looking for a story. They had come with a purpose and were willing to share that with him. It implied a level of trust, which was always good to open what Elisabeth considered a short negotiation - gathering information always was.

The harbormaster looked back and forth between the pair. He hadn't necessarily loved the mention of the collapse, but he also didn't look like it would cause disengagement – a good sign.

He did, however, wait a quick moment before replying. "I know of it. Ask your questions, and I'll help if I can." It was evident he was tense and his voice gruff, but Elisabeth attributed that to an emotional response to the subject, not an unwillingness to help. Had she sensed that, the young mage would have ended the conversation without question or hesitation.

Her soft opening also allowed Elisabeth a moment to acclimate to the gentleman's demeanor and adjust, if needed. He wasn't showing her anything that Elisabeth felt she needed to adjust to, so she continued.

"We very much appreciate that – thank you. I promise we will keep this brief." Quick reply, and hopefully brief questions. He was a biqaj, and they liked to get to the point quickly. "We are trying to recreate the last movements of the missing LeFleur daughters. We have information that they might have been under the dock when it collapsed. Is the configuration of the current dock like that of the old dock?"

OOC for Peg

Elisabeth has opened dialogue with the harbormaster regarding the dock collapse, and has asked the following question:

• Is the configuration of the new dock like that of the old dock?

FYI- Elisabeth is also beginning use of her socialization capstone with him, noted hereDisarming Charisma (Socialization Capstone)

Through time, patience, and working alongside others, Elisabeth has developed the ability to attract, charm, and influence the people around her in a subtle manner. Her method of gentle persuasion, coupled with an ability to connect deeply with people and make them feel comfortable, often catches individuals off guard and unaware. Some would even say the ability makes her dangerous...

Because of this ability, people are almost always willing to share just a little more with her than they would otherwise, whether it be a secret or an opportunity they might not have offered to another. Elisabeth must establish a friendly rapport with the individual first, however, through a quick conversation at least.

For pc purposes, this ability doesn't change how a pc feels about Elisabeth or how they view her for pc interactions. She can't make someone like her if they dislike her or force them to tell her anything.. .

[Balthazar Black]

107 Ashan 722

Balthazar saw nothing to gain by pressing the point about the danger and the backlash from using her abilities. She'd tried it. She'd felt the cost. Now they knew a little more than they had before. Whether or not it would actually contribute something to their investigation was difficult to tell but they had the information all the same. He could feel many of the emotions she had stirring inside her do the the link that they shared through his mark, but he did his best not to focus on them. It felt invasive whenever he did. He knew he did not like when she sought to interpret the emotions he did not vocalize so he gave her the courtesy of not doing the same to her. They'd endure. They always did.

Elisabeth suggested that Ingis might have not been hiding, but instead hiding from someone and Balthazar gave a small shrug. It was difficult to really tell and given they were looking for four daughters and not just one, it might not have helped their case. He could feel it now. The doubt. Every time he investigated something he became certain of one course of action- one historical narrative, and then shortly after he began to doubt even the most firm of the conclusions he had drawn. Maybe she wasn't under the docks? Maybe the vague imagery that Elisabeth had seen was simply the product of the ability trying to make her trial more difficult.

"We have the benefit of hindsight. They did not. We should find out more from people who were there during the collapse. At the very least, it should help us get into their mindset when it happened." Being able to empathize with the victims of a crime was a powerful tool. Being able to empathize with the criminals was even more powerful. To have the power to put yourself into the shoes of anyone was the ability to see a situation from every possible angle. However before any of that they needed to speak to the harbormaster. He would know the most about what had happened... hopefully. Balthazar wasn't certain he agreed that the girls were seeking shelter but they'd find out. If they were looking for shelter, beneath the docks didn't seem the best place to go.

Elisabeth took the lead of the investigation quickly, which Balthazar felt a little strange about. He knew she liked mysteries and puzzles but as soon as you burned a witness with the wrong interaction it was difficult to get them to cooperate again. Balthazar could lean on his social graces and when that failed he could intimidate, but he wasn't sure how Elisabeth would fair. She was very familiar with a select group of people given her time on Faldrass compared to the rest of the islands. She knew, almost without fail, how to maneuver those people. The rest of the islands were different. Had they been in Egilrun they would have had little chance to discover anything. Regardless, jumping in front of her now that she'd established herself as the lead wouldn't do anything but make them seem disorganized and that was not an image they wanted to present.

