The records hall remains crowded after the judge seals the testimony. Corven stays beside the evidence table with Varric and Dalen under guard, while Ricayu stands nearby, bow lowered but ready.
The doors open for a young adult man in plain adventurer armor, medium-sized and athletic, with sky-blue eyes and slicked-back raven-black hair. Two gate guards escort him inside.
Keith Blacke
I am Keith Blacke, traveling to earn a knight’s name without my family’s crest. I need this court to hear what happened on your trade routes.
Keith kneels and places a broken wax seal on the records table. Its merchant mark is damaged but recognizable, and mud stains the hem of his cloak.
Keith Blacke
Someone used routes belonging to my household to conceal payments connected to Joren Pell. My family’s name may have carried the crime farther than Puka.
the elderly woman judge
Rise, Keith Blacke. State whether you accuse your household, its agents, or an unknown thief, and show us what supports the claim.
The guards remain at Keith’s shoulders. Corven watches him without speaking, while Varric’s expression tightens at the sight of the broken seal.
“I watch and listen and let this be a lesson in diplomacy. I see how people speak to the judge, the way the guards regard those gathered, those in the room… how they behave, how Corven addressed, his bow, his mannerisms and I watch, listen and learn.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Perception, rolled +1)
Ricayu watches without interrupting. The elderly woman judge keeps her hands near the sealed records, the guards watch every movement, and the gathered witnesses wait for permission before speaking.
Ricayu
The judge rewards clear evidence, while the guards measure conduct before they trust anyone.
the elderly woman judge
Begin with what you personally witnessed, Keith Blacke. Separate fact from suspicion, and identify each document supporting your account.
Keith straightens but does not rush. He places his hands where the guards can see them, answers directly, and pauses whenever the elderly woman judge raises one finger.
Keith Blacke
I witnessed altered manifests bearing routes my household controls. I cannot name the author yet, but I can show where the entries diverge from our lawful records.
Corven mirrors the court’s discipline: bow lowered, shoulders open, gaze steady. He speaks only when addressed, then points to dates and routes rather than making accusations.
the elderly woman judge
That is the proper manner. Evidence first, responsibility second. Those who remain precise will be heard, and those who speculate will be recorded as uncertain.
✓ Quest Accepted
Have Keith Blacke’s claim formally assessed by the judge
✓ Quest Accepted
Clear Corven’s outlawry
“It becomes apparent that the fabricated records are proof that records can be altered, which support Corven’s witnesses testimonies and Corven’s first hand account. I use reasoning to show the connection in both cases.”
SUCCESS (Superb Reasoning, rolled +0)
Ricayu studies the altered manifests beside Corven’s testimony, comparing dates, routes, seals, and the discrepancies Keith identifies. The same false entries recur where the shelter operation was financed.
He indicates the matching route changes in the fabricated records and Corven’s firsthand account: the documents show alteration was possible, while the witnesses establish who used that alteration and why.
the elderly woman judge
The connection is sound. These records do not merely contain errors; their deliberate changes support Corven’s account of a planned operation.
Keith Blacke
That matches my household’s lawful copies. The false entries were inserted after the original routes were recorded, then used to conceal the payments.
The clerk places the lawful copies beside the altered manifests. Dates, handwriting changes, and broken seals form a clear chain between the forged records and the testimony.
Corven Vale
My firsthand account explains the method, and their testimony explains the order. The records now show how both parts fit together.
the elderly woman judge
Then the court records this as corroboration. The fabricated documents support Corven’s witnesses and his direct account without requiring the concealed scout’s identity.
Quest Complete
Have Keith Blacke’s claim formally assessed by the judge
“I then use the records and testimony to prove that Corven was made to look like an outlaw. The testimony proves this from the witnesses. It is also established with the documents that records are altered, which suooorts the testimony of Corven and the witnesses. I use my reasoning to present the case.”
SUCCESS (Superb Reasoning, rolled -1)
Ricayu
The records and testimony establish that Corven was made to appear an outlaw. The altered routes conceal payments, while the witnesses confirm who used them and how.
Ricayu places the lawful copies beside the altered manifests, then aligns the dates, broken seals, route changes, and witness statements without naming the concealed scout.
the elderly woman judge
Your reasoning separates the evidence correctly. The altered records show the false trail, and the witnesses establish the operation built upon it.
Keith Blacke
My household’s lawful copies confirm the changes were inserted afterward. Corven’s name was carried through routes manipulated for another person’s crime.
The clerk marks each correspondence in the record. Corven’s account, the prisoners’ testimony, and the documents now form one chain showing deliberate framing rather than outlawry.
Corven Vale
You made the method plain without sacrificing the scout. That gives the court what it needs and keeps an innocent name from becoming another weapon.
the elderly woman judge
The court records Corven Vale as falsely accused through fabricated trade records and coordinated testimony. His petition for restored standing is sustained pending the wider inquiry.
