Seb raised his eyebrows. "You simply 'found' them? That makes this even stranger. Someone took them, presumably only with the ritual in mind, but never used them for that and then just dropped them at some point? In any case, yes, if you have no more need of them I would like them returned.

"While on the topic, does anyone know more about the missing dice? With 9 at the podium, that means 5 were taken. One for the mayor's weakness which Benjamin took, one for Nail's, one for Oliver's which Charlie took, and presumably one for Charlie's. Micah never had the chance to take a die, so it wasn't for Ciro's weakness. I suppose that means the last die was intended for my weakness, but never used? Or is anyone else missing an item?"

"Must have been one hell of a shit, cause thats how you looked when your ass showed up at the mess hall."


"Well after the tunnel collapsed my beer I had with me was gone, I guess its possible some asshole took it rather then me loosing it, cant say for sure it was though."

"Yes, I figured they fell out of your pocket." Ciro hands the gloves back to Sebastian. "I don't think this part is relevant to the case, I never took a die, and if someone took your gloves and dropped them, then they are really clumsy and also really stupid for not attempting to take another object of yours."

"I do not know why Charlie went to the red room." Benjamin admitted. "It seems like she wanted a place alone to do the ritual, but Nail was there. However the broken piece of glass and the crowbar... I believe Charlie could've been responsible for those. It may be worth exploring that she wanted Oliver's weakness to gain an advantage in killing him."

Shizune shook for a moment before handing her paper over.

---

Last edited by Franzise Deauxnim on Thu Aug 01, 2019 2:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.

"Wait a second, we found blood in the armory!" Benjamin slapped his head. "That could've only belonged to Charlie! She must've been killed in the armory and then thrown out the window."

He tapped his foot. "Obviously this makes Oliver the most likely suspect but... it seems a little too simple." Benjamin meta'd. "Did the blood belong to him? And he's responsible for the choking marks on Charlie?"

Seb shook his head. "Charlie never passed through. That is strange... This would have happened sometime after she met with Nail in the red room, too, I think. She left the meeting room before Ivan did and went straight to Nail. Ivan then left the meeting room himself, got tools from the armoury and headed to the ice wall. He worked there for a while, heard some ice shattering, and that's when he turned to view the concrete building. It was only then that he saw Charlie leave the building via the meeting room exit, but that doesn't make sense, I didn't see her do that. And Ivan did see me cleaning in there at the time, so I was present."

“Perhaps the amulet turned her invisible.” Benjamin chuckled. It sounded very awkward.

Shizune blinked again and shook her head.

---

“I cannot say. Perhaps the magic just wore off, or perhaps it was a clone. There are too many unknown factors with magic involved.” Benjamin shrugged. “Though I would like to try the amulet on myself. Even it doesn’t turn me invisible, I could use some luck.”

"SOME SPELLS LAST UNTIL YOU SAY A KEYWORD, SOME SPELLS LAST UNTIL THE SPELL WEARS OFF. INVISIBILITY HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF THE FORMER."

Belphegor taps his fingers together, producing a loud, hallow sound.

"SEBASTIAN WOULD HAVE NOTICED SOMETHING IF ANYONE ENTERED THE MEETING ROOM WHILE HE WAS IN THERE, EVEN IF THEY WERE INVISIBLE."

Belphagor presents the amulet that was found around Charlotte's neck in Benjamin's direction. "I have collected the evidence if any of the rest of you would like to check something."

"Is it possible Charlie had found a way into the apparent secret room Oliver described?" Seb suggested. "A chunk of glass was found somewhere, but nothing we found was broken, and a crowbar was found nearby. Maybe Charlie broke a window in the secret room and jumped out. Ivan heard this, turned around, and saw Charlie around the door leading into the concrete building on the meeting-room side. Looking at the map, the secret room is right over the meeting room, so if she jumped out on the left side she'd end up right where Ivan saw her."

---

Benjamin weighed the amulet a bit in his hand and examined it for any possible discrepancies. Then he draped it over his neck.

