Geartopia : The Case of the Assassination Plot

[meat_mooks]

||Attention, Attention. Would the following personnel please report to the Observation Deck. Please bring with you any weapons and tools you might need. Attention, Attention. would the following personnel please report to the Observation Deck

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Talking with Nomalanga

[meat_mooks]

As she finished her speech, the woman stood there, waiting to see if they had more questions to ask her. They couldn't stay there too long or ask too many things, but perhaps she might be able to provide them with a a bit of aid. She could also supply them with weapons, if they needed it.

[seesbosscrotch]

Mar stroked his goatee for a moment. Given that he was in full plate armor right down to thick metal gauntlets, this seemed like it ought to cause some serious pulling, but evidently he could do it without harm.

"Have any of your three had any obvious changes recently? Change of habits? Spending more than it seems like they should have?"

He wasn't used to asking questions of questgivers, but every once in a while you just had to....

[meat_mooks]

She stroked her chin to think about it. "Not particularly. Allard's been busy as usual, and Taworri only leaves my side to go to his bar runs and food hunts. Mekaisto helps run the town press due to her skills in literature, but she refuses to be an editor due to conflict with the fact she's my secretary."

[seesbosscrotch]

Well that wasn't very helpful.

"Who gave you the tip? One of them or someone else?"

Suspect #1 Mekaisto

[meat_mooks]

Mekaisto, much like Nomalanga, was a humanoid animal-like creature, a raven. Petite (standing at around 4'11" at most), prompt and well-dressed, she wore clothing that allowed her easy maneuverability and so that her wings did not get caught the helm of a dress. She had a tiny pair of spectacles hanging on the bridge of her nose, and a few books under her arms.

"I am Nomalanga's secretary, Mekaisto," she explained, looking at them with calm eyes, if annoyed and distrustful. "I've been working with her for the past ten years, ever since she was promoted to governess and then mayoress, once Snively was banished."

She took something from one of her bags that looked like a bright candy, and promptly ate it.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I'm quite fond of sweets. I have a hard time resisting, even when talking. Good thing my kind don't have teeth!" Well it seemed funny enough for her to laugh at her own joke, and loosen her mood. "Hmm yes. Well. Dreadfully sorry again. Perhaps we can talk before you enter the cavern."

Re: Suspect #1 Mekaisto

[zouichi]

Zouichi gave her a slight bow. "Pleased to meet you, Miss Mekaisto. If you've been with the Mayoress for ten years, you must know her quite well. Are you family friends, or...?"

He paused, then added, "Would you mind telling me in a little more detail about the circumstances under which Snively was banished?"

[meat_mooks]

"Actually yes! When I saw I have been working with her for the past ten years, that is as her secretary. There is only one school in town, many close friends are those you grew up with. Nomalanga came in from another faraway village with her family to live here. We both knew each other as classmates, and as she advanced to become governess, she remembered my skills in school and asked me to help her out with her dreams. I trust her enough to have picked her as the Chosen Watcher over my son."

She paused from her talk to take another candy up to her mouth before stopping and look at Zouichi, showing him what it was.

"My manners are terrible this evening! These are candied fruit, made from the fruit of the nearby cactus and sugar from our beet farms. Would you like one?"

[zouichi]

Zouichi smiled a little. "Classmates, huh? I hope you didn't get into too much trouble. But it's nice to know she has some staunch supporters -- it sounds like she could use the help."

He blinked in surprise as she offered him the candy, holding out a gloved hand to receive it. "Certainly; thank you for the offer. Is this a local specialty here?"

Suspect #2 Allard

[meat_mooks]

The first thing that was easily noticeable with Allard, was how comical he looked, stuffed in that tight outfit of his. Allard was partly the earth equivalent of a manul cat and the fur spilled out on all sides of his overcoat and he had a rather large gut to accompany it (quite possibly due to beer drinking).

