Judoc scurries to his bed, placing his staff against the wall and waits patiently until the door closes, perking his ears for the sound of retreating footsteps.  It is several moments before he finally feels safe speaking out and he is not disappointed as Indrid perks up in his bed and rests his back against the wall.

Judoc tries to recreate the scene, jumping up from his bed and creeping down towards the entrance hall, the discussion of the two professors right outside the professor's office, the Baron's initial fury at the situation.  Judoc attempts to talk himself through the confusion as he reaches the next part.  Moloran had seemed certain that Judoc had somehow been involved in the attack... likely the person who had damaged the door and injured Alevius.  But the Baron had seemingly brushed aside the insinuation before the questioning had even started.  In fact, he had never asked Judoc what he had been doing, but instead he asked what Judoc had seen.  Judoc describes as much as he can about Alevius, the door, and the short interview with the Baron before being brushed aside for the Baron to question Alevius...  Who Graves had been furious, raging even when the other professors tried to delay his interrogation.  Somehow it seemed that Moloran had been convinced that Alevius was a victim, and Judoc the perpetrator... but Baron Graves had seemed only interested in Alevius who was completely unable to stand when Judoc had arrived.

Judoc's discussion drifts off with his train of thought, his words dipping into silence as he ponders what the Baron knew, or what prejudices he had, that made the differences in his initial suspicions.  Judoc can't help but think of the moment he left the office either.  Alevius had been so indignant as he nearly shouted at Hilath 'I don't know!'  Judoc felt that the reaction had been immensely important, and he wished he had opened the door just a moment sooner to get some clue as to the question.

But as Judoc falls into silence, Indrid immediately makes up the difference.  "What?  It was attacked again?"  Indrid leans back, tipping his chin upwards as he looks toward the ceiling in thought.  "That is so weird.  So someone was definitely trying to get into where Graves was sleeping right?  The first time they didn't have a good enough spell, but the second time they managed to blow the hinges off before Cleppo came in and found them?  I wonder what spell they used to take him out?  I only heard one blast.  Seems weird he was out there at all though, he's not normally the type that does anything without Andros, the scumbag.  I bet he was the other one there and he just left Alevius there to sell him out when he was sure that the Baron would have woken up.  Seems like they used a pretty stupid spell to blow off the door, it was almost certain to wake up everyone in the castle, let alone the Baron who was probably half deafened and jumped to the ceiling as soon as it happened."

Judoc drags himself out of his thoughts to ask the burning question he had been looking to have answered since the moment he had woken.  Where had Indrid been?

Indrid claps his mouth shut the instant Judoc asks.  It is a few moments before he speaks again.  "I was taking a piss dude.  Do you think I was involved in this?  I was down the corridor standing over a chamber pot and I hear the muffled burst somewhere far of and feel the castle tremor for a moment and I poke my head out to see what was going on.  I made my way almost back to our doorway before I see the doors on the far side opening, I just made it back to our doorway when I see Moloran poking his head out and shining a beam of light down the hallway like he's looking for a murderer.  I decided at that point I'd just wait things out and see what people knew tomorrow."

Though the tone of the conversation has taken a rather cutting turn, Grobbik seems entirely unaware and continues to snore lightly in his bed.

OOC:  Another important distinction that you would have known but I'm not sure is carrying over.  There are three rooms in Baron Graves's offices.  The outer room is where Hilath works as a sort of administration officer.  His inner office is where Grave's desk and all of his work is.  The other room, the one the door was blown off of (and the same one that was attacked last week) is a door to his quarters, where his bed, bath and personal effects are.

Reflecting on the events of the evening, Judoc sifts through other possibilities.  OK, maybe Alevius wasn't trying to break in.  Maybe he was there to stand guard for some reason, or maybe he was trying to play the hero, and he got in the way of whoever was breaking in.  Was it the Row?  Are they trying to assassinate Graves?  If so, they're doing a shit job so far.  The bastards will probably call on Judoc next to get the job done, but there's no way Judoc's going to murder for them, either.

What was Alevius's role in all of this?  What did Graves know, and what had he thought Judoc might have seen?  What question did I don't know! answer?  Who attacked you?  How many were there?  Did they steal Baron Graves' magic whatsit?  What spell was cast on you?

In the dark, he nods his head in agreement with Indrid's words.  It had seemed like a dumb plan.  Andros probably was there, too.  OK, so if two student mages had been on guard (and why not fully-trained guards instead?), why use such a loud spell?  To scare Graves?  Not likely.  Stealth was completely out.  He tries to think back to what he had seen, heard, smelled.  Why had the spell been so insanely loud?  It just didn't make sense.  Why not use Shatter or Disintegrate?  Why wake half the castle?

"Sorry, mate, but I had to ask.  So did you see anything?  Andros or Alevius?  Anyone else besides Moloran?"

Judoc thinks back to the arena sands again.  That day when he had spared Thresher's life was a turning point for him.  He had chosen then to not be a tool of Graves' machinations, though he hadn't realized the true purpose of the combat at the time.  That fight had set his feet down a path that might lead places Judoc didn't want to go.  Ridiculous, he thinks.  There's always a choice.  Judoc may not be a paragon of virtue, not like the late Father Thomas, but he still has his principles, and he'll be damned if any outside force attempt to coerce him to betray his own sense of right and wrong.

