The sealed custody record, Herennius’s confession, and the former fighter’s testimony leave the Colosseum under escort. Valeria walks with Marcus, the Examiner, Herennius, and the former fighter toward the Magistrate’s house, her irritated palm bound in clean cloth.
Decimus Severus remains behind with the eastern records clerk, a young adult woman with a slim build, dark braided hair, and a plain cream tunic beneath a brown wool cloak,, the roster attendant, and the payment clerk, a middle-aged man with a narrow build, short graying hair, and a russet tunic belted at the waist, preserving the arena registers and awaiting the Examiner’s formal entry.
The Examiner
No one alters the packet on the road. Herennius remains under escort, and every witness speaks only to what she or he personally knows.
At the Magistrate’s house, clerks clear a broad table beneath the household shrine. Wax tablets, seals, and witness marks are arranged in separate rows before the packet is opened.
Herennius
I have already said Marcellus sent me. I inspected the notice, took its impression, and knew the added condition would be made.
Marcus Flavius
Then the question is not whether you entered the record’s custody, but who gave you authority to do so and who altered the terms.
The former fighter stands ready beside the table, while the Examiner prepares Herennius’s account for entry. The clerks wait for the magistrate, and Valeria remains free to question the confession.
“"Did Marcellus present any authority when he told you to inspect the notice and take an impression?"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Oratory, rolled +1)
Valeria Asiaticus
Did Marcellus present any authority when he told you to inspect the notice and take an impression?
The clerks pause over their tablets. Herennius glances toward the sealed packet, then toward the magistrate’s empty chair, with nowhere useful left to redirect the question.
Herennius
No written authority. Marcellus gave me a verbal order and said the arena’s business made it sufficient.
Herennius
He showed me no seal, summons, or entry in the register. I knew I had no lawful charge to inspect the notice or take its impression.
The Examiner records the admission beside Herennius’s confession. Marcus watches the magistrate’s clerks mark the absence of authority as a separate point.
The Examiner
Then the witness has answered precisely: Marcellus supplied an instruction, not authority. The record shall distinguish the two.
“She awaits the arrival of the magistrate.”
The magistrate’s house settles into a disciplined silence. Clerks keep the tablets separated, while the sealed packet remains untouched beneath the Examiner’s watch.
The Examiner
Until the magistrate arrives, no witness confers with another. Herennius will remain beside the packet, and every statement will be entered in order.
Herennius stands under escort near the wall, his earlier confidence reduced to guarded stillness. The former fighter waits by the table, her hands folded beneath her mantle.
Marcus Flavius
You have asked the necessary question. Let the magistrate hear the answer plainly, without haste or ornament.
Valeria remains beside the evidence, the clean cloth secure over her palm. Sunlight shifts across the floor as footsteps sound beyond the courtyard entrance.
Herennius
A verbal order seemed strong while Marcellus stood behind it. Before the magistrate, it sounds like what it was: permission without authority.
The clerks rise as the approaching attendants announce the magistrate’s arrival. Wax tablets, witness marks, and the sealed confession await formal examination.
“She waits to be called on.”
Valeria waits beside the ordered tablets, saying nothing. The clean cloth remains secure over her palm as the household attendants withdraw and the magistrate enters.
The magistrate is an elderly man with a spare frame, carefully trimmed white beard, and a dark bordered toga. A bronze seal hangs at his belt.
The Magistrate
Let the record show that the witnesses remain separated, the packet sealed, and the accused present under escort.
The Examiner
So entered. Herennius admits he acted on Marcellus’s verbal order without written authority, seal, summons, or register entry.
The magistrate studies the tablets without touching the sealed packet. His gaze passes over Herennius, the former fighter, and finally settles on Valeria.
The Magistrate
Valeria Asiaticus, you brought this matter forward and preserved its custody. You will be called when the examination reaches your evidence.
Valeria remains still as the first clerk begins reading the complaint aloud. Around her, witnesses listen in silence, and the lawful inquiry proceeds without interruption.
“She continues to wait.”
Valeria waits beside the ordered tablets, her hands still and her clean cloth secure. The first clerk reads the complaint in a measured voice beneath the household shrine.
The Magistrate
Continue. Let the complaint be heard without interruption, and let each statement remain distinct from the next.
The clerk recites the indefinite contract, the threatened dispute, and the altered bout condition. Wax styluses move softly as the magistrate listens.
The Examiner
The custody record, Herennius’s admission, and the witness accounts are preserved separately. Their connection will be examined only after each is entered.
Herennius remains under escort near the wall. The former fighter waits across the table, while Marcus watches the clerks preserve every word without adding his own.
The Magistrate
Valeria Asiaticus, your patience is noted. When the clerk finishes, I will hear what you personally observed and preserved.
Valeria continues to wait. Sunlight advances across the floor, and the inquiry proceeds in its proper order, with no hand disturbing the sealed packet.
