Magnus entered the work shop cum armory with characteristic humility. He had been expecting to meet a master craftsman, and his entire errand rested on convincing such a craftsman to accept his commission for a helmet, but what he found surprised him to such an extent that he found himself at a loss for words.

He had never seen a man like this one, but oddly enough, he was fairly sure his Father had. In his many stories he had described the varieties of human peoples that inhabited the northern taiga alongside the Orcs and other smaller populations. Bjorn's people had figured prominently, pale skinned, red or yellow haired, with muscular bodies. But there had been others, including those with narrow eyes, dark haired and small framed much like an Elf. They were said to be fearless, and to be masters of the horse without equal. It was not what he had been expecting.

But there was the shop itself as well, the painting included. Magnus was struck by the strangeness of the armor in a way that an experienced hand is confronted by something he had never before encountered. The Minotaur had encountered, eaten meals with and shared campfires with all sorts of fighting men bearing all sorts of equipment and weaponry. From eastern spears to the dueling swords of the south he considered himself fairly experienced, but he had never seen anything remotely like this.

"Good morning sir." Magnus began, and gave a deep nod of his broad shaggy head. He was still holding the letter a little awkwardly. At the question he glanced to the magnificent sword and smiled faintly. "It's impressive, but...some people take issue with my kind wearing swords." he explained casually.

"I've come a long way to find you...there is a Lieutenant in the Legion who assured me that you make the best stuff he had ever seen." Magnus presented the letter "I've always had trouble getting things made, but I was wondering if you might be willing to take a commission for a helmet?" subconsciously he glanced to the painting once more.

At Magnus's suggestion that some men do not like his kind with large weapons, the man's lips edge ever slightly upwards, giving the faintest of smiles as he appraises Magnus with searching eyes.  "Some men do not like that others are stronger than they are."

It is as Magnus asks for a commission though, that the man's smile spreads, then seems to hit a breaking point where it mingles with a pain that spreads across his features like a miasma.  He notices Magnus glancing upwards towards the painting and follows his glance there for a moment before answering.  "What that I could..."  The man turns, his cane held in two hands as he steps cautiously and slowly back in the store.

"I am Daneel, Artisan.  Master of my craft."  The man speaks softly, not bothering to turn his head back as he speaks.  "But I have lost my strength and my health in the prime of my artistry.  I am a cursed man.  My fire has been cold for two months.  I haven't the strength to lift my hammer and my body recoils from the heat of the furnace.  I have lost everything.  Ever since Margerie threw herself into the Conn, I have been cursed.  Selling what little is left in the store to keep myself alive while I can."

Daneel stops before the painting, attempting to righten his hobbled body, pushing his cane down into the floor with both hands as he straightens his back.

"If I could only work again."

But the effort seems to exhaust him, and he slumps forward a step, sinking his body onto the display table with a thud.

Magnus moved forward to catch the man before Daneel let the table take his weight. He was not fast enough, but it brought him nearer to the distraught craftsman.

He glanced around, and having found a chair, he brought it nearer and set it behind Daneel with a soft scuffing sound. As he considered his words, he moved back around in front of the man and leaned against a large anvil as he crossed his thick arms.

"I'm sorry to hear it." he began softly. "I...don't know much about curses." he admitted with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "But I've known my fair share of guys down on their luck."

He drew his head up and looked out the window at the pouring rain. "You like tea?" he asked. He still had some of the stuff they had brought back from the spoils in the jungle, a little old, but serviceable.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:23, Sat 13 June 2020.

Daneel smiles, pushing himself back up to a tenative stand, though he still leans fully on his cane.  "Yes.  You are kind."  It is not so much of a complement, but a statement, a sort of affirmation.  "Come."

On unsteady legs, Daneel leads the way through his back door, and into a single room which seems to serve both as his forge and his living space.  One side of the room has all the tools of his trade, heavy leather gloves and aprons, a squat forge which has a massive vent funneled through the wall, hammers, and anvils, with a large basin of coal and a wall stacked with dry wood.  The other side of the room has a low bed, a small stove a few hanging pots and pans along with a cupboard, wardrobe, and a small table with two chairs.