"Indrid, were you part of that arena combat a couple of months ago?  They intended for us to kill our opponents.  It was supposed to be an execution.  I bet this is those people pushing back.  I've heard rumors.  This all seems so clumsy, though.  If someone wants to kill Graves, why not hire an assassin?  Explosions in the middle of the night are hardly subtle.  Maybe it was an Explode spell that was heavily amplified in some way?"

OOC:  Thanks for the clarification!  So the room layout is Hilath - Graves' office - Graves' quarter?  I guess Hilath sleeps elsewhere?

Indrid lays back in his bed as Judoc starts speaking, interrupting for a moment to answer his question.  "Naw, I haven't taken Moloran yet, and after hearing that's how he runs things, I might just wait for another year to two before going through it.  No need to rush something that could kill me, you know?"

As Judoc continues, Indrid shakes his head as he shifts himself down back under the covers.  "I don't suppose that's surprising.  Governor probably asked him for some wizards to take care of all those criminals.  I'm sure the last thing he wanted was for all of them to get back out on the street, you know?  I can't imagine anyone would be stupid enough to try and break into the college at night though.  I bet there are all sorts of enchantments to keep people out.  You're right though, seems clumsy at best if it's someone trying to get back at him.  At least they weren't caught though I guess..."

Indrid yawns heavily and rolls himself to the side, dragging a handful of blankets along with him.  "I bet Alevius is in up to his neck - he's the only one they caught in there right?  I'll bet it was Graves himself who blasted his head off and was a bit overzealous.  Knocked him on his ass so he couldn't even speak anymore.  Probably didn't want to admit it to the other two so he just played along while he was interrogating you."

OOC:  Yeah, the office looks something like this.  Hilath sleeps in the same area as most of the other professors, near the back of the college (students sleep closer towards the middle).  I have all this stuff mostly worked out in my head, but I feel the architecture probably isn't relevant for the most part to the story.

 ________________________________
|          |                     |
|          |    Graves           |
| Graves   |     Office          |
|  Room    |                     |
|          |                     |
|          |                     |
|          |_/  _________________|
|          |                     |
|          |  Hilath's           |
|          |   Office            |
|          |                     |
|         \                      |
|          |                     |
|__________|_/  _________________|

Lying on his bed, Judoc listens to Indrid's ideas.  Judoc flipflops between his theories of Alevius trying to break in and the Row staging some kind of attempt on Graves' life.  The problem with theories are their very nature.  You just have to find the best explanation for what fits the facts.  If things don't fit, then you can either ignore them, make them fit, or look for a new theory.  The attempted break-in certainly seemed amateurish, which fits in with Alevius being responsible for it, but the Row wants Graves gone, which fits in with them trying to break in.  Judoc has to concede that Indrid has a good point, though.  There's no doubt tons of spells and such protecting the school.  But what if someone came in through those tunnels Judoc and Eliot explored?  An infiltrator might be able to bypass a lot of the security.  That would take forever, though.

Enough thinking for one night.  Strange things are afoot, that's for certain, and perhaps Judoc will learn more later.   Turning over in his bed, he gives in to sleep, hoping to dream no more of dead priests.

Judoc decides that nothing will be discovered for tonight and turns himself over in his covers and sleeps a deep sleep with no further dreams of priests, murders, assassins or burglars.

When morning comes, Judoc takes the extra time at the college to pursue any story of what may have happened last night, though the only person who seems to have any information is Wayne Irons, who repeats what he has heard from Andros Wilmer.  By his account, Alevius got up last night to go to the bathroom and was attacked somewhere along the way, knocked unconscious and was taken to the provost's office for interrogation while he was still soggy-headed.  The account doesn't mesh with Judoc's memory at all, for he was sure that Alevius had seemed that he was regaining consciousness in the Provosts offices rather than recovering himself after having walked from some other place in the castle, but despite all of his questions, Wayne simply repeats that he is only telling Andros's story.  Judoc marks the discrepancy down and decides to attempt to make something of the day on his real investigation, rather than hanging around the castle.

And so, Judoc heads down the road towards Azer yet again to head towards the cathedral to see what progress Samuel has made on an interview with the Bishop.  To Judoc's shock, Samuel replies that the bishop has stated that he is available at Judoc's earliest convenience.  Though the news is slightly unanticipated, Judoc decides there is no reason to avoid the invitation and proceeds upstairs towards the bishop's offices.

"Ah yes."  Marcus greets Judoc, his smile overly expressive and disconcerting, "Come in, come in.  For his grace has absolutely insisted upon seeing you as soon as you could make yourself available."  Judoc cannot admit that he is surprised by being greeted by Marcus, though the sign is ominous never the less.  Marcus peeks his head into the office behind him, whispering something for a few moments before turning back to Judoc.  "His grace is ready for you."  The old man smiles and Judoc thinks to himself that the man's features would looks somewhat more genuine if his teeth were stained black.

Never the less, Judoc had come here for a reason and he decides that scoping out the Bishops office is the most important task of the moment.  He walks through the doorway to see the young bishop sitting behind his desk, his hands spread palms down as he appraises Judoc fully.

The office itself has little in the way of niceties.  The sturdy oak desk is large and has little in the way of decorations anywhere about it.  In front of the desk is a short wooden table with a few chairs around, and behind the bishop Judoc spies a small shrine to Saint Honorius, but even there are few decorations besides the sculpture and kneeler itself.  On the left side of the room, Judoc sees a full length closet, though the doors are closed and he is unable to determine what lies inside.

"Young man,"  The Bishops demeanor is calm and smiling, sweet as poisoned honey.  "I have heard that you wished to meet with me.  To what do I owe the pleasure?