Discovering that the harbormaster's wife had died in the collapse gave Elisabeth pause where Balthazar saw opportunity. Vri had blessed the mage with many gifts and one of those such gifts could be used to help the man bear the weight of his loss. Balthazar could give him respite from his sorrow. Not forever, but at least for a trial. One trial without feeling the heartbreak should have been invaluable to anyone. Elisabeth suggested that they needed to be careful with him and Balthazar shook his head slightly. "Not necessarily. His sorrow could make him receptive to others going through the same things. He lost his wife. LeFluer lost four of her daughters. If we overstep, I can help him in a way most others can't." Balthazar pointed out knowing that he and Elisabeth often viewed emotions differently. He didn't particularly mind forcing the man to relive the worst trial of his life. Elisabeth probably wanted to avoid it as much as possible.

Before long, Elisabeth had lead them to the harbormaster himself and Balthazar stood quietly behind her while she went through the normal introductions. He could hear in her voice that she enjoyed referring to him as her husband but he didn't let his mind wander to that. He focused on the conversation, using his investigative skills to weed out whatever he could from the man's reactions and words. He listened for signs of lying, watched for small shifts in composure and body language, and kept an eye on the world around them incase something suddenly changed or revealed itself to aid them.

He could tell that Elisabeth was trying to be vague with her word choice to Erik. It wasn't how he'd have approached but until it failed, Balthazar wouldn't interject himself. If she succeeded with her method, she'd feel better about herself and her work than if Balthazar stepped in. Plus, it was harder to blame him for bunging it up if he didn't interject or say anything. However when Elisabeth only asked about the configuration of the docks, Balthazar added something. A question that he thought might help them get into the mindset of the lost. "Apart from just that, was there any reason to think the docks were unstable in the trials leading up to the collapse? Reports I've seen have been mixed. What exactly caused it?"

[Elisabeth Black]

Ashan 107, Arc 722,

Elisabeth’s approach was cautious but necessary, in her opinion. The reception they had received from the harbormaster invited further questions and assistance, and that was the best-case scenario. The young mage smiled, relieved that her more conservative opening had yielded an opportunity for her and Balthazar.

Balthazar had let her do what she wished, but there hadn’t been much time to fill him in on what that would be. Truthfully, she hadn’t known until meeting the harbormaster what type of situation they would encounter or what adjustments to their introduction she would need to make.

What she did know, however, was that her husband was the seasoned investigator. Doing what she did allowed time for Balthazar to observe and consider the information coming to them instead of being focused on Erik. It allowed both to use their best skills more efficiently – at least in her opinion.

Now that it had been accomplished – the door opened – Elisabeth waited to see what would come of it. As the moments passed, Erik seemed to open more to them, perhaps realizing their true intent to help.

Disengaging from what he had been doing, he invited the pair to follow him to his office.“The new docks are not in the same location. That’s because the Garden of Remembrance is there now. But I can show you both maps and diagrams of the old docks. If you know what you are looking for, they might help. Follow me…”

As they did, the biqaj continued. “We needed to rebuild the docks quickly for commerce purposes, so it was determined that the best way to do that would be to build them in an adjacent location since cleaning up the debris left would take a longer period of time. Once that was complete, the Garden was built.”

The logistical sense of the situation made sense to Elisabeth, so she had no further questions there. Regardless, the man addressed Balthazar’s question, turning his head to give the mage a puzzled look. “Everyone knows what happened. There’s no conflicting information about it. Perhaps you’d better tell me what you’ve heard, and I’ll fill in the blanks.”

Offering a hand to Elisabeth as they crossed a minor breach in the dock, the office lay not far beyond that, nestled in the heart of the dock area. Erik, opening the door and holding it for both until they were all inside, offered up something new. “The name ‘LeFleur’ is familiar. That makes me think I saw those names on the list of victims, but beyond that, I don’t know anything else about them.” While disappointing, Elisabeth wasn’t surprised. The victims were many, and while the Blacks – wow, first time she had ever considered them ‘The Blacks’ – were looking for particular people, they weren’t the only losses. A needle in a haystack came to mind, but Elisabeth stayed mindful that their pursuit of helping the LeFleurs was part of something much bigger.

