<span style="font-weight: bold">&lt;&lt;DAGNYR, KAELEN &amp; LARYNN&gt;&gt;</span><br/><br/><blockquote><div><cite>Dagnyr wrote:</cite>"What? What happened? Why didn't it work?" </div></blockquote><br/>"I... I do not know," the archon says. "This has never happened beofre - it should never happen! My queen's magic is drawn from the immaculate power of Celestia itself. It cannot simply<span style="font-style: italic">fail</span>..." She grimaces, tensing her hand over the scar as she strains to invoke her healing magic. The results of her second attempt are even feebler than before: a pale glow no brighter than a small candle that flickers for several seconds before dying. With a small sob of defeat, she drops her hand onto her lap to wring at the tattered edges of her dress.<br/><br/><blockquote><div><cite>Dagnyr wrote:</cite>"Maybe... maybe it was something they did," he muses, glancing to the dias. "Some sort of sorcery or curse or poison to mess with casting..."</div></blockquote><br/>"Could be a raksha trick," Padma interjects. "I've heard tales of a concoction they use to rob brahmins of their powers. If the demons found something like that-"<br/><br/>"It would not work, " the archon interrupts the a shake of her head. "My body is proof against the ravages of poison and foul magic. Only the vilest of demonic curses would have even the faintest hope of overshadowing the divine light, and I would surely have felt such sorcery if it had been present. To be denied my power can only mean that I have fallen from her graces, or..." she balks, staring pointedly at the ground to hide her face as she fights back a wave of tears.<br/><br/>"A demonic curse, you say?" Sgt. Ananda says icily, sharpening her glare on Larynn. "What if someone happened to lay that curse while you were unconcious? Say, a certain demon-friendly foodseller, who just so happened to find a wounded Celestial before anyone else was around..."<br/><br/>"That won't be necessary, Sergeant," a gravelly voice announces from just behind Sgt. Ananda. The raven-haired officer makes an uncharacteristic peep of startlement and does an about-face to salute the voice's owner: a Dagnyr-sized, dragon-headed man in adjutant's blue and black, settling a pair of steel-gray wings across his body like a heavy leather cloak. On his breast, a triangular badge of three overlapping hands glimmers in gold, silver and bronze.<br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Anyone from Prometa recognizes the badge as a <span style="font-style: italic">Tridextris</span>, the symbol of allegiance between the churches of Rubin, Domrun and Aura. It's a mark of accomplishment, and not given lightly.<br/><br/>Dagnyr, Kaelen and Alyssa also recognize the wearer of the badge as Captain Vignar Ux Sventkothar, adjutant-in-chief of the New Prometa Watch House (and Alyssa's indirect supervisor). Anyone else can make a DC 15 Knowledge (local) check to recognize Vignar and his significance.</div></div></div><br/>"At ease, Sergeant. You've done well here." Vignar nods an approval to Sgt. Ananda before stepping past and kneeling with Dagnyr before the prone archon. "My lady. I come to offer my assistance in the name of the gods of Brilan. Are you able to stand?"<br/><br/>The archon regards Vignar inertly for a moment, then slowly nods. "If I may impress upon you for a helping hand..."<br/><br/>"Then it will be yours." Vignar shifts forward and offers the archon a sturdy platinum-scaled arm from beneath his cloaklike wings. He turns to face Sgt. Ananda and Dagnyr as he rises with the archon, bearing her weight without apparent difficulty. "Excellent work, constable. I would be much obliged if you would accompany us to the temple and aid in our lady's care." Nodding his approval to Dagnyr, he continues to Sgt. Ananda, "As of this moment, this matter is classified business of the Prometa City Watch. The patient and all witnesses to her presence are to be kept under Watch supervsision at all time. Please secure us a carriage, and gather all witnesses to the event for transport to the New Prometa Watchhouse posthaste!"<br/><br/>"Yes, sir!" Sgt. Ananda snaps off another salute before turning to the remaining trio of Larynn, Kaelen and Padma. "You heard the Captain. Be ready to leave as soon as our carriage arrives. We'll have officers along  to gather your belongings soon enough." Her orders given, she pivots and marches toward the north end of the square, signs of concentration visible on her face as she departs.<br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Anyone who identified Sgt. Ananda's nutrion last time can tell this is the same one - no check required.</div></div></div><br/><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">&lt;&lt;ALYSSA, ANGEL &amp; VANIKA&gt;&gt;</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">~Adjutant.~</span>Sgt. Ananda's voice pings in Alyssa's head, physically inaudible but clearly present all the same.<span style="font-style: italic">~We're moving the investigation to New Prometa. Captain Vignar is waiting by the archon. Bring your witnesses around - discreetly - and wait for the carriage.~</span><br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">My apologies to the latter half of the group for the stubby response. Without an NPC around, there's not much to play off of.  <img alt="&gt;.&gt;" src="./images/smilies/shifty.gif" title="Shifty eyes"/> I'll have some quasi-relevant sidestory material up later to make up for it.</div></div></div>