<div></div><br> <br>The Noble district is in an uproar as dozens of personal guards stand around the various shops and manors that dot the destrict and in the center of the chaos is a single Doberman small folk taking notes and asking questions. He growls and nods, "Not a single crown was taken? All you lost were your wares?" The doberman asked to a water folk frog woman dressed in ornate jewelry. "Those fiends dare to cross the mistress of poison?! I'll kill them with some of the best poison I can procure on short notice and I'll show them!" The hestrical frog scream before stomping off as the small doberman shakes his head. "When are those volunteers from the freeswords going to show up? I really rather deal with some folks that aren't screaming at me." He adjusted his large black hat and sighs. Around him dozens of places are as prestine as they normally are in the Noble district not a single sign of robber exist besides frantic Nobles and Merchants shouting and trying to push thier noble status around.<br> <br>Selena walks over to the noble's district with an irritated look about her. A quick scan of the crowd later, and she moves into the gathering of beings to the Doberman to adress him; "Selena, taskmage for the Ironsoul's defenders. You asked for some volunteers; what do you need?" She asks a little bluntly, voice lowering somewhat. "This is a mess though, that's for sure..."<br> <br>Travis also is making his way towards the Nobles's district, having heard that something has happend. He takes a curious look around, checking for any familiar people, at least familiar to him, and when he spots Selena, he makes his way over toward the wolf, coming to a stop a small distance away, so not to interupt the conversation. <br> <br>Ictus is already on the scene as he heard the manor was robbed and glares at all the confusion, "Idiots are making things harder..." he looks at the doberman and steps up, "I'll help, I am Ictus Solacious." it wouldn't be right not to help<br> <br>"A pleasure I'm Cosgrove but you can call me Cos for short. I'm lead investigator for this case. To put it simply I need help, Taskmage." He gives a curt nod and guestures to the building. "How does someone break into a building with smashing a door, picking a lock, opening a window and damaging a single thing inside and escape at broad daylight without someone noticing. The only lead we have right now is that they don't seem to have an interest in crowns, They stole all the weapons and armors from the Ironsouls and Solacious they could get there." He nods as Ictus intoduces himself. "Sir Solacious. You the first solacious not to insult me before greeting me and the first to help me out." The canine chuckles and tips his hat. "Please follow me." He begins to lead them through the poison shop and lets each of them enter. The place is clean as a whistle with a fine grey powder over the floor, "The Frog left a trap that caused ash to coat the whole place. We were hoping to get foot prints to atleast guess the size or species of our criminal but they thought ahead." The only foot prints are in the shape of perfer squares instead of shoes. "I assume they are very short but that doesn't help me." He grumbles and reaches into his tunic, "The poisons prevent me from even getting a good scent. I'm hoping you have a better ideal than I do because honestly we have nothing and the folk who keep appearing just come around to curse and tell me to fix it."<br> <br>Selena nods. "It's a pleasure, Cosgrove. Depending on who you're asking? You could head around and remove some bricks, go through an open window, tunnel if you had a lot of time. Or, disguise yourself as a noble and use a copied key." She suggests, following him back to the house and surveying the area. En-route, the wolfess greets Travis properly; "Hello again, Travis."<br> <br>Travis follows Cosgrove as well, giving Selena a light smile and a nod. "Hello Lady Selena. I am here to help if I can." He gives a curious look around as they are led into the building. "Is there a way to tell where the prints started? We may be able to get a better idea of how they cam in if we knew from which part of the building they first stepped."<br> <br>Ictus hmms at Cosgrove and nods in greeting as he looks around the shop, he nods to Selena in agreement, "That's true..." he ponders and looks around, "You think it was a small folk? If they were small enough... Maybe they hid inside a delivery...?" at Travis' comment he nods as he looks to see if he can spot the beginning of the prints<br> <br>"Hmmm. I guess they could have removed bricks or tunnled. Delivery is out the question because the owner finds her own poison." He walks in and follows the tracks to a display care. "Unless they can turn into wood and glass I don't think..." He pauses and pushes the case revealing a much lighter colored wood than the rest of the area. "Hmmmmm." The Doberman sighes, "Well I'll be Creator Crused." The planks solid and does a simple guesture and burns the new wood away. " I'm not much in a fight in a fight and I'm even less of an explorer. I'll take the rear." He offers while looking at Selena with an expression of pure bliss, "Atleaset we have a clue now."<br> <br>Selena shrugs. "And now we know there's a decent mage on them. Moving that much rock isn't exactly easy to do, muhc less quietly." She comments. "I can hold my own if we have to fight, but I would prefer not to be on the front lines." the wolfess replies, moving over to the hole. "If there are no takers, I'll head in." <br> <br>Travis tilts his head a bit, moving over towards the hole as well. He crouches down to peek inside, his nose wiggling a bit as he carefully tries to sniff the air, a light hmmm coming from him. "I think the smallest of us may want to go check it out, see how big the hole is, and if it wide enough for all of us. We also will want to bring a torch or something to provide light down there most likely."<br> <br>Ictus blinks as the case moves and chuckles as he looks into the hole, "Well... I'd go first but I'm not the smallest here..." he still switches his soul gem so he can fight if needed<br> <br>Strange scent reach Travis' nose as the rest of the group. Travis passing him a torch as the fox drops into the tunnel the tunnel is roomy enough  that anyone shorter than a heavy folk can easily stand. Further up the tunnel is a figure walking further down he appear to  not have noticed the group as he walk deep into the darkness. The creatures steps make no noise as he walks, he doesn't appear to be any taller than five feet and is carrying something above his head.<br> <br>Selena quietly slinks into the tunnel after the rest, quietly dropping to the floor of the tunnels, staying a safe distance behind the group to avoid easy detection, but keeps the group in her sight.