Nodding his head in understanding the baron spoke in a serious fashion while hearing out everyone's thoughts. It seemed he had prepared for some of the matters to be discussed at least, since as Deacon made his way towards the door then his voice was calm and unrushed.<br/><br/><strong>"The Guard knows to make way for you to allow you to investigate the matter at hand. I am afraid I had few others I could entrust with this matter, and your reputation preceeds you. I believe you have the power to get to the bottom of this, and hope that you will be able to find answers to questions we do not even know to ask just yet."</strong><br/><br/>As he turned to regard the others in turn he nod his head politely again.<strong>"I will seek to reward you for any clues you may unearthe and answers to the questions who was behind the attack and where they are now would certainly be rewarded by the throne as well, if there are members of the royal family still in control of this kingdom. With an attack of this kind, we'll find out soon enough I believe."</strong><br/><br/><strong>Collette Walker (On the Aura of the Crown)</strong><br/><br/>The Crown's fragment contained a prism of magical shades, a mixture of powers ranging from graven shades of royal purple speaking of the necromantic arts to the protective white of abjuration, the crown's more colorful shades of magic were also intertwined in a strange fashion. The pattern was impossible to make out with but a fragment of the crown, but there was enough to suggest that if each piece was a part of a puzzling magical circle to be worn as a crown then the full crown's power would be something worthy of a legend.<br/><br/>The inscriptions themselves were graphic runes that did not carry a clear draconic meaning, instead seeming to be inscribed in a puzzling mixture, elven markings besides human ones, dwarven sigils intermingling. It was as if these runes themselves were created by mixing at least seven different kinds of markings together, and yet each of them stood alone.<br/><br/>If the crown was an artefact from the first age, it'd likely take someone with lore from the first age to decipher the true meaning within it. Given that the tyrant had sought to burn all such old lore in the past, it made the runes little more than a forgotten secret. Puzzle where the answer was lost to the ages.<br/><br/><strong>The Royal Carriage.</strong><br/><br/>Deacon's arrival to the courtyard was met by a curious look by a pair of guards standing near the carriage there. They seemed somewhat bored at their task but still keeping watch at anyone entering the courtyard, addressing him seriously on seeing him moving closer. "The baron gave you the instructions already then? Alright, we'll keep watch nearby so others wont come to the couryard, but anything you find you let the baron know, right? We don't want anything disappearing here."<br/><br/>The guards smirked a bit but then moved a bit off. "Ohh, and on the horses, they're being treated by the old innkeeper, since his stables had room. Just as the dead driver's body can be found off at the Temple's undercroft. Being prepared for burial and all, since he did his duty they even speak of hero's funeral."<br/><br/>Shrugging somewhat, the guards let Deacon get to work, muttering something as he began to crawl under there. The wheels themselves were muddy, worn and well used. Axles likewise had seen some heavy use, but the rest of the carriage seemed to be finely made, and decorated. Bit of leaf-gold applied to decorative panels along the windows and upon the door handle to the carriage. Soft pillows inside, now coated with blood. Pair of arrows that had broken the window, one lodged into the other door's wooden frame, another embedded into a bloody spot in the seat. Snapped near its end, the other end thrown on the carpet.<br/><br/>The driver's heavy leather-softened seat was likewise tarnished in blood, and on the roof, something else. Two unopened bags tied down, though easily moved. One of them packed full of court-clothing and some soft robes, as well as a collection of a few rings, a pendant, and a book sealed with a simple lock. The other bag in turn held a pair of daggers, a row of four empty vials in a small strap that might be attached to a wrist easily enough. In addition to those there was a book on what appeared to be instructions to enchanting items, even temporarily, but given a quick look it seemed likely it was more of old wives tales than anything concerned with<em>real</em>magic.<br/><br/>The arrowheads in turn were a bit green-tinted. The one in the seat was messed up with blood and stuffings, the other had only sank a little way into the wood, with a fair share of that green paste upon its tip still. They appeared to have been fired from an upward angle, so whoever had shot at the carriage had did so from above the carriage's height, and possibly at some distance.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">OOC</div><div class="spoiler_body">If others follow Deacon along they can easily help out with the searching, otherwise he spends roughly 20 minutes on checking the whole carriage. Another searcher halves the time, third cuts it down to around six minutes, and more searchers don't really lend that much help anyhow, but are welcome to swarm around the carriage if they so choose. There's little real concern about the time right now, at least when it comes to just minutes, but figured to mention it.</div></div>