THIRD TRIAL

[bathymetric]

If you have time for a grisly operation like that, I think you've had all the time you need to gather evidence. Please proceed to the door to the trial room elevator as quickly as possible.

[ Once you arrive, it's the same song and dance as the last two weeks. Angel helps you all get through the vault door and into the elevator, and watches as you all make the slow descent to the dome below. Standing in the elevator is more than a comfortable fit now, even for the largest among you. A few more of you lost and there'll be room enough to pace in here.

But maybe you don't want to think about that.

The dome of the trial room is the same as it's been, the only change the dull red glow coming from the two newly-unoccupied podiums. The screens above flick on, and lower down to make an address. ]

You know the score by now. Find Seteth's killer and you can all go free. Fool them all, killer, and you'll have your life and your reward. Other than that, whatever happens here is between all of you. Call for me if you need anything.

[ The screens rise again, leaving you here.

Welcome to your third trial. ]

Comments

[hardnosed]

A what.

[archboxer]

[She sighs.]

Seteth's shield is extremely strong. A splintered piece of wood could not have harmed it in such a way.

[hardnosed]

But the regular swords the machine gives us could?

[archboxer]

It is far more likely, yes. After all even if it could scratch the shield... it broke when it hit something harder.

[snackooed]

The stone in his chest is harder than the shield?

mods?

[archboxer]

[Cough.]

I believe so. After all, that is where we found the fragments, did we not?

[But for the sake of clarification. Let's look at the hunk of rock. Is it scratched?]

[bathymetric]

[ If you look closely, there is in fact a scratch on there! The kind of extra clarification you can get if you have the courage to take the victim's heart into the trial room every week sure is remarkable, isn't it?

(Note: Under normal circumstances, maybe Not That.) ]

[archboxer]

[She cleaned it! You're just jealous that the Professor doesn't have it.]

You can even see the scratch where it was hit.

[hardnosed]

Huh.

We're not just looking for someone skilled, then. We're looking for someone strong.

[snackooed]

Huh, you're right, it does look like it took a bit of an impact there...

[ Definitely a little peculiar, to see it up-close and personal like this. ]

To think that scratch is what killed him...

[archboxer]

I believe the intent was to run it through the heart...

[If you know, he had one.]

Even a shallow scratch could be fatal to a human heart, could it not?

[emberserker]

That's true. And if it was part of him, damaging it could well easily kill him anyway.

[nothingcanstop]

A scratch to the heart is still a scratch to the heart. I don't think we'd last much longer, in comparison.

[snackooed]

Certainly not. Ours definitely aren't made from such sturdy material, but it really takes is one good poke with something sharp...

[ Seteth... ]

[pimpplan]

Could be, or it could be from the energy driven by the forward movement hitting a hard object that caused the tip to crack. There's a bunch of different ways it could've been done.

[bolderfell]

Yeah. Curve of a shield tends to make a blow slide off instead of stopping it in one place.

[snackooed]

Sounds like I might need to go visit my local renaissance fair, after all of this is said and done...

[bolderfell]

[Therion isn't quite sure what that means, but.]

You could probably get Rhea or someone to show you.

[archboxer]

Either way, I believe it is safe to say that the attacker did not realize that would happen. They went for a strike that was sure to kill yet...

[hardnosed]

... are you trying to say it didn't kill him?

[ Even a gem would have been glitching out, at least, after that amount of damage. ]

[archboxer]

No. It did kill him. I am merely saying that the impact probably surprised them. They would have left the sword behind with the body or taken it back with them otherwise, would they not?

[emberserker]

Anything to try and trip up an investigation. They know how this works by now.

[archboxer]

What I am saying is that it is rather odd that they left the weapon behind. If they washed it and took it with them we would not be any the wiser

[bolderfell]

Unless they ran into someone. Getting caught with a sword would lead to questions. If not right then, then definitely at the trial.

[emberserker]

That's true. And like we heard before, some people do like to roam around at night often enough that it's a risk to anyone who doesn't want to be found.