On the archive landing, the soldiers sag under the Imperial signet. The Inquisitor tightens his grip on the ledger and motions toward the stair. Frieda has the witnesses, the names, and the seal, but not yet the final record.
Magistrate Hauer
If the account is not fixed now, they will call it doubtful later. Bring me the witness words, chaplain.
The Clerk flinches at the command and lowers his eyes to the page. Sir Eleutherius does not move, holding the landing like a locked gate while the Bishop's men hesitate at the edge of his reach.
Frieda
The witness statements first. Then we leave with the record.
The Clerk
I can write them cleanly, my lord, if... if no one snatches the book from me.
A soldier above the stair calls down that more men are coming from the yard. The landing narrows into a trap, and everyone sees it at once, if the statements are not sealed here, the Bishop's side may yet seize the story before it reaches judgment.
✓ Quest Accepted
Finalize the witness statements
“Draw my weapon to guard the clerk while he writes the record.”
SUCCESS (Fair Melee Weapons, rolled +1)
Frieda snaps her blade free and turns it edge-out beside the clerk, a living guardrail against the stair. The torchlight catches on steel and ink both.
Frieda
The page needs room, not mercy.
The Clerk
Good, keep them back... I can write if no one crowds me.
Sir Eleutherius shifts one step wider, sealing the landing with his body. Above them, the Bishop's man lowers his spear a fraction, watching for any crack in the line.
The Bishop's Man
They are still writing? Then this is not finished.
The clerk bends over the ledger and moves at once, quill scratching fast. Frieda keeps the blade steady while the younger monk's lantern glow trembles on the page and the barred stair behind them.
Magistrate Hauer
Write the witness words cleanly. Every name, every oath, nothing lost.
Ink pools, dries, and takes shape under the clerk's hand. The landing holds, tense but unbroken, while the record gathers the witnesses into law.
“I keep guarding the clerk while he writes”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled -1)
Frieda keeps her blade between the clerk and the stair, shoulders squared against the draft that crawls up from below. The quill does not stop.
The Clerk
Do not look up. Do not give them a reason.
Magistrate Hauer slides one parchment flat with two fingers, pinning it against a stone lip so it cannot curl in the damp. His jaw stays hard, but his hand no longer trembles.
Magistrate Hauer
Keep writing. If they come, they will find a full record.
Above, the Bishop's man shifts his footing at the stair top. The spear tip dips, then steadies again, as if patience itself has become a weapon.
The Bishop's Man
You are making this worse for yourselves.
Frieda does not move. The clerk fills another line, then another, and the ink at last reaches the witness names without interruption. The lantern flame wavers once, then settles.
Hauer presses his seal beside the final entry. The ledger is closed, held, and ready, while the stair above remains under watch and the corridor beyond grows louder with approaching steps.
Quest Complete
Finalize the witness statements
Skill Upgrade: Melee Weapons Fair→Good