“I plead to the court to petition and resolve the matters today. People in power have already targeted him once. He has been outlaw already for too long while we have testimony proving he did nothing wrong. We have documents from the noble Blacke house that proves the records were altered. I plead with the court to render a decision. Who oversaw these documents? Who had access? I then mention that Corven even tried to save people when the flood came. He risked capture and death to get people to flee the rising floodwaters. We should give this noble citizen a verdict as soon as possible.”
SUCCESS (Good Oratory, rolled -1)
Ricayu
I plead for judgment today. Corven has endured outlawry too long. These Blacke House documents prove the records were altered, and his flood rescue proves his character.
Ricayu
Who oversaw these documents, and who had access to them? I ask the court to investigate those hands and restore this noble citizen’s standing now.
Ricayu’s voice carries across the records hall. The clerk’s quill pauses, and several witnesses turn toward the Blacke seal while the guards watch him more closely.
the elderly woman judge
Your petition is granted. The evidence already establishes false alteration, and Corven Vale is cleared of the outlawry arising from these records, effective today.
the elderly woman judge
The court will investigate the counting house overseer, every keeper of its manifests, and each person granted access after the lawful copies were sealed.
The clerk strikes Corven’s name from the active outlaw register and records the immediate inquiry. The Blacke documents are sealed as exhibits, while Corven exhales beside the evidence table.
Keith Blacke
I will provide the household’s access rolls and lawful ledgers. But Ricayu, your accusation has placed Blacke scrutiny upon you as well.
Quest Complete
Clear Corven’s outlawry
Attribute Upgrade: Reasoning Superb→Legendary
“I tell Corven that I need to rest and sleep in a bed, but I expect him to still train me more in archery and stealth. I head to an inn and get a room to rest and hopefully restore my missing health.”
FAILURE (Good Health, rolled -3)
Ricayu
Corven, I need to rest and sleep in a bed. I still expect you to train me more in archery and stealth afterward.
Corven Vale
Then rest first. Training waits for no one, but a tired body learns poorly. I will meet you at the inn after dawn.
Ricayu leaves the records hall and reaches a nearby inn before nightfall. The keeper gives him a narrow upstairs room with a bed, basin, and warped shutters.
Ricayu
The mattress is damp, and the room carries every sound from the common hall.
He lies down, but the bed sags sharply beneath him while voices, footsteps, and rattling shutters pass through the thin walls. Sleep comes only in broken fragments.
the innkeeper
Master elf, I am sorry, but the room is promised at first light. The merchant’s men arrive early, and I have nowhere else to put you.
At dawn, Ricayu rises unrested, his missing strength unchanged. The keeper’s demand leaves him without a bed for another night, while Corven’s promised training awaits outside.
✓ Quest Accepted
Secure a proper night's rest
“I go to the shop who promised me a job and ask if I can sleep in the worker room and I will begin work the next day after I train. I am told I can have second shift and close and she is delighted to have me back in the shop to work for her again. I hurry to the back room where small rooms for the elven workers have very basic needs met, but have a bed.”
SUCCESS (Good Oratory, rolled -2)
Ricayu
Could I sleep in the workers’ room? I will begin work tomorrow, after I train with Corven.
The shopkeeper, a broad-shouldered middle-aged woman with warm brown skin, graying black hair, and a green wool apron, looks up from her counter.
the shopkeeper
You may have the second shift and close the shop. I am delighted to have you back working for me again.
Relief brightens the shopkeeper’s face as she points toward the rear passage. The arrangement is settled: Ricayu will sleep here and begin after training.
Ricayu hurries through the back door, catching his palm on a rough latch. The scrape stings, but he keeps moving past shelves and bundled supplies.
Behind the workroom, several tiny chambers line the wall for elven workers. Each holds little beyond a stool, washbasin, blanket, and narrow bed.
Ricayu reaches an empty room and finds the bed waiting beneath a plain wool cover. It is basic, but dry and private, with the shop’s muffled sounds beyond.
“I sleep to recover my health and rest.”
Ricayu sets his belongings beside the narrow bed, washes the scrape on his palm, and lies beneath the plain wool cover as the shop settles into quiet.
Ricayu
The bed is dry, and the room is private enough to rest.
Sleep takes him deeply. The soreness from the road, the bowstring, and the long night in the inn gradually leaves his body while pale morning light gathers beyond the shutters.
When Ricayu wakes, his breathing is even and his strength has returned. The workers’ room remains still except for footsteps and the muted opening of the shop.
Corven Vale
You look rested, brother. Good. Meet me outside when you are ready, and we will continue your archery and stealth training.
Corven waits beyond the rear door with his bow, quiver, and weathered cloak. He gives Ricayu time to prepare, then leads him toward the morning road.
Quest Complete
Secure a proper night's rest