Before Lord Rane can conclude the examination, Mara steps between the copied mark and the door. Her guarded posture becomes deliberate, placing her own history before the room’s judgment.
Mara Venn
Record every surviving contact under my name. If this channel is being used to find me, then my testimony belongs beside its mark, not hidden behind a stranger’s account.
Mara Venn
One trusted agent once altered a route to protect me. I cannot say whether that person still serves the network, or whether the network now hunts us instead.
Edrin Vale
She is giving you the useful truth, my lord. The altered route may explain why Mara survived, but it does not prove that agent remains loyal.
Lord Caldus Rane
Then it will be recorded exactly so. Protection once offered is not proof of present loyalty, and uncertainty is not permission to erase the evidence.
Oren turns to a fresh page, writing Mara’s admission beneath the courier mark. The restrained watcher stays silent, while Edrin remains at her shoulder and Lord Rane guards the record’s boundary.
Lord Caldus Rane
Mara Venn, you have placed yourself within the inquiry. I will protect that testimony, but I will also preserve every doubt it creates. No contact will be trusted merely because your life once depended on them.
“Lord Rane, before we begin in earnest if I may be so bold, may I request that lady Mera receive a monetary reward once we've left? She took a significant risk by aiding me, and it could easily have caused her great harm yet she did not flinch...”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled -2)
Octavius
Lord Rane, before we begin in earnest, may I request that Mera receive a monetary reward once we have left? She took a significant risk aiding me, and it could have caused her great harm, yet she did not flinch.
Lord Rane’s attention shifts from the captive to Octavius, then toward the door behind which Mera waits. Oren’s pen pauses above the fresh page.
Lord Caldus Rane
Granted. Mera Doss will receive a lawful reward from Harrowmere for assistance that exposed her to danger. I will not let her courage become an unpaid convenience.
Lord Caldus Rane
But understand the cost of making this official: your request places her aid in the record, and I will expect you to affirm publicly that her actions were voluntary, peaceful, and useful to Harrowmere’s inquiry.
Oren resumes writing, entering the reward beside Mera’s assistance. The payment is secured, but her involvement will no longer remain safely indistinct from the town’s official account.
Mera Doss
I accept, my lord. If my name must stand beside the risk, it may as well stand beside its proper value. Octavius asked fairly, and I will not pretend otherwise.
Lord Rane inclines his head, and Oren marks the agreement complete. Mera gains her reward, while Octavius’s endorsement becomes part of the testimony Harrowmere may later examine.
“My lady." I bow towards her, easily as deeply as I ddi towards lord Rane, showing openly my gratitude and the depth of my high regard for her courage and unflappable composure. "I hope you recognize that thre is truth in every lie. When I said you were beautiful, it was not mockery. I hope you believe me. You deserve to hold your head as high as any veteran guard- You saw through my ruse immediately and did not balk when you realized the danger. You are as keen and cunning a woman as any man would be proud to associate with. And I would be deeply honoured if you would humour my company for its own sake in the future.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled -1)
Octavius turns fully toward Mera and bows as deeply as he did before Lord Rane, offering his gratitude without disguise. She watches him in composed silence.
Octavius
My lady, I hope you recognize that there was truth in every lie. When I called you beautiful, it was not mockery. I hope you believe me.
The bow rises, but Octavius keeps his hands open and his voice unguarded. Mera’s expression softens, though her alert composure does not leave her.
Octavius
You deserve to hold your head as high as any veteran guard. You saw through my ruse immediately and did not balk when you understood the danger.
Octavius
You are as keen and cunning a woman as any man would be proud to associate with. I would be deeply honoured if you would humour my company for its own sake in the future.
Mera Doss
I believe you, Octavius. And I will gladly spend time with you again, when the company is chosen for its own sake and not because danger is breaking down a door.
Mera offers him a steady smile, accepting both the admiration and the invitation. Her reward remains official, but this promise belongs privately to them.
“Sir Rane," I let my attention flow back towards the regions lord and his captive. "Forgive my interruption, but I needed to say so before she left.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled +0)
“Sir Rane," I let my attention flow back towards the regions lord and his captive. "Forgive my interruption, but I needed to say so before she left.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled +1)
Octavius
Sir Rane, forgive my interruption. I needed to say that before Mera left. Her courage deserved my gratitude before your questioning resumed.
Octavius turns from Mera toward Lord Rane and the restrained watcher, bowing with his hands open. The apology settles cleanly between the official inquiry and the private thanks.
