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Post by XuLiang on Dec 22, 2023 5:26:41 GMT
“Is it fortunate? They expensive and always seem to cause more trouble than they are worth unless you have an enemy that refuses to negotiate like a civilized person and is too well protected for assassination.” He shrugs. “But the only other thing I can think to offer at the moment to help re-stabilize the situation would be the fact that I am currently the right age for a political marriage.”
Xu looks like a schoolboy thinking quickly through what he has learned fearing that he missed something, “My apologies, the name is unfamiliar to me. He is not in the official family histories, is he?” (OOC - Unless I missed something, he was kept secret from the Amber crowd for the most part, right?)
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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Dec 22, 2023 6:05:18 GMT
<OOC> As far as Cody knew, he was kept a secret, but Fiona said otherwise. And Llewella and Queen Moire appear to have known... So, you may or may not know about a boy who jumped into the Abyss at Patternfall. </OOC>
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Post by XuLiang on Dec 22, 2023 9:04:44 GMT
(OOC - So maybe only a select few know of him. Or Xu isn't as good a student as he would like to think he is. ;P )
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Post by Admin on Dec 31, 2023 2:23:20 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/j5FLskF/Florimel~jpg "If only a political marriage could solve all our problems. Sadly, I have no one to hoist you onto for the good of the realm."A messenger rushes in, whispers in her ear, then rushes back out. "This Cody is a mystery man who claims to be a part of the family. Deirdre's child, he says. I have my doubts. His stirring up trouble in Rebma fits in with his actions today, and yet he refuses to enter the castle. I can see the outlines of the plot, but some details are still hidden. Look at this-"She is stopped from handing Xu a scroll by yet another servant who rushes in to tell her something. "And now more details come to light. Follow me, Lord Xu."She leaves the table and marches through the hallways at a slightly quicker than regal pace.
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Post by XuLiang on Dec 31, 2023 13:20:08 GMT
Xu feels relief that his freedom will last for some time more before the needs of the realm necessitate his settling down.
He silently and gracefully falls in beside and slightly behind her. He remains alert because of the earlier statements. If there were to be an assault on Amber, and assassination of the Regent would be a logical first move. Perhaps this Cody is attempting to draw the Regent out? He considered alerting her but suspected she had already thought of it and detailed others, including himself, to defend her. The best he could do would be to be vigilant and ready.
"If he is Princess Dierdre's son, where has he been all this time?"
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Post by Admin on Jan 2, 2024 3:22:17 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/j5FLskF/Florimel~jpg "He claims to have been in the Courts of Chaos studying one of their dark arts."They round a corner. "Looks like it's a day of daggers for you," Flora says to him. Laying facedown on the floor is Lord Rexin with a knife in his back. A young servant cries, her face in her hands while another comforts her. Two guards stand watch over the body. A third servant in charge of the situation reports. "Regent, I ordered the castle sealed. Eileen reports that a few hours ago, she was hectored by Lord Ovid to reveal the location of the stored mirrors, who then used one to travel."
"Well done. Order a doubling of the guard at the bottom of the stairs; we don't need a repeat of the Coy disaster."
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Post by XuLiang on Jan 2, 2024 13:42:17 GMT
(OOC – I’m going to assume from the description that Lord Rexin has obviously expired. If there is any chance of reviving him, Xu would of course attempt to heal him with his Chi powers and knowledge of medicine and I will revise my post.)
Xu Liang circles the body at an arm’s length distance observing the angle and posture of the deceased attempting to determine the basics of the encounter that ended his life. (OOC - Warfare?) Xu Liang is obviously thinking and says in a low voice to himself but loud enough the others can hear him, “You were a smart and warry, who or what got to you? And did you manage to leave us any clues?” After examining the body, he looks around the room and upwards to see if there are any other clues as to what happened. “Whatever you were worried about happening is most likely happening now.”
(OOC – Obviously this isn’t a CSI level investigation, but hopefully he can determine the skill level of the attacker, IE did Rexin die instantly or linger. Whether the knife was thrown or thrust, IE depth of the blade. Did he fight back or was he taken by surprise? Perhaps a rough guess on the timing? Any clues left behind or by a dying Rexin?)
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Post by Admin on Jan 3, 2024 5:26:30 GMT
OOC: You are correct, the man is dead.
