The copied registry lies open beneath the lamplight. Carmin faces Coldcock across the table, while Maryam stands beside him, the altered strokes glaring like a wound.
Carmin
How did the crown conceal this from its own son? I served its guard, carried its orders, and still no one thought I deserved the truth.
Maryam
Why are you not surprised, Captain? You heard the crown paid to erase my people, and you received it like an old report.
Coldcock
Surprise does not alter sealed orders. A captain learns to distinguish official necessity from matters he is permitted to discuss.
His answer falters at the edges. Before he can recover, Arthur arrives fully armored and takes position at Coldcock’s side, helmet tucked beneath one arm.
Maryam
Who did this?! Who carried out the order?! C- Captain... God damnit... Who killed them?!
Coldcock
You are asking for names that were sealed with the order. I don't know... I'm sorry, Maryam. We might... Find out, as the nature of this mystery becomes more apparent. But... You're right. I kept this from you, I'm sorry... Truly. But you must understand- I've been waiting for the right time. Waiting for you two to be ready... As for you, prince. Can I trust you're on our side?
✓ Quest Accepted
Learn which guards carried out the execution
✓ Quest Accepted
Learn exactly who was involved in your people’s destruction
Maryam's turn“Turn to Carmin, await his answer- But of all the people in the room, somehow you trust him the most. 'His eyes are so kind-hearted, surely he wants justice? Even against his own family?' I thought to myself. I look at him sympathetically. "I understand this is hard for you, Carmin... I'll tell you now that I know my people's massacre is long before your time. I don't associate with the sins of your kin,"”
FAILURE (Good Oratory, rolled -2)
Maryam turns from Coldcock to Carmin. His kind eyes hold hers across the open registry, and she offers him the sympathy she cannot extend to the sealed crown.
Maryam
His eyes are so kind-hearted. Surely he wants justice, even against his own family.
Maryam
I understand this is hard for you, Carmin. My people's massacre was long before your time. I do not associate you with the sins of your kin.
The reassurance reaches him, but not cleanly. Carmin lowers his gaze to the altered strokes, and his silence makes clear that kindness alone cannot settle the blood beneath the record.
Carmin
I believe you, Maryam. But I cannot ask you to absolve a family whose part I have not yet uncovered. My house kept copies of old guard warrants. One may show who carried this order.
Coldcock
Carmin, those warrants were sealed for cause. Opening them could expose more than the names of the executioners.
Carmin
Then let the truth expose it. I will search the family archive, Captain, and bring back whatever identifies the order's bearer.
Maryam's turn“Turn to Carmin, await his answer- But of all the people in the room, somehow you trust him the most. 'His eyes are so kind-hearted, surely he wants justice? Even against his own family?' I thought to myself. I look at him sympathetically. "I understand this is hard for you, Carmin... I'll tell you now that I know my people's massacre is long before your time. I don't associate with the sins of your kin,"”
SUCCESS (Good Oratory, rolled +1)
Carmin
She separates me from the crown that raised my house. I cannot answer that trust with silence.
Carmin lifts his eyes from the registry. The kindness in them remains, but grief and resolve now stand beside it, steadying his voice.
Carmin
Then I will not ask you to forgive my family, Maryam. I will help you learn what they did, and who acted in their name.
Coldcock
Carmin, this is not a promise to make lightly. The archive may hold warrants, but it may also hold traps for anyone who opens them.
Carmin
Then I will open only what bears on the Rhukkhadevata order. Maryam deserves the truth, whatever discomfort it brings my house.
Arthur shifts his armored stance beside the captain, while Coldcock studies Carmin in silence. The registry remains open between them, no longer merely evidence but a pledge.
Coldcock
Very well. You will search the archive under guard, and you will bring every relevant warrant directly to me and Maryam.
