Rain threads through the loose shutter behind you as Carciel, Serren Vale, and the Court Clerk enter the ledger hall. Clerks stack wax-sealed bundles beneath the glow of warded lamps.
At the far wall, a registry shelf bears a fresh brass plaque: PRIVATE ARCHIVAL CUSTODY. Casta’s copied entries end at that shelf, beside a bundle marked for tonight’s transfer.
Court Clerk
There. The dates match the commission. These are not ordinary removals. Someone is sending the evidence somewhere the public record cannot reach.
Serren Vale
Then we preserve the trail before the bundle leaves. The list, the commission, and these seals must remain together.
A gray-robed registrar notices the copied list in the Clerk’s hands. Their gaze flicks to Carciel’s stung palm, then to the private shelf. They quietly slide a locking bar across the registry alcove.
The Registrar
That shelf is closed by order of the archive custodian. Give me the list, and I will record your objection before the transfer.
✓ Quest Accepted
Keep the surviving evidence together
“I put my arm out in front of the Clerk. "On what grounds?"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled -2)
Carciel
On what grounds?
Carciel's arm cuts across the Clerk's path, placing his body between the copied evidence and the locking bar. The sudden motion jars his stung palm against the shelf, and a bead of blood marks the brass.
The Registrar
The custodian's sealed order. Private custody forbids public comparison until the transfer is complete. The bundle is being sent to Casta's destination, not the magistrates.
Court Clerk
Then the chain ends beyond the archive's reach.
Serren Vale
You have named a destination, but shown no order. The list and commission stay with us.
The Registrar's suspicion hardens at Carciel's intervention. They point to a narrow docket slot beside the bar, where a fresh wax impression bears the custodian's mark, while the transfer bell begins to toll.
Identify who authorized the transfer of Odran-linked records
Quest Complete
Keep the surviving evidence together