Daneel ushers Magnus to a small table, while he pulls down a hanging kettle, filling it with some water from an urn before setting it on the stove.  He brings a teapot as well, setting it in front of Magnus.  Within a few minutes, Magnus has set his tea in the basket and the hot water is poured, swelling the dry leaves as they steep, setting the whole room with a floral aroma.

"She was a sweet girl."  Daneel begins, pouring the pot into two cups after removing the basket of tea.  "She worked here most mornings when I had commissions to make.  When things were busy, she would run the the store while I tended the forge.  When things were slow, I would show her how to make molds for the soft metals, how to keep the forge hot enough.  I think she liked it here.  She had mentioned she was interested in making jewelry one day..."  Daneel slows for a moment, taking a sip of his tea.

"At the beginning of the winter, seven or eight months ago was when things started to change.  She came in one morning, pale as can be and not able to eat so much as a morsel.  She couldn't work.  I told her to lay down in the back.  Thought she was sick from drink."  Daneel sighs.

"She was pregnant."  Daneel punctuates the statement by taking another sip of his tea.

"Of course, it's not that odd in a city like this, but Margerie seemed distraught by it.  I kept her on, but she came by less often...  she worked other jobs.  The rumors started.  She has no family here, perhaps that would have helped.  Most people thought I was the father.  I think it upset Margerie as much as it did me, if nothing else it kept her from spending too much time here.  Three month ago one of the farmers pulled her body from the edge of the Conn, her face swollen and blue from drowning..."

Daneel's jaw sets forward and shuts his eyes, letting the silence take over for a moment as he pulls his cup to his lips again.  He sets the mug down, shaking his head for several moments before he continues.

"There have been plenty of rumors about that too...  It didn't take long before the curse came.  It's tied to her no doubt.  I am being punished for something I am innocent of."

Daneel looks at Magnus, holding his gaze for a moment before looking away.  "If you break the curse, I will make your helmet - free of charge."

OOC:  I didn't remember your having tea from another adventure, nor did I see it on the character sheet, but it seemed too good of an angle not to give it to you.

Magnus took a cup of the somewhat rust colored beverage and settled onto a sturdy stool with the steaming beverage cradled in his large hands. Tea, much like coffee yet less expensive, was a luxury they had seldom come across when he had been growing up. That far north ciders and spiced wine had been far more common.

He listened to Daneel's tale. It was a little odd in his mind for such an experienced craftsman to take on a single young girl as an apprentice, for jewelry making at that, but if orders were as slow as he had said it did make some sense. And then to become pregnant...it was true that Magnus did not see any evidence of "Missus Daneel", but he was not one to hold that against him. The Minotaur of all people knew how hard it was to find someone when you were the only one of your "kind" around. More importantly, Magnus had a good feeling about this man in his gut, and that counted for far more than idle speculation.

But when the man made the offer to work for free if Magnus should be able to lift the curse, he was a little surprised. Magnus believed in curses of course, he had smashed the life out of an honest to God demon, so the existence of curses seemed plausible if anything. But finding the source and lifting it would require...investigation. It was not exactly his forte.

That being said, if somebody was cursing innocent men and needed to be brought it, that did fall under the purview of the Armsman Guild in a fashion, it was more along the lines of going out for a Bounty, but work was work. The helmet was going to be pricey, so it seemed like fair pay.

Magnus sipped his tea. "I'm willing to try." he agreed with a nod. "But I'm spending more than I can afford on a place to sleep at the moment. If you'd be willing to put me up at a fair rate, and let me stable my mule, I can look into your curse." he took a deep breath and rubbed at his chin. "Do you have parchment? I'm probably gonna need to take some notes."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:22, Sun 14 June 2020.

Daneel nods at Magnus's words.  "I do not have much here, but you are welcome to stay.  I have a small place where we can put up your mule.  And there's a ledger just there."  Daneel points to the wardrobe, where a large book and thin pencil of charcoal lay.  "You can feel free to take a page out of the back."

OOC:  Daneel is willing to put you up for free, though he doesn't really have a bed for you.  Gus will also be taken care of.  In game terms, don't sweat the admin from this point on, but let me know if you have any questions.  I would like to know what of your equipment you plan on taking with you as you are doing your 'investigating' though.  Remember that heavy weaponry and armor (anything much more than a cane or staff) can increase your negative reaction modifiers, which in your case could make a bad problem even worse.  Feel free to ask whatever questions you have of Daneel IC.