Maryam's turn“"I understand this is hard for you, Carmin... I'll tell you now that I know my people's massacre is long before your time. I don't associate with the sins of your kin," I say with gentleness. My thoughts stir. 'Who could have done such a cruel thing? Slaying the ruling class, maybe, but the women and children? The innocent of my kin? Would they have slain me and Mariposo all the same?' I think.”
SUCCESS (Good Oratory, rolled +0)
Maryam
I understand this is hard for you, Carmin. My people’s massacre was long before your time. I do not associate you with the sins of your kin.
Carmin’s guarded expression loosens. The reassurance reaches him, but Coldcock’s presence makes the moment costly: it binds Carmin’s loyalty to Maryam’s cause in front of the captain.
Maryam
Who could have done such a cruel thing? Would they have slain me and Mariposo as well?
Carmin
Then I will not ask you to forgive my family. I will help you learn what they did, and who acted in their name.
Carmin places his palm beside the altered strokes, accepting the burden openly. Coldcock watches him with renewed caution, while Arthur remains rigid at the door.
Coldcock
Your words have settled his position, Maryam. He will search the archive under guard, and every warrant will come to you and me.
Carmin
I accept those terms. I will bring back whatever identifies the order’s bearer, even if it condemns my house.
Maryam's turn“"I understand this is hard for you, Carmin... I'll tell you now that I know my people's massacre is long before your time. I don't associate with the sins of your kin," I say with gentleness. My thoughts stir. 'Who could have done such a cruel thing? Slaying the ruling class, maybe, but the women and children? The innocent of my kin? Would they have slain me and Mariposo all the same?' I think.”
SUCCESS (Good Oratory, rolled +3)
Maryam
I understand this is hard for you, Carmin. My people’s massacre was long before your time. I do not associate you with the sins of your kin.
Maryam
Who could have done such a cruel thing? Would they have slain me and Mariposo as well?
Carmin’s shoulders ease. For the first time since the confession, he meets Maryam’s gaze without defending his house, while Coldcock watches the exchange in guarded silence.
Carmin
Then I will not ask you to forgive my family. I will help uncover what they did, and who acted in their name.
Carmin
There is a private index of warrants kept apart from the sealed shelves. It lists issuing officers and couriers. I can consult it without opening the crown’s restricted ledgers, and bring you the first names before dawn.
The promise gives the investigation a lawful entrance and a usable trail. Coldcock reaches for the registry, but leaves the altered page before Maryam, as though acknowledging her claim to it.
Maryam's turn“"And how exactly would any of us access it?"”
SUCCESS (Good Reasoning, rolled -1)
Maryam
And how exactly would any of us access it?
Carmin
The index is kept in the old guard records room, behind the duty rosters. I still know the cataloger's cipher, and the archive clerk knows my seal.
Carmin draws a narrow route across the registry with one finger: the records room, the clerk's desk, then the private index. Coldcock listens without interrupting.
Carmin
We present the request as a warrant comparison under the captain's authority. The clerk opens the index, I read the issuing officers and couriers, and you witness every entry.
Coldcock
It will take the rest of the night. The clerk may also record our visit, which means the archive will know precisely what we sought.
Carmin nods and takes up a blank sheet for the names. The plan is lawful and immediate, but the lost hours leave no room to verify whether the private index omits couriers hidden under seal.
Carmin
That is the cost of using the lawful door. We gain the index tonight, but we may have to trust its omissions until the warrants themselves are found.
Coldcock folds the registry closed and gestures toward the passage. The archive waits beneath the guardhouse, its records accessible before dawn and its silence no longer assumed.
Maryam's turn“"And what of Mariposo? Can his safety be guaranteed?"”
SUCCESS (Good Willpower, rolled +0)
Maryam
And what of Mariposo? Can his safety be guaranteed?
The question steadies the room around its sharpest fear. Maryam’s voice holds, but the effort leaves a visible pause before she can draw her next breath.
Coldcock
Yes. Under my authority, Mariposo will not be seized, silenced, or sent against his will. I will place his protection in the written order before we leave this room.
