Private Tales The Missive

[Leonora of Mirapol]

Otto von Stehlen
---

Leonora lazily leaned her cheek against the glass of the carriage. Her Eyelashes brushed against it with each blink.
Lonesomes farmsteads and villages slowly inched their way from right to left with only fields of crops parted by hedges and fences for miles to see. Only crops and villages for miles to see...

Occasionally armed guards of the carriage rode past or lagged behind while lean, long-legged dogs of black fur and red spots accompanied them with each change of pace. They say a single bark of this dog has untrained horses flee for miles.
With such an assembly of guardsmen, of course, the trip from mirapol was peaceful at least for..wait, how long was it now?
»Serge, how much more until Strojland,« barked Leonora as she unglued her face from the window.

»20 minutes, my lady.«
»Already?... Thank god, I can't wait to stretch my legs again.«

---
Not long after the carriage left the rural domain, the wheels turned over stone tiles. Even as time shortened, it felt to prolong as the carriage turned between streets and walls in the embrace of people and other riders.
The carriage at last stopped, Serge exited first and bowed by the open door to announce Leonora's ingress.

 

[Otto von Stehlen]

"Wealth stays with us a little moment if at all: only our characters are steadfast, not our gold."
-Euripides​

To call residency of the Von Stehlen a manor was stretching the definition quite a bit, as the word "compound" suited the place a hundred times more. THe carriage had to travel through the main city of Strojland before it reached the manor. The only thing that might have had anything in common to every other mansion was it's base structure...and very little else. In fact, the place had more in common with a military barracks then a noblemen's quarters; There were soldier in uniform all over the manor, most were lined up in the court yard performing drills, while others seemed to be polishing weapons or standing about talking among themselves.

The entranced that arrived at the entrance of manor certainly turned more then a couple of heads, curious or cautious at the sight of so many armed men that stood on their territory. But no one said or did much...for a man with a rather characteristic hat stood front and center of the envoy...hands crossed but his eyes were hidden by his hat...no doubt watching as they pulled to stop.

Spoiler: Captain Conrad Schulman

When the Archmage would finally step out of her carriage, she would be greeted by not just this particular man, but a small group of yellow cladded soldiers, whom look were simultaneously uniformed but dressed so individualistic. Those soldiers would promptly snap to attention and salute the women, but not the one standing smack dab in the center. The fact he wasn't carrying a polearm like the others most likely indicated that he was an officer of sorts.

"Welcome..." He would say rather bluntly, before giving a slow and casual salute to the Archmage. "...Captain Conrad Schulman, 41st Halberdiers...The Count's own Iron Guard...at your service..."

The way the Captain spoke was slow and unhurried, but meticulous at the same time. A quiet authority surrounded him, quite befitting a man of his stature.

"The Count's waiting in his studies..." Conrad said in almost a grunting manner, before tilted his head towards the main halls. "...best we don't keep him waiting...this is rather important...leave your boys here...I assure you this place is more then secure..."

When/if the Archmage was ready, Conrad would lead on with the his soldiers following behind.

The walk to the Count's study was rather uneventful, but even then it was taste of who the man was and what kind of people the Strojlanders were. Most mansions would have been maintained by a fleet of servants dedicated to the job. But here, those who were cleaning also wore the uniforms as those carrying the weapons. It certainly felt rather stuffy; there were crates and barrels stacked about in the hallways, more then once the party passed by weapon racks filled with weapons. People were moving through and fore from the hallway, with even a couple deciding to stand around in the halls to have a casual conversation.

Overall, not what you normally expected for a noblemen's home.

Eventually, Conrad would lead the group to a particular door in the halls. Turning the door knob, the Captain would push through to reveal what looked to be a private study. Even here things were rather crowded. There was paper work stacked up as tall as people, and a good few pillars stood in packs around the room. Meanwhile, there were two soldiers were standing over a bookshelf, looking up at a massive map of Strojland pinned to the bookshelves. Another fellow was standing over a rather large round table, combing through a stack of papers.

But the most interesting part of the entire scene was the serious fellow sitting at what was assumed to be the main desk, appearing to be writing somthing on his desk.

