The Imperial officer directs Elias and the Witness to separate rooms with individual recorders. Sir Eleutherius remains with Frieda in the quieter chapter house, while Brother Konrad stays beside the sealed packet.
Imperial Officer
Chaplain, clarify the knight’s role. Was Sir Eleutherius an appointed escort, a witness, or an interested party in this investigation?
Through the open doorway, Elias is led toward the scriptorium and the Witness toward a smaller chamber. Armed guards remain outside each door, preserving the separation.
Sir Eleutherius
I was not appointed by Bamberg. I encountered the chaplain amid the obstruction, and chose to stand between her and those who sought the packet.
Sir Eleutherius
Powerful men shaped the road beneath my horse, though not the reason I stayed beside the helpless.
Sir Eleutherius
My obligations have carried me near men of influence, and some may have expected my obedience. Yet my protection of these witnesses was genuine, whatever Eisenfaust’s faction intended.
The officer studies him over steepled fingers. One recorder pauses, then writes more slowly, while the chapter house settles into the weight of the knight’s admission.
✓ Quest Accepted
Identify the powerful men behind Sir Eleutherius's obligations
“"From my own knowledge, I can only say that when Bishop Eisenfaust's men waylayed me in Schweinfurt, Sir Eleutherius came to my assistance, as a good, Christian knight should, and he has since stood loyally on the side of justice, despite much danger to himself. As to his other employment, he should tell you himself."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Oratory, rolled -2)
Frieda
From my own knowledge, I can say only that when Bishop Eisenfaust’s men waylaid me in Schweinfurt, Sir Eleutherius came to my assistance as a good Christian knight should. Since then, he has stood loyally for justice despite great danger to himself. As to his other employment, he should speak for himself.
The recorder’s pen scratches rapidly across the page. Frieda’s statement enters the record as testimony of assistance and loyalty, while her refusal to speculate is noted beside it.
Imperial Officer
Your distinction is properly drawn, Chaplain. You testify to what you witnessed, and leave the knight’s other obligations for his own account.
A gust pushes rain through the open cloister arch. Ink spatters the recorder’s margin, and he blots it carefully before copying Frieda’s testimony onto a clean sheet.
Sir Eleutherius
That is fairly spoken. I aided her at Schweinfurt, and I remained beside her because justice required it. My other employment involves obligations I shall state without concealment.
The officer nods and orders the clean copy attached to the case file. Frieda’s testimony stands accepted, though the spoiled page must be recopied and added to the record.
Imperial Officer
Record the chaplain’s testimony as firsthand and limited. Sir Eleutherius, you may now declare the employment and loyalties relevant to this case.
“She studies the copy to ensure its accuracy.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Perception, rolled +1)
Frieda takes the clean copy and compares it line by line with the testimony she gave. She checks names, places, seals, and each limitation of her knowledge.
Frieda
The wording preserves what I witnessed and does not claim what I cannot know.
Her finger pauses over the account of Schweinfurt, then moves to the notation describing Sir Eleutherius’s assistance. Nothing has been enlarged or softened.
Imperial Officer
Do you find the copy faithful, Chaplain? Any correction you require will be entered before the sheet is attached.
Frieda indicates the accurate passages and the preserved distinction between firsthand testimony and the knight’s own declaration. The recorder makes a final clean notation in the margin.
Sir Eleutherius
Then the record will bear her words as she gave them. That is more protection than any flattering account could offer.
Imperial Officer
So entered. The copy is certified against the testimony, and the case file may proceed without alteration.
“She waits patiently.”
Frieda waits beside the chapter-house table, hands still, while the recorder finishes comparing the clean copy against the testimony. Rain whispers beyond the cloister.
Frieda
The copy preserves the limits of my knowledge.
The Imperial officer allows the silence to settle. No one hurries her, and no hand reaches toward the sealed packet or the documents laid before it.
Imperial Officer
Your patience is noted, Chaplain. The record is stronger for being examined without haste.
Across the table, the recorder sands the fresh ink and folds the certified sheet into the case file. Sir Eleutherius remains quietly at Frieda’s side.