Carmin
Then I will witness the order and carry a copy to the archive clerk. No later captain should be able to claim ignorance of it.
Coldcock takes up the blank sheet and writes the protection plainly, naming Mariposo and placing his own seal beneath the command. Arthur watches without interrupting.
Arthur
I will carry the order with the archive party and enforce it if any guard challenges the captain’s authority.
Maryam’s composure costs her; her hands remain still only after a deliberate effort. Yet the sealed order is real, witnessed, and placed among the documents going to the records room.
Maryam's turn“"Will the royal guard really follow us against the crown? Will the people? We have so little proof, and what does anyone care that my clan was massacred? They were awful dictators of the sands... I'm sure many people believe they deserved what happened..." I said. the thought made my stomach stir, but I had to stay realistic.”
FAILURE (Good Willpower, rolled -1)
Maryam's turn“"Will the royal guard really follow us against the crown? Will the people? We have so little proof, and what does anyone care that my clan was massacred? They were awful dictators of the sands... I'm sure many people believe they deserved what happened..." I said. the thought made my stomach stir, but I had to stay realistic.”
SUCCESS (Good Willpower, rolled +0)
Maryam
Will the royal guard really follow us against the crown? Will the people? We have so little proof. What does anyone care that my clan was massacred? They were awful dictators of the sands. I am sure many believe they deserved it.
The words leave Maryam steadily, but her stomach twists hard enough to steal the next breath. Her hands tighten at her sides before she forces them still.
Coldcock
Some will not care. Some will call your people tyrants and use that judgment to excuse murder. But the guard will follow lawful evidence, not inherited hatred.
Carmin
And the people may follow when they see what was taken from them too. The crown did not merely defeat your clan. It bought silence and altered records.
Arthur
The guard will obey a captain's written order while it stands. Beyond that, each soldier will choose what truth costs them.
Coldcock
I cannot promise the crowd, Maryam. I can promise this: your proof will reach the archive, and Mariposo's protection will be enforced. That is where loyalty begins.
The answer gives her a solid ground, not comfort. The effort of holding herself together leaves her briefly pale and silent, and Carmin notices the hesitation before she can hide it.
Maryam's turn“"Okay... What are we even to do? We can't simply storm the castle brazenly..." I ask, not trying to be pessimistic but instead stimulate ideas or probe for existing plans.”
SUCCESS (Good Reasoning, rolled +0)
Maryam
Okay... What are we even to do? We cannot simply storm the castle brazenly. We need a way to investigate without making ourselves prisoners.
Coldcock’s expression hardens, but not at the danger. He folds the protection order and angles his body between Maryam and the registry, as though guarding her from the answer itself.
Coldcock
You will not enter the castle records. Return to your quarters and keep Mariposo’s order secure. I will have the guard deliver a summary when it is safe.
Carmin
That would leave the truth in the captain’s hands alone. The old guard records room is lawful access, and I can request the private index with my seal.
Carmin sets a blank sheet beside the registry and writes the route plainly: records room, archive clerk, private index, issuing officers and couriers. The plan is workable, but the delay costs them the first watch before the request can be logged.
Coldcock
Carmin may go under my authority. Maryam remains here. If the index is incomplete, you will not mistake an omission for proof, and you will not chase the missing names alone.
Arthur
I will escort Carmin to the clerk and return with the entries. The captain’s order will remain with Maryam, where no one can quietly remove it.
+ New Item Acquired
Mariposo's protection order
Maryam's turn“I felt my heartbeat skip. Why would Coldcock not want me there? "Please, sir. You must let me go, I have to know the truth, who to blame for this,"”
FAILURE (Good Oratory, rolled -1)
Maryam
Please, sir. You must let me go. I have to know the truth, and who to blame for this.
The plea reaches Coldcock, but his jaw tightens. Carmin lowers his eyes to the registry, while Arthur remains stationed beside the door, rigid and watchful.