After Gus had been brought in from the storm and unloaded, Magnus set up the small living space where he would likely be spending the next few evenings at the least.

Ironically if there was one place that he did not have to worry about his expensive arms or armor going missing, it was the Angel Armory. His chain hauberk, along with his shield were laid aside neatly. His bulky leather gloves were left behind, but he retained his coveted mace in his satchel. While having a shorter weapon was somewhat of a disadvantage against say, a sword, at least it packed well and was handy in a packed formation or crowd.

That left him in his "street clothes", which was little more than a thick green woolen tunic that came to his knees, hose, his belt and satchel. A light plaid half cloak was the only ornamentation and the lot was wrinkled or pulled from being packed away or being work under his armor.

He felt incredibly light on his feet after the long miles under heavy burden.

When he was changed and unpacked, he turned to the business at hand, and asked Daneel all he knew about Margerie, where she lived, her family and friends, the places that she frequented as well as the state and Location in which her body had been discovered. He plied the pen and ink in his rough blocky script as he took notes for his own benefit, and endeavored to listen more than he spoke.

Just taking his satchel, with the mace concealed within.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:36, Mon 15 June 2020.

Magnus settled in quickly to his new temporary lodgings and got to the business of finding out what he could of Margerie.  Unfortunately, despite Daneel's long discussion and many personal feelings on the subject, he gets little in the way of verifiable fact.  Her surname was Bayle, and she had no family in the area.  When Magnus had pushed slightly on the subject (She had no family here?  She was all by herself?) Daneel only became defensive and repeated the assertion with a sort of stony resolve.  It seemed that she had worked some other jobs after, and possibly even before she had become pregnant to make ends meet.  Daneel had heard that she had taken up washing duties at the court from time to time as well as serving at the White Heart.

As for her body, Daneel has little to offer here.  He restates that a farmer was the one who found her body, pulling her from the Conn about a mile downstream from the city docks.  When Magnus asks on the state of her person, Daneel says that her skin and face were bloated and pale, slightly blued from the water.  There was no evidence of other injury and the locals seemed to accept that she had died by suicide.  In any case there had been no attempt to investigate any sort of foul play.  Daneel notes that she was distraught and preoccupied after she learned of the pregnancy and he doesn't disagree with the possibility she had taken her life.

OOC:  Feel free to ask specific questions if you wish or we can keep going with generalities.  It's still pretty early in the morning, on the order of about 0730.

Magnus had never served with a Vigiles, nor had he ever had any cause to assist any of the myriad officials that were charged with looking into crime. Up till this point in his life he had either been paid to stand around and look menacing, or to get violent when the situation called for it.

Now, under the circumstances, he was having to tax his brain power a bit. Part of him enjoyed it in fact, the trust that was placed in him to comprehend these sorts of things and to follow the threads to a logical conclusion. He was not going to pretend he was good at it, but it was a refreshing change of pace.

On the face of things it looked fairly typical. Young girl moves to the big city, realizes it's harder than she had imagined it to be. Gets worn down working multiple jobs, winds up pregnant out of wedlock, and either kills herself to avoid the shake of it all, or winds up in a rough crowd. It happened all the time.

But there were niggling details that bothered him. Everyone came from somewhere, and it was generally one of the first things people spoke about when they made introductions. Margerie Bayle had parents out there somewhere, and a home town, and a reason she had wound up in the city. Daneel had to know at least some of these things, but why obscure them?

Especially from the one entrusted to lift a curse that was supposedly ruining his life?

The places of employment were good, although part of him dreaded going back to the White Heart. But work was only one facet of this girl's life...where were the others?

Magnus asked about any of the girls friends, if she had been seeing anybody and where she lived.

But he also asked more specifically about the farmer, if Daneel recalled his name or where he lived. Finding a body was a traumatic event, and the man could be willing to discuss it if only to get it off his chest...or, perhaps time had allowed him to develop his own questions about the girl he had found.

Though Daneel does try to fill in the details where Magnus sees the hole in the story the further information he provides seems almost entirely limited to his interaction with the girl in the store.

