[Royal Guard] Unto Marcion ul-Fenduth ul-Arduin Tagran Aldenbar, Lord Chancellor of Arangoth....

[JD]

UNTO MARCION UL-FENDUTH UL-ARDUIN TAGRAN ALDENBAR, LORD CHANCELLOR OF
ARANGOTH:

Greetings,

Several days ago I presided over the trial of Vorfon Nighten ul-Arathan
Devos, a young priest charged and found guilty of assault on a crown
official (Magistrate Lyon) and resisting arrest. Vorfon Devos had scuffled
with a woman in the Blackdragon, resisted arrest by Arms-Recruits Bithsbane
and Gathai, and somehow managed to stab Magistrate Lyon--the fellow truly
believed he acted in self-defense and did not strike to kill--before he
could be adequately restrained. The case would be totally unremarkable but
for something Vorfon Devos said during questioning.

Q: Very well, please tell me how you came to be arrested. The more thorough
you are, the fewer questions I will have to ask, and the sooner I will be
able to deliver my verdict.

A: ...Moments later, while I suffered the lewd paws of the drunken
wharf-wench upon me, a guardswoman arrived. This one. She made her entrance
and, despite uttering warnings towards the monkey-elf, it was my person that
she cuffed before proceeding to chain the monkey to me. It felt wrong, but
not much as I resisted what seemed like unjust arrest at the hands of an
officer of the law. When later on the magistrate arrived I remembered the
rumors she had to her name and suddenly came to realize what seemed ill
about the presence of the man I had conversation with previous. He was a
vampire. And the following scuffle I assumed had been orchestrated to
prevent me from tracing or harming him.

Q: Vorfon, you said there were "rumors she had to her name." Exactly what
rumors are you referring to?

A: She is well-known to be consorting with vampires like the one that I had
just met without recognising in the tavern. Particular include her being a
blood-slave to one of particular might and guile, which would match the
description of the one in the tavern just as well.

With your permission, I would like to question Magistrate Lyon about the
rumors Vorfon Devos mentioned. At first glance, my request may seem a trifle
heavy-handed and evasive; but not so much when one considers the tricks
Drache's undead have gotten up to in the past; paranoia is warranted. One
can hardly forget that the Dovestar Affair found its genesis in rumors. On
an even less savory note, I cannot help but think that, should these rumors
prove true, it would be better for the Chancellery if we found out before
the Royal Guard. Were it found out that we were harboring a blood doll akin
to Cassidy Mistwood in our ranks, the legitimacy of our audit powers would
become very, very suspect.

This is dirty business, but I feel it necessary.

Abraxas ul-Bralk Caros, Magistrate of the Realm