Councilwoman Edna Blackheart deposed!

[lonnarin]

Here ye, here ye!  

By order of his excellence Head Councilman Mattias Grue and confirmed unanimously by all members of the City Council of Mariner's Hold, Lady Edna Blackwater (or rather, Alice Straum!) has hereby been placed under arrest, stripped of all her lands and titles and is serving life without possibility of parole in the city dungeons.  Internal investigations are underway to find any link to the Lady's finances and members of the city guard, suspect for dereliction of duty and bribery.  It is unfortunate that Barrister Herschel will not face trial, though his end was just and fitting.

The bugbear drummer Torgo is awarded the Mariner's Star for bravery and heroism, saving a child from a blast of fire felt in the council's chambers.  He and his band the Wayward Wildside Trio are permitted passage to and from the Silver Buckle Inn under protection of the guard for the duration of their stay. They are to be under the watchful eye of the guard at all times for their own protection and to maintain order within the city.  

Any who have knowledge of a hooded courier cloaked in black and purple robes seen leaving the council chambers at the time of the hearing are urged to come forward with any and all pertinent information.  This goes doubly so for those with evidence of bribery and corruption within the city guard and involving all activities of the bandits in the outskirts of town.  They are involved in a conspiracy to commit murder, assassination and high reason.  Any harboring of these criminals will not be tolerated by the lawful powers of this fine city. Lenience and mercy under the law will be granted to those cooperative with our investigations.  Already one such bandit has reduced her charges down to conspiracy and theft, to serve a sentence of no more than 5 years. Normally banditry is punishable by death, so know that the mercy of the courts is exemplary for those who would change their spots for the greater good.

Furthermore, three buffoons are to be held in the stocks indefinitely outside the Silverbuckle Inn.  Let their punishment serve as an example to those who would be responsible for vandalism, public mischief and contempt of the courts.  By order of the council, neither the tavern nor its occupants of performers be harrassed in any way by the people of this City.

-Head Councilman, Mattias Grue

*extra guards are stationed around the establishment, these ones seeming to be new hires.  Periodically, many former members of the guard are arrested on charges of conspiracy and high treason and removed from their posts to serve their sentences.  And so the investigations continue...*

[lonnarin]

*elsewhere, a meeting is held in a warehouse nearby.  A black and purple robed courier arrives, whispering into the ear of a small bald gnome at the head of a table, dressed with great luxuries and with fine ham and libation served.*

"Ah, well that's a relief at least.  Dead men leave no testimony.  Too bad that fool Grue wasn't consumed in the blast radius."  *the gnome puffs of a cigar and informs the waiter that one less place at the table needs to be set that evening.  Suddenly with a bang the front door opens and shuts, slamming hard.  The assembled persons at the table startle a bit, and a large orc-blooded man standing by the gnome draws his greataxe, leering at the newcomer*

"ah, settle Bork.  We do not kill family, do we?"  *the gnome puffs a few circles from his cigar, looking to the hulking youth who shakes with fury.  Pointing to the man and to an empty chair, he graceously invites him to sit with the rest assembled.  Extinguishing his cigar in the wineglass of the newly emptied spot at the table, he reaches over and pulls down a card that reads "Herschel" flipping it over like a chesspiece that has been defeated.*  "Oh Herschel, you will be missed.  So many bribes, so much lost evidence.  Ah, the aquittals.  But then you tried to talk, didn't you?  Bad move, Barrister..." *he then turns back to the young man*

"Please, sit child.  Room at the table has just opened up.  We should discuss the matter of your mother, Lady Straum, I believe they are calling her now?  I do think we'll have need of your skills to make things right."

*the young man shoves Bork out of his way and takes his seat at the table, smashing it with his fist, causing a splintering crack to spread down past several places. He looks down to his clenched fist with fury, squeezing it as blood begins to pour from the splinters stuck in his hand.  And just when the whole table thinks to intervene to save the gnome, the young man sulks and looks down... sullen."

"All of my family's accounts, frozen.  All our lands, taken.  An outcast in my own city..." the young man sobs, then looks up to the gnome resolutely. "Andrew William Reid... all that he knows and loves... must die!"

*the assembled group of nobles and thugs toast to that, each of their hands that hold a goblet bear a ring of a strange boar sigil.  The greataxe weilding orcblood nods, somewhat relieved and watches over his boss at this secret meeting.*

//A little foreshadowing for the next session

[Nehetsrev]

*Jetta gets busy with some actions of her own...*
 
//OOC - PM(s) sent.

[Anamnesis]

Elohanna makes an inquiry of the Head Councilmen personally as she helps tend to his wounds from the attack during the trial of Council Arelius.

//PM sent

[RollinsCat]

Andrew spends some of his recuperation time researching Alice Straum and all information he can obtain of her.

//pm sent

[lonnarin]

//pms sent, most likely going to hold the next session of this series sometime in the middle of next week, Wed, Feb the 29th.  Seems fitting to do it on a leap day.