He surmises, more than anything, that Margerie was friendly with the other servers at the Heart, an age group that was more in line with her generation than his.  As for her seeing someone, Daneel continues his cycle of mixed guilt and defensiveness.  He repeats that everyone seems to think he is the father, that he has nothing to do with it apart from trying to give his workers a slightly better life.

Magnus surmises that the girl wasn't openly seeing anyone in any case, otherwise the rumors would be less focused on her simple proximity to an older man.

Daneel does give Magnus the general part of town where Margerie lived, and relays that it was a small room in a larger boarding house.  Margerie had mentioned some of the other girls there before... perhaps they could provide more information?

As for the farmer, Daneel relays the name quickly, Valan, though it takes him a little longer to come up with the details of where the man lived and worked.  Apparently, Valan was a sharecropper on some of the Archbishop's larger land holdings.  Daneel had seen the man before in the market, though he had not been the one to speak with him when he found the body.  Magnus gets a general idea of where the farm is, enough to get him close.

OOC:  Sorry the detail here isn't great, I'm trying to give you a general idea of the information you have in the sort of summary format we are working with, without having to plan an entire city.  Margerie lives in the lower classes part of town, though outside of the slums, in a small boarding house style lodging.  Daneel doesn't know who else lives there, but he gives you a good idea of where it is.  As for the farmer, he knows who the man is, mostly due to the story that has been passed around about him finding the body, though not a lot of specifics on exactly where to find him.  You do know that you'll have to walk outside the gates to get there, which will require a reaction roll from the guards on the way back in.  Let me know if you have any other general or specific questions, or where you want to take things from here.

Magnus thanked his his host and employer, having felt that he had reached a good stopping point in his questioning. He could also come back and clarify some things if need be after all.

Now, feeling almost nude after so long in armor, Magnus exited the Angel Armory and made his way practically across the street towards the White Heart to see about Margerie's employment there.

Privately Magnus was glad that he had not raised a fuss the night before, as it would surely have been awkward now that he was asking for information.

He approached from the back, hoping to catch one of their employees out of sight of the main floor, and to avoid causing any sort of scene.

Feeling uncertain about his prospects with entering the White Heart again, Magnus takes  a more circular route, finding an alleyway that goes around to the back.  Fighting a musty smell of decomposing waste, Magnus finds what seems to be the inn's back door, squared with the backs of several other local shops.  Magnus perches there for a moment, though he does not have long to wait before the inn's door has opened.

A young woman, garbed in a shabby brown dress that falls to her ankles and a thick dirty apron on top carries out a large clay pot, nearly as wide as her own torso.  At first the girl doesn't seem to notice Magnus, and hurries out the door with her burden, which seems to slosh with each of her steps.  She makes her way to a grated drain on the side of the street, pouring the contents down as she averts her head, eyes closed.  It is only when she stands back up again that she notices Magnus a dozen paces away.

"Good Lord!"  The woman gasps, clutching her heart with a hand as the pot drops to the street, splattering a few droplets as it clatters and rolls a foot or so away.

When Magnus holds up his hands in innocence, the woman seems to regain her composure after a moment, clutching back her pot before starting back towards the door in a huff.

"What are you doing sneaking up on a girl like that!  Don't you know there's a murderer loose!  Nearly scared me to death!"

OOC:  Due to the nature of the module, I'll be making the reaction rolls for you.  It will have significant bearing on the information you get, and I'd rather you not have a heads up if information is particularly good or bad.  That being said, if you want to use a social skill, you may do so once per interaction, and then make the appropriate roll.

Magnus had not counted on scaring the poor girl, and so he put on his most conciliatory expression in an attempt to smooth things over.

"Sorry, sorry. I know, I have that effect sometimes." he admitted with his hands raised in a placating way. "My names Magnus, I'm looking into the death of Magerie Bayle. If I could just have a few minutes of your time, I'm just looking for the basics, what she was like, if she had gotten into trouble with anybody...did you know her?"

He asked. He knew he was working on the clock with this one, she would be expected back to her duties scrubbing pots or pouring ale or whatever it was she was paid to do. So he got right down to the point. He was sure she did not want to spend a lot of time in his company anyway, so he phrased it as such to where if she just answered a few questions he would leave her in peace.