The Amulet seems rather inert. The inspection of it turns up nothing peculiar. Wearing it produces no magical effects for the wearer.

It's a tough call on weather or not it actually inspires confidence.

"It should be noted that there was a die among her possessions that had yet to be used," Nail noted. "So she may have taken a die but did not yet have time or the place to use it. Or, perhaps, she didn't need to, considering her specific skillset."

"It should also be noted that when I gave her the amulet, she wore it on her arm, not around her neck. Why it moved to around her neck, I know not. Perhaps it was used as an aid to strangle her?"

Shizune sighed silently, pushed her frames up a bit, then started typing again.

---

"Perhaps...the source of the noise I heard?" Ivan wondered. "If someone shattered glass, it might give off a noise similar to what I heard while working. I believe Sebastian said something of the sort."

Shizune leaned on her podium for a bit before her next message.

---

"..."

Belphagor looks down for a moment.

"THERE IS ONLY ONE ENTRANCE TO... THE SECRET ROOM."

"..."

"IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ENTER A SECOND STORY WINDOW WITHOUT SOME SORT OF ASSISTANCE, SINCE THE WALLS ARE UNCLIMBABLE. DROPPING DOWN FROM A SECOND STORY WINDOW WOULD NOT CREATE INJURY AS LONG AS THE PERSON DROPPING HUNG FROM THE WINDOWSILL AND DROPPED INTO A SNOW BANK."

"I think it's more than fair to say that much. The tome was found outside the red room during the investigation. It sat just outside it."

"You know," said Ciro, finally deciding to contribute to the trial. "If someone were to have thrown Charlie out the window, they wouldn't need to break or remove any panes, they could just open the window. The only purpose a broken/removed pane has would be for someone on the outside to try to get in."

"Oh, perhaps someone could have used the flight spell to enter the room from the outside," Ciro edited in.

"That theory does indeed make sense..." Oliver paused and sighed, looking down at the ground. What was he thinking? He couldn't keep on like this. "... And it's also correct, for I am the one that entered the secret room."

He held his hands up immediately after saying this, not wanting anyone to cut off his explanation. "Now then, my reasoning for doing this was, well... was quite idiotic, to say the least. After deducing that there was a secret room on the second floor of the armory -- partially because of the perfectly rectangular shape of the building, and partially because there were three windows visible from the outside, but only two inside -- I figured that there would be treasure in there. ... Treasure that I could brag about taking before Charlotte found it. I was so wrapped up in my unjust anger... So. I looked out the window, but the wall was completely smooth -- I couldn't climb over to it."

He ran a hand through his head of red hair before continuing. "So I, ah, went to the stairwell after grabbing a green coat that looked like Charlotte's and draping it over myself, and picked up the book and a can of red paint. The book was right outside of the red room, where I presumed Nail was meditating at the time, though I did hear some voices from within. I disregarded this, though, and headed back to the armory."

"When I returned, I tried to recreate the magic circle on the floor, though it took some time, so I took a picture with a nearby camera, and then returned the book. I then finished the circle, said the words, and... much to my surprise, I was flying. It was an odd feeling... B-But, ah, no time to excite myself over it. I flew over to the window of the secret room, and attempted to open it to no avail. So I flew back the the armory, grabbed a crowbar, and shattered the window with it to get through."

"Once I entered, I noticed a few details -- the walls were a gleaming, shimmering gold, and there were likewise a few gold bars laying about as well. As I saw the code to open the safe earlier, I entered it in and opened it to find..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out another amulet. "...this."

He held it up to the others for them to examine it. "The Amulet of Mind Control. It does exactly what it says -- it controls the mind of a person, and the need to do what the person enslaving them wants them to do. I took it because I didn't want it to fall into the wrong hands. I had no intentions of using it myself, and I have no such intentions now."