The Count of Strojland himself, Count Otto von Stehlen, and it would seem that he had taken note of the visitors.

"Archmage Leonora of Mirapol..." The man didn't even look up, his eyes concentrated on the parchment below. His tone was serious, but not flat. There was a quiet conviction in those words. "....I've been expecting you."

It was only when the Count was finished dotting along the lines of his current paper, did Otto look up at the women. His facial expression was, to put it mildly, grim. Perhaps that was why he had the nickname "The Grim"; not a smile on him, but somthing more akin to irritation.

"We have a problem...a problem that we are hoping you can remedy..."

 

[Leonora of Mirapol]

Leonora stepped out of the carriage, holding her long dress up by its midsection so it would not touch the floor.
The sight of this place was...highly unusual. It appeared more as if she'd travelled to a bastion in preparation of war rather than a courtly Manor. Nevertheless, certainly, all things had their reason, especially if it involved so many warriors training to stay in superior form.

»Well met, Captain Schulman, « she spoke out briefly, but it was clear enough the exchanges between them were drilled routine, at least to her and no deeper conversation was to be held. But quite an impressive reception indeed, if the idea was to present and pronounce the military might of Strojland.
She waved Serge away to deal with her apparatus before joining the captain by his side.


Leonora would almost hover across the floor as they passed the hallway. Little was heard of her steps among the noise of servant-warriors. Also, an interesting curiosity to observe. Somewhat unusual indeed, being more used to hallways filled with court folk. Entering the study, it gave some sense of calmness with how things were run here.
Though he had a nagging feeling that something was quite off as if a single draft or rough step could topple the towers of stacked papers in an instant.

»Servus, Count Otto von Stehlen, « she replied in kind, but craned her head slightly as the man kept to his scriptures. Her eyes glanced at some of the soldiers in the meantime before walking forward a just a little. She turned to face the large map that was mounted above, making sense of it one way or another, or just to enjoy the artistry of cartography.
»It sounded so in your official missive, but the briefness has me wondering at what kind of problem we stand at. Certainly not one that cannot be dealt with, appropriately.«

 

[Otto von Stehlen]

"Conrad..." One word and a glance was all the Count needed to convey to the Captain what he wanted him to do, as said Captain moved to close the door behind them. It would appear there was a level of discretion to this particular matter...

When the door shut behind them, Otto placed his writing quill into it's inkwell, before clasping his head together and looking up at the Archmage. Grim was certainly the word to describe him, not a smile present since her arrival, yet there was no hint of anxiousness or anger. It was simply a look of indifference, even a matter of quiet irritation, as if this was all this could have been a waste of time.

"You are correct to assume as much...while I wish we had invited you on a happier occasion, it is under unfortunate circumstances that I have requested you to our aid..." The Count quietly stood up, walking to the nearby window with his hands behind his back. His eyes gazed outwards...perhaps in some sort of thought. "...you were highly recommended to me as a women whom had a great range when it comes to your magic capabilities...a skill we need, now more then every....for you see, we've had a series of peoples going missing over the last couple of days...there's more...at least one pattern...former slaves, members of our communities...and anyone connected with these individuals...you could probably guess the kind of people that are behind this..."

Otto paused for a moment, his eys still gazing on the outside. The men in the room contiued to work, too focus on their individual task. Conrad was now leaning against the wall, hat tilted down to cover his eyes further.

"My people have been able to narrow down the range to which this group operates. It goes beyond simply countryside kidnapping, they've been ballsy enough to strike in the city..." The Count grimace, as his expression somehow grew more serious by the minute. "...but they've been effective...too effective...in their operation...we suspect magical fowl play...which is where your expertise comes in."

Another round of silence, except for the ruffling of papers and the murmurs behind the Archmage. The Count would abruptly turn, sauntering back to his desk...and then taking a seat.