Sir Eleutherius
There is wisdom in letting truth stand plainly. It needs no embellishment while honest hands preserve it.
Imperial Officer
The copy is accepted. When the separate testimonies are complete, this court will open the packet under seal and proceed.
“She waits patiently.”
The chapter house settles into a patient hush. Frieda waits beside the table as rain threads down the cloister stones and the recorders continue their careful work.
Beyond the open doorway, the separate rooms remain guarded. Elias and the Witness give their accounts apart from one another, preserving the court’s order.
Imperial Officer
The witnesses are proceeding without interruption. Your patience assists the record, Chaplain.
Sir Eleutherius shifts his weight but does not speak. Brother Konrad keeps one hand near the sealed packet, watching each recorder’s page as it fills.
Sir Eleutherius
A guarded truth is still truth, provided honest hands keep watch over it.
At last, a recorder emerges from the scriptorium with a completed deposition. He bows to the officer and places the pages face down beside the certified copy.
Imperial Officer
Elias’s testimony is complete. The second witness will follow, and then the packet may be opened under seal.
“She waits patiently.”
Frieda remains beside the chapter-house table, patient and still. Rain continues along the cloister stones while the recorders finish their work behind guarded doors.
Frieda
The court is preserving each testimony separately.
The Imperial officer reviews the completed pages without haste. Brother Konrad keeps watch over the sealed packet, and Sir Eleutherius stands quietly near Frieda.
Imperial Officer
Your patience is properly recorded, Chaplain. Elias’s deposition is complete, and the second witness continues without interruption.
Minutes pass beneath the muted bells. No seal is disturbed, no question is pressed, and the separate rooms remain guarded according to the court’s order.
Sir Eleutherius
You have chosen well. A quiet witness may serve truth better than a hurried one.
At length, another recorder appears with the second deposition held carefully in both hands. The officer gestures toward the table, preparing the next formal entry.
“She waits patiently.”
Frieda waits beside the chapter-house table, composed and attentive. Rain threads down the cloister stones, and the second recorder approaches without haste.
Imperial Officer
Place the deposition beside Elias’s account. Keep both pages separate until their contents have been entered and compared.
The recorder lays the pages face down before the officer. Their edges remain dry, and the first deposition is not disturbed while the new testimony is prepared.
Brother Konrad
The order has been maintained. No witness has heard another’s account, and the packet remains sealed before this court.
The officer examines the seals, names, and signatures, then directs both recorders to read their entries aloud for the assembled witnesses and guards.
Sir Eleutherius
She has given the court time to do its work. Let the record stand by its own careful weight.
Frieda remains still as the pages are entered into the case file. At last, the officer reaches toward the sealed packet, with every witness and document accounted for.
“She waits patiently.”
Frieda waits beside the chapter-house table, composed and attentive. Rain threads down the cloister stones while the recorders finish reading each deposition into the official record.
Imperial Officer
The testimonies are entered separately and compared without contradiction. Their distinctions shall remain visible in the case file.
The officer checks each signature against the witnesses’ names, then marks the pages with the court’s sign. Neither deposition is folded or joined to the other.
Brother Konrad
The witnesses have been heard without contamination. The record now permits examination of the evidence under seal.
At last, the Imperial officer breaks the outer wax before the assembled guards and recorders. Brother Konrad presents the packet, and its contents are unfolded in their recorded order.
Imperial Officer
Let the ledger, ribbon, priest’s papers, corrected testimony, and spoiled sheet be identified aloud before comparison begins.
The clerk names each exhibit. Frieda remains attentive beside the table as every document is laid in view, preserving the careful chain that brought the truth to Bamberg.
“She waits patiently.”
Frieda waits beside the chapter-house table, composed and attentive, while the exhibits lie in their recorded order. Rain murmurs against the cloister stones.
Imperial Officer
The ledger is identified by its seal and prior inventory. Let the ribbon, priest’s papers, corrected testimony, and spoiled sheet follow.
The clerk names each item and compares its marks against the inventory. No page is removed from view, and every seal is noted before examination.