"I then realized that the spell was fading, so I quickly returned to the window and lowered myself as far as I could, and then dropped. It was about six feet or so. It was an uncomfortable landing, but I am rather glad that I did not sprain my ankle. From there, I went back into the armory -- realizing that I left the crowbar behind -- and began to clean up the paint circle by using clothing on a nearby rack. That was the pile of clothing that was in the armory. I also tore up the photograph as well. Speaking of which, perhaps the camera that was in the armory was stolen at some point, when I wasn't in there... But in any case, Sebastian came to check on me, and I shoved the clothing into a corner. The rest of my alibi goes on from there."

Suddenly, he tossed the amulet over his shoulder. "I have no need of this. I never needed that bloody amulet. Controlling someone is utterly despicable..." He sighed. "I was a brazen, irrational fool. I had no consideration for the feelings of others. But... that changes. That changes now. No more lies, no more being an arse... none of that."

"In any case, that is the rest of my alibi in full detail. Forgive me for my utter stupidity, please... Or don't. I deserve scorn for acting the way I did towards Charlotte..."

Ciro jumps behind Oliver to catch the amulet, then returns to his podium.

"Charlotte also had an amulet, the one Nail gave her. It was just a lucky charm right? Whereas this one supposedly can mind control. So..."

Ciro then tries to use the amulet to control Oliver into doing a backflip.

Without a second thought, Oliver suddenly did a backflip... or at least tried to. He leapt into the air and tried to lean his body backwards, but alas, he was not able to land on his feet. Thankfully, he didn't break his neck, but he landed flat onto his chest and face, the floor colliding with both, causing him to groan in pain as the wind was knocked out of him.

He then stood up and brushed himself off, giving an annoyed look at Ciro. "As it is painfully obvious that I did NOT do that of my own volition..." he began, his tone very clearly one of exasperation. "I believe that is proof that the amulet works. Not that it should be used ever again. By anyone."

The amulet looks like a jeweled skull with a snake encircling it. Ciro feels it grow warm as Oliver moves.

It's a little threatening.

Ivan blinked suspiciously at the events displaying in front of him.

"...This amulet is...quite something, isn't it?"

Scratching his head, Ivan took a brief look at the amulets.

"...By the way, Matt made a mistake in his investigation report. He said that the shelves were empty in the meeting room, but there were numerous jewelry boxes there...one stone-colored jewelry box was suspiciously empty. Is it possible an amulet came from that..?"

Nail blinked at his actions, then his face grew quite thunderous.

"So, without thinking, you once again endanger not only your own life but the lives of your fellow Star Citizens! Tell me, Ciro, what would you have done if you had done something irreparable to Sir Oliver? Hm?"

The man had unknowingly leaned forward, and with his great height, his neck almost seemed inhumanely long as he streeeeeetched toward Ciro, his gaze heading toward that same firey glow he had before... until he gritted his teeth and straightened.

"I expect you to treat your colleagues with more respect, Sir Ciro," he said coldly. "At the very least, ask if anyone wishes to volunteer as a test subject before you take action. If that is not too much to ask of a respectable citizen such as yourself."

Ivan peered over at Nail's impossibly long neck.

"U-Uh...N-Nail is completely right, of course...although, Ciro has been subject to many unfortunate dealings...I don't think we can quite leave him be after this tribunal..."

Nail's neck seemed neverending, which was definitely very strange.

"...R-Right..."

Ciro raised an eyebrow.

"But surely, you would want some confirmation that what Oliver had just said was true? Or better yet, that there was no strange switcheroo with his and Charlotte's amulets respectively?"

"Either way, this shows that Ivan did not see Charlie after all. Nail was, presumably then, the last to see her," Seb concluded. "She was probably still in the red room when Ivan looked towards the concrete building, which is why he didn't see her at the time, just as he didn't see Nail."

The amulet that was found on Charlie seems to be quite different from the one Ciro has in his hand. It lacks the power and energy coming from it, as well as the strange skull/snake logo.

---

Benjamin approached Ciro until he was within reach. “You’re the last person we want to have that. Hand it over. I won’t ask twice.”

The look in Benjamin’s eyes were serious as if he were willing to kill Ciro to get it.

"Sure," said Ciro. He was about to hand the amulet to Benjamin.