✓ Quest Accepted
Have Herennius’s confession formally corroborated
““I was called on to settle a dispute with Gaius Marcellus, who was holding gladiator instructors under indefinite contracts. During the course of my investigation, said Gaius Marcellus threatened me with a sword. However, I persuaded him to put it away and revise the contracts. I reported the matter to Decimus Severus, who agreed to the solution. Subsequently, I discovered that said Gaius Marcellus had altered an arena contract without my knowledge and to his own advantage. I have brought the altered contract as evidence. Shall I continue?””
SUCCESS (Legendary Oratory, rolled +0)
Valeria Asiaticus
I was called to settle a dispute involving Gaius Marcellus, who held gladiator instructors under indefinite contracts. During my inquiry, he threatened me with a sword, but I persuaded him to put it away and revise the contracts.
The clerk records her words without interruption. Valeria’s clean cloth remains secure over her palm as she lifts the exhibition contract tablet from the ordered evidence.
Valeria Asiaticus
I reported that resolution to Decimus Severus, and he agreed. Later, I discovered that Marcellus had altered an arena contract without my knowledge, to his own advantage. I have brought the altered contract as evidence.
She places the tablet before the magistrate. The Examiner compares its marks with the custody record, while Marcus remains beside Valeria as witness to its preservation.
Valeria Asiaticus
Shall I continue?
The Magistrate
Continue. Your account identifies the dispute, the threat, the lawful revision, and the later alteration. The tablet will be entered as evidence, and you may explain what you personally observed.
The clerk adds the tablet to the evidence row and records its seal before passing it back beneath the Examiner’s supervision. The magistrate waits for Valeria’s next statement.
“"I then consulted a retired arena official, Lucius Fabius. He informed me that complaints had been brought against said Gaius Marcellus in the past, but were not acted on. I was able to locate the witnesses and record their statements, which I also present as evidence. Shall I continue?"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Oratory, rolled +1)
Valeria Asiaticus
I consulted Lucius Fabius, a retired arena official. He told me that complaints had previously been brought against Gaius Marcellus but were not acted upon. I located the witnesses, recorded their statements, and present those statements as evidence. Shall I continue?
The clerk records Valeria’s account, then receives the additional tablets from the Examiner. Their seals, witness marks, and custody notations are entered beside the altered contract and archival receipt.
The Examiner
These statements were taken from two witnesses named in Lucius Fabius’s disciplinary file. Their accounts were signed, witnessed, and sealed without alteration.
The magistrate examines the tablets without disturbing their seals. Marcus confirms the chain of custody, while Herennius remains under escort and the former fighter waits apart from the proceedings.
The Magistrate
The statements will be admitted as separate evidence. The witnesses may establish what they saw, but their words shall not be enlarged beyond their knowledge.
Marcus Flavius
Lucius Fabius supplied the lawful lead. Valeria found the witnesses and preserved their accounts; I witnessed the recording and transfer.
The Magistrate
Continue, Valeria Asiaticus. Explain what the witnesses personally reported, and how those reports connect to the complaints and the altered contract.
““The witnesses observed Marcellus draw steel when a fighter questioned an indefinite contract. No one was injured, but Marcellus was observed to use his sword to end the questioning. He then ordered the witnesses to be silent. This is recorded in the written testimony, and they are also willing to testify before the magistrate. Shall I continue?””
SUCCESS (Legendary Oratory, rolled -1)
Valeria Asiaticus
The witnesses observed Marcellus draw steel when a fighter questioned an indefinite contract. No one was injured, but he used the sword to end the questioning, then ordered the witnesses silent. This is recorded in their written testimony, and they are willing to testify before the magistrate. Shall I continue?
The clerk records Valeria’s account precisely. The magistrate’s attention sharpens as the testimony connects Marcellus’s threat to the indefinite contract described in the complaint.
The Magistrate
Continue. You have distinguished what the witnesses saw from what the evidence may prove. Their willingness to testify gives the court a direct path to examine the accusation.
The Examiner
The written statements contain the same essential points: the drawn sword, the absence of injury, the ending of the questioning, and the order to remain silent.
The magistrate marks the testimony beside the complaints. No accusation is enlarged, yet the witnesses’ accounts now directly support the claim that Marcellus used intimidation to suppress questions about an indefinite contract.
The Magistrate
The witnesses shall be summoned and heard separately. Their testimony will be compared with the written statements and with Herennius’s admission concerning the altered contract.
The Magistrate
Yes, Valeria Asiaticus. Continue with what you personally observed and preserved.
““I then reported the matter to Decimus Severus, who conducted a brief investigation. He found two recorded complaints against Marcellus. One was referred to a magistrate, but vanished from the reply. The other was made by a witness who withdrew her testimony after Marcellus visited her school. I located the witness who said that Marcellus’ men had threatened her and said that no magistrate could protect her. I told her I would protect her until he was in safe hands, and she agreed to appear here, and is ready to testify. Shall I continue?””