Striding up to a series of cubbies at the back of the office, the biqaj pulled out a thick roll of parchment, bringing it to a long table at the side of the room. Unrolling it, he secured the corners, showing the pair a standard set of schematics – docks, buildings, and warehouses. Elisabeth knew nothing about diagrams like the one he was showing them, but there seemed to be nothing off or peculiar about the layout that she could ascertain immediately. Patterns in the way the docks were arranged. Places the girls could have been hiding. She had to find something.

"Erik," she began softly. "the four we seek information on, it seems they might have been hiding when the docks started to collapse. The very brief vision I saw showed me a scene where one of the girls had something under her, but something else was falling down towards her. Perhaps a beam of wood or something. I can tell by looking at this layout that the possibilities for hiding places are countless, but knowing what you know, having been familiar with the docks and that trial, can you think of anything that might point us in the right direction? It's possible all the girls were together - thirteen of them. Only nine bodies were recovered. Do you remember seeing a large group of girls earlier in the day or before things started happening?"

Elisabeth needed something. Anything. A small sliver of information. Once she had that, it would be time to talk to Ira LeFleur.

Note to Peg

*Elisabeth is combing over the layout and plans for the old docks. She has the following applicable skills:

• GM Logistics
• Master Detection
• Competent Engineering
  
  Does she find anything useful?
  
  *Elisabeth has asked Erik the following question:
  "Erik," she began softly. "the four we seek information on, it seems they might have been hiding when the docks started to collapse. The very brief vision I saw showed me a scene where one of the girls had something under her, but something else was falling down towards her. Perhaps a beam of wood or something. I can tell by looking at this layout that the possibilities for hiding places are countless, but knowing what you know, having been familiar with the docks and that trial, can you think of anything that might point us in the right direction? It's possible all the girls were together - thirteen of them. Only nine bodies were recovered. Do you remember seeing a large group of girls earlier in the day or before things started happening?"
  
  Does he remember anything that can help?
  
  Thank you for your time!

!

Message from: Peg

1. Does she find anything useful? I'm not 100% clear on what you're defining as "useful" - but no, things are above board, etc. There are lots of places where they women could have hidden - the place was lots of buildings built in a small (relatively) area. 2. Does he remember anything that can help? He'll explain again that it was a festival / party there that night. That there were people everywhere. So there were groups of people everywhere. Ships had come in, there was a party - there were drinks and stalls, etc. Then, there was a strange yellow mist and people passed out. There was confusion, then it became apparent that a lot of the women - almost all of them - had disappeared / been taken. A few moments later, there was a loud explosion and, the docks collapsed. Basically - he'll be able to recount the events of the docks collapsing (you've got the threads linked) although he won't be able to tell you what went on inside, only the outside stuff. He knows that there was an explosion, doesn't know why - knows that the women were snatched, doesn't know why.

[Balthazar Black]

107 Ashan 722

Balthazar lingered behind Elisabeth as she continued to question Erik and he put his focus into determining if the man was lying or telling the truth- a skill he had picked up some time ago while working as a detective. Erik seemed genuine. Very genuine. There was little reason to believe he was lying and even less reason for Erik to lie unless he was hiding something- but it seemed he had nothing to hide. Erik offered to and then took the duo to his office where he was willing to show them old diagrams of the docks which had collapsed. Balthazar followed Elisabeth and continued to let her take the lead. Elisabeth might have considered herself the better socialite, and Balthazar couldn't argue with that description, but he had his own way with the words he chose to use... not that it would help here. He tended to do better at prying information from people than he did at talking normally with people when he was investigating.

Erik quickly countered what Balthazar said about conflicting reports and the mage's eyes narrowed. Everyone was never really everyone. Even then, it was highly unlikely that everyone knew the true story and the truth about the strange almost-cult of Defiers who had been involved. Balthazar didn't. Balthazar would have to correct some of his sources all the same. He had to remind them that he did not ask for information out of amusement. Particularly Callipo, but perhaps it was a mistake to take the polarizing paper writer's word at face value. He could easily have been spouting off rumors someone from Rharne or the Empire told him. Regardless, Balthazar disliked how Erik treated the event as public knowledge when it was probably only really known to those who'd been affected by it, and even then there was probably more to it than people knew. He didn't like when Erik offered a hand to help Elisabeth across a small breach in the dock either but he was less concerned about that then the potential that his information network was letting him down. "I know that daughters disappeared and their mother's ghost wants them found. I know that more than just the docks collapsed. I know it was not natural, but the level of damage was something... organized. I'd still prefer to know what you do. I was in Yaralon when it happened so I ask again, what exactly caused it?" He said a little sternly as they walked into the office.