"But wait, I don't think giving this to a criminal is a very good idea either. I would feel safer giving it to officer Ivanov. Come to think of it, we can't trust many of us here since any one of us could have killed Charlotte. In fact, I am the least likely suspect right now, as you were spying on me the whole time. So would it not be a better idea to let the person least likely to be killer to keep it? I would give it to officer Ivanov, but his alibi is nowhere near as secure as mine."

Ciro used the amulet to keep Benjamin from attacking him instead.

"Just give it to the bat," Seb said blandly. "He's a truly neutral party, right?"

“The bat is not neutral, and is under Belphegor’s magic. I have to insist it be given to me.” Benjamin seemed genuinely angry with Ciro, clearly not enjoying being under his control.

"Maybe you're right..." Seb conceded awkwardly. "For what it's worth, I'm okay with you having it, Benjamin. My vote goes there, if we're doing that." He didn't seem interested in going near Ciro to try and wrest it from him, though.

"Mamma mia, are we really going to waste time with this whole voting thing again? Look, if I'm handing this to anyone, it's going to be the trusted police officer, not the criminal. If we find the blackened, and it's not officer Ivanov, it can go to him, yes? Now, let's get back to discussing the case...

The only thing we can be sure of Charlotte now is that she started from the meeting room, then to the stairway to show the book to Seb and Oliver or something, had her book taken by nail, went to the meeting room, and then to the red room with Nail. So perhaps the stuff found in this area can be of some help? The whistle for controlling Bruce and the photo of the book stand out the most."

"I don't think you get it, Ciro." Benjamin said darkly. "I'm not giving you a request. This is an order. Give it to me."

"Hmph. Then I'll have to disobey that order", Ciro replied coolly.

Belphegor laughed in response to all this. It was unlike his other laughs and was loud, high-pitched and horrible. It seemed to be for no reason, but perhaps he just wanted to see what would unfold next.

When Ciro's concentration broke for just a moment to look up at Belphegor, Benjamin leapt at him quickly. Ciro reacted faster, punching Benjamin in the stomach. The sound of a rib cracking was audible across the trial room, but Benjamin didn't seem to be bothered or react in any way. This clearly caught Ciro off-guard, as the next thing that happened was Benjamin wrapping him in a headlock and bending him over his podium. He held his head away from his own face, hoping that was enough to avoid the mind control.

"I won't take it from you." Benjamin explained. "You're gonna give it to me."

"You think this scares me? Please."

Ciro's chuckle was cut off by another cracking noise--without hesitating, Benjamin had broken his right pinky finger.

Ciro let out a gasp but then gritted his teeth. "Is that all you have? Cheap, savage tricks?"

"As I said. I'm not going to ask again." Benjamin's words and expression were blank, but he had a glint in his eyes that was long absent.

Still holding Ciro in place, Benjamin heaved up his iron ball like he had many times before. And like a crane, he simply dropped it onto Ciro's agape right hand. Ciro let out a terrible scream that worsened as Benjamin moved the ball in place, breaking his hand into smaller fragments.

"STOP! FUCKING STOP!" Ciro yelled, his usual composure completely gone. He ripped his amulet off with his free hand and threw it on the ground by Benjamin's feet. He collapsed, looking at his hand with absolute horror. For a moment it seemed like he would cry, but then his face contorted to anger. Nobody had reacted the whole time, but there was a very uneasy feeling in the air with everyone shocked by this display.

Benjamin picked the amulet up and looked at Klifford, snapping his hand at Ciro. "Doctor, somebody needs medical attention."

Then he returned to his podium like nothing had happened.

---

Seb looked down at his podium, unsure of what to do. He seemed uncomfortable with Benjamin's actions, but also not surprised by them.

"Do we... need a new topic, or is there more to explore in the current ones?" he suggested meekly, hoping to quickly move past what had happened as though it hadn't happened at all.

"W-What was that disgusting display of violence?!" Ivan yelled, his face contorting with anger. "And are you two even alright?!"