"Normally, we have the resources and protocols to be able to comb through the area to locate this threat...but most of my resources have been deployed to counter an external threat: Another monster incursion...but it is given the severity of this duel threat that we need it to be concluded as swiftly as possible...make an example to those whom tread upon our sovereignty with belligerence...even if it means taking on outside help..." The words were as calm as when the Count had greeted her, but somewhere those words became a chilling threat directed at the group in question. "....I hope you understand that this is by no offense to you...but my people don't take too well to outside help...we are a fiercely independent people, with a tendency of questioning the motives of foreign actors...thus even your very presence here must be exercised with a certain amount of discretion..."

His hands came back together like how he held at the beginning of this conversation. It was as if things had come back to full circle.

"Are we clear so far?...Any questions?"

 

[Leonora of Mirapol]

Leonora did not gaze back as Conrad closed the door behind them. She only stretched her shoulders and rolled her head before tucking stray strands of hair behind her headdress.

She stepped forward towards count Otto as he set his quill to the side. Leonora made one last glance across the room before locking her eyes with him. People like him, she didn't like them. Those whose faces had little to learn from, not much to discern or read.
Her expression, in turn, was calm, contrasting with his gloom, whether it came naturally or self-imposed.
Supposedly a group, people turned up missing, right in within the urban locale itself? The Sorceress rose a brow.
Now, this is intriguing, however what she was hearing were only the breadcrumbs of a bigger mystery.


»Missing people, former slaves, community members. May I inquire for how widespread is literacy in your realm?« She clasped her hands together, walking up the desk slowly. »Regardless, worry and concern serve me little purpose and cannot be thoroughly analysed. I have with me my apparatus, many of which are delicate lenses. I assume you have someplace set aside where I can keep my devices. Is that correct?« The sorceress rose a brow as her arms locked together and her back arched as she shifted most her weight on one leg.

»I would like to know if anything has been seized from the missing people, locations where they have gone missing and their residence, hopefully, left untouched. I would like to see these with my own eyes.« The witch smirked at the memory of his remark on discretion. She disliked the idea of shedding her formal garb of Mirapolic high fashion, but alas, some things had to be sacrificed. »Have you had somebody work on this case beforehand? I would love to meet their acquaintance. «
The sorceress stepped to the side a little, moving her hands behind her back, her gaze pointing at the map.
»Two more things, first, you spoke that this may be an organised group, as opposed to an individual or the people merely disappearing. How much proof is there to hint that such a group exists, witnesses included? Secondly, magic may be involved. If it is, my apparatus can sense it's traces.«

 

[Otto von Stehlen]

Otto continued his gaze upon the women, listening to every notion that she had put forth. She was rather scrutiny of what little Otto had put forth...which may upsetting someone a bit more prideful. But for Otto? He had intended to make his statement vague, to see how much she'd catch on. It would seem that she was exactly what Otto needed in this particular incidents.

"Every citizen of the Strojland Confederation is required, by law, to maintain a basic level of literacy, writing, and mathematics...everyone from the bureaucrats and merchants down to the farmers and hunters." The Count spoke, not missing a beat, nor blinking at his statement. "Before you ask why we would afford such education to our commoners...we well demonstrate to you why."

Otto's shifted away from the Archmage, looking to somthing behind her....

"If I may have your attention, er, your highness...I'll take care of answering some of those questions of yours." It was the man near the table. Unlike the others, he dressed similarly to Otto in a manner that was...less militaristic. "Our people have had an extensive documentation system that has started since the founding of our realm. Initially, it was a matter to our founders to be able to meticulously record and track our goods and where they traveled once they have entered or preparing to exit our borders. Our dear o'l Count has taken advantage of this to create quite the extensive documentation system for further civil and military use."

Stepping to the side of the table, he pushed forth three distinct piles of papers tied together by string to prevent them from scattering. They seemed to be sorted based on their height: The right pile had the most amount of papers, followed by two medium stack paper.

"The three piles you see here is the result of our Count's filing system: These are the compilation of dozens of reports filed in from all over our lands with the exact details of when the people have been found missing and signed witness testimonies of what they have observed at the time. We have been sorting through the data and analyzing them since the beginning of this particular operation. If you would turn your attention back to our fine map..." The man gestured over to, which consisted of a griddle outlay over the terrain. The man made three vague rings around certain areas around the map. Had one been following him carefully, they would have noticed that within each invisible ring there were dozens of marked points. "...We have split up these clusters of these kidnappings up into three distinct sectors where we have deployed lieutenants to oversee the monitoring and investigation of the incidents as well as report on any further activity."