<br> <br>Travis carefully makes his way into the tunnel after Ictus, and tilts his head as he sees a figure up ahead of them. He blinks a bit, looking in puzzlement, and then looks behind, whispering to Cosgrove. "Are there supose to be tunnels down here? Is this some sort of underground way to move goods? Or are these tunnels illegal?"<br> <br>Ictus hmms quietly as he spots the figure and motions to the others to be quiet as he tries to creep after the folk trying to get away. he looks to the others and whispers, "We should follow, see if they can lead us to others."<br> <br>The Doberman drops down easily enough before nodding to Travis. "Illegal and definately not in the plans of this building." He whispers as the creature drops the box with a curse and begins to slowly pick up and count all of the goods that are rolling about the tunnel. He notices the light in the distance and curses, "Stay back...please...." The Creature calls out with a whimper and a defeated sigh. "I promise if you do you'll be saving a life." He pleads while facing the group he can barely make our and still putting the items into the box but keeping an eye on the group.<br> <br>Selena calls out from behind the group. "Whose life would we be saving? If its yours, I think you have more to worry about, like an employer for instance." She adresses the being, turning back to ensure she hadn't been followed.<br> <br>Travis tilts his head a bit, and gives a light hmm, taking a couple of steps closer to Ictus, to gently place a paw on the fox's shoulder, as he also speaks up, trying to get his voice to be friendly and soothing.  "We do not mean you any harm, and will not hurt you if you do not attack us.  If what you say is true, then please, explain it to us."<br> <br>Ictus sighs as they are spotted and blinks at the beings words, he hmms and nods in agreement with the other two, "Yes, please explain?" he peers at the figure as if to try and identify him in the poor light, he holds up a hand to halt the others as well<br> <br>The light reveals that the figures is a pig he is dressed in nothing but a simple tunic and a pair of pants. A large gold ring is on one of his fingers, "You've seen my face... I'm going to have to die now. I am require to give you a parting message by The Mother." He clears his throat and sighs, "Promise is a diseased place, The Good has no cure, The Creators have not given aid. Shadows run rampant and the hungry of shanty town starve outside these very walls." He looks at the face of Ictus and growls, "The Mother will purge all of this and clear the Bad King away, Remove the disgusting blight of the shadows and finally remove these wretched clan seals that the weathly use to uplift themselves above the poor and the weak." The pig finishes as he presses his ring against wall causing all of it to collapse behind him trapping him with the group. The doberman give a shout from the back, "I know that voice, Is that you Rod?" The pig nods as the doberman continues. "I remember taking you in for drunk assualts... Didn't you get clean? Why are you doing this?" The pig laughs with dark humor, "The Mother cleaned me up and showed me a better way." He stands against the wall behind him and hold his ring close to his body. "And I failed her..."<br> <br>Selena nods; not falling for that one!<br> <br>Selena flinches back as the tunnel collapses around the group, momentarily trying to clear the tunnel before a bett idea comes to mind, the wolfess using a quick bit of air math to fling a large stone at the pig with the evident intention of disrupting his action or knocking him out before more damage is done.<br> <br>Travis tilts his head, blinking some as he listens to the man's words. "That sounds like the talk of a fanatic." He mubles that to himself, and then gasps in surprise as the man colapses the wall behind him, stepping back a bit.  When he hears the next part of the speach, he gasps again, before trying to run towards the man to stop him, though it is dobutful he is close enough, not noticing Selena's movements behind him, but not in the way of her actions, hopfully. "Oh no you don't, no poisioning yourself!"<br> <br>Ictus listens to the man and nods in agreement with Travis, "Or the brainwashed..." he gets a snare and throws it at this 'Rod' in an attempt to entangle the pigs hands<br> <br>The Pig is smashed against the wall by the rock and collaspes to his knees as the snare snare flies over his head. "Those in power always resort to violence.." He notices Travis only a few feet away from him as he brings his hands to his mouth and shatters a red gem on the ring with a powerful bite. "MAY THE GOOD DECIPTION BURN!" He screams as his body is igited in a powerful pillar of flame, he squeals in pain for only a few minutes as he expires before anyone can put him out. "Noooo." The doberman pushes past the group and look at the corpse. "You didn't have to do it.... We could have help." He says solemly before saying a prayer and turning to the rest of the group. "I'll look into this Mother and get my crew digging around here and beneath the other places. I think we have an idea of what we are up against and I will send word to the Freesword thanking them for your aid but right now... I need a minute. He wasn't a bad guy just a little off the proper path." The doberman says sadly.<br> <br>Selena sighs quietly and nods as the pig immolates himself. "I'll take a look at the ring. Might be able to find a way of disabling them pre-emptively if the're any math left there." She comments, though doesn't yet move for the corpse. "My condolances for what happened."<br> <br>Travis gives a little shiver as the pig BBQs himself, his face going pale, well, paler, hard to tell with his white fur.  He wriggles his nose at the smell of a hawaai roast, and then he gives a little sigh. "Damn it! I was to slow!"<br> <br>Ictus winces as the pig roasts himself and sighs at the wasted life, "Damnit... Poor sod didn't have to do that..." he looks at Travis and shakes his head, "Any faster and you might have gone with him..." he nods to Selena in agreement with the ring and looks to Cosgrove and sighs, "My condolances for what happened as well..."<br> <br>The canine shakes his head at Selena, "You can pick up the ring at my office tomorrow, I want our folk to take a glance first but I doubt much is going to be left on a melted ring." Cosgrove points out as he leads the group outside of the tunnel and out into the noble district. "You at the very least helped me out of my rut." He sighs, "With Rod dead the nobles have someone to blame which frees up my investigation and I will continue to look into this Monster that goes by Mother." He growls and walks off to speak with his fellow investigators.