OOC:  Ok, sorry for the rush, I realize that I went through quite a bit of stuff to get here, but if you have any questions or want to revisit anything make a note and we can get there later.  For now, you are sitting in the Bishop's office, no need to make a reaction roll.  However, if you are looking for any specific information from him feel free to roll vs. fast talk to get as much as you can.  Also, if there is anything speicif you want to look at in his office roll vs. Observation to get any pertinent info.

In the morning, Judoc takes some time to see if anyone else might have seen or heard anything the previous night that can help him form a more complete picture of what had transpired, but he learns little.  He listens as Wayne relates his third-hand information, but Judoc highly doubts that Alevius had been dragged to the provost's office.  It makes little sense to him, and he suspects Andros knows far more than he admits.  Perhaps Judoc will hear more of this later.  In the meantime, he has a murder to solve and a demon to banish.

He is still composing theories as to what happened to Father Thomas.  The Bishop is mixed up in this, Judoc is sure of it, and the man's high office will not be enough to protect him from justice.  Judoc still likes his possessed Bishop theory, but he admits to himself that the boy is most probably the one who is possessed.

At the news that the Bishop will see him, Judoc is at first highly surprised, but he congratulates himself on his good fortune.  This chance to observe the Bishop up close will prove very useful in either corroborating or disproving his theory on whether the demon Agares is manipulating the man.

Once at the Bishop's office, Judoc cannot help but be repulsed by Marcus.  Judoc is convinced the man is a spy and toady at the very least, and he would not be surprised to find that the man had a role in killing Father Thomas.  There is something unnatural, even sinister about the man.  Judoc nods his head politely in thanks, but privately he regrets having to turn his back on this creature, even for a moment.

The Bishop is little better.  Here is a man choked with ambition.  Who couldn't say what a person might do in advancement of his own career?  Judoc tries to avoid looking like he's casing the place, but he makes note of the closet in case he needs to make a more surreptitious return to this office.

"Your Excellency, thank you for agreeing to see me," Judoc says formally, though inside he is thoroughly creeped out by the bishop's dangerous smile.  Is this the face of a man possessed by a demon?  Or does he see in Judoc a means to an end of some kind?

"I was wondering if you could clear up some matters of faith for me.  I'm studying at the College this year, and I haven't been a regular attendee at mass so far.  Still, if I want to become a Templar, I think I need to work on being more devout.  I'm very intrigued by the idea of faith strong enough to resist evil.  How does one cultivate this kind of faith?  And as I've looked into the scriptures, I've seen warnings against magic, which affects what I'm studying.  How can Templars such as I aspire to be both master the art of magic and practice the Christian faith?"

OOC:  Is this a similar setup to Graves' office?  Is there another room nearby where the Bishop might sleep?

Carry on with this train of conversation.  Be sure to mention Templars, faith, and devotion regularly.  My intention is to explore what kind of man the Bishop is and if he might be capable of having Father Thomas killed without directly alluding to the death unless Abram brings it up.

Bishop Abram's smile evaporates upon the first word that Judoc speaks as he looks across the desk through narrowed slits of eyes.  The man's brow furrows in the center and his whole expression broods of concentration.

"Yes."  The word is interjected immediately as Judoc closes his mouth.  The Bishop stands in one swift motion and turns his back to Judoc as he walks several feet to the side of his shrine where a broad window is placed.  "You certainly do need to work on being more devout.  As I understand it you attended mass infrequently or not at all since you have been to this college and I don't doubt that your mind has seldom dwelled on questions of faith..."

Abram's shirt rustles as he arches his back and looks over his shoulder, glancing at Judoc through the corner of his eye.

"Yet it dwells there now.  Why, is this the third time that you have been here in the past week?  What could have made the change?"

The bishop turns fully, facing Judoc again and as he sits in his chair, Judoc realizes for the first time that the bishop is quite tall and has broader shoulders than he had realized.

"I think perhaps there are some other things that you should be working on." The bishop continues, honing his eyes back onto Judoc as the slight glint of a smile returns to his lips.  "Honesty for one, for certainly you have no interest in increasing your faith, otherwise you would have gone to my deacon or have invested your time in reading the Bible.  So I ask you again Judoc, and this time I would ask that you not blaspheme this room with your lies.  Why are you here?"

OOC:  No, the Bishop is rich enough that he does not sleep in the cathedral but has his own home and servants in the Noble's district.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:38, Thu 16 Nov 2017.

All in all, Judoc had expected a rather different welcome from the Bishop, a Hello, there, young Templar-to-be, it's so good of you to take a deeper interest in the faith, perhaps playing to Bishop Abrams' desire to ingratiate himself with Baron Graves.  But no, this is full-on suspicion, no doubt fueled by whatever Marcus had told the Bishop about Judoc's comings and goings.  Abrams is sharp, Judoc realizes.  He won't be taken in by bald-faced lies.  Well, then, tell the truth, or at least a part of it, and see where that gets him.

"I'm interested in the power of faith to protect against evil, your Excellency," Judoc says, leaning back in the chair.  "Demons exist.  I've personally banished one back to hell myself.  As a mage, I'm interested in being the best fighter I can be, and that means fighting anything, including supernatural evil.  I want to know how to combat it with every weapon I can find, and it seems that true faith is one approach to doing so.  What do you know of fighting evil, sir?  I get the whole resist evil, and it shall flee idea, but that seems an oversimplification."