Brother Konrad
The chain remains whole. These exhibits were sealed at Karlsgraben, guarded on the road, and opened here before witnesses.
The officer studies the ledger beside the corrected testimony, then places the spoiled sheet beside it without disturbing either deposition. The recorders write steadily.
Imperial Officer
The documents correspond with the recorded inventory. Their condition is entered, and comparison may proceed under the court’s authority.
Frieda continues to wait as the officials examine the evidence. Nothing is hurried, concealed, or altered, and the case advances beneath the Imperial seal.
“She waits patiently.”
Frieda waits beside the chapter-house table, composed and attentive, while the Imperial recorders compare the ledger’s entries with the corrected testimony. Rain murmurs steadily beyond the cloister.
Imperial Officer
The entries correspond. Record the original wording beside the correction, and preserve the spoiled sheet as linked evidence.
The clerk copies each line without haste. The ribbon and priest’s papers remain visible beside the ledger, their marks entered into the inventory as the comparison continues.
Brother Konrad
Nothing is to be discarded. Even the damaged page bears witness to how this record was altered and restored.
Frieda
The seals remain unbroken since the court opened them.
Frieda keeps her hands still and her attention upon the documents. The recorders finish their notes, then arrange the exhibits again in their original order.
Imperial Officer
The examination is entered. Chaplain, your patience has preserved a clear record, and the court will now proceed to its formal findings.
“She waits patiently.”
Frieda waits beside the chapter-house table, composed and attentive. Rain continues its quiet tapping beyond the cloister while the officials complete their examination.
The recorders compare the ledger, corrected testimony, spoiled sheet, ribbon, and priest’s papers against the inventory, returning each exhibit to its marked place.
Brother Konrad
The evidence remains intact, and its history is plainly recorded. No alteration can be alleged without contradicting the court’s own entries.
Frieda keeps her hands still and her gaze upon the documents. Her patience leaves the officials no opening to hurry, misstate, or overlook a detail.
Imperial Officer
The comparison is complete. The exhibits correspond with the certified inventory, and the damaged page is preserved as linked evidence.
The recorder sands the final lines and closes the case file. Brother Konrad watches the packet, while the officer prepares the formal findings beneath Bamberg’s authority.
Imperial Officer
Let the record show that the chaplain’s patience assisted this examination. The court will now state its findings.
“She waits patiently.”
Frieda waits without moving from the chapter-house table. Rain taps the cloister, and the officials’ quiet preparations continue beneath the steady bells.
Imperial Officer
Let the findings be entered plainly. The exhibits are authentic, the chain of custody is continuous, and the damaged page remains part of the evidence.
The recorder writes each conclusion beneath the Bamberg heading, then reads the lines back while Brother Konrad checks the seals and inventory marks.
Brother Konrad
The record is sound. No witness has been silenced, no document displaced, and no hand has altered what the court received.
The officer presses the Imperial sign into warm wax on the findings. The mark sets beside the prior entries, binding the examination to the court’s authority.
Imperial Officer
Chaplain Frieda, your testimony and the preserved exhibits will accompany these findings. The case now proceeds under Imperial protection.
Frieda
The findings are sealed beside the evidence, and the record remains complete.
“She waits patiently.”
Frieda remains beside the chapter-house table, patient and still. Rain whispers along the cloister stones as the newly sealed findings cool beneath the Imperial sign.
Frieda
The findings are sealed beside the evidence, and the record remains complete.
Imperial Officer
The court has entered its findings and sealed the record. Nothing further is required of you at this hour.
The recorder closes the case file and ties it with measured care. Brother Konrad checks the packet once more, then leaves every document within the court’s guarded custody.
Brother Konrad
You have waited without haste, Chaplain. That discipline has served the truth as surely as any argument.
Sir Eleutherius inclines his head beside Frieda, while the officials gather their copies. Beyond the open arch, the rain eases to a fine silver mist.
Imperial Officer
Rest while you may. The sealed findings now travel under Imperial protection, and no local authority may lawfully displace them.
“She waits for someone to show her where she is to stay.”
