Marin Tohinta cuts through the bazaar, her slate-gray duster sweeping dust and silence before her. Traders lower their eyes. The Guard stiffens at the exit, then holds position, unsure whether to salute or step aside.
Marin Tohinta
Enough. Nobody moves until I hear this cleanly.
Her gaze skips past the Negotiator, then lands on Tracy and stays there, sharp with worry beneath the polish of command. The crowd’s murmur thins to a nervous hush.
The Elder
It was a trap from the start, Lady Marin. The map is bait.
The Negotiator
No. It leads to a cache for Baron Dane Tohinta. They are twisting it.
Marin’s jaw tightens. She studies Tracy for a beat, then the map, then the faces around the ring, weighing truth against panic and politics.
Marin Tohinta
Tracy, tell me what you saw. Right now.
✓ Quest Accepted
Tell Marin what Tracy saw
“Show Marin the mental image of the Negotiator's deception.”
SUCCESS (Superb Willpower, rolled +1)
Tracy lets the image go, sharp and clean. The fake folds of the map, the hidden marks, the baiting path, all of it flashes into Marin’s mind in one instant.
Marin Tohinta
A decoy. He meant to pull people out past the barony's reach.
Marin’s hand tightens at her side. Her eyes cut from Tracy to the Negotiator, and the worry on her face hardens into command.
Marin Tohinta
You saw the lie in him, and now I see it too.
The Guard shifts at the exit, reassured by the change in her tone. The crowd keeps still, waiting for Marin to decide who gets blamed.
Marin Tohinta
Tracy, stay where I can see you. This is barony business now.
Quest Complete
Tell Marin what Tracy saw