FIFTH TRIAL

[bathymetric]

Quite the spread of evidence, isn't it? You have all you need, make your way to the vault door at once.

[ Once you're all at the door, Angel lets you through and into the elevator as always. And speaking of that elevator... your space to roam inside has grown again as you head down. Four is a heavy number to lose in one week, isn't it, between Nova and the three bodies you've just found? Though the number of things to discuss might be weighing heavier on your mind, if you're one of the investigators. The elevator might seem bigger or smaller than usual, despite the increase in space.

The trial room is as it is most weeks, apart from the newly-red podiums, so at least that's not a surprise by now. The screens are lowered, the familiar spiral displayed as ever. ]

That's three down this week. Up to three parties can be found responsible, when all is said and done - so go forth and find whoever did this, won't you? And to whoever did this... as always, best of luck to you as well.

[ The screens raise.

Welcome to your fifth trial. ]

Comments

[mouflon]

...Sounds right, then. There were two teacups sitting out, and one was still full.

[emberserker]

But if they poisoned him, why stab him too? Unless that was for Rose, but you can't poison light and rocks. Everyone knows that.

[mouflon]

He wasn't stabbed. The only injury on his body was an impact wound on the back of his head. And it's not like his skull was caved in or anything — it was a "you're lucky if that knocks them out" wound.

[emberserker]

So... he was poisoned and tried to fight back, then?

[mouflon]

You'd think the teaset would have been knocked over, if that were the case. I didn't see any signs of a real struggle.

[blackmass]

He shouldn't have had injuries, then--perhaps signs of asphyxia, but little else. I doubt that to be mere accident, though that goes without saying--if it were, there would have been two bodies instead of merely one.

[archboxer]

Of course it had to be poison... yes, it would make sense, then, would it not?

[blackmass]

Several things would make sense, what is it you refer to specifically?

[archboxer]

Why, that there were two teacups, of course. Would it be more suspicious if there was only one?

[blackmass]

I would call that less suspicious, or at least less indicative of a careless murderer. To frame a poisoning as a suicide would be very simple.

[archboxer]

Hm... yes, you are correct. Something does not add up.

[blackmass]

Agreed. Assuming the obvious and that someone opted to poison him, I fail to understand why our murderer would leave evidence of their presence.

[emberserker]

Rose. She was found in the vicinity, wasn't she? And she patrolled every night, even knowing it wasn't working. If she found them, that would have interrupted it all.

[blackmass]

That does make sense. You suggest, then, our poisoner either left in a hurry--or perhaps, encountered Rose Quartz as well. The difference depends upon how many murderers we are dealing with today.

[bolderfell]

Maybe that's where Rose comes in. Or when.

[blackmass]

Agreed, on that count.

[mouflon]

Yeah. More than that, I found his hat on the opposite side of the room from where his body ended up. It didn't look like he was moved, exactly... Maybe he started to feel sick, got up, and fell before he could make it out of the room?

[blackmass]

Very likely--even at an absurdly high dose, nausea and dizziness would set in before the cardiovascular effects.

[ladygeryon]

What if he recognized the poison and was trying to get away before he was hit? Did you actually find any signs of him having been poisoned?

[mouflon]

Uh, I feel like a teapot full of poison, an empty cup, and no lethal wounds on the outside of his body narrows down the options for us?

[ladygeryon]

Right, sorry, I missed that part about the empty cup. But at the same time if he fell over face-down that wouldn't cause a wound on the back of his head, right?

[mouflon]

I mean, not unless he fell backwards, knocked his head on the doorframe, and then tripped forward. It was definitely an impact wound either way, so unless someone found a bludgeon...

[ladygeryon]

Just bladed weapons, it sounds like. You could technically hit someone with the hilt, but it'd be awkward to do so.

[mouflon]

Especially when we're talking about a carving knife...

[ But, still: ]

Maybe we should check the hilts of those weapons?

Mods?

[ladygeryon]

Just to be thorough, yeah.

[So, any blood on this sword hilt?]