Lord Caldus Rane
No forgiveness is needed, Octavius. You made your reason plain, and Mera’s assistance deserved acknowledgment before she departed.
Mera gives Lord Rane a brief nod, then returns her attention to Octavius. The captive remains tied and silent, watching the exchange without interruption.
Mera Doss
Then I will leave you to the inquiry, my lord. Octavius has said what he needed to say, and I am content that it was heard.
Lord Caldus Rane
It was heard and recorded. Go with the assurance that Harrowmere recognizes your aid, Mera Doss. We will continue lawfully here.
“Lord Rane, may I ask your thoughts on this matter of the captive? I ask, gesturing towards the restrained Watcher. "If he speaks truly, then we do not need him for anything. If he doesn't, we are at a massive disadvantage.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled +0)
Octavius
Lord Rane, may I ask your thoughts on this matter of the captive? If he speaks truly, we do not need him for anything. If he does not, we are at a massive disadvantage.
Octavius gestures toward the restrained watcher, keeping his hand open rather than pointing accusingly. The captive remains tied, awake, and silent beneath Lord Rane’s scrutiny.
Lord Caldus Rane
Your concern is sound. His testimony is valuable precisely because it can be tested, but it is not enough to justify trusting every conclusion he offers.
Lord Caldus Rane
We need not keep him for punishment or convenience. We keep him as a witness until Marr, the route, and the signal either confirm him or expose his lie.
Rane’s gaze settles on the captive, then returns to Octavius. His decision gives the man lawful custody without granting his account more weight than its evidence can bear.
Lord Caldus Rane
You are right that discarding him would leave Harrowmere blind. He will be protected, questioned lawfully, and tested against facts. If he speaks truly, he helps us. If not, his falsehood will still teach us where the danger lies.
“May I make a humble request?" I ask, lowering my eyes and bending my head in a smaller almost-bow gesture, waiting for Lord Ranes choice. "If you please.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled +0)
Octavius
May I make a humble request, my lord? If you please.
Octavius lowers his eyes and bends his head in a small, almost-bow, waiting without pressing the request further. Lord Rane studies the gesture.
Lord Caldus Rane
You may. Ask it plainly, Octavius, and I will give you an answer suited to the request.
The permission is granted without suspicion or delay. The restrained watcher remains silent in his chair, while Lord Rane gives Octavius his full attention.
The Second Cloaked Watcher
The lord is hearing him freely. Whatever he asks now may shape what happens to me.
Lord Rane waits beside the chair, patient and severe, leaving the room quiet for Octavius’s request rather than filling the silence on his behalf.
“Sir, while I did imply he might be harmed if he spoke dishonestly, this man said the same to me in private as he has told you. I will tell you now I did threaten him to speak, but it was never my intent to usurp your place to make judgement.... I would not be able to sleep if I believed his mind or body were not safe in your charge. If his advice bears fruit, may I ask for clemency towards this man in all of the ways that matter to his future?”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled +0)
Octavius
Sir, I did threaten him to speak, though I never meant to usurp your judgment. He has told you what he told me. If his advice bears fruit, may I ask clemency for him in every way that matters to his future? I could not sleep believing his mind or body unsafe in your charge.
Octavius keeps his gaze lowered, but his voice remains steady. The restrained watcher watches him closely, while Lord Rane weighs the confession, the request, and the trust placed in his custody.
Lord Caldus Rane
You have admitted the threat without disguising it, and you have placed the man’s safety under my authority rather than your own. That honesty matters.
Lord Caldus Rane
If his route, signal, and courier lead us to the truth, I will grant clemency. His future will not be ruined merely because he was hired into another person’s design.
The watcher’s shoulders loosen against the chair. Lord Rane’s promise does not erase lawful judgment, but it removes punishment from the man’s future if his information proves useful.
The Second Cloaked Watcher
My lord, I will give you everything I know, and I will remember that Octavius asked for mercy rather than my ruin.
Lord Caldus Rane
Then let the record show it. Octavius’s request is granted in principle, and your clemency will be judged by the truth and usefulness of what you provide.
“Thank you, lord." I answer, bending along the spine to spare my hip the deep bow of gratitude that I offer the leige-lord of the region. "Do you need us further, or would you like us to find the exit and be out of your way?”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled -2)
Octavius
Thank you, my lord. Do you need us further, or would you prefer that we find the exit and be out of your way?