"You are interested... in evil."  The bishop cuts across Judoc's words, the corners of his mouth flickering into a smile as his eyes stare down Judoc like a smoldering coal.

"You are fascinated by it, you seek it at every turn."  The bishop turns his body square, his shoulders facing Judoc as his eyes continue to stare hotly in Judoc's face.

"Not a week ago you were sleuthing about my church, slavering over the body of our fallen priest as you sought to convince that his tragic death was murder though it was not possible!"  Even the man's jaw is taught, a thick vein protrudes across his forehead as his fist clenches by his hip.

"Now, finding no evidence to support your wild claim, you use my fallen priests personal effects to slander this parish!  Suggesting that the parishioners are vessels of demons and worshippers of the like!  You wish not to combat true evil, but to find it in even the most mundane of settings and cast yourself the hero against your imaginary foe!"  The bishop's face shines with self righteous fury, his eyes set upon Judoc as his fists tighten.

"You say you seek to hear what I know of battling evil?"  The man steps forward to within feet of Judoc, his face flickering in and out of smiling hysteria.  "I know that it must be combatted at every turn, and that for each head that you cut from the beast, two more shall appear, more sinister and devious than the last.  So I say to you Judoc, take your obsession with evil away from this cathedral, cease your chase of demons or I assure you, you will find them, but it will be in your own actions and the mar of your own soul."

OOC:  Needless to say, the bishop is not happy with you right now.  Though the last two sentences read like a sermon, they are spoken more like an ultimatum and the bishop's body language makes him seem like he is on the border of taking physical action against you.  His whole persona is feverish and crazed and he seems to be deeply invested in each word he speaks, putting particular emphasis on getting out of the cathedral.

Several thoughts shoot through Judoc's head simultaneously.  First, the Bishop is smart, dangerous even.  He knows quite a lot.  How has he learned so much?  Marcus?  It has to be.  Either that, or the Bishop really is possessed by a demon.  Second, this bishop killed Father Thomas, Judoc is convinced of it, and if the madman killed one of his own priests, he won't hesitate to kill a student, either.  Either he possesses the heart of a devil or he's insane.  Either option is deadly.  And third, Judoc is about to lose control of his bowels in fear.  His normal backbone of steel has has been transmuted into jelly at the bishop's ferocity.  The only thing Judoc wants to do right now is to get the hell out of the cathedral.

At Abrams' approach, Judoc takes a step back.  His heart is pounding.  Could he be wrong?  All of the evidence he's uncovered - could it mean nothing?  It's all circumstantial, and the only other man who seemed to know anything about the possibility of someone being possessed here is the dead priest.  Judoc is almost certain the Bishop had a hand in the priest's death, but he has nothing conclusive.  Should he use the spell stone?  But what would that prove?  A Get behind me, Satan would have all the authority of a leaf slapping in the wind.  If only he had some kind of spell that could detect demonic possession!  At least he would know then whether or not he's dealing with humans or fiends.

God forgive him, he doesn't want to run away, but to stay is suicide.  And then he horrifies himself by blurting out, "Father Thomas's face looked like he drowned!  Or was stung by a thousand wasps!  He was killed, sir!  I'm leaving, but surely you must care about justice for your fallen priest!"

OOC:  Attempt to leave the office and cathedral.  If it looks like some demon is going to come out and grab Judoc, use the spell stone to buy some time to escape.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:04, Sat 18 Nov 2017.

Judoc's mouth is traveling at speeds that his fear cannot keep up with.  Though he is repulsed by the bishop's progress and he yearns to flee, he never the less spits retorts as he turns to run.  Judoc only barely makes out the bulging eyes of the bishop and the face of personified anger.  But that image is gone in a moment.  Judoc turns and sprints through the open doorway, thankful that at least that one barrier to his escape had not been set.

"Noooo!"  Abram's cry pierces the air around him as Judoc breaks the plane of the doorway.  Judoc grips the stone in his pocket, so tense that even a flinch of a threat might cause him to squeeze the thing into nothingness.  Though Judoc expects whole legions of the underworld to meet him, the room beyond is empty save for Marcus whose expression seems absolutely scandalized.

Judoc pays the other no mind, his chest heaving as his legs run at full tilt towards the nearest escape into the daylight.  "Judoc!"  The bishop calls after him.  "Seeking evil begets evil in your own heart!  You are deceived!  Agggh!"

The cry fades into nothingness as Judoc forces his way through a doorway and out into the open air of the daylight without.

OOC:  It is 0930 on the 20th of December.  It doesn't seem like you are in any imminent threat of demonic attack and neither the bishop nor Marcus chased you out of the Cathedral that you could tell.  If you decide to flee, then let me know where you plan on heading from here.  If you want to hang around here than give me a modifier that will affect both your perception roll to get information as well as the perception roll of the people around the cathedral to find you.

Judoc tears out of the bishop's office like a bat out of hell.  He doesn't stop until he clears the cathedral's gates, and then he skids to a stop and turns to look back.  His face flushes with shame and anger.  He's certainly made an ass of himself.  He had been so sure that his deductions were correct and that the bishop had been possessed by evil.  What a fool Judoc had been!  What a waste of his talents!  He is meant for more than piecing together conspiracy theories about demonic possession and shadowy murder cabals.   How would any of this earn him a commission in the legions, or even a place in the Templars?  You took your eyes off the prize, he thinks bitterly.  All that investigating, for nothing!  He doesn't care about the faculty's reactions when they hear what he's been up to, but from his position, he finds it hard to see any benefit to himself.