The man moved towards the right side of the table, placing a hand on the largest of the stacks.

"Sergeant Gotthard Eisner of the 2nd Strojland Crossbow Regiment stationed in Eisen-Gebrigsstadt is in charge of the investigations that are taking place in our city and the area immediately surrounding the city. It seems that out of all three of the sectors, a good chunk of these disappearance reports are coming from the city."

The man then moved onto the middle pile.

"Hunts-Captain Oliver Rossel of the Schleiferwood Patrol has jurisdiction among the rural and forested regions of our realm, thus he has been tending to the investigation there. What is becoming very interesting about this region is that Hunts-Captain Rossel has detailed a potential witness to what he believed to have been a kidnapping. While we have his report on the witness testomony, we were about to dispatch someone to do some more questioning...well, that was until you arrived."

And finally, the hand moved onto the last pile.

"Inspector Manfred Weisz has been covering all reports coming from the mountain ranges and townships. Ground zero of this entire ordeal began within this sector, and seemed that they were a bit sloppy on their first attempts. Inspector Weisz is still brushing through the site, so we've still been receiving reports from that particular disappearance."

Done with his explanation, the man then moved to face the Archmage directly, lowering his head as he began to explain further.

"All these reports have a few themes in common...as you can probably read for yourself...They've all happened in the span of a fortnight...they exact time of their disappearance, distance apart, has happened within a mere few hours if not minutes of each other. Unless there is some individual whom possess the power of teleportation that we are unaware of, we’re assuming a group actor here....and like we had mentioned, most of these difference have been of former slaves that we have resettled into our society...and families associated..." The man reached for his spectacles, squinting at them for a moment, before taking out a handkerchief and proceeded to
clean it. "What's more, we've recently been having quite a bit of...changing in the weather. Things doesn't seem to out of the ordinary now...but every night, for almost a week now, we've had heavy fogs rolling...a week ago was when these reports have been coming in...The last time such an event occurred on our soil, a creature that stumbled upon our territory had brought winter during the summer...so it's not exactly inconceivable to us that external factors are at play here...especially a magical..."

He would move his spectacles up to the light for a better look. When he was satisfied with how clean they were, he placed them back on his nose, looking back at the Archmage.

"Now you've asked what makes us so sure this is a magical matter. Well, our Hunts-Corporal Erwin Geschwind and the Count's brother, Baron Karl von Stehlen, were both assigned to tracking down any leads we had on the disappearances. We may have even had this operation wrapped up now were they still on the case. But as the Count mentioned, the immediate damages of the bestial incursion has forced us to reassign the two before they were able to give us any actionable intelligence..." Reaching back over the table, the spectacle fellow produced a thin stack of paper, offering it to the Archmage. "...however, both did submit reports shortly before their departure to the frontlines. Most of what you will find in these papers lines up with what I've been telling you. However, the Hunts-Corporal has been one of our greatest assets because of the companion he keeps; a canine called Ace, he has been proven to be able to detect any traces of magic that has either been used or present in the air. Given this, the Hunts-Corporal and the Baron has been able to confirm that there has and indeed is some sort of magical fowl play occurring...you can read more on the specifics in their reports. But in short, it is this precise reason why we have requested for your expertise on such short notice."

The spectacle man then moved out of the way, allowing for the Archmage to choose weather or not to rifle through any of the reports. Had she any questions, she had access to the man whom had spent most of his week analyzing the data...

 

[Leonora of Mirapol]

Every citizen of the Strojland Confederation is required, by law, to maintain a basic level of literacy, writing, and mathematics

Leonora's eyebrows lowered, her face briefly turned into a relaxed smile. That sounded like music to her ears. Certainly, there might have been some form of written correspondence between the individuals, or the involved or the victims, whether willing or co-conspiring. Perhaps if the plot is deeper than she first imagined, there may be some clue in the writtings the supposed victims left behind.
»Leonora, Archmage as you will.« She briefly corrected the man that approached from behind but did not want to derail any discussion on her legal position in any court.