"How did you rebuild the docks so quickly? Where did the resources, wood and workers, come from? A personal curiosity." Balthazar asked Erik while glancing at Elisabeth from the corner of his eye. He was hoping she took note of Erik's answer because it could have helped her figure out how to get Haven a dock. The settlement could expand more easily if they had a place for ships to go. It was also one of the only ways they'd be able to get involved in commerce unless Balthazar managed to link it to the mainland with blood magic portals. Then again, it would probably be easier to link it to Hopetoun than the mainland. Distance was difficult but it was not impossible for Balthazar to cross from Faldrass to Almund via a portal... just limited. He only had about one of those in him and it was more like a powerful blink than a sustained gateway.

Regardless of the answer, Balthazar moved on to address what Erik had said about the names on the list of casualties. It wasn't the most useful information since it could have been figured out by visiting the garden itself but it was better than nothing. He could figure out where they fell and the manner of their death at the garden if it really sat where the old docks had been but he risked being overwhelmed as Elisabeth had, or finding nothing at all if the change in scenery would impact his abilities. Elisabeth made her inquiry to Erik while Balthazar examined the schematics that had been set out for them to look at. Unlike her, he'd be able to recall every detail so he made a point of looking closely. It would be beneficial for them to know exactly where each part of it had been. "Do you have a layout of the garden that replaced it? For comparison."

!

Message from: Peg

I've put in answers to your questions - please insert / assume them in your next posts Hope that helps! "I know that daughters disappeared and their mother's ghost wants them found. I know that more than just the docks collapsed. I know it was not natural, but the level of damage was something... organized. I'd still prefer to know what you do. I was in Yaralon when it happened so I ask again, what exactly caused it?" "I understand what you're asking, and I want you to understand that I am not dodging the question," he said with a small frown of irritation. "I was not here at the precise moment, and I was not inside. The women who were, they're the only ones who know really. The level of damage was immense - the people who had been masquerading as the Elements, the ones working with the Logging Consortium, they were behind it but I don't know exactly what they were doing. Some of them were Elements, they'd infiltrated and were working to undermine the Council and the Elements from within. I believe that they caused it, but I don't know how. Maybe it was part of the plan all along, from them. Maybe it was the women fighting back, I'm told that they put up an excellent fight. Maybe it was the men who went in to try and get the women out." He shrugged slightly. "I'm not keeping secrets or being coy. It's not known to me." Thinking more on it, he added, "I can give you names of some of the people there. Women who were seized were the Alberach, Vega, Sephira and Maxine. Those are the most famous ones. Men who went in were Tio and Arlo, that I recall. Arlo was back and forth getting people who were trapped, he rescued a baby, too. You might speak to any of them, they'll be able to tell you what happened inside, I guess. More than I can, anyhow." "How did you rebuild the docks so quickly? Where did the resources, wood and workers, come from? A personal curiosity." At that, he smiled slightly. "It was the early hours of the following morning - maybe two hours after the collapse itself that there was a knock on my office door. " He had a clear answer on this, he knew it. "And there stood Faith Augustin. She told me that she was going to need my office, my staff and every resource we had. She oversaw the relief effort and the rebuilding. It was..." he paused and gave a slight shrug. "She got the art class from the University to come and do portraits of the dead bodies. We had a warehouse full of unidentified bodies you see, and she was determined that there wouldn't be a trail of people walking through staring at them, trying to find their loved ones. So, she got artists to draw them, put the portraits on a board with numbers, and then got some of the more elderly volunteers to work with the people who recognised a portrait. She had the university engineers here, people from Rharne, from Viden. Whatever resources were needed, she ... well, honestly, she harangued people until we got them." He shrugged again. "The only thing I think she didn't do was sleep." "Do you have a layout of the garden that replaced it? For comparison." Yes, there is one. He'll give it to you.