Oh, it had seemed so convincing to him as he had assembled the various bits of information into a coherent whole.  Father Thomas's sermon, his puzzling death, the curious medallion, the enigmatic journal entries, the borrowed library book.  Judoc knows that demons are real.  He's seen one up close, seen it summoned to Yrth and banished back to hell.  Why would such a creature want to kill Thomas?  Who else would want the priest dead?

Ultimately, Judoc has no motive, no means of death, no suspect.  His investigation has officially reached a dead end.  He looks back at the cathedral.  Dare he show his face again there?  He scowls.  Yes, he has made some rather harebrained blunders, but he'll be damned if he'll let them keep him from returning.  Oh, he'll be back.  This very Sunday, too.  The bishop would not dare keep a committed believer from the blessings of fellowship.  Too, there is still R.  Judoc holds out hope that he can still find the young man and speak with him.

Why had the bishop been so quick to agree to see Judoc?  At first, Judoc had expected some sinister intent, perhaps the bishop thinking he had an opportunity to somehow seduce the student.  The thought repulses Judoc, but the priest had been so nauseatingly pleased to see him, especially given Judoc's irritating investigation.  Had Abram agreed to the meeting simply to tell the young man off, or has there been a darker intention?  Judoc finds himself unsure.

He keeps watching the cathedral, half expecting the bishop to come flying out of a window and leave for a witches' black mass.  Now that would be a tale worth telling.  Judoc presses against a wall and tries to see what he can see.

Judoc curses himself as he breaks out into the open air of the morning.  There were no legions of hell, no thunderclouds swirling around the cathedral, and despite his most fervent imaginations, no witches or mages on broomstick bursting from the cathedral walls.

Though his first suspicions are shattered, Judoc realizes none the less that he has flaunted a bishops authority in front of his face and that perhaps he should not linger over long, at least in plain sight.  Judoc continues his pace, for a few dozen yards before he finds a ditch with some shrub cover to drop into and try and view the scene that he has left.

It takes only a few moments of heavy breathing before Judoc's patience is rewarded with a buzz of activity.  Judoc is almost certain that he recognizes the first person that leaves a Marcus.

"JESSUP!"  Several other words follow as the man runs screaming from the front doors of the church but the distance and hysteria blurs their meaning as Marcus turns and sprints towards a side building.  In only another few moments, the man has disappeared again into another building and for several moments, things seem quiet.

Still, Judoc knows that such an outburst will not be the end of the reaction so he stays and waits, long enough that he thinks that he might be wrong after all... but in another moment two large doors open in the side building and a carriage with two horses tethered makes quick work to the front of the cathedral.  Though the view is partially blocked, Judoc is sure that he sees the purple shirt and white cuffs of the bishop burst from the front door and enter, before the vehicle begins moving again at a hasty clip.

As Judoc crouches in the ditch, waiting to see if something happens, he considers the chain of events that has led to this current predicament.  He had known going in that the bishop wouldn't take kindly to his uncovering what really happened to Father Thomas.  Even now, he cannot buy the idea that Thomas died a natural death, not with that ghastly face that tumbled out of the confessional booth.  No demon had materialized to halt Judoc's flight, so the demon must possess R.  A bishop's soul would be a sweet prize, but Abrams must be obsessed with his diocese's reputation, and anything that tarnishes that reputation have to be covered up and disposed of, such as stories of demon possession or priests who don't fall in line.  Judoc pieces together must have happened.  Thomas was counseling R., and R. was becoming increasingly unhinged.  Perhaps it was a demon, this Agares, and perhaps the boy merely suffers from some disease of the brain.  Abrams becomes obsessed with banishing the demon.  He visits the Templars, he talks to Riesalter, he checks out the books from the library.  He fashions the Devil's Trap as protection.  He delivers a sermon denouncing evil.  This much is clear, but what happened next? 

Scenario A - the demon gets wind that Thomas is wise to him and decides to take matters into his own hands.  R. is present at confession, and Agares takes the opportunity to kill Thomas with magic.  Then, he casts Invisibility and gets the hell out of there.  Why?  To keep his nice, warm, human host before Thomas figures out how to exorcise him.  Who is R.?

Scenario B - Abrams finds out about Thomas's suspicions and realizes even the whiff of demon activity will torpedo his shot at becoming archbishop.  He attempts to discourage Thomas from pursuing this further.  Thomas rejects Abrams' entreaty and delivers a sermon about evil.  Abrams has someone silence Thomas permanently.  Perhaps a skilled mage from the College?  Someone like Judoc, but with fewer scruples?

He sees a few holes in this theory, however.  He's already seen that Graves is more than willing to send assassins to kill criminals, but to murder a priest?  That seems a bridge too far, even for Graves.  Also, sending a possible Templar assassin right at the end of mass is problematic.  Too many potential witnesses, including Judoc and the other students from the College.  And Abrams hadn't really been paying attention during the sermon.  If he had orchestrated such a dark deed, wouldn't he have been keenly focused during the entire service?  The psychology just doesn't fit.

All this Judoc contemplates as he lies in the ditch, along with what he's going to say to Deacon Samuel when Judoc tells him about dropping the case, when Judoc's patience is rewarded.  Ah, Marcus.  And minutes later, a carriage, and a person who must be the bishop.  The carriage speeds north, no doubt heading to the Templar college.  Either Graves is part of the plot, or the bishop is terrified that Judoc will uncover the truth.  Either way, most suspicious.