Leonora came closer to the three rather sizeable stacks. And if it were not such a case, at least there are the reports she can file through to see if some information adds up. She looked towards the count's direction one more time before eyeing the papers. »May, I.« She unravelled the tallest stack, going through the side to see where the cases separate from one person to another.
»If applicable, could I request for a chamber to hold my apparatus and have these papers taken to? In the meantime, I would like to set up my workstation with map included so I can file through and pin down any relevant information.« It seemed as if the sorceress spoke to one in particular as her eyes darted between the map on the wall and the papers themselves. The notion that a magic sensing dog was in Strojland slightly bemused the witch. She chuckled a little, she thought cats to be better in tune with sensing magic.

»How many people missing are we talking here.« she quietly spoke to herself. Fourteen days, former slaves had gone missing, and not just them, entire families of their's as well. Perhaps they had meant serfs? that is something she'll have to look into the intricate history of Stronjland itself to see what nuance that detail may hold.
It certainly can't be teleportation, by all laws of magic, that would be impossible. Something else was likely involved.
»Later I would like to be escorted to one of the scenes within the reach of the city, I'll be taking some of my sensing crystals with me to trap any latent magic residue.«

For a moment Leonora gazed back at the map of the realm to see if she could notice either of the mentioned locations and gauge the distance between them and here.

 

[Otto von Stehlen]

"Of course, Archmage..." The man with the spectacles nodded, bowing his head a little in respect. Otto meanwhile watched from his desk, his hands nor expression having moved since the explanation.

"We have a chamber across from the way that we use to store additional paperwork, we can make space for your device in there...have your men bring in the device...move the entire operation to that room, route any further reports we get on the matter over when we receive it..." The Arch-Count's eyes shifted to the others in the room, whom seemingly knew exactly what to do.

The man in the spectacles began stacking up any relevant papers just as the two other uniformed men began moving to take down the Confederation map. Captain Schulman tilted, pushing open the door as the man in the spectacles carried out the stack of reports, calling over a nearby guard to issue instructions.

It wouldn't be long before most of the documents were being mobilized and was being moved to said chamber. The map itself had also been moved, as the uniformed men began pinning in a similar position as it was in the study.

Another look at the map would reveal that most of the pins(indicating last known location of the reports) seemed to reflect the reports; Most of the clustering was within the city, other smaller clusters were located around what appears to be other townships. There were pins here and there through the countryside and woods, but they were minimal...

"I'll send a message to Sergeant Eisner to be expecting us soon...you have access to my administration team and whatever information you may need for this investigation..." Otto said, sliding a fresh piece of parchment infront of him, reaching for his quill and beginning what was assumed to be the letter. As he wrote, he continued to speak. "...one last thing before you continue; since most of my command is occupied dealing with the monster incursion, I will be personally overseeing this particular investigation...any findings that you may come across, you report it directly to me. When we eventually get a move on into the city, me and my retinue will also be accompanying you into the city to ensure everything goes smoothly."

 

[Leonora of Mirapol]

»Wonderful, « she said dryly and quietly, watching the living of the room quickly disperse and take action upon the written material, including the map.

She then turned to Otto as he finished: » Rest assured, I will have my findings available for inspection at any time and shall inform you of new significant leads. Are you present day round in this room?«
The sorceress bowed before egressing to see this new room.
She took one last glance at the count before making her way after the migrating paper stacks and map.


Serge had since prepared her luggage, most were fragile material that her retinue packed up in dark mahogany boxes with brazen fittings and locks. The wood was wonderful, deep reddish-brown that glistened with golden specks. Clearly whatever lies within was more valuable than anything imaginable.
They took the fragile boxes one after another, taking them after the route to the destination.

Once there, the witch took the boxes one by one, unlocking one 'smaller one', about the size of a traveling case. With a spell, »Odpri Se,« the lock came loose with a satisfying click sound.
As guessed, the inside of the mahogany box was laden in red silk. This particular box had 4 pale crystals with sharp edges, mostly clear in colour. Leonora, still holding the box looked over how many men and which were still present to stay with her.

