The clerk has barely pressed the wax flat when hurried footsteps strike the tollhouse passage. The door opens, and a breathless courier enters beneath the guards’ raised hands.
Brother Konrad? I bear an Imperial summons from Bamberg. The appointed authority requires your presence, and the evidence, without delay.
He presents a folded document bearing Bamberg’s Imperial seal. Rain darkens his sleeves, and his fingers tremble from the road, though he keeps the parchment extended.
Brother Konrad
Set it upon the table. No hand touches our record until its authority and purpose have been entered before witnesses.
The clerk receives the summons and reads it aloud. Its final passage warns that Bishop Eisenfaust’s men contest the record’s validity and demand its examination.
Sir Eleutherius
A summons may be lawful, yet timed for another man’s advantage. We should learn who waits in Bamberg before we surrender the evidence.
Brother Konrad
We will go, but not unguarded and not unrecorded. Clerk, preserve this summons. Chaplain, the choice of our next step now concerns the whole case.
✓ Quest Accepted
Establish the summons' lawful authority
✓ Quest Accepted
Present the evidence before the appointed authority in Bamberg
“"One moment, please. May I see the summons?"”
SUCCESS (Superb Reasoning, rolled +0)
Frieda
One moment, please. May I see the summons?
Brother Konrad
Courier, place it in the chaplain’s hands. Let its seal and wording be examined before any answer is given.
The courier bows and passes the folded parchment to Frieda. Its wax bears Bamberg’s Imperial device, unbroken except for the impression made by the seal itself.
Frieda
The summons is genuine, but its wording makes the evidence part of the demand.
Frieda opens the parchment beneath the guards’ watch. The clerk leans close enough to compare the script, while rain ticks against the tollhouse shutters.
Brother Konrad
Read the authority, the destination, and the stated purpose aloud. We will have every term preserved in the record.
The summons names Bamberg, commands Brother Konrad’s appearance, and requires the ledger and associated exhibits for examination. Frieda now holds its full contents before the assembled witnesses.
+ New Item Acquired
Imperial summons
“"It appears to be genuine and requires us to bring the evidence to the imperial court in Bamberg. We should take every precaution to ensure that it gets there. Bishop Eisenfaust is outside his jurisdiction, but he has a long arm."”
SUCCESS (Superb Reasoning, rolled +1)
Frieda
The summons is genuine, and it requires us to bring the evidence to the Imperial court in Bamberg. We must take every precaution.
Frieda lays the summons beside the ledger and its associated exhibits. She keeps the documents in view while the clerk records their order, seals, and condition.
Brother Konrad
Agreed. Bishop Eisenfaust stands beyond his jurisdiction, but his reach is long. We travel openly under the Imperial summons, and guarded beneath its authority.
The clerk prepares a written inventory, naming the ledger, ribbon, priest’s papers, corrected testimony, and spoiled sheet. Brother Konrad witnesses each entry before the packet is wrapped.
Sir Eleutherius
Then no single hand carries the whole burden. I will ride with the evidence, and our witnesses will remain under protection until Bamberg receives them.
Konrad seals the packet with the Inquisitorial mark and orders copies of the summons and inventory made for the record. Elias checks the roadward shutters and returns with a clear route.
Brother Konrad
We depart under seal, with witnesses, copies, and a written account of every hand that receives this evidence. Bamberg shall find us prepared.
Quest Complete
Establish the summons' lawful authority
Attribute Upgrade: Reasoning Superb→Legendary