"Magerie?"  The girl says, pausing for a moment on her way to the door as she bites her lip.  "Yeah, I knew her...  Look, I'm busy.  What about you come in the normal way and order something to eat.  Once I'm done with the empty rooms I'll stop by and we can talk."

"Sounds good" Magnus agreed, and jerked his broad shaggy head towards the establishment. "I'll see you in there."

The Minotaur walked back around to the front, and half expecting to be thrown out for the impetuousness of attempting service a second time, he passed through the front doors and looked to the proprietor once more. "Morning...it alright if I come in to a grab a bite?" he asked, already reaching for his purse.

Magnus agrees, and walks slowly around the front of the bar, giving the girl plenty of time to stay ahead of him.  When he does eventually enter, the girl meets him near the door and ushers him towards a seat.

The White Heart does not seem nearly as busy in the morning as it had been on the previous evening.  One patron sits at a solitary table, eating a bowl of thick porridge or stew and the same man from last night stands at the counter.

Magnus asks politely to sit, and the innkeeper responds with a half smirk and a not towards the tables.

"We've got in most of it fresh from the baker's this morning."  The girl explains gesturing towards a large scrawl of chalk written directly on a wall.

"Just think on what you want, Mr. Howell can set you up and I'll be back when I've cleaned out the empties."

The girl whisks off towards a staircase near the edge of the room, grabbing her large pot before ascending.

"Sorry for last night."  The innkeeper says from the desk in a voice that seems mostly devoid of any real sympathy.  "Big crowd last night, I think the rain mighta kept a few people longer than they had planned.  What can I get for you?"

OOC:  Menu of the White Heart

2f  Pint of Ale
3f  Pint of Beer
10f Mug of Wine
20f Mug of Spirits
3f  Venison pastie
5f  Roasted rabbit with bread sauce
6f  Lamb stew with chicken and raisins
8f  Baked fish with spices and prunes
4f  Apple fritters
4f  Spiced Custard

Magnus settled in with an easy, forgiving demeanor. His life had been difficult enough without holding grudges or walking around like he was owed something. "It's not a problem, I get it." he assured the proprietor. "You're running a business" Even if the man was just being polite, and Magnus had been kicked out because of who he was, that was alright too. It was not the first time, and it would not be the last.

"Could I get a pint of beer, the lamb stew and one of those fritters?" he asked next time the girl came around. He was looking forward to all of it with relish, and even if he could not finish the fritters, they would pack well for the rest of the days work. And besides, it never hurt things to throw around a little money.

With that he settled in, and casually waited for the girl he had spoken with to come around so they could get down to business about Margerie.

The girl nods with the order and walks back by the innkeeper before sweeping back towards the the back of the inn, presumably to keep cleaning.  As for the innkeeper, he merely raises an eyebrow before leaving the desk for a moment.

Several minutes later, the man brings a large plate by Magnus's table with his order.

Magnus eats slowly, knowing that he likely has some time before the maid returns.  Above all, he doesn't want the conversation to be rushed, for surely she had other things to do, and Magnus sitting at the table with an empty plate would be an easy way to end the conversation.  It is not an easy task, for as the lamb stew hits his palate, he immediately starts salivating as the sweet and savory mix with a meat so tender it falls apart as it hits his mouth.

Magnus sits back, enjoying the stew and putting down a healthy swig of the beer as he waits.

It is perhaps ten minutes later when the girl finally returns, her face in somewhat of a scowl, though she makes an attempt to brighten up as she sits down at the table across from Magnus.

"Sorry, the man in twelve is something of an ass.  Wants his room cleaned but never wants to leave it."  She rolls her eyes in an exhausted fashion before putting her attention back on the minotaur.  "As for Margerie, what did you want to know?  She was a sweet girl, worked here on the feast days.  Shame as what's happened to her."

OOC:  Sorry, I've just realized that I may have induced some confusion.  The girl's name is Margerie Bayle.  Somewhere along the line we both seemed to have dropped the first 'r'.  I'm not fussed over it, I just want to make it clear that there isn't any particular significance to the fact that the spelling has shifted a little."