Rising from the ditch, Judoc begins muttering a few words of incantation.  He must see where the bishop is going.  This may be just the break he needs to solve this mystery.

OOC:  Cast Flight.  Follow the coach, but try to stay low and out of sight.

Judoc watches for a moment as the carriage departs from the cathedral.  The horses pulling it are swift, but he has no doubt that with a little help from his magic he will be able to close the distance and he does not desire to be close enough to be seen following along.  When enough separation has developed, Judoc manipulates the mana around him, willing his body off the ground and sending it hurtling forward through the air at speeds that would rival a surging steed.

Wind blasts against Judoc's face and he smiles devilishly.  For though the magic itself if fatiguing, the matter of flying caused him no effort whatsoever.

Several minutes pass before Judoc's confidence begins to waver.  Certainly he has kept pace with the carriage, which has continued unwaveringly along the path to the college.  However, the distance to travel was somewhat more than Judoc had expected.  He had made this trek several times in the past few days and the trip had become habit as much as anything else.  Though the walk had taken most of an hour each way he had assumed that at the pace of a horse-drawn carriage the trip would be significantly reduced.  Perhaps it was, but Judoc had drawn upon much of his internal strength and the strength of his powerstone and he was still not close to the college.  Knowing the route as well as he had in the recent days, he would guess he still had another third of the journey left or about a mile.

OOC:  Since much of the land is completely open between the Cathedral and the College you had to give the bishop a sizable head start to avoid likely detection.  You succeeded in your cast and have had your spell active for 6 minutes and have gone about 2 miles.  To get all the way to the College you would likely need to 'fly' for another three minutes.  Let me know if you want to start burning into further fatigue or HPs to keep following at this pace.  If you want to stop and walk, it will probably take you about 12 minutes from here.

His incantation complete, Judoc rises from the ground and begins flying forward faster than he can run.  Despite the whirlwind emotions, he can't help but grin as his magic propels him forward, whipping his hair about his face.  This is glorious!  Magic's ability to work wonders makes him positively giddy!

However, now is not the time to revel in magical flight.  Judoc must get to the castle as quickly as he can without being seen by the bishop, but even as he flies ahead, he eventually realizes that he will not have enough juice to make it all the way.

Frowning in disappointment, he looks for a place to land ahead and allows the spell to dissipate naturally.  Well, apparently he won't be there in time to eavesdrop on the bishop and Graves' conversation.  What would they say?  Exactly how pissed off is Graves going to be with this episode following so closely on the heels of that break-in?  Judoc shrugs it off.  He'll think of something to smooth things over. He knows he's walking a tight line here with his recent actions, but he's smart enough to be able to navigate these uncertain currents.

OOC:  Let the spell end naturally.  Land and continue to the castle on foot at a walking pace.

Disappointed that his magic is not lasting but not dwelling on the misfortune overlong, Judoc simply lets himself drift to the path and begins the rest of the trek on foot.  As he expects, the carriage slowly drifts away and out of sight.  Judoc wonders how much time the bishop and the Baron will have alone together and how his future may be affected.  The more he dwells on the matter, the faster his feet move one in front of the other and the lengthier his strides become.

What seems like an eternity later, Judoc watches as the towers of the college battlements materialize in the distance and crawl slowly upward from the hilltops.  He quickens his pace and soon he recognizes the form of the carriage, sitting idly just off from the main entrance.

Something else catches Judoc's eye as well, a single form standing just in the entryway.  At first, Judoc is sure it is the bishop and he scurries off the path to keep himself from being highlighted.  However, as he takes a second look Judoc recognizes the close cropped white beard and the favored blue-trimmed robes of Brother Loke.  The figure remains there for a moment and then retreats within the doorway.

OOC:  Give me your big picture intentions for what you want to do here.  You'd guess that the bishop has about a 10 minute head start on you, give or take.  You can walk straight to the provost's office if you wish to try and explain your case, or if you wish to take a more stealthy approach that is available too.  In the second case, pick a modifier to your stealth roll for the avenue of approach you take into the castle - the better the modifier the longer your route is going to be (i.e. walking around the outside of the castle to use a side door).  Otherwise, if you aren't planning in heading to the provost's office, let me know where you want to go (your room, Loke's office, Baron Raisalter's offices, etc.) and whether or not you want to take a stealthy approach as above.

As Judoc walks quickly to the College, he wonders how this recent development will impact him.  He doubts that the College was directly involved in the priest's death, and he finds the possibility that the bishop contracted Baron Graves to supply an assassin remote.  Abrams is a man who values his position above all else, and Judoc doubts that the priest would risk his standing in such a way.  That Abrams desires a close relationship with Graves seems evident from the bishop's many trips to the College.  Since the professors rarely attend mass in the cathedral, Judoc doubts that the provost sees Abrams in quite the same way, probably more as a tool that he can employ when needed.

He imagines the conversation between Abrams and Graves.

"Your student is poking his nose around where it doesn't belong!  I demand that you censure him!"

"I see.  Judoc's been asking questions, hm?  Well, I'll bring him to heel, but in return . . ."  That this conversation might negatively impact his future seems terribly unlikely.

Finally, after what seems an eternity, Judoc finally reaches the College and then stops short in surprise when he thinks he sees the bishop.  But no, stranger still - Loke lurking about.  Quite odd.  What had he seen?

