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Part Three.

From the Writing of Pamorata, Mage of Pnyx, Murder Investigator to the LandKing.
After a week in Cademia, we had gotten nowhere. We managed to prevent Baldor from drinking himself unconscious every night, but it was hard going sometimes.
Our only piece of Information was the fact that before each murder in the Mother City, bystanders such as beggars and thieves heard a low hissing sound, corresponding to the sound the beggar in the tavern heard before Malis’s murder. It didn’t make sense. Nothing made sense, either then or for the weeks following.

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“We should go to Odemia next. It won’t take as long to reach as Catamarca.” suggested Baldor helpfully.
Talinor muttered something under his breath, and Melchior, walking next to him, suddenly went poker faced. The small amount of Talinor’s monologue that Pamorata heard sounded like: “...wine is better too, I’ll wager...”.
She agreed publicly with Baldor, and privately with Talinor. After extracting a solemn oath from the fighter to lay off alcohol for a day or so (a promise they all knew wouldn’t last a minute), the four proceeded towards Odemia.

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Baldor was still sulking when they reached Odemia. The other three hadn’t let him visit his friend Glaucus, in the hope of bludging some free wine.
Before they could enter the gates of Odemia, a guard stopped them.
“Did you hear? Ascalon was found dead!”
Pamorata sighed. “Particulars?” she asked, although she knew them already.
The guard scowled, and said, “I am just a guard, and not permitted to talk of such.”
Giving him up as a bad job, our heroes visited Judge Sacas, knowing she would be slightly freer with the information.

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Part Four.

From the Writing of Pamorata, Mage of Pnyx, Murder Investigator to the LandKing.
After discussing the matter with Judge Sacas, I decided to send letters to all the Cities of Cythera, warning all who hold a position of Importance within the Houses to be on their guard between the hours of eleven and twelve at night. The letters (we hoped) would make the Nexus Lord’s job harder, just enough so that he would let slip a vital clue.
Optimism is a grand thing.

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Our heroes were getting slightly downhearted at the lack of results after one and a half weeks.
“We should try Catamarca next, it’s closest. Maybe we’ll find the employer of the Nexus Lord there.” That was Talinor, as cheerful as ever.
Melchior wasn’t so sure. “This whole search might just be a wild goose chase. What’s to say that ‘clue’ wasn’t phoney?” he argued.
“Please, can everyone stop shouting?” groaned Baldor. “I have a headache the size of a titan’s backside!”
Talinor rounded on him. “How much did you drink?”
“Ow. Who said I drank anything?”
Pamorata rolled her eyes. “It’s fairly obvious. Water doesn’t give you a hangover.”
Baldor grimaced. “Ow. Yeah, ok, I drank some wine. Argh. Not a lot though.”
Melchior ran an experienced eye over the fighter. Thieves see a lot of early morning hangovers, for some reason. (Melchior advanced the theory that thieves naturally rose early because they were hard-working, honest people who just wanted to earn a living. Talinor still tends to fall over laughing, thinking about Melchior’s impassioned lecture on the subject of the Cytheran economy.)
“Tell me, Baldor, how did you manage to get back last night. By rights, you should still be walking in circles!”
“Argh! Please don’t shout. Ow. It wasn’t easy.”

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By the time the four got to Catamarca, Talinor and Pamorata had devised a way to prevent Baldor from getting inebriated that night. Talinor went to put the plan into motion, on the pretext of buying more arrows. Pamorata took the others to talk to Judge Metopes, before Baldor remembered you couldn’t buy arrows in Catamarca and got suspicious.
The town was easy to check, there being very few people left to question. Our heroes only needed half a day to ask around, and the other half was free time.
“And now, our little plan goes into operation.” whispered Talinor, as Baldor headed purposefully towards the inn.
“Plan? What plan? enquired Melchior.
Pamorata smiled gleefully. “The innkeeper is a very dear friend of mine, and agreed to help ups. As you may or may not know, one of the mages at Pnyx has been working on an illusory alcohol spell. It makes ordinary water look, taste and smell like wine. Well, that same mage has adapted the spell to a powder, a sprinkle of which produces the same effects, with the unfortunate side-effect of making any alcohol the subject has for three days afterwards taste foul. Any money that Baldor spends on his ‘wine’ comes straight back to us, less ten percent as a little something for helping.”
“If that doesn’t work, I don’t know what will!” said Melchior, impressed beside himself.
“It is a rather good plan, isn’t it?” replied Talinor.

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Another good installment; the theory on thieves was amusing.

I enjoyed coming up with that.

The guard is simply Classic!!!