Octavius bends along his spine, sparing his hip the depth of a formal bow. The gratitude is unmistakable, but the careful movement also reminds Lord Rane that his guest has limits.
Lord Caldus Rane
You may leave, Octavius. I need no further testimony from you today, and Harrowmere will not hinder your departure.
Lord Caldus Rane
But understand the cost of that freedom. Your threat, your request for clemency, and your account will remain in my record. If the captive’s information fails, your standing here will suffer with it.
The permission is immediate, but not weightless. Lord Rane has granted Octavius his exit while binding his reputation to the truthfulness of the man he defended.
Lord Caldus Rane
Go with Mara and Edrin when you are ready. Oren will see your party through the gate, and I will send for you only if your testimony becomes necessary.
“Respectfully, lord Rane," I reply, giving him a strange look that borders on having taken offense, "Can you explain why I would be beholden to the word of someone who threatened me and mine, someone who I summoned you for your judgement instead of simply kiling him for the transgression?”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled +2)
Octavius
Respectfully, Lord Rane, why would I be beholden to the word of someone who threatened me and mine? I summoned you to judge him instead of killing him for that transgression.
Octavius gives Lord Rane a strange, faintly offended look, keeping his voice respectful. The restrained watcher remains silent, bound safely in the chair.
Lord Caldus Rane
You would not be beholden to his word, Octavius. You brought him to my judgment precisely so his claims could be tested under my authority.
Lord Caldus Rane
Your request for clemency did not surrender your judgment to him. It asked Harrowmere to judge him fairly if his information proved useful, and that is what I agreed to do.
Rane’s gaze shifts briefly to the captive, then returns to Octavius. The distinction settles cleanly: the man’s testimony remains evidence, not a debt imposed upon Octavius.
Lord Caldus Rane
You owe him nothing. You owe Harrowmere honesty about what you witnessed, and you have given it. His future rests on his conduct and the truth of his information, not on your gratitude.
The captive lowers his eyes, accepting the boundary. Lord Rane has answered plainly, and Octavius’s protection of the man remains a request for lawful mercy, never an obligation to trust him.
“Sir." I reply, my voice getting chilly and my expression settling towards an unfavorable judgement of lord Rane rather than fear of his disapproval towards me. "You have not explained why my standing would fall if this boys words prove untrue. I have not staked my reputation on his honesty, only admitted that I deferred to your judgement when it would have been easier to kill him myself. You threatened me with your disapproval based on something I have no control over.”
FAILURE (Legendary Persuasion, rolled -3)
Octavius
Sir, you have not explained why my standing would fall if this boy’s words prove untrue. I have not staked my reputation on his honesty. I deferred to your judgment rather than kill him, and you threaten me for what I cannot control.
Octavius’s voice turns chilly, and his expression settles into unfavorable judgment rather than fear. The restrained watcher remains silent, while Lord Rane studies the challenge without softening.
Lord Caldus Rane
You are correct that you cannot control his honesty. But you can control whether your judgment appears sound after you chose to defend his future before his account was tested.
The answer does not accept Octavius’s distinction. Rane keeps the issue attached to the public consequence of his choice, making the warning about credibility rather than obedience or guilt.
Lord Caldus Rane
I will not punish you for sparing him, nor claim you owe him trust. But if his testimony fails and you have publicly requested clemency for him, Harrowmere may judge your assessment as unsound. That is the standing I meant.
Rane’s explanation leaves the warning in place, though narrowed from a threat of disapproval to a political judgment of Octavius’s discernment. The captive lowers his eyes and says nothing.
“With all due respect," I say, though my voice shows that the 'respect' lord Rane deserves is significantly lessened in my eyes, "I asked that if his words prove truthful, then he should not suffer a punishment he cannot grow past. If your sense of justice doesn't see that as reasonable, then perhaps I should leave your town sooner rather than later.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled +1)
Octavius
With all due respect, I asked only that, if his words prove truthful, he should not suffer a punishment he cannot grow past. If that is unreasonable to your sense of justice, perhaps I should leave Harrowmere sooner rather than later.
The room goes still. Octavius’s conditional request and willingness to depart stand plainly before Lord Rane, while the restrained watcher remains silent beneath the weight of the exchange.
Lord Caldus Rane
That is reasonable. You asked for clemency only if his information proves truthful, not because you demand that Harrowmere trust him in advance.
Lord Caldus Rane
I withdraw any suggestion that your standing depends upon his honesty. Your judgment will be recorded as conditional, and no failure in his account will become your disgrace.