 

[Otto von Stehlen]

Otto simply gave a nod, before returning to his writings. Within minutes, he had finished drafting up the letter and had sent it along with a messenger to the capital city...

In the mean time, men still continued to move the relevant papers into the new room. Some more reports came in via carrier pigeon in the interim, as the man with the spectacles went over it the documents upon receiving them, before slotting them into the correct stack.

Eventually, everything would be stacked neatly together, as the doors to both rooms remained open. Guards stood about the two rooms, standing casually but vigilante. The Captain himself leaned with his hands folded against the wall just outside of the new room. The two men working on the map had soon finished restoring it in the other room, and were now examining it in the same manner. The Count and his spectacles assistant remained in the study room, busy working on correspondences and other matters...

 

[Leonora of Mirapol]

»Serge, assemble the magnifier.« The sorceress told the head of her retinue.

The men simply bowed and took to the other luggage. One of the boxes opened held many copper rods.
Serge began to assemble them, one rod into another, one end on legs while the other on some strange fittings to hold this or that apparatus. The last of the magnifier stands was a simple platform.
»And the lenses?« He asked
»Leave them be for now,« Leonora remarked as she leaned her head on her knuckled and unravelled the documents in the meantime.

There could be some patterns. She began to thoroughly read the documents one by one before trying to see any patterns that began to form between the various incidents.
Did they disappear in their homes or outside? What were their places left like?
Grabbing an empty parchment as well, it might be worth to note down all the significant information.

The sorceress out of a sudden turned back towards the men.
»Excuse me, can I ask the nature of the former slaves? From where do they source their origin, who was their master. How long have they been in Strojland?«

 

[Otto von Stehlen]

There didn't seem like any noticeable pattern of where these individuals were taken, as the location of where they were last seen ranged from everything from the middle of the courtyard to far into the mountain ranges. The only consistency between the reports were the times(disappearances occurred after nightfall) and the site of their last known location were often sites of great struggle, though any witness near the area didn't seem to have heard anything,

As for the men, when they were asked about the nature of the former slave, they simply looked at each other questionably.

"You'd have to be more specific about the subject, madame..." One of the men said, tilting slightly in his posture to look at the Archmage, even as he kept his hands behind his back.

"Er, what my colleague means is that...well, I suppose we can't ask this without going through some of our laws and history..." The secound man in the room spoke up quickly, looking from his comrade to the Archmage with great deal of concern. "...See, in our nation's founding Charter, the uh, the "Federal Charter"...as it's known...there exist an article that specifically declares that our alliance of townships was to guarantee and maintain this concept of a universal freedom upon these ridged lands...you see, a number of the mining townships today started off as run-away slave communities who'd hold up in the mountain ranges to avoid slave-catchers from being able to retrieve them. Over time, they became what some may described as fortified bastions, became more trouble then it was worth to try to retrieve them, so to say...but to our founding fathers, having these people on their side was more valuable then trying to subjugate by force...thus with that particular article was written into our Charter in order to win those townships over."

"In essence, we are a nation that has outlawed the practice of slavery since our grounding. Any sentient being that steps upon our lands is automatically granted the title of freemen...weather that is to the liking of those outside of the realm, who's to say, but those are the rules of our lands that our forefathers put forth, and ones we honor today..." The other chimed in, serious in his logic and conviction. "...as such, you can see how this can be appealing to those wrapped in the chains...we've always have had a steady stream of slaves seeking refuge in our lands...plus the occasional waves of them when the odd slaver-caravan gets too close to our lands..though I wonder...."

"It wouldn't be the first times we've had bounty hunters masquerading as bandits trying to set up shop among our forests...but the The Schleiferwood Patrols would have routed them out by now...this..." The secound man looked at the stacks of reports, eyes clearly showing his frustration. "...this is more then just kidnappings...it's an attack on our people...and it feels deliberate..."

 

[Leonora of Mirapol]

Peculiar... The sorceress placed the papers down. Seems as if the clues are all over the place.