Frieda remains beside the chapter-house table, waiting without pressing the officials. The last copies are gathered, and the mist-softened light fades across the cloister.
Brother Konrad
You have earned rest, Chaplain. I will see that suitable quarters are assigned before the court’s doors close for the evening.
Brother Konrad steps into the cloister and signals a passing church official. The official bows, then gestures toward a covered passage leading away from the chapter house.
Imperial Officer
The guest chamber in the western range is prepared for you. It is plain, guarded, and near enough that the court may summon you if needed.
Sir Eleutherius gathers Frieda’s travel cloak while the official leads them beneath the stone arcade. Rainwater drips from the carved gutters, and the cathedral bells mark the hour.
Sir Eleutherius
A plain chamber is a good reward after such roads. I will remain nearby until you are settled, unless the court requires me elsewhere.
The official opens a narrow oak door onto a clean chamber with a pallet, washbasin, blanket, and shuttered window. A lamp burns steadily beside the bed.
“She bids the men good night, washes herself and goes to bed.”
Frieda
Good night, gentlemen. Thank you for your assistance.
Sir Eleutherius
Good night, Chaplain. Rest securely. I will be nearby if the court calls before morning.
Sir Eleutherius bows and withdraws with the church official, who closes the oak door softly. Their footsteps recede beneath the covered passage, leaving the chamber quiet.
Frieda sets aside her cloak and washes the road’s dust and rain from her hands, face, and arms at the basin. The water clouds, then stills.
She dries herself, checks that the summons and certified copies remain secured among her belongings, and folds her clothes within reach beside the pallet.
Frieda
The chamber is plain, guarded, and close to the court.
Frieda lowers the lamp, lies beneath the blanket, and closes the shutter against the damp night. Cathedral bells fade into the steady hush of the western range.
“She sleeps until morning or something wakes her.”
The night passes without interruption. Beyond the shutter, rain diminishes to occasional drops, while the guarded western range settles into silence.
Frieda sleeps beneath the plain blanket, the summons and certified copies secured within reach. The lamp burns low, then gutters safely into darkness.
Before dawn, the cathedral bells begin their measured call. Pale light enters around the shutter, touching the washbasin and folded cloak.
Frieda
The bells are calling the court to morning.
A church official passes quietly along the covered passage, and distant footsteps answer from the courtyard. No summons comes to the chamber.
Morning strengthens over Bamberg. The chamber remains secure, the documents undisturbed, and the court’s sealed findings protected under Imperial authority.
“She gathers her documents and looks around for some breakfast.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Perception, rolled +2)
Frieda rises with the bells, gathers the Imperial summons and certified copies, and checks their seals before securing them beneath her cloak.
Frieda
The documents are dry, accounted for, and still under Imperial protection.
She opens the chamber door and looks along the covered passage. The morning air carries the warm scent of oat porridge, dark bread, and weak ale.
church official
Chaplain, the morning meal is served in the western refectory. You may eat there before the court resumes.
The official leads her through the quiet arcade to a plain refectory. A bowl of porridge, bread, cheese, and watered ale wait upon a trestle table.
Brother Konrad
Eat while the court prepares its copies. The findings are secure, and no petitioner will disturb you here.
Frieda settles with her documents close beneath her cloak. Steam rises from the porridge as cathedral bells fade over Bamberg’s waking streets.
“Protecting the documents from any spills, she eats and then waits to be called.”
Frieda keeps the summons and certified copies beneath her cloak, angled safely away from the bowl and ale. She eats carefully, without haste.
The porridge is warm and plain, the bread firm, and the cheese sharp with salt. Nothing spills, and the documents remain dry and accounted for.
Brother Konrad
Good. Take what time you need. The court has no cause to hurry a record already secured.
Frieda finishes the meal and sets the spoon beside the empty bowl. She checks the cloak’s fastening once more, then remains seated at the trestle table.
Around her, servants clear the other places and officials pass through the refectory toward the chapter house. The morning grows brighter beyond the western arcade.
Frieda waits quietly to be called, documents protected beneath her cloak while the court resumes its careful work under Imperial authority.