Judoc looks in the direction of the provost's office.  Going there right now seems rather a poor decision, but perhaps Loke had seen something worth mentioning.  But would he say anything to Judoc about it?  Of all the professors, only Loke seems outwardly hostile to Judoc.  Although the young mage has a healthy respect for Graves' ability and influence, Judoc at least knows where he stands with the provost.   Loke, on the other hand, seems an actual Mephistopheles.

But what had Loke seen?  What might he say about this situation?  Why had he been waiting at the gate?  In spite of the repulsion Judoc feels for the man, curiosity eats at him, and he decides to follow Loke.

OOC:  Let's approach cautiously, with a +1 to Stealth.  See if Judoc can follow Loke.

Judoc waits in hiding for a few more moments, allowing some time to elapse for Loke to lose interest and head back to wherever it was the man passed his days.  But, Judoc thought and he maneuvered he way out of his hiding spot and toward the front doors, not enough time for Judoc to lose his trail entirely.  Judoc creeps to the front step, darting a glance through the windows before he nudges himself within the doorway and waits a moment for his eyes to adjust to the relative darkness.

"Ahh."  Judoc cringes internally as Loke's voice pierces the darkness.  "The man of the hour.  I believe your presence is requested in the Provost's office."

Approaching from his right, from the direction of the research classrooms and more immediately, the Graves's offices, Loke has a smug grin about his face that stinks of self-congratulation.  "...And you absolutely reek of magic..."  Loke adds as if he can smell Judoc's spellwork from twenty minutes ago.  "What have you been doing?"

OOC:  You seem to be proving that you aren't much of a sneak.  Despite your precaution, you managed to be detected.  I don't want to assume too much, so if you want to run, you are more than welcome to try, but it is clear that Loke expects you to come with him to see the provost.

Quietly, Judoc creeps forward, curious to know why Loke is lurking about.  Though Judoc could give shadows lessons as he stealthily approaches the College's entrance, Brother Loke, arrogant as always, somehow knows that he is present.

Gritting his teeth, Judoc nods at the professor's words.  What's the worst that can happen?  Graves tells him off and forbids him to investigate any further?  Judoc has already decided to do precisely that.  Father Thomas had been killed, he is certain of it, but the bishop has made it plain that Judoc is no longer welcome at the cathedral, and the mage has other things to focus on, like learning a faster spell than Flight.

"I'd better go see the provost, then," he says, attempting to be respectful but with an edge in his voice.  "And I was practicing my flying," he says, somewhat grudgingly.  How could Loke tell he had been casting?  Very curious indeed.

OOC:  Judoc will head for the provost's office (again).  He won't wait to be led there by Loke.

Judoc walks quickly towards Grave's office, seeking to avoid Loke's influence but the professor falls in lockstep with him.  "Of course."  Loke responds with a chuckle to the explanation, as if he is not entirely convinced of Judoc's veracity.  Judoc does not appreciate the company but he does nothing to change the matter, with the thought that anything he can do at this point to avoid further admonishment was probably in his best interest.

"He is in with the bishop."  Hilath says without even looking up from his scroll when the pair walk in.

"Yes."  Loke responds with his normal smugness.  "Talking about this one I fear.  I believe his presence may make the matter simpler."

As Hilath looks up with an appraising glance, Judoc can just hear the raised decibels of the conversation within the office.  "Fine."  Hilath concedes finally.  "It's on your head."

Loke gives the man a twitch of a smile before pushing beyond into the inner doorway dragging Judoc in tow.

"He is going to ruin me!"  Abrams complaint is on the verge of a whine as the doorway swings open and both men turn their heads to Loke and Judoc.

"What?"  Baron Graves spits.  The word is as much of an accusation as a question, but as he recognizes Brother Loke and Judoc his face shifts rather markedly from anger to exasperation.

"Yes yes yes!"  Abrams leans forwards from his sprawled position on his chair, his eyes digging into Judoc like spears.  "And here he is!  The devil crazed boy!  The murder seeker!  He seeks to topple me and uproot the diocese!"

"Thank you."  Graves says when he can get a word in edgewise, though he sounds more exhausted than thankful.  "You may go now Loke."

Loke does not immediately move, but several moments pass in silence.  "Your lordship, I had thought..."

But Graves cuts off the professor just as he gets started.  "That is all."  The Baron stares at the professor intently and there is no mistaking the finality of his words.

"Yes your lordship."  It does not take watching Loke's reaction to recognize the icy tone of his voice.  Never the less, the elder teacher turns and walks from the office.

"Judoc, close the door."  The baron asks, a speck of patience returned to his voice.

"Yes!"  Abrams adds with enthusiasm.  "Let us see what we shall do with this defamer!  Perhaps expulsion, perhaps I shall advise to the Curia for excommunication!"

"You shall do no such thing."  Graves retorts back immediately.  "Judoc and I have had our misunderstandings in the past, but I assure you he has no intent to defame you, do you Judoc?"  Graves shifts his glance back to young man, waiting for answer.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:18, Thu 30 Nov 2017.

Judoc takes in the scene in an instant - the bishop raving, the provost barely tolerating.  Just as Judoc has thought, Abrams was here to complain about the student, and Graves just wanted Abrams to shut up.  The young mage quickly obeys and shuts the office door, then stands, hands clasped in front of him, waiting.  It was ludicrous to think that the bishop could have been possessed by a demon.  Here is a man who is solely concerned with his own reputation.  Abrams wants nothing more than to rise as high as he can in the church hierarchy.  Judoc can empathize.  He, too, wishes to make a name for himself, either on the field of battle as a Megalan battle mage, or, he is surprised to consider, as a Templar himself.  If he is to follow the latter path, then he needs to learn to navigate these political waters.  The first step he can take is to placate this bishop, which should be easy enough.  Appeal to the man's ego.  Make him feel secure.  Assure him that no ill will was intended.