Magnus, who had slept quite well in the comfort of the Angel Armory, found himself in a wonderful sort of food induced stupor. The beer was cool and satisfying, the stew just about perfect, and the apple fritter huge and savory. The combination of such a hearty breakfast had him sat back in his chair with his hands lightly entwined on his chest fighting off sleep.

It was such a pleasant little moment, and he smiled knowing that he would relish and recall it when he was baking or freezing in some God forsaken wilderness.

When the girl came back around, with her earnest attempt at friendliness, Magnus wiggled his way into a more upright posture and smiled in turn.

"It was a shame" he agreed with appropriate solemnity. "And also unexpected. Someone who cared for her has asked me to look into things, to sort of get her story together." He explained. "I know she was not here all the time, but did she share much with you? Was she close to anybody here? You're my first stop of the day so I'm just lookin' for the basics mostly, where she lived, who her friends were, who the father might have been. Things like that." He reached into his bag over the course of the last sentence and pulled out his pencil and parchment.

"Well,"  The girl hesitates before trying to answer Magnus's questions, "She didn't normally talk much from what I've seen, though she was under a lot of stress those last few months... so she said her fair share.  I think if she was closest to anybody here it would be mister Howell.  He's here all the time, and he was her boss and all."

The girl cranes her chin up, looking at the wooden ceiling supports for a moment.  "Um, I think she lived in the villein district.  A boarding house over on Pleasant Street.  You know, not the best part of town, but a long way from what she came from...  As for friends, I dunno.  I'd say that she was about as friendly with us as with anybody, stayed after some nights and had a drink with some of the guests... 'fore she knew she was pregnant anyway.  When that happened, she got anxious....  I can understand that.  But it seemed to be more than just worry about the kid or what she was going to do.  It wasn't for want of money for sure, because she was working three jobs, and the court paid her better wages than I've ever seen here.
 Maybe it was the father did or said something.  She never told me...  Last time she was in here, she was downright beside herself.  Empty, seemed like.  I asked her what was wrong and she shook me off, pretended like it weren't nothing, but it was pretty plain.  Wasn't a week after that they found her body in the river."

The girl nods as if confirming her story.  When Magnus asks about the father however, he gets a much more engaged look as the girl leans forward slightly, lowering her voice despite the fact that the room is nearly empty.

"I've been trying to figure that out myself, she never told me.  But rumors flew when it was fresh.  Everybody said it was Master Daneel, but Margerie got upset when people anyone mentioned it.  Some people said that was her tell that they were right, but I don't think it was him.  She got really upset when people pressed her, like she wanted to tell who it was, but she couldn't."

The girl sits back, shaking her head.  "I'm afraid I don't know much more.  Margerie talked plenty, about how much being pregnant sucked, about her job at the armory, about all the gossip and goings on at court, but on her personal life she kept her privacy pretty tight."

OOC:  I know we've slowed down significantly (sorry for that) but as a reminder, you actually slept quite poorly last night at the Red Lion and left just after the dawn.  You only spent a couple hours at Angel Armory and have not slept there yet.  Investigative threads can be pretty complicated in a pbp format, let me know if you want some place to put all your thoughts down in an effort to keep things fresh.
This message was last updated by the GM at 16:45, Thu 06 Aug 2020.

Magnus listened, really listened, and did not touch his paper until after she had finished speaking. He even gave her a long pause at the end to make sure she was done.

When she was finished however, he reached for the ink well, daubed the nib, tapped off the excess and set to work in his widely spaced, blocky script. "My memory's never been the best..." he explained with a little self efacing smile.

When he was done, and his concentration free, he looked back up."You mentioned that boarding house, over on Pleasant Street, and that it was better than where she had come from. Do you know where she was from? Originally?"  he asked.

Magnus had a hunch brewing, down in his gut, but it was unformed thing. He could not quite put it to words, but he felt there was something here. "Did she ever talk much about her time at the Court? What she did there? Who she knew? Any friends? Anybody who might have taken an interest in her?"

"Oh, she was from Raphael."  The girl says simply, leaning back in her seat.  "She didn't talk much about her past."  She pauses for a moment, her eyes shifting in a cockeyed glance to the side and upwards, her facing tensing up in thought.  "... or ever really.  But one of the other servers who was here a time ago knew her from before and blabbed it to a few of us when he was drunk one night.  She grew up in the slums, her and an older sister and their dad who was a real piece of trash."

