Open Chronicles The Curious Murder in Seluca

[White Swallow]

OOC: you are strongly encouraged to make up your own mind on what was said or spoken during the ordeal, as well as the details of it. It just adds some more fun Everyone sees and hears what they want to hear, of course.

Constantine of Mirapol is the Basileus of Seluca, a well-fortified port town and vassal state to the cities of Cairou.
Since its forceful change of leadership some five years ago, its architecture has become a mishmash of Sereti and eastern buildings. Most of the temples dedicated to the various Annunaki gods have also been defaced and converted into their Celestial equivalents and replacements. Notably, Hushur's temple has had its motifs changed to that of Astra.
The people, of course, were less than pleased with it, yet they endured quietly.

The many city-states around the gulf of Liad had come together to send their officials, politicians, artists, diplomats and other secondary companions to all involved lands. Constantine of Mirapol was, of course, one of the many among them. There were certainly things to be gained here. Trade deals revitalised, routes strengthened, wars ended and alliances built.
For this various special occasion, Seluca was cleaned up.

The next and one of the last cities to visit was Seluca.
In the evening, the foreigners were settled in luxurious rooms, fit for their status, while Constantine Settled his own bedroom

In the morning.

Constantine seemed rather cheerful when returning to Seluca, he was no different when visiting the other cities. But today, he seemed off.

He toured the city with quite an aura of gloom about him. His company as well was not composed of many artists and scholars, but the guards around him tripled. Some may have heard him mumbling about finding a clipped heron's feather on his bedside.
Such a seemingly insignificant occurrence certainly couldn't have been the cause of such paranoia?

After touring Seluca's university and some of the grander temples, the entourage was led towards the northern coast where a beautiful well stood and the view on the sea was sublime.

They stood some good distance above the walled shoreline, perhaps 15 or 20 meters total. Constantine was about to try gloat about the artist of this square when one of his guards pulled a dagger and put it in the Basileus' neck. He laid him on the edge of the pool muttering something about his reign of terror or was it religion, before disappearing over the edge of the water...Or was a guard pushed over the edge?
Did he disappear into the crowd?
The guards didn't do much? Did they pretend, were they involved?
Constantine uttered something, didn't he?

The only constant was the Basileus' body, half dipped in the well, it's water stained red.

Today.

While publically, it seemed all of the inhabitants were uniform, a clear crease has formed by terrified people and those that were ambivalent to the assassination or even glad that Constantine had died.
»I tell you, things might just change for the better,« an old woman lofty told. »How could you say such things, he righted the people to be strong of faith. All he did was make things better for Seluca!« A pale woman groaned.

»They'll just appoint another despot,« another girl yawned under the shade while leaning against some pillows in the open square.
Another woman sipping tea decided to chime in her own opinion. »I heard they'll burry Constantine in three days. His body is left for investigation.«
»Pah, what do you even learn from a dead body, that it's dead. Stabbed in the neck and bled like a cow,«
the first woman muttered.
The sleepy lady sipped some Selucan tea. »I heard the town guard set out to hire investigators. Gonna let them trod all around town as they please.«
»I hope they execute the assassin as the nonbelievers,« huffed out the pale miss, crossing over her arms.

»Do you think it was one of the foreign ruler's on visit doing or their companions?« A previously quiet lady of dark eyes mused. »I wonder what they plan to do.«
Sleepy miss added to her. »I think they'll be held in Seluca until they uncover the assassin. Nobody is allowed to leave just now.«

 

[Thane Jackdaw]

"It's your lucky day, filth." the guard with the crooked ensemble of yellow teeth muttered as he opened the door to his cell. The cell which he found himself in for the last two days after a tavern brawl he'd started over the insolent words of a drunk wizard apprentice. He probably would've hanged if it had not been for his lucky day.

The guard unchained him and with a swift kick up Thane's arse sent him out of the cell where another guard stood with the monster hunter's belongings. He dressed slowly and wondered whether the smell of shit naturally belonged to the guard's breath who urged him to be make haste. When he finally set his swords on his back, the guard shoved him to move forward and out of the prison.

--

Thane realized why he had been freed and did not like it one bit. The body of the Basileus of Seluca stood before him and he gazed at it for long time wondering whether he would've preferred to hang rather than get himself into the mess of court politics.

"Are you not going to touch him?" an officer of the guard asked impatiently. Thane replied with silence, only to move closer and reach for the man's wound. Colder than it should've been for the time he'd been dead. The monster hunter slightly frowned as he senses the minuscule touch of magic. He forced himself to learn more, perhaps follow the trail but there was no further hints he could find. At least not with his tracking abilities. The magic implied the works of someone capable.

Now, he really preferred to have hanged.

"Well?" the guard growled.

"Magic has been used." Thane stated tonelessly.

"And?"

"Nothing more I can do." he half-lied "Given the circumstances."

"Given the circumstances?! The Basileus is dead! The culprit alive!" the guard yelled. "Prepare the scaffold, we're getting rid of this filth!"

A few other guards rushed from behind the officer to seize the hunter.

"You want to find the culprit? Get someone here who witnessed the murder and actually heard or saw something." Thane said. "Preferably not with the deaf and blind helmets of your guards."

White Swallow

 

[White Swallow]

After a good while, a few of the foreign diplomats and their assistants showed up. Not plenty, but the guardsman huffed something about people being too shocked to speak in the vicinity of the Basileo's corpse.

»Um well, « spoke a middle-aged painter. He clearly did not want to be in this presence, but he seemed to also speak on the behalf of the lord under which he travelled.

»I saw a guard, dressed like any other, he wasn't quite tall but he pulled a dagger with his...right arm and sliced Constantine's throat from the left side.«

 

[Thane Jackdaw]

Thane stared at the witness for a bit before he gave a reply.

"And what happened to the guard?" the monster hunter asked and then turned to the guard officer. "Who was in charge of the Basileus' guard? They must know the identities of the rest of the guards serving then."

 

[White Swallow]

»He ran towards the crowd. I think they later said they found some shet armour,« the artist spoke, covering his forehead with the tips of his fingers.

»I have a list of all the guards that were on duty that day.« Uttered one from the corner of the room. »They have been restrained yet I have little reason to believe it was one of them.«