Lord Rane’s severity eases into formal acknowledgment. The warning no longer hangs over Octavius, and the captive lifts his eyes without mistaking mercy for freedom.
Lord Caldus Rane
You may leave Harrowmere sooner if you wish, though you remain welcome until your business is complete. I will judge the captive’s conduct and evidence on their own merits.
The matter settles without a new demand. Lord Rane keeps custody of the watcher, while Octavius’s request is accepted exactly as offered: conditional mercy, lawful judgment, and no borrowed blame.
“does Lord Rane require anything else of Mara, Edrin, or myself?”
YES, BUT (Unlikely, rolled 29)
Lord Rane turns from Octavius to Mara and Edrin, his decision settled but not finished. The captive remains secured, while the room’s attention gathers around the travelers’ next obligation.
Lord Caldus Rane
Yes, I require more from all three of you, but not another interrogation. Mara and Edrin will give signed accounts of the courier channel, and you, Octavius, will confirm what you witnessed and what the captive told you.
Mara Venn
I will give the account. But if my name enters another official ledger, the people searching for me may learn Harrowmere has taken my side.
Lord Caldus Rane
That is the cost. Your testimony will be sealed, but Harrowmere’s protection cannot be both lawful and entirely invisible. I will restrict access, not pretend the risk does not exist.
Edrin Vale
Then record it accurately. We will answer, but we would prefer not to remain past first light if the town can spare us the delay.
Lord Caldus Rane
You will remain until the first account is compared with the captive’s route and signal. That means departure is delayed until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest, though you will have lodging and protection meanwhile.
The requirement preserves the inquiry and secures the travelers for the night, but it costs them time and makes Mara’s presence in Harrowmere an official secret rather than a private refuge.
“Lord Rane," I move to put Mara behind me, watching the lords face for his reaction to my protest. "We came here under the explicit protection of lady Reeve Anja. We have already evaded no less than four attempts on her life, and you demand she put herself further at risk by having her named in your records regarding a fifth attempt?? How dare you?”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled -1)
Octavius
Lord Rane, we came under the explicit protection of Reeve Anja Vey. We have already evaded no fewer than four attempts on Mara’s life, and you demand she risk a fifth by naming her in your records? How dare you!
Octavius moves Mara behind him, placing his body between her and Lord Rane while keeping his hands open. His gaze stays fixed on the lord’s face, demanding an answer without reaching for a weapon.
Lord Caldus Rane
You are right to challenge me. I treated lawful protection as though it required exposing its witness, and that was an unacceptable burden to place on Mara.
Lord Rane’s severity gives way to immediate reconsideration. Oren’s pen stops above the ledger, and Mara remains behind Octavius, listening as the demand is withdrawn.
Lord Caldus Rane
Mara’s name will not enter the accessible record. Her testimony may be sealed under a protected designation, and only those necessary to her safety and this inquiry will know its contents.
Mara Venn
Thank you, Octavius. Lord Rane, I will give the account under seal, provided that protection is real rather than merely written.
Lord Caldus Rane
Agreed. Your name will be restricted, your lodging guarded, and no public account will identify you as the source. Your protest has corrected the terms of this inquiry.
✓ Quest Accepted
Secure Mara's sealed testimony
“I ask Oren, couched in a request to Lord Rane, to prepare Mara's testimony under seal and restricted access.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled +0)
Octavius
My lord, please ask Oren to prepare Mara’s testimony under seal, with access restricted to those necessary for her safety and this inquiry.
Octavius keeps Mara behind the protection of his stance without blocking her voice. Oren turns a clean page, while Lord Rane considers the request in the newly corrected terms.
Lord Caldus Rane
Granted. Oren will prepare the testimony under seal, and access will be restricted to those whose duties require it. Mara’s name will not enter any accessible record.
Oren Valecourt
I will mark it under protected designation, record the access limits, and keep the sealed account separate from ordinary town records. Only Lord Rane and the necessary custodians will receive it.
Oren writes the restriction into the ledger, then begins a second document for Mara’s sealed statement. The arrangement becomes official without exposing her identity to the public record.
Mara Venn
That is sufficient protection for me to speak honestly. I will give the account under seal, and I will name every uncertainty as carefully as every fact.
Oren Valecourt
Then the testimony will preserve both. Your facts, your doubts, and the limits of your knowledge will remain restricted exactly as Lord Rane ordered.
Quest Complete
Secure Mara's sealed testimony