At the provost's words, Judoc nods his head quickly.  "You are right, sir.  I have no wish to impugn anyone."  Except maybe Loke.  And maybe Marcus, too.  No, leave them, Judoc, he thinks.  Rise above such pettiness.

To the bishop he says, bowing, "Forgive me, your Eminence.  At times my imagination runs away with me.  It is true that I was investigating Father Thomas' death, but I found no hard evidence of any wrongdoing.  Please forgive me for the disruption my curiosity caused.  I won't trouble you or the cathedral again."  Would this be enough?  Perhaps not, but if Graves can demonstrate that he can rein in his student, perhaps Abrams will be satisfied.

Graves nods with Judoc's answer and turns his attention to Abrams.  "You see bishop?  He would have you a cardinal!  And looking after a man's death is no slight on you after all.  He was just one of your priests."

For Abram's part, he seems mollified after Judoc's first words.  "Well, I suppose it wouldn't be right to go after a Templar after all.  It's all Thomas's fault anyway, the man died in the confessional.  Practically during services!  The whole matter is horrid and anything that prolongs it only draws more attention."

"What difference does it make anyway, Abrams?"  Graves flips his hands palm upward in question.  "If Judoc finds nothing, you are vindicated, and if he finds foul play you become the bishop who found justice for his priest who was murdered!  You should be thanking and helping him rather than attempting to cut him off below the knees."

Abram's eyes begin twitching in their sockets for a moment as if trying to find fault with the statement.  "You think they would praise me if we caught such a culprit?"

"Undoubtedly."  Graves smiles lightly, for the first time in the whole engagement.

"Well."  The bishop glances between the baron and Judoc.

"I assure you Judoc is the man you want to take things through to their completion."  The Baron assures.  "You should be helping him."

"Just keep things quiet unless you know something has happened."  Abrams eyes Judoc, though most of the menace is gone from his countenance.

OOC:  Left things open for you here.  Let me know what your intentions are for your next line of investigation, or if you have none but don't take things too far on your own.

The conversation veers into territory Judoc does not expect.  Rather than being asked to halt his investigation, he is actually being encouraged to continue!  Conflicting thoughts flicker through his head - surprise, gratification, amusement.  Graves is adept at manipulating the bishop, who had just been advocating for Judoc's expulsion from the College and perhaps from the entire religion.  The young man feels a thrill of excitement at Abrams calling him a Templar, too.  Submerged is the sense of injustice Judoc had felt at being asked to kill that day on the Arena sands.  He had spared Thresher's life not out of a sense of moral outrage but because doing so had been the most expedient way to end the combat.

Yet Judoc is not fully committed to being a pawn used by others.  Graves has his own agenda, but as long as it does not conflict with Judoc's own desire for prestige and recognition, he is pleased to have the provost's support.

He ducks his head.  "I am sorry for not approaching you first, Bishop Abrams," he says.  "In truth, I was prepared to completely halt my investigations.  However, if I have your blessing, I will continue to explore this mystery."  Although Judoc is now sure that the bishop had  nothing to do with the murder and that breaking into the his study is  off the table, Judoc has not run out of leads, not yet.  Who is R.?  The young man is the key to everything.  Once Judoc has him, he'll have the whole case.  Every day that passes, the trail grows colder, but if Thomas has been murdered, Judoc will find the perpetrator and bring them to justice.

OOC:  Judoc will be very grateful to both Graves and Abrams.  The only remaining person to talk to is R..

"Yes, well I suppose oversights may happen at times."  Abrams concedes, removing his look from Judoc as he unruffles a wrinkle in his clothes.  "but see this as a lesson of keeping those in charge informed.  Certainly that will serve you in your future."

"Wonderful then,"  The baron stands, spreading his arms palm up.  "We're all settled then.  I'm glad I could be of service but I have many matters I must attend to."

Both Judoc and the Bishop stand, with Judoc leading the way to the door as he is closest.  Just outside, Loke still stands with his back towards the door, breaking off a conversation with Brother Moloran as the pair step from out from the inner offices.

Moloran perks up as the door opens, bending his head to look past Judoc.  "Your Lordship, do you have a moment?"

The fatigue in the Baron's voice is plain.  "Moloran, if this is not a matter of life and death, could it possibly wait?"

Moloran glances a moment at the bishop and then another at Judoc before answering.  "It's something I can't seem to take care of on my own...  It's rather urgent..."  The pause is brief before Moloran follows it up.  "It's about a student."

"Very well."  Baron Graves sighs from within his office.  Loke nods at Moloran and departs, with Judoc close behind him.

Judoc's mind boils as he leaves the office.  Though he felt as though he was all the while getting closer, cutting off avenues that were no longer sound but he was still stuck on the same point he had been at the very beginning.  Who was R.?  The only places he knew to look were Deacon Samuel, who had already cut off his advances, and Father Thomas's Diary, which it seemed that now Samuel held as well.  What avenue did could he possibly have besides these?

OOC:  Ok, it's now 1000 on the 20th of December.  The ball is back in your court.  Let me know where you want to go and what you want to do and I'll move forward to that point.  Otherwise, I'll fast forward to the next mentionable event.