»I see...« she mused, righting the stacks back together in order and sliding them to the side.
»It doesn't seem as if anything connects the victims outside of this tragic incident. Then I would assume a singular connected actor would be too far fetched for our cause. If these people come from various origins, not the same salvers that is, then we are without named suspects.« she sighed.

»Nevertheless. Shall we see the site, then?« Leonora patted her dress straight before taking for the pristine mahagony box and putting one of the clear crystals into a thick, black velvet cloth.

 

[Otto von Stehlen]

The two men glanced at each other, before the nodding to the Arch-Mage One of them would excused himself momentarily, as he peered into the hallway to whisper a few words to the Captain. Some shuffling outside seemed to indicate movement, as before long Conrad himself poked his head into the room.

"The Count's outside..." The Captain grunted, tilting his head to indicate for her to follow, his eyes were a shade of indifference that actually was not to dissimilar to the Count himself. "...better not keep him waiting."

Indeed, the Count himself stood to attention outside, observing the proceedings of his men with an icy gaze. It didn't seem to bother any of them, however, as they went about their business as casually as when the Arch-Mage had arrived.

The Count stood to near the Arch-Mage's carriage, so when she would arrive, he was able to speak to her...without really, looking at her. "Has your analysis yielded any results?"

 

[Leonora of Mirapol]

»Let's move then,« she clapped.
The sorceress was quick to move, yet in no hurry. Her pace was fast enough to leave a donning tip tap across the floor that resonated quite differently from that of soldier boots.

Finally, on the set destination, Leonora moved forward towards count Otto.
»I have some guesses, however, none leave us with a definitive lead. The magic, however, if it still lingers, I may yet analyse its nature.« She turned her head back to the main space of the fort-like manor.
»Most of my luggage are analyzing instruments, not only for magic that is. So we should take care to bring any suspicious materials back.«

 

[Otto von Stehlen]

"You have permission to collect whatever is relevant to this investigation..." Otto said, as he turned to face the Arch-Mage, looking at her with the same gaze as he gave his soldiers. "...just make sure it is documented properly with one of my aides...for court proceedings, or future references..."

As the Count spoke, Conrad had quietly sauntered by, passing behind Otto and pausing momentarily to whisper somthing into his ears. Otto simply gave a nod, before Conrad continued on his way forward without much of a word, moving towards the head of the formation. It would seem that in the short time that the Count and the Arch-Mage had spoken, men on horseback clad in the same colors as the Count had proceeded to form up in a block beside the Arch-Mage's contingent. However, these men were far from the likes of knights, rather they wore a somthing of a half-plate armor, with jet black cloaks flowing behind them and various cavalier hats decorating their heads. They were armored with what looked to be sinlge handed swords, yet curiously enough each member of the guard was also equipped with dual crossbow pistols. At the head of all these men was Conrad himself, now mounted on a stead, riding forth and bring himself along the standard bearer, flying what was no doubt the Arch-Count's banner.

Spoiler: Otto's Mounted Guard

When the Arch-Mage was ready to proceed, one of the Count's aides would bring forth a black steed that matched the accents of the man's clothes. It took Otto but a secound to mount, before ease his steed forward to ride along the carriage. Otto's mounted guard would soon follow behind...as the entire formation galloped forth out of the gates of the manor grounds.

It seem that the Count would have some questions for her, because the Arch-Mage would soon find the Count casually trotting alongside her carriage...though his expression dictated otherwise.

"You mentioned you have some theories from what you have read; What are these theories of yours?" The Arch-Count hadn't even bothered trying to masquerade the question with small talk, instead skipping directly to the point....with his intentions clear through this mannerism alone.

 

[Leonora of Mirapol]

»I admire your dedication to keeping up with documentation, count Otto von Stehlen. It is such a rarity in other realms.«

Indeed, quite subtle of an entourage, an entire armed garde, so at least Leonora thought, yet it did not escape her mind between the mention of a deliberate attack against Strojland's people and such a company.
The list of nameless suspects keeps growing, she would have to ask about it later.

She stepped back into her coach, letting her driver follow the path from the count's foreriders.
Yet another uneventful trip she would think so until the count came closer to her carriage. With how he seemed to look like all the time, it was hard to guess what he wanted, if he even wanted anything at all.
She opened the window for good measure.