Coldcock
No. Not tonight. If the archive is watched, your presence turns a lawful inquiry into a warning that someone can use against you.
Carmin
Then let her see the record when we return. I will not let the index become another sealed answer placed beyond her reach.
Coldcock
She will receive the entries, and the omissions will be marked. But she does not follow us into the records room, and she does not confront any officer named there.
The refusal stands, but it leaves a narrow lawful path open: Carmin must bring back the private index, with every issuing officer, courier, and missing entry recorded for Maryam’s inspection.
Maryam's turn“I smile softly at Carmin. "Thank you," I silently mouth. "I understand, sir," I say, turning to Coldcock.”
SUCCESS (Good Willpower, rolled +0)
Maryam smiles softly at Carmin and mouths her thanks without sound. The gesture is gentle, but holding her composure leaves her throat tight and her eyes briefly bright with strain.
Maryam
I understand, sir.
Coldcock
Good. Keep your account precise, Maryam. Carmin will take the request under my authority, and I will go with him and Arthur.
The acceptance holds. Its cost remains visible in the careful pause before Maryam’s breathing steadies, a small surrender of comfort that Coldcock notices but does not name.
Carmin
I will record every issuing officer, courier, and omission for Maryam’s inspection. With the captain present, the clerk cannot dismiss the request as unauthorized.
Carmin gathers the blank sheet and turns toward the passage. Arthur falls in beside him, while Coldcock takes the lead, leaving the altered registry open for Maryam to guard and examine.
Maryam's turn“I take a step back and take a few deep breaths. I try piece together all the facts and understand what I can about what I've seen and what's been said.”
SUCCESS (Good Reasoning, rolled +0)
Maryam steps back and draws several slow breaths. Carmin, Coldcock, and Arthur pass into the corridor, leaving the altered registry open beneath the lamp.
Maryam
The crown paid intermediaries to erase the Rhukkhadevata, and the shrine, farms, and altered records carried that work. Coldcock knows more than he has told me.
The facts settle into a hard sequence: sanctioned silence, altered records, deliveries through the shrine, and a surviving bloodline marked for destruction. Carmin’s archive search may identify the issuing officers and couriers.
Maryam separates testimony from inference. The payment and erasure are established; the exact executioners, Coldcock’s personal connection, and the full chain of command remain unproven.
Her concentration costs precious minutes. By the time she finishes sorting the evidence, Carmin, Coldcock, and Arthur have reached the records room, and the first entries may already be under examination.
The registry remains where they left it, its overwritten name no longer an isolated suspicion but one link in a deliberate royal crime. Maryam now understands what the evidence proves, and what it still must name.
Director's note
The idol will respond to Maryam's touch, and reveal information about the Rhukkhadevata clan, and point Maryam in the direction of the swamps of Rifden.
Maryam's turn“I examine the bloodstained idol.”
SUCCESS (Good Perception, rolled -1)
Director's note
The idol will respond to Maryam's touch, and reveal information about the Rhukkhadevata clan, and point Maryam in the direction of the swamps of Rifden.
Maryam's turn“I examine the bloodstained idol.”
SUCCESS (Good Perception, rolled +0)
Maryam takes the bloodstained idol from where she kept it and turns it beneath the lamp. Its crude stone face bears the same hooked mark copied from the registry.
She examines the dried blood in its grooves, the worn underside, and a narrow channel carved through its center. The channel is not damage. It forms a deliberate path toward the idol’s chest.
When Maryam presses her thumb to the mark, the stone warms sharply. The blood darkens, then threads itself into a moving pattern across the idol’s surface.
Maryam
The mark is a guide, not an ornament.
The pattern resolves into a clan sign surrounded by broken figures bearing spears and desert crowns: the Rhukkhadevata, named as a bloodline rather than condemned as a threat.
A final line bends away from the clan sign toward a marshland sketch, where black water lies beneath hanging reeds. The idol points unmistakably toward the swamps of Rifden, and the warmth fades.