He carried a cane, but didn't seem to need it to walk and stood very upright, giving off an air of nobility. That is until he would regularity stop to spit out the sunflower seeds from his mouth, before cramming more into his mouth, which seemed hard to do with the gloves he wore. He only stopped when the strangers got to him, and he did not look happy about them. He took out his glasses to get a better look at them as they approached.

"Name's Allard," he explained. "I'm Nomalanga main agent. The frontier is pretty cruel and all, and they need a few capable men to pull strings behind to make sure everything is running smoothly. If you have questions, make it quick."

[detectivederp]

Tim could be succinct, so he'd do just that. He wasn't going to dress this up or dodge around, he'd just ask his questions.

"How long have you worked with the mayoress?"

[meat_mooks]

The man stopped eating his seeds long enough to answer him, rubbing his hands on his coat. "Five years, stranger," he replied, looking on the side as he spoke. Snidley's control over the town was a terrible one. He was all smiles to the townsfolk, but plotted to build weapons and take to the stars as soon as he could, at the cost of the townsmen's lives. Still, he was good enough with the facade that many just saw him as unfairly banished by Nomalanga. The kidnapping plot could be the definite proof to show the townsfolk who he really is."

"I saw in Nomalanga a fierce warrior that would know how to rope up the town into something reputable. She's got wild blood in her. The gal might have a bodyguard, but she can take care of herself if need be. Never saw another dame shoot quite like she does."

[detectivederp]

"Apologies," Tim started. "Red Robin." Forgetting your manners wasn't a good way to start anything, really. In the meantime, he listened to Allard's explanation and story. It didn't quite answer the question, but it gave him more to work with.

"How exactly were his motivations discovered? In the same manner as this plot, or through different channels?"

Then, in a slightly more casual tone, "But it does sound like you have a great deal of respect for her. You feel that she's done a lot of good?"

Suspect #3 Taworri

[meat_mooks]

Taworri was the textbook definition of goon. As Nomalanga's bodyguard the tiger stood at an impressive seven and a half feet tall, easily towering everyone. His ears flickered at the sounds around them, and he kept looking around, looking like he was expecting them to get ambushed. There was a large, almost comical-sized shotgun strapped to his back that could have easily passed off as a bazooka in the hands of anyone else.

The growl that escaped his lips when he saw the party was not welcoming in the least. He adjusted the tie of his outfit, carefully due to his bandaged hand.

"Taworri," he simply stated. "I don't trust you, you don't trust me. Now that we're over that, just ask what you need and be off."

Re: Suspect #3 Taworri

[zouichi]

Zouichi gave Taworri a brief smile. "Mind if I ask what happened to your hand? Looks pretty nasty."

[meat_mooks]

He glared downwards at him.

"Don't kid yourself, while Nomalanga's a valiant gal trying to change the face of our world for the best, it's still the Wild Frontier out there. I got this during a knife fight at a bar yesterday." A pause, then a terrible grin. "Of course considering my opponent ended up with much more than a cut hand in return, I say it's only fair."

[zouichi]

Zouichi raised an eyebrow at Taworri. "So brawls are commonplace, then? What exactly were you fighting over?"

"...And if you think Nomalanga's bitten off more than she can chew, why help her? Or are you one of the men Allard mentioned? The ones who 'pull strings behind the scenes'?"

The Haunted Cavern

[meat_mooks]

4

[zouichi]

[Hopefully I'm doing this right?]

[detectivederp]

And a Tim to join in!

[meat_mooks]

There are no wells in this area, and it is therefore much more dark, apart from the sign near the end. Otherwise, you'll need to move the torch to get a better feel for what's around you.

Where you can only see a large black hole after it, there is a large DANGER sign painted in bright red paint, surrounded by what appears to be tiny little globes that give off their own light, possibly a natural occurring species of glowing plants. Dried flowers are spread under it as an offering to Wild Ones so they will not get insulted by the sign.