SUCCESS (Legendary Oratory, rolled +0)
Valeria Asiaticus
I reported the matter to Decimus Severus. He found two recorded complaints against Marcellus: one referred to a magistrate but lost from the reply, and another withdrawn after Marcellus visited the witness’s school. I located her. She said Marcellus’s men threatened her and claimed no magistrate could protect her. I promised to protect her until she was in safe hands, and she agreed to appear here. She is ready to testify. Shall I continue?
The clerk records each point without alteration. The sealed archival receipt remains beside the testimony, while the former fighter stands ready across the table, separated from the other witnesses.
The Magistrate
Continue. The first complaint’s disappearance, the second witness’s withdrawal, and her later account are distinct matters. Each shall be examined according to what she personally knows.
The Examiner
The former fighter’s statement confirms that Marcellus’s men visited her school and threatened her. Her claim that no magistrate could protect her must be entered as her reported understanding, not enlarged beyond that.
The former fighter gives a solemn nod. The magistrate orders her testimony taken separately and under seal, preserving her choice to speak while keeping the complaint and custody records distinct.
The Magistrate
She will testify before this court, and her account will be compared with the earlier complaint and the evidence already entered. You may continue, Valeria Asiaticus.
““I returned to Decimus Severus, who examined the chain of custody for the altered contract. We found that the contract was examined and an impression made by a steward named Herennius under orders from said Gaius Marcellus. He is here and prepared to testify. This concludes my testimony.””
SUCCESS (Legendary Oratory, rolled +1)
Valeria Asiaticus
I returned to Decimus Severus, who examined the chain of custody for the altered contract. The contract was examined and impressed by Herennius under Gaius Marcellus’s orders. He is here and prepared to testify. This concludes my testimony.
The clerk records Valeria’s conclusion beside the custody findings. The sealed receipt, altered contract, and Herennius’s admission remain aligned in separate evidence rows.
The Magistrate
So entered. Valeria Asiaticus has identified the chain of custody, the responsible steward, the issuing order, and the witness ready to confirm it.
The Examiner
Decimus Severus’s examination establishes that Herennius handled the contract and made its impression under Marcellus’s verbal order. The custody record supports the sequence.
The magistrate gestures to the former fighter, who steps forward only after the clerk separates her testimony from Valeria’s account. Herennius remains under escort near the wall.
The Magistrate
Your testimony is concluded. Herennius will testify next, and the former fighter will then give her account under seal, each witness speaking only to personal knowledge.
Herennius
I will repeat what I have already admitted: Marcellus ordered me to inspect the notice and take its impression, though he gave me no lawful authority.
“She simply watches and listens.”
Valeria watches without speaking as Herennius stands beneath the magistrate’s scrutiny. The clean cloth remains secure over her palm, and the evidence stays separated across the table.
The Magistrate
State precisely what Marcellus instructed you to inspect, what impression you took, and whether you altered any wording.
Herennius
He ordered me to inspect the posted notice and take a wax impression. I carried the impression back to him. I altered nothing myself.
The clerk records each answer as Herennius gives it. Valeria follows the exchange closely, while Marcus remains silent beside her and the Examiner guards the sealed evidence.
The Magistrate
Did Marcellus tell you that an added condition would be placed upon the contract?
Herennius
Yes. He said the extra condition would be made, though he did not explain who would write it or when.
The magistrate marks the admission for later comparison with the altered tablet. He then turns toward the former fighter, and Valeria continues listening as the next testimony begins.
“She continues listening.”
The magistrate turns from Herennius to the former fighter. The clerk prepares a fresh tablet, while the Examiner keeps her testimony separate from the earlier complaints.
The Magistrate
State what Marcellus’s men said or did when they came to your school. Speak only to what you personally witnessed.
The former fighter steps to the table beneath the household shrine. Valeria remains silent beside Marcus, watching the clerk’s stylus pause above the wax.
The Former Fighter
Two men came from Marcellus. They said my contract could not be challenged, that leaving would cost me everything, and that no magistrate would protect me.
The Former Fighter
They did not draw steel, but they stood in the doorway until I agreed to hear them. Afterward, I withdrew from the complaint because I feared they would return.
The Magistrate
Your fear and withdrawal are entered as your account. The court will not treat them as proof beyond what you witnessed, but neither will it erase them.
The clerk seals the statement before passing it to the Examiner. Marcus gives no comment, and Valeria continues listening as the magistrate orders the testimony compared with the earlier complaint.
“She continues listening.”
The magistrate studies the sealed statement, then nods for the clerk to place it beside the earlier complaint. The former fighter returns to her appointed place.
The Magistrate
Your account is entered separately. The court recognizes what you witnessed, what you feared, and what remains beyond your knowledge.
The clerk reads the statement back in a measured voice. The former fighter listens for errors, while the Examiner checks each witness mark and seal.
The Former Fighter
Those words are mine. I have nothing to add, and nothing to withdraw.
The Examiner
The statement agrees with the earlier complaint on the visit, the threats concerning departure, and the withdrawal. No further conclusion is entered yet.
The magistrate orders the tablet sealed and sets it with the other evidence. Valeria remains beside Marcus, listening as the lawful examination continues in its careful order.