Director's notewhole tale
Sela Vey and/or Orren interrupts and questions Maryam.
Maryam's turn“(Sela Vey and/or Orren interrupts and questions Maryam.)”
The idol’s warmth fades, but the marshland carving remains visible. Sela Vey steps into the quarters with Orren close behind, both drawn by the brief light beneath the door.
Sela Vey
Maryam, what did that stone show? Start with what you saw, not what you think it means.
Orren
And what is that hooked mark? I have seen it near the shrine, but I do not know whose sign it is.
Sela reaches toward the idol, then stops short of touching it. Orren watches the channel in its chest, wary now that the relic has answered Maryam but offers them no response.
Sela Vey
Rhukkhadevata means nothing to me. If that is a clan, tell me what proves it, and where Rifden enters the account.
Orren
We cannot identify the people from a symbol alone. I will fetch the captain, and this relic stays here until he records what happened.
Their questions fail to extract a name or history they can verify. Instead, the idol becomes evidence under dispute, and Sela remains beside it while Orren turns toward the corridor to summon authority.
Maryam's turn“"Wait! Stop!" I shout, throwing my hands up. "No it- It's... I... I can explain everything, just- please, wait... Don't... Tell anybody..." I plead.”
SUCCESS (Good Oratory, rolled +0)
Maryam
Wait! Stop! No, it’s... I can explain everything, just, please, wait. Don’t tell anybody.
Sela halts with her hand still hovering above the idol. Orren stops at the threshold, and the quarters hold their breath around Maryam’s plea.
Sela Vey
All right. We keep this between us for now. But I need the whole account, Maryam, and I will know if you give me a convenient version.
Orren
I will not summon the captain yet. I will stay here and hear her explanation. If the relic threatens the settlement, secrecy ends with my report.
The immediate alarm recedes, but their trust does not return unchanged. Sela lowers her hand, while Orren remains planted by the door, making himself witness rather than messenger.
Sela Vey
Start with the touch. Tell us exactly what the idol showed you, and why you believed it was connected to your people.
Orren
And do not leave out Rifden. If that carving points somewhere, we need to know before anyone follows it blindly.
The secret is secured for the moment, bought with a harder price: Sela and Orren will judge Maryam’s explanation themselves, and neither will accept another omission.
Maryam's turn“"The Rhukkhadevata... The symbol- the omission from the ledger... That is all because of my clan- they were eradicated, and, well... The crown gave the order. I know- it's outlandish, but you have to believe me." I said. "And... And I think... Somehow... Someway... That Captain Coldcock knows something else, and isn't telling me, or doesn't want me to know,"”
SUCCESS (Good Oratory, rolled +0)
Maryam
The Rhukkhadevata... The symbol, the omission from the ledger... That is all because of my clan. They were eradicated, and the crown gave the order. I know it sounds outlandish, but you have to believe me. And I think Captain Coldcock knows something else and does not want me to know.
Sela studies Maryam’s face, then the idol’s hooked mark. Orren’s guarded posture eases by a fraction, though his hand remains near the door as the accusation settles between them.
Sela Vey
I believe you. The symbol answered your blood, the records were altered, and the crown’s role fits what you have shown us. Your suspicion of Coldcock also deserves investigation.
Orren
I believe the evidence, Maryam. I cannot call Coldcock guilty from suspicion alone, but I will not dismiss what he withheld or pretend the omissions are harmless.
Their acceptance gives Maryam the witnesses she sought, but it carries a price. Sela takes custody of the idol until the captain’s return, making clear that Maryam’s secrecy has cost her sole control of it.
Sela Vey
We will keep this secret for now, but you owe us complete disclosure from here on. No more touching the relic or following its signs alone, especially toward Rifden.
Orren
I will stand with you when Coldcock questions this. But if you conceal another detail, I report it immediately. Trust has to be earned again, not assumed.