She sets her jaw to the side, making a slight grimace, though her expression is more sad than anything.

"She ran off when she was young, maybe fourteen, living on her own.  Living rough sometimes.  But she picked herself up."  The girl nods enthusiastically.  "People knew her and liked her.  It didn't matter where she came from."

Magnus asks about the court and again the girl nods.  "She mentioned plenty.  The magistrate sees all the cases from the city, but they only do court on Saturdays.  Margerie would go in on court days, set all the things out, then do the wash after all the Magistrate left."  She looks up at Magnus.  "Sir Alston."  She adds, recognizing the question Magnus is about ready to ask.

"She talked about all the other people there, the lawyers, the hard cases.  You wouldn't believe what some people can do to another person with no prompting...  Though there were plenty who were just trying to keep from being hungry who were sent to labor for thievery..."  The girl quiets for a moment, shaking her head.

"She seemed to know most everybody there, even if only for sharing a few words.  Like I said, people liked her.  She talked about it plenty, though I don't know if had anything to do with her death."  She admits, glancing her eyes back up in Magnus's direction.

More scratching away at the paper, the feather and nib looking comical in the big, calloused hand. The faster he wrote, the harder it would be for him to recognize his own blocky hand later so he tried to slow it down even if it felt like the pauses stretched too long for comfort.

He was down to Mister Howell, which he hoped would wrap things up here. Then there was the farmer who found the body, her home on Pleasant Street, and the Court.

The Court would be last and hopefully not needed at all, as the mention of forced labor reinforced.

"Thanks for that...it helps a lot. Is your Boss free my chance? Mister Howell? You mentioned they seemed pretty close?"

When Magnus asks if Mister Howell is free, the girl inclines her head towards the desk at the same man that had brought Magnus's food a half hour ago.  The man is now sitting at the desk, leaning back in his chair as he gazes at the ceiling.

"Seems it."  The girl laughs slightly as she stands back up, wiping her hands on her apron.  "They were as close as she was with anybody here, though I guess maybe she didn't bear her troubles to him like she did to the other workers.  Anyway, good luck mister."

Magnus nods as the girl retreats back towards her work, and steels himself for his talk with the innkeeper, with the swift refusal of last night still on his mind.

"Looking into Margerie eh?"  The innkeeper asks Magnus with a thin smile on his face.  "I heard something of what you were talking about earlier."  He adds by way of explanation.

"Damn shame what she did, throwing herself in the river like that.  I don't know if she ever swam much swimming in her day, I guess there was only one outcome that was going to happen."  The innkeeper glances down, with a somber expression.

"She was a good kid."  He looks back up at Magnus, "Hard worker, popular, pretty."  Mister Howell cracks a faint smile with a single breath of a quiet laugh.  "Probably too much so.  Attracted quite a few men in her time, especially the older ones."

Howell shakes his head.  "Getting pregnant changed her though.  She was angry and upset at the drop of a hat, left once in the middle of the busiest rush we'd had, crying her eyes out at God knows what."  Howell shakes his head again.

"I didn't begrudge her for it, but that didn't make it any easier."

"Yeah" Magnus replied somberly when the man asked if he was looking into the girls fate. "I'm not sure I could swim that river on a good day, but these don't help" he glanced down a his hooves before he let one drop back to the wooden floor for emphasis.

"I figure it's hard enough moving to a new place, alone, trying to make it work. Keeping your nose to the grindstone and then...pregnant, yeah." he shook his head. "Knowin' that you are workin on a clock, goin' to need to have somebody to look after the babe, another mouth to feed, worn out all the time. And then, yeah...a lot of people don't look well on unwed mothers, or their kids..."

Magnus heaved a sigh. "No wonder she was on edge" he rapped his knuckles on the table top twice then leaned forward again. "I'm gettin' a better picture of who she was, and it sounds like she was pretty thing, probably attracted some attention. But nobody seems to know for sure who her lover was...did she seem the secretive type? Without any family around I can'y see why she would go through the trouble to hide him, ya know?"