Residents of Arshan -- Katrielle, Elijah

## Transcript

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PANDOR.

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Exploration commenced.

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Katrielle

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It had been far too long since Kat had been given the chance to flex her detective-y muscle. She'd even managed to find an ever-so-helpful assistant earlier that same day (ignoring the fact that he was the eldest of the team.) Even before meeting with him, though, she'd been unsuccessfully poking and prodding for information that could crack the case wide open. Having already gotten introductions and a failed offer to stop in a while for cake out of the way, Katrielle tapped her chin with her pen thoughtfully, scanning across the citizens out and about. "Let's see, let's see... This one seems free enough!" She bounded up to the 'this one' in question, flagging them down with a friendly wave. "Hello there! I'm Katrielle, from the Layton Detective Agency. We have a few questions about this area, if you wouldn't mind answering them?" she bombarded, hoping that the smile on her face was enough to dissuade any worries that they were under suspicion.

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Elijah

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Elijah was happy to play the role of the assistant. He just hopes that something interesting comes out of this, or he's going to end up spacing out for the last half of this investigation. He does also wish they could've stopped for cake, but... Oh, well! "You don't have to answer anything you're uncomfortable with, sweetheart. We're new here." he tries to sound as comforting as possible. "As you can see, Ms. Katrielle gets excited about investigating. We just want to learn more about the area around us."

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PANDOR.

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As Katrielle waves the woman down, she does stop, though there is a slight bit of confusion on her brow. The sudden nature with which she was approached, combined with the introduction naming an Agency she'd never heard of seems to have her a little guarded. "I, uh..."

But when Elijah speaks, her demeanor changes, tension in her shoulders melting away and a gentle grin replacing her pursed lips. Between his gentle demeanor and the mention of being new, she seems to have relaxed from the initial suspicion. "Oh! You two must be some of the newcomers, huh? Fascinating, isn't it? Well, if you're looking to learn more about the area, I am happy to impart some knowledge."

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Katrielle

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Oh, this boy was good - Ernest had some competition! She'd have to keep him around for the next investigation too. "Fascinating is an understatement! I've not seen a puzzle like this in quite some time," she hummed, taking a few pointers that maybe she'd been a little too gung-ho before. "Arshan is said to be where the best minds gather, though, so I figured it'd be worth asking its citizens first!"(edited)

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Elijah

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"Arshan really is such an amazing place... Never saw anything like it where I came from. A lot of these things are new to me... Us, rather." He hopes that making them come across as culture-shocked as possible would make the other's answer more detailed. "I have to ask... Is there anything like a jail here? I've never felt so safe in a place before, so I was wondering if there were some bad apples among the bunch. I'll be sure to steer clear."

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PANDOR.

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The woman laughs lightly, crossing her arms over her chest. "A vocatum dedicated to those who view the world with a bit more logic and ambition than others will certainly attract some curious minds, yes. Not to say ambition blinds us -- we are just as content with our peaceful lives as the rest of the city, no need to cause a large stir for glory's sake."

She gestures vaguely to a large building in Precinct Arshan. "The Bastille is right over there, though you'll find it largely empty aside from some overnight stays after a drunken brawl or something of the sort. As I said, we are all quite content with our lives. No need to steal when a willing hand will feed you, no need to harm when we are all pleased with our lots in life."

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Katrielle

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Taking a moment to turn the idea over in her head, Kat flipped to a new page in her notebook and wrote down:

A Rest In Arrest - According to an Epochean lady I asked in Arshan, the Bastille doesn’t get much use. Often the worst offenders are just brawlers from a night out. If the city is so peaceful, though, I wonder why there are so many offworld detectives here?

“Ah, if only London had been so peaceful!” she smiled, dreamily placing a hand on her cheek imagining a world where she could do even less work. “Though, I’m curious - is this ‘willing hand’ usually other citizens, or is it something to do with the gods? A repayment for loyal followers, or-- Or sacrifices? Rituals?”(edited)

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PANDOR.