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Post by Admin on Jan 3, 2024 5:34:08 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/j5FLskF/Florimel~jpg It appears that someone came up behind him and stabbed him in the back. Waggled the knife around a bit to ensure organs were cut. Professional job. "I can't believe it's a coincidence. What you saw in Arden, Ovid exposing the mirrors, this death, Maeve's dereliction of duty, and Cody's arrival. When you're done with the inspection, grab that knife and return to my office," Flora says.
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Post by XuLiang on Jan 8, 2024 4:27:22 GMT
Xu Liang notices the young servant and goes over to her. He bends down to one knee in front of her and raises a hand to comfort her but realizes that might not be appropriate so he drops it and hopes his sad expression and the real concern in his voice would be enough. “Sorry to intrude. But the Regent needs to know what you saw. Could you please tell me? Then perhaps one of your friends here could help you get to your quarters so you may rest and recover.”
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Post by Admin on Jan 11, 2024 4:28:27 GMT
"I came around the corner and found him dead there. He was a good man. Too many have died," she says between the tears and sniffing.
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Post by XuLiang on Jan 12, 2024 14:52:45 GMT
“Yes, that is definitely true,” he says sadly. He stands up and signals for one of the guards to help her get to her quarters. He is examining the area around the body, looking for any signs of the assassin when he remembered that Flora said something about mirrors. He looks to see if there are any mirrors in the hallway.
Once he has done a quick but thorough search of the area, he kneels over the body again. You must have had news for the Regent. Let us see if you still have it. First, he looks to see if a search has already been done (OOC pockets disturbed, pouch cut off) and then he searches himself to see if there are any papers, notes, or items of interest on the body. When he is done, he sits down with and shakes his head. “Too many have died indeed.”
He pulls out a green silk handkerchief which he wraps around the handle. He then pulls out the knife with a look of apology at the corpse for the crude work but orders were orders. He stands and starts after the Regent wrapping the dagger in the handkerchief.
When he joins her in her office and she acknowledges him he asks, “Is there a tradition of … um … violent career promotion in his department? Should we look to his deputies to take his place or as suspects? Or both, I suppose.”
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Post by Admin on Jan 15, 2024 5:48:42 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/j5FLskF/Florimel~jpg All the mirrors were taken away and placed in unlit storage rooms. Ovid was the only one to remove one of the mirrors for some secret purpose. Rexin has nothing out of the ordinary on him; as the known spymaster of Amber, he wouldn't keep information on him that could be stolen or removed from his dead body. A fuller search could be done of the clothes once the body has been taken away to the morgue. The knife is of a design Xu is not familiar with, and no blood clings to it when pulled from the body. It's made of some shiny metal like chrome or silver, and the edge is as sharp as broken glass. "A certain number of violent incidents have occurred over the years but not, as far as I can tell, done for promotion. The last one was destroyed when Merlin blew up this place; among the many that preceded him, a few died when leaving the castle to do some work in the city. Now, a few died of old age when they weren't too old, just bad luck; others passed away quite young with no cause found. I guess we could consider that spy types would know of poisons undetectable by any of our techniques.
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Post by XuLiang on Jan 18, 2024 2:40:56 GMT
Xu Liang sits down and appears to be deep in thought. “It is difficult to determine the motive other than the general obvious motives of either slowing your plans or slowing your reactions to someone else’s plans. And the physical evidence is quite thin other than this curious knife.” He pulls it out and being careful not to touch it with other than through the scarf.
“It is surprising they left it behind. Is it perhaps a message of some sort? If so, it is a bit lost on me because in my limited experience this is not a familiar style or material.” He turns it over and examines the knife carefully and curiously.
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Post by Admin on Jan 18, 2024 3:20:18 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/j5FLskF/Florimel~jpg "The strangeness of the weapon must be a warning for me. Letting me know our assassin is from somewhere distant and odd. They could have used any old dagger if they wanted it to look like an inside job. Unicorn knows we have plenty of those about the castle.
"You probably think that I'm paranoid about seeing conspiracies everywhere. I know the others think I'm crazy. However, if someone wanted to kill my spymaster, there could be no better time than now."She hands Xu a sheet of fine vellum. A notice is written on it by someone called N'Realle from Rebma and signed by some other lords and ladies of the place. It mentions that Cody person as a son of Deirdre and his assertion that Rebma and Amber are equal and equivalent. He uses that supposition to declare Moira the queen of Amber. "So you see? All those others going in and out of Rebma: Lorelei, Cody, Brian, Ovid, they're all conspiring to overthrow me and put her on the throne."
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