»Ah, I hoped we would have a more quiet opportunity to discuss the matter, I have something to ask you for later, something just between us.«

»But to proceed on your matter. It seems it may be the doing of either slavers, their former lords or possibly some unknown faction to us unseen. However, none of the attacks read as if done by normal slavers or brigands. For they go into a village and raid it clean, not pick a few select people within their own domains and at the midst. That is more akin to traffickers and even then the individuals targetted seem highly unusual.«

»Highly concerning is the fact that if it is a substantial group, the manner in which they may have captured the individuals, including their families, may indicate that they are not a single individual per location, most likely two or more. And the notion that they are all but unseen in populous locations would mean they are either highly stealthy or use magics like invisibility...«

»However, these are merely my guesses on the provided materials, the nature of the magic, the state of the locations, may hopefully bring us new information.«

 

[Otto von Stehlen]

The Count simple grunted at the question, nodding his head even if his expression remained stone cold, maintaining his riding posture as he quietly looked ahead. They would have a moment to have this conversation when they arrived at the city prescient.

Otto would continue to listen to the Arch-Mage's theories on the events that could have been. Many of her theories actually lined up with those that the Arch-Count and his people have managed to put together, so they were on the right track at least. But the devil was in the details, to which a specialist may better serve in this investigation...which was precisely why she was here.

"There's a commonality in the time of day that these kidnappings have occupied; at least an hour after sundown...when the fog settles in..." The Count put forth. Despite his normal monotone voice, there was a hint of a...subtle undertone of anger, as if a lit fuse was speaking...threatening an explosive 'bout of rage if the fuse was burnt up...

The question was how much longer was this fuse?

"...as we've mentioned...we've been having rolling fogs these past few days...the speed and suddenness at which they set in is downright unnatural...there is a correlation, it would be too convenient otherwise..."

The little convey of men and horses would continue forth into down the road along the road, until they reached one of the main highways of the realm. In the distance was the City of Eisen-Gebrigsstadt...with the vast and beautiful mountain ranges looming over the city, almost dwarfing it in size...

 

[Leonora of Mirapol]

The sorceress leaned back onto her seat, part of her fingers gripping the edge of the window.
»So the fog is not part of the odd natural phenomenon but came premeditated before the attacks? If it is magical in nature, there is a chance to allow for it to be traced and identified. Though nature transformations are finicky, sometimes they show as false negatives,« she complained, leaning back as her voice trailed off.
»Perhaps we will be lucky.«

Leonora stretched her legs. Roads parted and winded when the carriage turned she even got to see a vista of the city amid the mountain shade.

 

[Otto von Stehlen]

"Whatever it is...it has been working to the advantage of whomever is behind this..." The Arch-Count grunted, shifting in the saddle of his stead, even as the black-maned mount himself gave an equally indifferent nigh. "...we've seen weather transformation before in our lands...a few months past, we've had what I would describe the same thing, yet it was an instance of snow...my own brother was at the epicenter during this occurrence, to which he was able to engage and deal with the problem. When he had concluded the entire ordeal, the report he submitted to me detailed a creature that apparently had the power to enact such...drastic changes in our environment...we've been vigilant of such occurrences ever since."

Correlation didn't mean causation, Otto knew that better then most, but that didn't mean there wasn't some sort of connection. If they could cut through this fog of ambiguity, both figuratively and literally, they'd be able to get a image of the bigger picture.

"Will there be any particular items of interests you will be looking for?...It'll be useful for the local investigators to know when they are gathering further data...and for future reference..."

 

[Leonora of Mirapol]

»Indeed, it's quite an uncanny coincidence, worth keeping note of, but I wouldn't put all my eggs in the same basket, not just yet.« The sorceress leaned back towards the window as her mater of topic came forth.
She even poked her arm and rested it on the flat end, gazing forward after glancing at Otoo briefly.
»Letters. Any form of correspondence, odd brands or insignia. Important is also the appearance of the location. My assumption is, from how it was presented in the cases, that struggle was not present. But still, there may traces unseen to most eyes.«