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If anything, the woman seems pleasantly surprised that you are diligently taking notes -- a fellow Arshan devotee can appreciate an effort to understand your surroundings, after all.

She chuckles for a second, waving her hand to dismiss the idea. "Oh, nothing quite so dark, friend. It is the citizens that I mean, though I cannot say it has nothing to do with the gods. There is, after all, a certain camaraderie between followers of the same Pantheon, yes? A sort of mutual understanding. Like a large extended family, or a congregation of people dedicated to the same belief. Such a feeling of belonging begets a strong community, a strong sense of selflessness, yes?"

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Katrielle

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Oh, boo. It was never the sacrifices or rituals.

The city's strong sense of community between patronages is what keeps things quiet. While they're loyal to gods, it doesn't seem as though they're as dependent on them as Labyrinthia was on the Storyteller.

"That does make sense! Like rooting for a certain football team, just with bigger stakes!" She was certain that if Sherl had been here, he'd have a thing or two to say about that comparison. "Then, as for my question - would you happen to know anything about those little floating lights in the sky? They don't seem much like stars, even if they are just as pretty."

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PANDOR.

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The expression on the woman's face is somewhat blank as she simply casts the lights in the sky a quick glance and then shrugs. "Your guess is as good as mine. They showed up about when time stopped, but I can't really say why."

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Katrielle

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Okay, she should have expected that one. If she'd been asked to explain why stars were stars, she'd probably say something just the same.

The star-like lights in the sky have been there as long as people remember, but it doesn't seem as though they know why. It's linked to time stopping, somehow.

"Hm... it's safe to assume the gears showed up around then too? Oh, does that mean you remember before time stopped?" She paused for just a moment, before giving a slightly sheepish grin. "...Sorry, that's the last question, I promise."

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PANDOR.

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She hesitates for just a second, eyes flickering to the side before turning her attention back to the inquisitive woman before her. Her weight shifts from her heels to her toes, and she takes a deep breath.

"...Yes, those... flickering images of gears in the sky happened around the same time. And... yes, there are those of us who remember a time before it stopped."

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Katrielle

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Even someone as nosy as Kat could tell she'd pushed just a little too far, and as tempting as it was to get that last hint out of this puzzle, 'those of us' meant that there was more than this poor woman to investigate. She could hold off for a little while.

The gear markings appeared at the same time as the lights - some residents know about life before time stopped, but seem especially nervous to talk about it. Something about the gears seems to bring back bad memories, but not the lights, for some reason?

"I see... I'm sorry, it looks like I shouldn't have asked." She offered a sympathetic smile as way of apology as she jotted down the way to contact her Tempo to hand over. "It's been lovely talking to you, though, and I'm sorry I kept you so long. Be sure to let me know if you think of anything else that you think might be useful! ...Or if you just fancy a chat - detectives don't get much work in such a peaceful city, after all!"

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PANDOR.

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The woman takes the paper, smiling in a way that does not quite manage to reach her eyes. "Of course. I will contact you if... if the urge arises. Thank you, dear. May Time be on your side."

Would you like to do anything else?

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Katrielle

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One last note...

May Time Be On Your Side - Seemingly a sort of blessing. Not much at first glance, but it at least shows time is still important here. Curiouser and curiouser!

Snapping her notebook shut, she gave a satisfied sigh. It wasn't quite as good news as she was expecting, but it was still a good set of clues to move forward with. The prison doesn't have many visitors, the community keeps itself held together, the stars and gears appeared around the same time, and - most importantly - there was some important secret to the gears that at least some people were uncomfortable mentioning. Though, if the prison is mostly empty, wouldn't that mean the policemen would be free for a little chat? That'd be a good lead for another day, but for now, it was about time for a dinner or three. She'd just have to pop into a library at some point and see what she could find.

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PANDOR.

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EXPLORATION ENDED.